Air for the fish room

[trofius]

Hi all

I am just about to do the air line thing around the fish room just wondering what othere have done. I have a lp-90 airpump, and will be running maybe 30-40 airstones (i know the pump is way big enough.)

I was thinking 20mm pvc with screw in barbs then silicone tube down into the tanks, all up about $100 in materials.

I was thinking pvc because pvc is self ridgid/self supporting, and will have to cross over the room above head height, about 2.8m span, will also support a power lead

I was considering the black irrigation stuff, due to wase of working with, and cheaper but hmmm not sure

Are dead ends a bad thing or should it all flow

The pump will sit on the top shelf in middle, so, I was going to have it go down between the two main racks and tee off at each shelf, ending in dead ends. the top line would have a tee also to cross the room to the other two rack.

Also will i need a bleed of somewere to release any extra air?

any suggestions

[wrk21]

bud, dead ends are bad news.
if you can, have a big loop right round the room and run ya air lines off that.
the shot of the corner is a T for a bleed off if i even need it...
mine is just a big square with a line running down the middle for the middle bank of tanks.
like this
http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10020592bm.jpg
http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10020607ra.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10020613vg.jpg
http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10020623yj.jpg


 ))o

[trofius]

why are dead ends bad?

what if i had an airline from each end?

Wayne to create a loop for the tanks on each side of the garage would require, twice the amount of equiptment. remember there are three tiers of tanks.

i cant attach anything to the cieling, and i will not have silicone tube running down from up there to the floor almost, neatness is very important

[davez104]

Hi Mick,
I cant see that dead ends would be a problem as far as air flow/pressure goes, maybe stale air would accumulate?? An air line with a tap, an occasional flushing of the dead ends and I don't think there should be any dramas. Will be interested to see how you go with this Mick as I will be doing a similar thing here, one of many projects for sometime in the new year. Another 6 tanks, some A/C for the garage and the air pump to run the 11 smaller tanks, should be enough to keep me broke for a bit :wink:

Dave.

[fishtraderlau]

G'day champ,

Well, you all know the airlines i have running in my shed!

Basically, i have a 50mm airline with the small black screw in irrigation fittings with a big sungukawa air pump on it, running over 60, who knows...how many air stones all under 20 inches of water.

Basically, if you are going to have a dead end...do a couple of things here...either place a valve at this point so that you can regulate overall air pressure and thus flow in the supply into each tank, this is what i do and if you later add more tanks then you can close this valve.

2nd thing you should do is have some sand/ceramic airstones running off the line (one at the dead end if you have one) and not in water, just on a short 10cm line of airline, this is required to bleed moisture from the line, otherwise this is what generates problems hey, bad gas build up potential etc. I have a couple of these on the line at the lowest points where poisture would collect.

I have a second one running the tanks on the other side of the shed now too champ, another sungakawa but a bit smaller, running 1 inch black poly with the same screw in irrigation fittings and a valve on the end. It isn't very rigid but has let me snake the tubing all around the stands as i have tanks and stands bloody everywhere on that side of the shed.

So yep, there you have it, remember moisture bleed points, overall pressure relief if the pump you have is bigger than your current requirements, and go for it, centralised air is a dream to run hey and much, much tidier.

Cheers,

Andrew.

[wrk21]

mick,
 loop it the other way, along the wall, same as what i talking about but instead of on the roof on the wall.

[gasnitro]

Mick i f you remember mine goes to 32mm low density pipe then branches left and right of the room then 13mm drop off to each bank of three tanks then use those trickle taps to control flow. i have dead ends with problems i would dought very much about stale air.

[trofius]

Thanks all, gives me some things to consider.

Andrew yep help you set a bit of it up, pvc, and poly, its were i got the idea from.  Should be the job for next weekend, as well as set up the new tanks and stand, maybe do some paiting this weekend.

gasnitro do you mean NO problems or problems?

[gasnitro]

:oops:  Sorry Mick with no problems :lol: