Loaches Online Forum

may i ask what size pvc tubing you used in this setup? i just got back from the store where i picked up 3/4inch tubing for the manifold im building for a rivertank im setting up this month. upon laying it out next to the tank (a 36inch 38gallon) i noticed that the manifold is just barely too wide (tank is roughly 12inches wide). i based my purchase of 3/4 inch over 1/2 inch on martin's writeup from one of his articles posted on the main site here. while at the store i laid both sizes out and considered 1/2inch since my tank is small, but i figured what the hell the difference in price was minimal and the flow is greater with the larger tubing. i can make this work with minor modification to the tubing, and this is prolly what ill do, but im just wondering what you used.
also, did you use standard pvc pipe or cpvc? it looks like standard pvc, but im also just wondering.
thanks

3/4 inch tubing has just over twice the cross-sectional area of 1/2 inch. I've got a 36" tank with a 3/4 inch river tank manifold, and there's definitely a noticble drop in flow for a powerhead hooked into it. Not major, but not insignificant. With 1/2 inch pipe a lot of power would be going to waste fighting drag in the pipe. I'd say 3/4" is definitely the way to go.

Rubix,

It is 3/4 inch PVC tubing.

Once i had all the T pieces and 90 degree bends in place across the width, they all butted up together and just fit in the tank.

if you look at Martin's 'exploded' manifold here
http://www.loaches.com/articles/river-t ... old-design
then you will see the the spacers in between the T's.

My tank is 12" wide and with no spacers (actually very short and not visible when constructed) the manifold is the perfect width for the tank

Hope this makes sense and helps.

TC

PS, still waiting for the pH to drop! (definately think cement background is to blame!)