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IceH2O

IceH2O

Bazinga
Nov 26, 2005
1,682
60
51
Rock Hill,South Carolina
Real Name
Ice
Lately everytime I do a canister cleaning and start the filter back up a bunch of particles, best I can tell is stuff in the hoses, comes out into the tank. I can see they need a cleaning so:

Whats the best way to clean the hoses?

I'm not sure I have anything that would fit in the tubes to actually clean the sides off. Would running warm water be my best bet?

How do you guys clean your hoses?
 
Funny you should ask. Last week I cleaned 1 hose (the output to tank, left the input to filter alone). I had vaguely remembered a thread regarding colours of hoses and the gunk that accumulates. So I knew these threads were here, just to find them again. (follows later)

However, I had a $*# of a time getting those hoses ON the fittings in the first place. I didn't want to have to take them off... but I did from the canister end, but not the bendy bit on the aquarium end. Anyhow, the brush that Raskolnikov pointed to, which I have (unless there's a longer one, will have to look into that), cleaned out both ends as long as it reached, but I still had several inches in the middle with crud. I fashioned a string tied tightly around a square cut out of those green algae scraper pads, fed one end through with a nut tied to the end as a weight. Then I had strings out both ends, the pad bit in the middle, and just moved it back and forth. Then rinse. (Note, just tried flushing with hot water in the first place, did diddly-squat.)

Sorry to ramble.

Here are the links. Note link #3 and the post by Kasakato - Does gunk really build up less with the absense of light? I was going to buy one of those wider foamy insultating things you put around pipes to block out light on my tubing and see.... but I haven't gotten around to it.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57302&highlight=filstar

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45054&highlight=filstar

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49496&highlight=green
 
I tied a brush to a straighten out cloths hanger.


You can only clean one hose at a time with a brush though.

I have about 20 hoses to clean, so I had to find a more hands free way to clean hoses.
Now I connect all the hoses together with some hose couplings.
Add a powerhead to one end of the hoses. Put it all in a bucket, add hot water/oxyclean, then run the pump for about 24 hours.

I clean hoses about every 6 months.
 
I fashioned a string tied tightly around a square cut out of those green algae scraper pads, fed one end through with a nut tied to the end as a weight. Then I had strings out both ends, the pad bit in the middle, and just moved it back and forth.

Great idea!

I agree it was a PITA to get the hoses on but I figure they're stretched now to size and shouldn't be as difficult.
 
IceH2O said:
I agree it was a PITA to get the hoses on but I figure they're stretched now to size and shouldn't be as difficult.
Click to expand...


That's true. But I did notice on putting them on originally that the top (aquarium) end was a lot harder/tighter than the filter end, so that's why I decided to just undo the one end. It was actually quite easy to put back on. And leaving the rigid piece at the top was a pain to feed the string through, but at the time I didn't know it would be easier to put on again. And I was home alone and didn't have hubby to run to.

Plus those plastic clips are a pain. There's another thread in DIY somewhere about them. I know NJ Devils Fan posted in it that he bought the metal ones at a hardware store to replace them and that those worked better.

Oh, also to get the hose off the end needed to get it started at first it wasn't budging. I wiggled in a tiny screwdriver to unsuction it from the plastic.
 
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