how often do you clean or replace your return tubes?

TOURKID

New member
my return tubes look black. they were yellow from cycling, im assuming the black is hair algea (?) I dont have much left in the tank....
either way... how often do u usually cloean or replace them? Is this normal?

the light hits them constantly.

my overflow tubes arent dirty at all though
 
Ive never had any color in them.. The flow going through them is high enough to prevent anything attaching.. or do you mean on the outside of the tubes?
 
clean it when you are ready to do other maintanence with the pump off. If you color or cover it to block the light you will never need to clean it.
 
If it is clear tubing I'd suggest replacing it with rigid PVC. Hard plumb that bad boy and use plenty of unions and ball valves.
 
i bought new tube. going to replace it in a minute. its not black in my sump, just about 2 feet down from the utubes is all black.

whatever algea i do have LOVES flow.
 
ok, so this isent normal i take it? (black was at the u tube, clear was in the sump)

DSCF2576.jpg
 
that is normal for tube that has light on it. If you replace it with black tubing or pvc you won't have build up on he inside like that.
 
where do i get black tube?? The first time around i got taxed at AA, this time I found it at lowes for 1.22 a ft. I looked for other colors, but dident notice any. Id rather stick with tube over pvc, for now anyways


I attempted to clean the old tube for later use, but couldent get in far enough, 90% sure it was hair algea though. i had more hair algea in those tubes than ive EVER had period. freaks me out a little
 
I thought lowes carried it. guess not. Savko may carry it as well. I know it's out there. Haven't bought it in a while.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9819980#post9819980 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TOURKID
where do i get black tube?? The first time around i got taxed at AA, this time I found it at lowes for 1.22 a ft. I looked for other colors, but dident notice any. Id rather stick with tube over pvc, for now anyways


I attempted to clean the old tube for later use, but couldent get in far enough, 90% sure it was hair algea though. i had more hair algea in those tubes than ive EVER had period. freaks me out a little

bLowes charges tax too, no?

Anyhow, I clean hoses with a little bleach and tie a small cloth to a string and then use flow to pull the string through and then I just pull the string through a few times to scrub the inside.
 
can also try the eheim tubing it's green and will discourage growth a bit as well. think AA carries it locally
 
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