MATERIALS NEEDED FOR DAVE'S TUBE
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Diagram
- 1 - Ten foot length of 4 inch thin wall ABS.
- 4 - ABS Slip end caps.
- 4 - 5/8" barbs, male thread x barb (or larger, depending on your pump hose size).
- 1 - Ten foot length of 5/8 I.D. (or larger, depending on your pump hose size) clear reinforced plastic tubing. (So it will not twist and kink).
- 4 - Stainless Steel Hose clamps or 6" wire ties.
- 1 - Sheet of white egg crate. (The stuff used for covering on ceiling lighting. Check the lighting department at stores.)
- 4 - 4" X 4" Pieces of fiber glass or plastic window screen.
- 1 - Roll of PINK Teflon Tape. (It is the thickest tape on the market)
- 1 Drill, 1 tap, and ABS Glue.
METHODOLOGY
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Diagram
- Cut two 28" pieces of the 4" ABS from the 10' length (this will hold approx. 10 lbs of TBPC).
- Drill and tap the correct holes in the end caps AND couplings for the 5/8" barbs.
- Screw in the 5/8" barbs using the PINK Teflon tape around the threads.
- Using the inside of the coupling as a templet, use a magic marker and mark the egg crate. Cut the piece with a jig saw (or a pair of diagonal cutters).
- Using a hot glue gun (or silicone caulking), glue the window screen along the egg crate lines. Cut off the excess window screen.
- Slide the egg crate flush inside the pipe end cap. Hot glue the egg crate in place.
- Glue the END CAP to the pipe. VERY IMPORTANT: DO THIS ONLY ON ONE END so you can open and clean the tube from the other end!
- Glue the coupling (with another piece of egg crate in it) to the other end. Allow to dry outside for a day to vent the fumes from the solvent.
- "Fizz off" the TBPC in a bucket of fresh water, then rinse thoroughly to remove the "fines".
- Fill the tube tightly with TBPC.
- When screwing the end cap on, put PINK Teflon tape on the edges. This thick tape will eliminate leakage.
- Cut 12" of the plastic 5/8" tubing and hook the two tubes together. Clamp the ends with the stainless steel clamps or the wire ties.
- Hook the tubes to your pump. A high flow of at least 6-10 times an hour is excellent. Remember the exhaust part of the tube is where the egg crate is installed. The flow must be in that direction, otherwise the TBPC might infiltrate down the lines and enter the aquarium.
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