CLEANING TIP - Fluval204 clean out of intake & return tubes

[sushiray]

Ok - In my prior post on crud coming out on the back wash when I finished cleaning & started the siphon action, a few have had similar experience.

So I am posting this tip so others can avoid what I went thru.

1. take both the intake & return tubes off & flush out with higher pressured water stronger than the faucet several times

2. or if you want to minimize this cleaning exercise on an interim basis, then when siphoning start, have the return tube spout dump into a bucket or have a fish net at the spout to catch any crud flushed out

Here was my experience:

I just cleaned my canister 2weeks ago when a whole bunch of crud came flushing out of the return tube into the tank. That was not a pleasant sight! I had fed frozen brine prior to cleaning & my discus didn't finish it all so the Fluval scooped it all up (to my surprise - I actually didn't think it was a good filter since I watched & didn't see it suck up any debris).

Thing was - I thought that be the end of it since quite a bit came out. But after getting some feedback of similar experiences - I decided tonite to clean again but to flush out both tubes just in case.

Wouldn't you know it - tons of crud! I had to flush both tubes multiple times!! Faucet rinsing didn't do it, wasn't strong enough - I had to have higher pressured water flush it out! (I have a hose connected to the slop sink with a valve control which with the control off it built up lots of pressure that when opened it would burst out like a fire hose!!)

Apparently, the coiled tubing catches crud & I suspect incubates bacteria & other vermin.

so I hope this will help fellow members.

has anyone else experience this with Fluvals or other canister brands? just wondering.

1.

 

[ward1066]

I never have cleaned my tubes, if a little stuff comes out when I turn it back on I dont worry too much. I have never had one clog up.

 

[deeda]

I use a tube brush to clean my hoses.

 

[sushiray]

some suggest changing the coiled flex tube & buying a smooth bore replacement hose at Home Depot or Lowe's

 

[tcarswell]

Last cleaning my 405 blasted a ton of silversides that my bichir puked in to the intake. I was all happy primed it and turned it back on then wham im fishing out pieces of fish with a brine net for 20 minutes lol. I need to shorten my hoses anyways so im gonna take them off next cleaning and ill hit them with a tubing brush I keep handy

 

[sushiray]

next time I'll use a tube brush on both ends of each tube. just doesn't make sense when they design products that these kinks are not ironed out by now after how many generations of product lines already produced. guess not much customer complaints to even warrant a change. one would not have imagined this to be a problem but once discovered come up with a better way instead of the consumer improvising.