[Bubba_Shrimp]

Hi,

My lily pipes and tubes are quite brown inside now.
I'm wondering if this might cause any danger to inhabitants.

So, when is it time to clean them?
How do you guys clean them (lilies and tubes)?
Should I have replacements ready to keep filter down for a short time while I will be cleaning originals?

Please let me know. Thanks!

 

[jreich]

Hi,

My lily pipes and tubes are quite brown inside now.
I'm wondering if this might cause any danger to inhabitants.

So, when is it time to clean them?
How do you guys clean them (lilies and tubes)?
Should I have replacements ready to keep filter down for a short time while I will be cleaning originals?

Please let me know. Thanks!

1 the brown pipes wont hurt anything.
2 i clean them when they get ugly or the flow slows down
3 replacements are not necasary just down leave the filter down for long. i try to be as fast as possible to avoid killing the good bacteria in the filter.
4 i clean everything with a brush i found at home depo designed for cleaning lint out of your dryer duct work there found in the cleaning products isle. thats the only thing i could find locally that is long enough to clean out the whole length of the filter tube.

 

[Bubba_Shrimp]

1 the brown pipes wont hurt anything.
2 i clean them when they get ugly or the flow slows down
3 replacements are not necasary just down leave the filter down for long. i try to be as fast as possible to avoid killing the good bacteria in the filter.
4 i clean everything with a brush i found at home depo designed for cleaning lint out of your dryer duct work there found in the cleaning products isle. thats the only thing i could find locally that is long enough to clean out the whole length of the filter tube.

Awesome, thanks!
Btw, any liquids for cleaning or just warm water?

 

[jreich]

i just use warm water and the brush, you never want to use any kind of soaps or detergents any where around an aquarium.

 

[Postal Penguin]

Another option is to soak the pipes in a 1:20 bleach dillution, it will kill everything and might make scraping out the stuff easier. Just make sure to rinse well afterward.

 

[hbosman]

Another option is to soak the pipes in a 1:20 bleach dillution, it will kill everything and might make scraping out the stuff easier. Just make sure to rinse well afterward.

Adding Prime to the rinsing water would helps with the bleach also.