Does anyone know if those flexible air bubble hoses used for fish tanks
are any good for ferric or CuCl etch tanks ?
see,
http://store1.yimg.com/I/animalworldnetwork_1863_24150004I know they have a lead metal insert that gives them ability to be
shaped, and provides the weight. If this lead is not covered in plastic
then it will not stand up to these etchants after a while. I've just
ordered some to try, as I'm having bad luck with other "air stones" sold
at aquarium stores.
I've tried garden "soaker" hose, but the consistency of air release is
very poor across its length. Its not designed for fish tanks.
I've also tried a series of 1mm holes in PVC tube, but the air bubbles
are too large causing very low back pressure. Again this gives very
non-uniform bubbling across its length. I found the air volume needed to
get good back pressure way too high (tested with water tank and a
compressor).
So I've come to conclusion you need lots of evenly distributed small
bubbles to get uniform agitation.