sand

[Dark Jester]

Sounds good. I think I have the PVC parts at my house already from other projects. Will just need to pick up another filter bag. Probably get it running this weekend.

Thanks for the details.

I wonder if expanding the pipe to 3/4" or 1" just before the "T" would help with the debris flowing past. Bigger exit and less pressure on the debris, probably wouldn't be as likely to zip past.

 

[Moloch]

No worries, if for some reason its not clear in the explanation I can snap a pic for you.

The only differences are the little end piece that the branded one has, and that their bag is angled downward. Not sure why that is. I use mine with the back rotated up and the water very clearly flows through it (bubbles and it sticks straight up in the aquarium) so I'm not sure if thats an issue or not.

 

[Dark Jester]

You could probably heat the inlet end of the 1/2" pipe and flatten it a bit. Would increase the suction a little. That looks like what they are doing with the end attachment on the prefab one. Might help with stirring up the gravel too. Dunno, I'll play around with it. Could probably just put a 1/2" male adapter on the end to restrict flow (increase suction) too. if I remember right, the inner diameter of the male adapter is smaller than the pipe itself.

Could probably accomplish the downard angle on the T by adding a 45* adapter too. Maybe it helps keep some of the air out of the bag?
Edit: And thus, we have successfully hijacked this thread.

 

[blacktarotannis]

Omg I so want to make one. Moloch could you take a pic of yours?

 

[livebearerfreak]

yes do plz take a pic!

 

[Dark Jester]

Got the filter bag and a couple PVC adapters. Will probably put it together tonight and test it out. Gonna try the expansion idea, 1/2" tube for the intake, expanded to 3/4" about 10 inches up and immediately after that a 3/4" Tee to attach the bag.

Was wrong on the male adapter idea to increase suction. Inner diameter is the same as the pipe. Gonna have to heat/flatten the end, or come up with some sort of attachment that will get the intake down to a 3/8" or something. Might be a CPVC piece with a 3/8" barbed hose fitting or something that could screw on the end of the 1/2" intake.

Will see how it works as-is tonight, might go MacGyver or Tim Taylor on it if it's not good enough and I want to beef it up. I have an air compressor out in my shed...

I bet water shooting out of the pipe from a 100 psi air line could peel paint off my ceiling... My wife might not appreciate that, but it would be sweet to see it once.

Edit: Actually, is there any reason for the T and the length of pipe sticking up out of the tank? If it's just so you don't have to get your hands wet, I think it would be more efficient to just use a single 1 foot length of 1/2" pipe with the bag around the top. Air and water can exit the bag, debris cant.

I don't care if my hands get wet.

 

[blacktarotannis]

Oh let us know if you got it to work...

 

[Dark Jester]

Edit: Actually, is there any reason for the T and the length of pipe sticking up out of the tank? If it's just so you don't have to get your hands wet, I think it would be more efficient to just use a single 1 foot length of 1/2" pipe with the bag around the top. Air and water can exit the bag, debris cant.

I don't care if my hands get wet.

Didn't do the expansion from 1/2 to 3/4 or anything. After I got to thinking about the above, that seemed like the simplest solution.

Basically what I did was:

• I took the 1/2" pipe and cut a 12" piece.
• I looked through all my spare PVC parts and found a female 1/2" adapter, and a male 3/8" barbed hose connector to screw into it.
  • That went on 1 end of the pipe.
• About an inch from that end I drilled a small hole.
• I found an airline splice (plastic piece to join 2 airlines together). I inserted 1 end into the small hole in the PVC and connected an airline to the other. Could also do one of the little airflow regulators that Moloch mentioned instead.
• A small rubber band keeps the hose attached to the PVC pipe at the other end. Hose is pulled tight, but loose enough to prevent kinking at the splice.
• Only remaining piece was attaching the bag, so I got the idea to just cut the end off of one of my PVC connectors and use that small piece as a sleeve around the end of the 1/2" pipe. Can tie the bag snug around the pipe, and it won't slide off the end with the sleeve there.

Worked pretty well when I tried it out. Great suction, picks up sand and small pieces of gravel. Will push a decent flow of water out of the pipe about 6" above the water line. Everything ends up in the bag, and nothing makes it out except water and air.

Only adjustment I'll make is to shorten the pipe a little bit. The 12" pipe in my 55g made it difficult to grab anything that wasn't sitting on the bottom. If the pipe is angled too much, or the top comes out of the water too much, you lose water flow. With a shorter pipe (maybe 8 or 9 inches) I can also grab anything that I stir up into the water column without losing suction.

Some pics:

Overall, without bag attached

Female 1/2" thread connector slipped onto the 1/2" pipe. 3/8" barbed hose connector screwed into that. Hole for the airline drilled into the side, with an airline splice pushed into it for the connection.

Back end with the hose rubber banded to the tube and side shot of the Bag Stop I fashioned

Can see the piece of the PVC connector that I cut off and slipped over the end to keep the bag from sliding off

With bag attached

 

[BigO6687]

doesnt matter... ur wc are only 20% anyways...

 

[Dark Jester]

doesnt matter... ur wc are only 20% anyways...

Don't try to bring the thread back on track. We derailed it and there's nothing you can do about it. We even got LBF (OP) in on the derailment.

The sand Topic is no more.. It has ceased to be. That, my friend, is a dead Topic.

Edit: Ok, I lied, you can have the thread back , I made a new one and quoted everything relevant to the gravel cleaner from this one: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=367682