How to build a DIY Carbon Snake (carbon hose)

[madehtsobi]

just finished making mine on sunday night!!!

cant wait to actually use it!!

[fshfrk]

They make those adapters threaded and threaded bushings. But when you go turning this stuff it will weaken the glued joint so just cut it off.Reuse the 3/4 x 3/4 brass.

[specialone0812]

is there any one interested in sharing the carbon bulk buy? I plan on making one 15' carbon hose but don't need that much carbon. PM ME.

[Gene D]

Is there a reason that the hose is 15' long? Also, does using this completely eliminate the need for water conditioner?

It means that the water has to travel over more media before entering the tank. As well it means that the carbon will last longer. It eliminates the need for dechloninator and most conditioners, however conditioners such as trace elements and ph buffers would still be needed.

[jarrodaden]

Is there a reason that the hose is 15' long? Also, does using this completely eliminate the need for water conditioner?

[cameracorpus]

yeh i think so?

how hard is it pull apart the glued pieces apart?? ull just lose like 4" or so if u cut it off...

Pulling them apart would be impossible. When you cut the hose and discard the original fittings, you are out about $3 for the two plastic parts. The metal fitting can be re-used. Or you can cut the hose and just re-join it with a single coupler and save $1.50. And by then, you may have decided to do something different, like using the splitter I referred to. The real time-frame also depends on use. If you have a fish house like we all dream of, I'd test the output at least every 6 months. If you are married, it will last much longer since you probably have fewer tanks!

I see a definite advantage to keeping the hose tied up in a coil. I got 15' of hose, however, because I want the length. Some may not need it, but it is a long way from my kitchen to the tanks. Like over 50'. I just use a bike hook in my garage ceiling to hang it from, and a shut-off valve on either end to trap the water so I don't have a pool in my garage.

[madehtsobi]

does the black color from the carbon come out every time u run water through carbon snake? so do we have to drain water out for a while before we can get water through carbon snake to the tank for every WC??/

i believe its only the first time from the carbon dust....

[specialone0812]

does the black color from the carbon come out every time u run water through carbon snake? so do we have to drain water out for a while before we can get water through carbon snake to the tank for every WC??/

[madehtsobi]

yeh i think so?

how hard is it pull apart the glued pieces apart?? ull just lose like 4" or so if u cut it off...

[Astex]

Everyone keeps talking about refilling in 2-3 years...but everything is glued together. Is the assumption that you just hack one end off, empty/refill, and glue on new end fittings?

[fshfrk]

Great post - got me thinking.
My fish room is 10 x 20' (old garage) and my incoming water is in one corner and I want to set up my betta baracks at the other end of the fish room. If I used a 4" PVC pipe mounted high on the wall and packed with carbon, how long do you think it would last if my flow rate was 50 GPH ??

Would this be run continuiosly? If just for some w/c's it should last for years.

[mark razmandi]

Once again GREAT job Corpus men. I would like to add when I glue in the plastic screen I glue in 3ea and turn them different directions. May not be needed though. I also lash my snake together at 5 dirrerent points to make it more managable. Weave the small poly rope in and out. This thing when presurred up is strong. You will need to back flush every month. Put the hose on the other end and flush out the carbon dust and other nasties for 10 minutes. I leave the hose on that end and reverse flow for a month. The carbon we are using is made for vapor not really for liquids but it works. You Corpus men need to come up with a pre & post filter for this thing. Next time I build one I would like to mix 50% catylytic carbon but it cost's 2x what we are using now.

lol that would be me!

[fshfrk]

Once again GREAT job Corpus men. I would like to add when I glue in the plastic screen I glue in 3ea and turn them different directions. May not be needed though. I also lash my snake together at 5 dirrerent points to make it more managable. Weave the small poly rope in and out. This thing when presurred up is strong. You will need to back flush every month. Put the hose on the other end and flush out the carbon dust and other nasties for 10 minutes. I leave the hose on that end and reverse flow for a month. The carbon we are using is made for vapor not really for liquids but it works. You Corpus men need to come up with a pre & post filter for this thing. Next time I build one I would like to mix 50% catylytic carbon but it cost's 2x what we are using now.

[cameracorpus]

How long does it take for you to fill 150G??

That's a loaded question. It mainly depends on the water pressure at the source. When we hooked up the new snake to the garden hose, it only reduced the flow by maybe 25-40%. Keep in mind also, that that included a washer hose, which has a small ID compared to a regular hose. However, since an inside sink has much less flow to begin with, using one would obviously slow down the process. I plan on using a garden hose as the source as long as my wife isn't home.

And remember that the slower the flow, the more time the carbon has to do it's thing. I'm gonna test the chlorine again the next time I do a WC, and I bet that if I use an inside faucet with slower flow that there will not be a trace of anything left in the water.

[Gene D]

video on post #2 :)

Well done gentleman. This thread should be a helpfull guide for most