running airline and wires through bottom

[Dtackett]

so im currently working on a 1.5 gallon reef vase and the image I have in my head doesn't show any wires or hoses running into it. so here my idea.

drill 2 holes in the bottom. run the airline through 1 hole. cut the wire for the heater and run it through the other, then splice them back together on the outside. that's the easy part... now here where im running into issues.


HOW DO I PREVENT THIS FROM LEAKING? my first thought was silicone. fill the holes with silicone once the wires and hose is ran through then insure theres a good seam on the inside and outside and on the airline itself. if this would work and be water tight its simple. but will the silicone bond to the airline and the rubber wire coating?

got any other ideas?

 

[brandon429]

That would be a revolutionary step for picos in general

Im sure it will have to be more reinforced to hold seal after the various shifts and movements over time that will subject the input points to stress


A way should be found however, it's too ideal not to consider. I'm guessing a true reinforced mini bulkhead guide would work somehow, but no way to guess any specific way. The best ambitions are done with no precedent and you forge a path for sure this idea is good

 

[Dtackett]

yeah, if I can find it locally, ill use rtv 108. its a lot stronger and bonds to pretty much anything lol but I already have silicone lol

 

[Dtackett]

I didn't think about a bulkhead... if I can drill a big enough hole I could probably design a bulkhead for this. john guest makes them for airline, push connect style.
https://www.h2odistributors.com/pi1208s
but that wont work for the wires and that's my main concern is how I can keep the wires from coming up and over. I may have to design that component from the ground up....

 

[kschweer]

They make these for airline

And for the wires you could possibly use uni-seals. They make them as small as 3/16".

 

[Dtackett]

yeah I just found the barbed bulkheads lol. I was thinking maybe ro fittings too. they make the push connect ro bulkheads and theyre pretty cheap. the issue with the uni-seals is simple, its not going to be rigid, and the wires aren't perfectly round so it will leak. the airline will be the easy part to be honest. the wires will be the harder part. im sure its possible, but it will have to be a flexible, but durable seal that will form to the contours of the wire and casing, while maintaining a water tight seal. the biggest issue im going to run into is this all has to be serviceable. that might not be possible with the wire going though the tank. once everything is in, there wont be much room to mess with stuff so I may be stuck running them over the sides. but im not gonna give up until I don't have a choice.

 

[MTWiley]

There's something used for putting probes in industrial machinery called a gland seal or something along those lines, it does pretty much what you're looking for. You put it in like a bulkhead then pass your cable through it then tighten the gland seal and it clamps a seal down on the cable and makes it water tight

 

[Dtackett]

hmm. ill have to see what I can find on that. thanks for the tip!

 

[Spit.fire]

There's something used for putting probes in industrial machinery called a gland seal or something along those lines, it does pretty much what you're looking for. You put it in like a bulkhead then pass your cable through it then tighten the gland seal and it clamps a seal down on the cable and makes it water tight

Waterproof stain relief

 

[Dtackett]

Waterproof stain relief

looks like grainger has them... wonder if work would let me order it through their account lol only 2.80 anyways. thanks that's the answer.

so there ya go @brandon429 on your next setup you can run the airline and wires through the bottom using a barbed 1/4 inch bulkhead or a 1/4 inch to 1/4inch push connect fitting and run the wires through with the waterproof stain relief.

 

[Jlentz]

looks like grainger has them... wonder if work would let me order it through their account lol only 2.80 anyways. thanks that's the answer.

so there ya go @brandon429 on your next setup you can run the airline and wires through the bottom using a barbed 1/4 inch bulkhead or a 1/4 inch to 1/4inch push connect fitting and run the wires through with the waterproof stain relief.

Wire gland is the way to go for the electrical wire unless you can run it in a conduit of some kind. (1/2" RO tube?)


Try Drillspot
They are a Grainger reseller, cheaper an no hassles about wether you are a business or not.
McMaster Carr would be my other choice.

 

[Dtackett]

i have access to grainger, just easier to have work order them. we deal with McMaster carr as well. considering my boss does all the ordering im sure I can get her to let me use their account and just have it shipped here. afterall, mail to my house tends to get delayed. apparently my mailman doesn't like driving 15 minutes out of town for 10 houses.

 

[brandon429]

You guys that is neat I didn't know they made bulks specifically for airlines or that other mention for the heater line. It truly looks like those would work and handle average stressors.

nobody has an upward running line system on a pico enjoy that first improvement idea DT I will text this to my good buddy Maritza the vase reef

 

[brandon429]

I'll tell you the three biggest innovations I've seen for reefbowls:
DTackett incoming line mods

Tyler Johnson 14 day record for no topoff, ranging .023 to .0245 by simply turning down the air to a dribble and using a small power head for the major circulation (no ATO system, an evap control mod)

And Maritza suspending all two part dosing and maintaining exceptional sps quality, tank of the month quality, off instant ocean salt and just water changes-which was a simplicity in maintenance reduction I didn't even think would work

 

[cu455]

For the heater you can use one of those sticky betta bowl pads.

http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Aquar...Iw_6zt4GOypC90yGjgWnlyBnagTY7j3dJ0aAq1V8P8HAQ

 

[Dtackett]

I actually cant use that... too low of wattage. I keep my house around 68 degrees and that wouldn't keep it warm enough. im looking at a 25 watt one I found. seems pretty small size wise but should be plenty to heat the tank.

 

[Dtackett]

I'll tell you the three biggest innovations I've seen for reefbowls:
DTackett incoming line mods

Tyler Johnson 14 day record for no topoff, ranging .023 to .0245 by simply turning down the air to a dribble and using a small power head for the major circulation (no ATO system, an evap control mod)

And Maritza suspending all two part dosing and maintaining exceptional sps quality, tank of the month quality, off instant ocean salt and just water changes-which was a simplicity in maintenance reduction I didn't even think would work

im probably going to do the same as Maritza. I wont be dosing. but I also only plan a single stick of sps and its going to be digitata, and maybe a small piece of monti which would provide some shading for the lower light acans. I figure the water changes will be enough. but I will be using IO reef crystals which is slightly better so I should sustain high enough levels for the tank to thrive.