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air tubing for floating plant barrier


CT_

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I've seen people use air tubing as a barrier for floating plants and I think its a great idea but I'm wondering which tubing do you use?  I ask because I have two kinds right now.  A fairly stiff air tubing that keeps the shape it was coiled in and is therefor nearly impossible to get it to take any shape but the oval it was wrapped in.  And i have some fairly heavy silicone tube that I used for a different project but it isn't buoyant enough. 

 

So what's you all's experience with a good brand of buoyant and flexible air line?

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I've tried both stiffer and more pliable tubing, and definitely like the stiff better. You'll be pretty much stuck with a circle on the pliable tubing, but with the stiff tubing you can shape it by heating a section then forming it to your shape. A heat gun is best, but you can also use the heat of just a regular lighter. Just be sure not to get it too close so it doesn't melt or burn.

I also just came across a post on the r/aquaswap subreddit, and someone was selling their homemade 3d printed corrals for just this. The line was attached to small rings that could slide up and down a post to adjust with the water level.

https://v.redd.it/y4anr1rqpnh61

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Was there a specific shape besides a circle that you wanted? You can use T airline connecters or elbows to make a square haha. I usually use spare air control valves to connect my airline tubing.

Check valves have more air inside them if you have extras, that might help you with buoyancy. But these options might not look that pretty haha

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Yeah the stiff kind I have is only straight for maybe 5" and then makes a u turn.  It's hard to do anything with sections that short.   I actually did 3d print a coral but it's really hard to make a water tight print and I'm not sure what sealant to use.

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I just used the generic clear tubing I've had forever, but I recently cut the outer rim from the lid of a plastic takeout container, which is sort of a rounded-corner rectangle, and I like that better. I'm hoping to make my water lettuce and salvinia happier so I put the "ring" around the HOB filter intake, and it's long enough that it encompasses the outflow too. (The filter is in the corner so it can't float over to the wrong side.)

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I made this using regular clear tubing and flexible silicone straws. Just cut to whatever shape you want and fit the tubing in, or use an entire straw and just connect the ends with tubing to make a circle. I found the straws on a display kiosk at the grocery store.

20210214_110341.jpg

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22 minutes ago, Noah_J said:

Oh, I hadn't thought about that! I'll have to seal mine too. Though, what sort of plastic did you use? I know ABS is the preferred plastic for things that will be wet.

This is something I've heard a few times but only from fish people doing 3d printing.  I actually don't get why ABS is preferred.  I'm using some "food grade" PLA, which contrary to some odd belief is not going to melt or break down (you need special conditions to compost it, and its as much "corn" as rayon is bamboo). 

I think PETG is a good option as well (thats similar to what plastic bottles are made from). 

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43 minutes ago, Koi said:

Was there a specific shape besides a circle that you wanted?

Yeah, I want to cordon off the back left corner but I can't get a straight section off my coil longer than about 6" and then it makes a sharp U turn.  I could cut all the uturns out and join 3 pieces to make the 10x4" two-sides of a rectangle i think I need i suppose. 

 

I also tried heating it to bend it with poor results, but I gave up pretty early so maybe I'll try again with some more patients and trials.

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12 minutes ago, CT_ said:

This is something I've heard a few times but only from fish people doing 3d printing.  I actually don't get why ABS is preferred.  I'm using some "food grade" PLA, which contrary to some odd belief is not going to melt or break down (you need special conditions to compost it, and its as much "corn" as rayon is bamboo). 

I think PETG is a good option as well (thats similar to what plastic bottles are made from). 

I'm not sure about reasons for it breaking down over time, but ABS has a very low water absorption rate. So as long as you don't have any gaps throughout the print, I was under the belief that ABS didn't need to be sealed.

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CT,

I love this idea for containing floating plants, I'm going to try it! I wanted to mention that if you dunk your stiff tubing in really warm water for a few minutes it will become soft so that you can shape it. Once it cools it will retain whatever shape you gave it. Bringing a pot of water to a near boil is an easy way to do it but in my experience it doesn't even need to be that hot. Hot sink water will even do it and I think thats somewhere at or under 120F.

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18 minutes ago, Noah_J said:

I'm not sure about reasons for it breaking down over time, but ABS has a very low water absorption rate. So as long as you don't have any gaps throughout the print, I was under the belief that ABS didn't need to be sealed.

Its less the material and more the process.  FDM often leaves gaps especially on top and bottom layers and on  side seams.  this is a photo of a print of mine with 104% extrusion to try and prevent gaps.

image.png.6207ec50cf86b4ace95ea065be82a0a3.png

 

1 minute ago, Lowells Fish Lab said:

CT,

I love this idea for containing floating plants, I'm going to try it! I wanted to mention that if you dunk your stiff tubing in really warm water for a few minutes it will become soft so that you can shape it. Once it cools it will retain whatever shape you gave it. Bringing a pot of water to a near boil is an easy way to do it but in my experience it doesn't even need to be that hot. Hot sink water will even do it and I think thats somewhere at or under 120F.

oh thats a great idea thanks!

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2 minutes ago, CT_ said:

Its less the material and more the process.  FDM often leaves gaps especially on top and bottom layers and on  side seams.

Oh, sure! I hadn't much considered that. I'm still very new to 3D printing. I'll keep that in mind for anything I use in aquariums. Thanks for the bit of a lesson!

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