ICA Tubing Size?

[cubenoob]

Im trying to find some tubing for my ICA when I get it. What size is required to plumb this unit? I was looking at the Tygon tubing often used in PC water cooling systems. Its supposed to be ultra flexible and resist bending/kinking. Anybody have experience with this stuff? What ID and OD should I be looking for?

[B16A2NR]

Thats a question for nanocustoms

[ccjung]

I have been using 1/2 OD tubing.

 

Chris

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

I'd be interested is looking at the type of tubbing you talk about. Using the 1/2 standard tubbing does tend to bend/kink. End result is a reduction in the water flow, good and bad...

 

To make it not bend/kink when you close the lid, you need to reduce it with scissors. Let me explain, close the lid, as you close it, you can see if it bends/kinks.

 

Raise the hood and cut a 1/2 inch or so and then reconnect the tube and go through the same steps on top. You will soon get a equilibrium where it doesn't bend/kink. The right amount will be reached.

 

Each tank is different because if you have rubble in the back it depends on where the pieces fall.

 

Mike

[cubenoob]

I ordered some tubing and will let you know how it works out when the ICA comes in. Im hoping it can make the tight bend without kinking.

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

That's great, give me a heads up when you get you tubbing. I'd be interested in seeing if it works better than the standard tubbing.

 

Mike

[chiu]

Hi!

 

Sorry for stealing your thread, but I think it is related.

 

How did yall get your tubes to not kink? I bought the 1/2" OD water safe tubing from Home Depot, but I cannot get it into a position where it will not kink. The best (though it still does not work) position I found was to have the pump, pump into the right side of the ICA, then have the return hooked up the left side. The right side of the ICA goes fine, but the left side just won't lay properly, no matter how long/short I make it.

 

Any ideas?

 

chiu

[thebrian]

Just an idea, but I have found that the flexible PVC (opaque white stuff) does not bend or kink nearly as much. Also, since it's opaque, you won't get algae growing inside it.

 

~Brian

[cubenoob]

Received my ICA today and hopefully will be installing it within the next few days. Ill let you know if the Tygon can make the bend without kinking.

[cubenoob]

Alright, I have the ICA installed but not plumbed yet. Im in the same boat as others here. I cant get the hood closed without the tube kinking. Both the Tygon and regular vinyl hose kink when I close the hood. Anybody have any good pics of how they plumbed this thing exactly? Maybe looking at some setups with help me complete this thing.

[cubenoob]

I tried for an hour today to get the tubing to sit right but cannot get the lid closed without the tubing kinking. So far ive tried the tygon, regular vinyl, and 1/2" OD latex tubing. Im going to have to wait for some tubing from Chris to complete this I think.

 

Another question though, on the pump side tube do you run it into the second chamber through the slot and then into the ICA? It looks as though the pics of the installation ive seen seem to have the tube coming from the second chamber leading me to believe that you slide it through the slot and then up to the ICA.

 

Mike, what kind of tubing are you using? Standard vinyl? This is starting to irritate me, I know this can be done with standard tubing but I cant seem to get it right.

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

Cubenoob,

 

I have installed three ICA units and have gone through the kinking phase. However, I solved it by first placing the return pump in the middle chamber.

 

This way, the 1/2 tubbing has the least bending when it connects to the ICA intake. If there is some kinking I reduce it by lifting cutting down on the tube little by little.

 

As I continue to close the lid, I can see that it no longer kinks. Then the other side is the same principle, you cut until you reach that point.

 

I have found another way, that will work a lot easier. Yesterday, I installed an ICA unit for my LFS and I used 1/2 tubbing plus 3/8 tubbing.

 

The trick is to use as much 3/8 as possible since it can coil in the back without kinking. Then you shove the 3/8 into the 1/2 tubbing and you will have no kinking. The 1/2 tubbing will go on both ends of the ICA and on the return nozzle.

 

Just use as much 3/8 to coil where you have no pressure on the 1/2 tubbing.

 

Good luck,

 

Mike

[cubenoob]

Placing the return pump in the second chamber makes the third one useless, is this correct? That means I can no longer have the heater in the third chamber and will have to remove the live rock in the second chamber. There is no need for the plastic elbow that came with the return anymore is there? I have just been pushing the tubing into the return instead of using the elbow. Im gonna go ahead and try again tomorrow morning when I have some time and try your method out.

