Stuff Growing Inside Filter Tubes??
- Thread starter Jonny Steele
- Start date
I have a length of 1/8 ID PEX tubing that I keep handy for cleaning tubes. I take a little bit of paper towel, get it wet and ball it up to just about the diameter of the filter tube. Then I use the PEX tubing to push it through. Never more than 2 passes needed. Works like a charm. The stuff it pushes out is NASTY!
I used to clean mine out but I haven't done it in over a year. I take a piece of wire that is longer then the tube and tie a round bristle brush to one end of it and send it threw the tube
... then I would feed it to the fish.
... then I would feed it to the fish.
just leave it. the bacterial colonies are good.
if it really creeps you out, switch to opaque tubing.
if it really creeps you out, switch to opaque tubing.
I only suggest cleaning them once a year... Take them outside and blast the garden hose through them. Works great and takes 5 mins. I do it for my Fluval 305 and 405.
ar0wan;4569931; said:
Buildup of excess nutrients, restricted flow, crap blowing out when re-starting after a WC, etc...
ok. I guess the crap blowing out after a restart is how I clean them.
At 3/4" they're not gonna have issues with restricted flow.
And I think Algae uses nutriunts, not makes them.
At 3/4" they're not gonna have issues with restricted flow.
And I think Algae uses nutriunts, not makes them.
Jonny Steele;4567664; said:
DMD123;4567732; said:
The output is 'filtered' but it's far from clean. Water passing through the filter does not do a 100% perfect job on every pass, it's the constant flow of water through the filter that allows the beneficial bacteria to work their magic over time. That's why the recommended water turnover rate is 2x-10x.
Algae can also feed on just Nitrates, which the filter does nothing to remove unless you have something in there specifically to remove it. That's why water changes are important.
As someone else recommended, you could just get some black tubing and never have to worry about it though.
