Ap100 connection help

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
You need to decide on the diffusers so you know what to get for barbs. My setup above runs to 10" diffusers from Hydrofarm - think those diffusers use 5/16" barbs. Or at least that's what I used for line I believe.

I run valves to compesate for the diffusers plugging up at different rates and to move the boil, have built without and had to add them to have the ability to "tune" it.
 
DB junkie said:
You need to decide on the diffusers so you know what to get for barbs. My setup above runs to 10" diffusers from Hydrofarm - think those diffusers use 5/16" barbs. Or at least that's what I used for line I believe.

I run valves to compesate for the diffusers plugging up at different rates and to move the boil, have built without and had to add them to have the ability to "tune" it.
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Agree with Al, you are defintely going to want valves to be able to tune the boil.
 
DB junkie said:
I wouldn't use metal. I live in the sticks and can still fab this stuff up with PVC and plastic barb fittings. I even use the same silicone on the threads as you use to reseal aquarium
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I wouldn't use metal either, but in an attempt to be helpful and provide pictures of items that the OP could find easily at Lowes and thread together, I went with metal. I am sure that anyone with basic plumbing skills can figure this out, but I was also trying to avoid recommending PVC slipjoint fittings that would require glue, since that is slightly more advanced. Also, I would not recommend silicone sealant on threads, but rather 'plumbers tape' or tephlon tape (one in the same).

I had also assumed that this silly pump had female threads on the outlet, but I see that maybe it is just an unbarbed shaft of an outlet? In which case you would need to run tubing directly off the pump to a barbed x threaded fitting and go from there.

I think I need to step out of this thread, because plumbing sales customer service aggrivates me... So glad to have left that world! Not sure why I dipped back in...
 
DB junkie said:
I wouldn't use metal. I live in the sticks and can still fab this stuff up with PVC and plastic barb fittings. I even use the same silicone on the threads as you use to reseal aquariums.

Why do you say no metal? Can the barbs be metal or th nipples be metal and screw into pvc?

I posted some pics to give you an idea. Valves should be the same, the manifold would have a barb on one end, a cap on the other.

The valve that's red has a pair of barbs (whatever size hose you're running) to 1/2" thread adapters-1/2" PVC- 1/2" valve-1/2" PVC-1/2" thread adappter- whatever size hose you're running x1/2" male threaded barb.

Pump - 3/4" hose - 3/4" x3/4" male barb - Female 3/4" adapter - 3/4" PVC - 3/4" x 1/2" "T" -3/4" PVC-3/4"x1/2" "T"-3/4" PVC-3/4" cap. Put 1/2" to (whatever size line you're running) barbs on those 3/4"x1/2" "T"s.

View attachment 1134950

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Why do you say no metal? Can some of the parts be metal? Like the barbs or nipples screwed into plastic pvc? Having trouble finding plastic barbs and plastic nipples
 
Torchia32 said:
Why do you say no metal? Can some of the parts be metal? Like the barbs or nipples screwed into plastic pvc? Having trouble finding plastic barbs and plastic nipples
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They can be metal, and should not hurt anything to be metal, just would not be my preference as they are more expensive and have shorter life expectancy in moist environments (like 1,000 years instead of 1,500 years). Metal fittings on an air line will not hurt your fish in any way, any they are fine for this application, but I would strongly discourage putting metal fittings in contact with water. If all you can find it metal, then you should still be able to do the project under 20 bucks. Just don't be stoopid and use silicone sealant, because any plumber would tell you that is stooooooopid, even if they cannot explain why... You might as well use wood glue if you wanna seal the threads with something dumb, at lease that would cure rigid and hold the fitting against minor torque, the silicone would be useless as a thread sealant it you gave the fitting an accidental turn of 1/100 rotation after it was set, especially if you end up having to use metal fittings (metal threads have tiny serrations from the machining process that could shred the set silicone). Just use teflon tape, it is made specifically for the job and costs about $0.62/roll.
 
BrookKeeper said:
They can be metal, and should not hurt anything to be metal, just would not be my preference as they are more expensive and have shorter life expectancy in moist environments (like 1,000 years instead of 1,500 years). Metal fittings on an air line will not hurt your fish in any way, any they are fine for this application, but I would strongly discourage putting metal fittings in contact with water. If all you can find it metal, then you should still be able to do the project under 20 bucks. Just don't be stoopid and use silicone sealant, because any plumber would tell you that is stooooooopid, even if they cannot explain why... You might as well use wood glue if you wanna seal the threads with something dumb, at lease that would cure rigid and hold the fitting against minor torque, the silicone would be useless as a thread sealant it you gave the fitting an accidental turn of 1/100 rotation after it was set, especially if you end up having to use metal fittings (metal threads have tiny serrations from the machining process that could shred the set silicone). Just use teflon tape, it is made specifically for the job and costs about $0.62/roll.
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Can metal be used with plastic? Some fittings plastic and some metal? do they fittings need to be glued? They seem to be screwing in tightly on the threads and will just be air flowing through no water. These fittings will all be on the outside of the sump. Then the silicone tubes will run from the two barbs into the k1 chamber and connect o diffusers
 
Torchia32 said:
Can metal be used with plastic? Some fittings plastic and some metal? do they fittings need to be glued? They seem to be screwing in tightly on the threads and will just be air flowing through no water. These fittings will all be on the outside of the sump. Then the silicone tubes will run from the two barbs into the k1 chamber and connect o diffusers
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Metal to plastic is perfectly acceptable, just be extra careful not to cross thread anything while assembling, as metal threads crossed into plastic will tear up the plastic (this is not a difficult thing to avoid...). They do not HAVE to be glued, you do not even NEED the teflon tape, but the teflon will help the metal/metal connections to seat properly and reduce tiny air leaks.
 
BrookKeeper said:
Metal to plastic is perfectly acceptable, just be extra careful not to cross thread anything while assembling, as metal threads crossed into plastic will tear up the plastic (this is not a difficult thing to avoid...). They do not HAVE to be glued, you do not even NEED the teflon tape, but the teflon will help the metal/metal connections to seat properly and reduce tiny air leaks.
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Thanks for the fast reply. Can the gate valve be placed right at the pump or should it be a little ways down the line with silicone tubing?
 
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