As some of you may know I recently received my $35 Ebay Fluval 404 with everything needed except the "intake extension tube & strainer" and the much shorter "outflow tube & multi-directional output nozzle".
Well I could have bought the Fluval parts, 2-rubber adapters, extension tube, and strainer, and nozzle all for $17. Better I thought of a low cost but quality, Martha Stewart alternative.
Having laid many a garden sprinkler pipe and tubing it occurred to me that instead of a white PVC alternative which sticks out like a sour thumb being white. However black tubing and couplers would be require no gluing, cost even less, and be less noticeable being black. Parts and cost as follows:
(1) Approx 30 inches of 5/8" black sprinkler tubing cost 0.12 per foot. You can even find this stuff used at garage sales or buy a 25 foot section at Home Depot for $3.
(2) One 5/8" T-coupler $0.75
(3) One 5/8" strait coupler $0.50
(4) One plastic tie to crimp end of intake tubing
All hoses are different sizes so you will have to take your canister hose with you to check on what size tubing will work. For my Fluval the 5/8" worked perfectly screwing inside the Fluval gray stock hosing. The rest was just common sense as the black sprinkler tubing just pushes together using chevron built in connectors but once in place cannot be separated unless torn apart so make sure your length is what you want before connecting the couplers to the black tubing.
For the intake special work required was drilling 1/4" holes (Swiss cheese) into the strait coupler used as a strainer. Since both ends of the coupler are normally open, you have to seal the end with a short piece of tubing then folded over to form a crimp with a plastic tie to hold it in place. The extension tubing here is long about 13".
For the outflow nozzle its real simple just a 5" section of tubing with one end inserted into the Fluval tubing and the other end pushed into the T-coupler used as a T-outflow nozzle which can swivel any direction and splitting the water flow.
Total Coast about $3 or a saving of $14 over stock.
From the photo's below which are not that great you should be able to make out what I explained here in the text.
Well I could have bought the Fluval parts, 2-rubber adapters, extension tube, and strainer, and nozzle all for $17. Better I thought of a low cost but quality, Martha Stewart alternative.
Having laid many a garden sprinkler pipe and tubing it occurred to me that instead of a white PVC alternative which sticks out like a sour thumb being white. However black tubing and couplers would be require no gluing, cost even less, and be less noticeable being black. Parts and cost as follows:
(1) Approx 30 inches of 5/8" black sprinkler tubing cost 0.12 per foot. You can even find this stuff used at garage sales or buy a 25 foot section at Home Depot for $3.
(2) One 5/8" T-coupler $0.75
(3) One 5/8" strait coupler $0.50
(4) One plastic tie to crimp end of intake tubing
All hoses are different sizes so you will have to take your canister hose with you to check on what size tubing will work. For my Fluval the 5/8" worked perfectly screwing inside the Fluval gray stock hosing. The rest was just common sense as the black sprinkler tubing just pushes together using chevron built in connectors but once in place cannot be separated unless torn apart so make sure your length is what you want before connecting the couplers to the black tubing.
For the intake special work required was drilling 1/4" holes (Swiss cheese) into the strait coupler used as a strainer. Since both ends of the coupler are normally open, you have to seal the end with a short piece of tubing then folded over to form a crimp with a plastic tie to hold it in place. The extension tubing here is long about 13".
For the outflow nozzle its real simple just a 5" section of tubing with one end inserted into the Fluval tubing and the other end pushed into the T-coupler used as a T-outflow nozzle which can swivel any direction and splitting the water flow.
Total Coast about $3 or a saving of $14 over stock.
From the photo's below which are not that great you should be able to make out what I explained here in the text.