Air line tubing difficulties.

[Korczyk]

Hi.

I'm trying to hide some air line tubing under some gravel, and I'm looking for a good method. Just burying it under the gravel doesn't seem to work.
Is there anything I can use to weigh it down, like small strips of lead? I don't know man... the decorations just get toppled over as well.
Also, is there any tape or any other adhesive I could use to keep the tubing in the corner to where I want it to go under the gravel? It ends up inside a piece of decor, with the air stone at the end.

 

[Hooked Newbie]

I wouldn't use any tape. You might try plant weights (strips of lead) to weigh it down.

 

[Marinemom]

You can also use a rock that is decorative to weigh it down too.

Marinemom

 

[BettaFishMommy]

most LFS have the suction cups that have the little plastic airline holders that you could use along the bottom/sides of your tank, under the gravel, to hold the tubing down.

i actually use them to affix fake plants to the back wall of my tanks - just cut a 1 inch piece of tubing, run the stem of the plant through it,tie it so it doesn't float free, pop the tubing into the little plastic airline holder, , suction to the wall.... wallah! lol.

 

[Rbishop]

Yep, suction cups...you can buy them in packs.

 

[flossyfloofloo]

i find suction cups to be useless the either just pop off or just not hold the airline tight enough i am trying several ways will let u know what works best

 

[BoredAgain]

I used suction cups...they worked for the most part. I found the easiest solution was to stop using airline tubing and air pumps.

 

[Bk718]

When i used an airpump i used suction cups to get the tubing to to stick under the substrate, stayed perfect for as long as I can remember.

 

[Rbishop]

When i used an airpump i used suction cups to get the tubing to to stick under the substrate, stayed perfect for as long as I can remember.

Same here...for the vertical runs I use rigid tubing.

 

[Ajordan]

I've had a hard time with suction cups in an existing tank (getting good or decent suction with mulm and gravel in the way can be tough, not there is crap in my gravel :silly

I think the other benefit of suction cups is they have a relatively large surface for gravel to sit on kind of like some plastic plant bases. Even if they lose suction, they may stay under the gravel.

Other ideas? Plant weights every couple inches? Rigid airline (I think its easier in general once you hit the water)? Maybe dabs of silicone on the bottom if you are sure of placement and its an empty tank? If its a bubble wall they sell weighted bubble wands...