ABSolute Flow Limiter (for small chinese aquarium pumps)

thingiverse

And now: the "ABSolute Flow Limiter"!!! Do you plan to build an aquarium for your kids by buying a small glass container and filtering its water with a very cheap Chinese pump? Good thinking! You're clever to save 20 to 30 bucks on a DIY aquarium compared to commercial ones! You'll need: A small glass bowl (mine has a diameter of about 10 inches): around $10-$11 A pair of kilograms of aquarium pebbles: $2-$3 Some decorative object to submerge: starting at $2 A small filter with an integrated oxygen pump like the one in the picture (model XL666 3W): under $5 Then... Ah, you'll be thrilled with your handiwork, but... Whoa! The pump... pumps too well! And it lacks a flow regulator! Your little fish will surely get slammed around the bowl with no escape! But don't worry! I've already solved this problem with my "ABSolute Flow Limiter": now I only have ABS in my workshop, but you can also call it "PLAbsolute Flow Limiter" and print it in PLA! So... Go ahead and print it! And don't forget the fish! Seriously: remember to submerge the pump vertically and wait until it starts pumping before securing it to the glass with its suction cups. This is especially true if you install the limiter with a single hole (1/4 of flow). If you use this limiter, the "Venturi" effect used for oxygenation will be very low and can't suck air more than a few millimeters down in the water, so please install the pump to keep its outlet nozzle as close to the surface as possible.