[ccjung]

Chris,

 

I will be sending the ICA tubing for you via USPS.

 

Sorry for the frustration.

 

I would have included this tubing in EVERYONES ICA order, but i get it as my girlfriend is able to get it.

 

Im going to get a part number from it and see if i can order in mass.

 

Regardless,

 

Good Luck

 

Chris

[chiu]

Hi Guys,

 

This is what I ended up doing.

 

I had a spare water pump that I was using in the 1st chamber. I put this in the second chamber and attached the left side of the ICA to it using the 1/2" OD hose. I then attached another 1/2" OD hose and then made it long enough to empty in the third chamber. So essentially, whatever water the water pump gets pulled from the second chamber and then cooled via the ICA, and then gets mixed back into the third chamber, with my heater, and then gets pumped back into the main tank via the water pump in the third chamber.

 

I made the tubing long enough, so that I can raise and lower the pump and the outlet without spraying water everywhere. If I raise it to high, then my pump is out of the water, and hence no water will come out of the return end (well, at least not too much water).

 

Essentially, I have 3 pumps now. 1 in the first chamber, with the outlet directed out towards the grill. 1 in the second chamber to move the water through the ICA, and then 1 in the last chamber to pump water back into the main tank.

 

Not idea, but it seems to work.

 

Tank stays at 80 degrees now. I essentially run the ICA with the lights and fan, and let the heater make sure it does not get below 80.

 

Coming from the freshwater world, I learned that drastic water changes cause fish to get ich. Not sure if this applies to saltwater, but I didn't want to take any chances.

 

Hope this helps!

 

chiu

[ccjung]

Thanks for the input chiu.

 

I always appreciate my customers who care enough about others to share thier results/techniques.

 

The fact that you are running 80 constantly is great news..

 

Chris

[cubenoob]

Not a bad idea chiu, at least until the tubing gets here. I have the mini 404 that came with the tank that I can pump chamber to chamber with and use the 606 to return it to the tank. Thanks for all your help everyone. Its interesting to see how everyone does things differently but each way seems to work.

[Micro-Reefs Aquariums]

There are three chambers in the back of the 12 gallon cube. Chamber one in my tank has two rio 90 pumps that alternate current via the reefkeeper. Below them is one stock sponge block, below the sponge is 1 unit of chemipure, followed by the another stock sponge on the very bottom.

 

I have removed the third sponge and I alternate it when I do a cleaning. In the second and third chamber is live rubble. It does not matter if your return pump or heater is in chamber 2 or 3.

 

The water mixing here is identical to both sides, there is clearly no benefit of placing the return pump in third chamber.

 

The only benefit is if you have filter media in chamber 2 that clearly needs to mix before it is returned to main tank. Then you would defeat the purpose if your return pump was in number 2.

 

I therefore conclude that if you don't have nothing other than rubble then you are okay to mix and match water pumps you want in chamber 2 and 3.

 

I also have macro algae in chamber 2 on the top. And my return pump is at the very bottom in chamber 2. Chamber 3 has my heater. I have much more clearance for my tubbing via my ICA with this setup.

 

Hope this sheds some light.

 

Mike

[tkramer]

Does anyone know if the ICA fits in the NC6? I mean... I know I can find a way to "make" it fit. Just wondering if anyone has attempted it though?

[ccjung]

It cant be "made" to fit unfortunately, because the 12/24g uses 60mm Fans, where the 6g uses 50mm fans.

 

I've been trying to get some 50mm heatsinks, but the pickings are slim. Namely, mounting it to the 6g hood is difficult.

 

I will be researching this application and hope to have something mid august.

 

Chris

[tkramer]

Thanks Chris.

 

I just wanted to make sure before I placed an order for lights and a moonlight from your place next week. I guess I will wait on the chiller.

 

In the meantime, any suggestions on stonger fans? I will be installing the 2.18 lights sometime in august and want to make sure I have everything line up before i go about doing this. Thanks again.

 

Take care,

Tom

[ccjung]

50x50x10mm fans will do the trick.

 

Im at the airport right now waiting on a flight, so all orders will be filled August 1.

 

Chris

[tkramer]

Thanks again... talk about a speedy response.

 

Have an excellent trip!

 

take care,

Tom