I have a 100g tank, with an external canister filter that has a little over 6 feet of flexible clear plastic tubing for the intake. This tube keeps getting algae growing on the walls, which due to the water flow breaks off and clogs the attachments at the top of the filter. This dramatically slows down the flow rate of my filter and I believe is causing my fish to keep getting sick due to poor filtration. Other than getting a second filter (which I think I might put in an internal filter too anyway) how can I stop the algae growing inside the tube and clogging the pipe. I am having to clean it at least once a week because there is bugger all water coming out of the filter. Since algae needs light to grow, would wrapping the tube in black electrical tape be enough to stop it or something else? Does algae not attach to other materials that you are all using on your filters?
Algae in filter tube
- Thread starter QldRobbo
- Start date
Well first thing, does direct sunlight hit the tubing? If it is then yes you will need to get the tubing moved or covered some way. I would not say to put tape around it as you will not be able to see inside the tube and that could end up getting bad. I'm not sure of your setup so I can't really say a good way to cover the tubing. Most people just have it pushed under there stand as much as possiable.
no direct sunlight, but the tube does run next to the light hood, which I realise is of course why it is growing so much algae. I can't really run it anywhere else as my tank isn't against a wall, so the tube has to run in the hood.
Get some of that pipe cover contractor use for running under ground copper... It is blue and red usually but you can probably find it in black and slide it over the tubing... It should allow for your tube for growth easier... Not sure if it will work but my 2 cents
you mean conduit?
I did think of that, but it won't work very well for the bends, maybe I could just use it for where it runs next to the light.
I did think of that, but it won't work very well for the bends, maybe I could just use it for where it runs next to the light.
Instead of using conduit get some wire loom. That is the plastic ribbed stuff that has a cut down the lenth of it so it will slip over the wire. You should be able to get it in any automotive store. It is usually black but I have seen it in red and blue. The nice thing about it is it will block out the light and it is very flexible.
cyberbeer65
Scratch Glass!
that's what i do with my filter tube, too. take the whole thing apart whenever i clean the tank. i have a 48 inch long Flexi brush, i guess that works out to about 1.2 metres or so.cyberbeer65 said:
I wasn't actually talking about conduit. It is more like the Plastice bag you newspaper comes in... Except is for pipes... It is smaller in diameter and has 2 open end to slide pipe in... It is not hard plastic or tubing that will not flex.... I tried to find it on the net with no luck can't remember what it is actually called so I am of no help :thm: You could just drive to the nearest new Subdivision and look for it there..
rwspear76
American By Birth,Soldier By Choice
Home Depot, Menards, Lowes, Flexible conduit....should do the trick
whats the diameter of the tubr, maybe a bicycle tube?
whats the diameter of the tubr, maybe a bicycle tube?