Best practice to clean tubes

**neverwalkalone** · 5th Sep 2009, 16:08

Hi all,

Decided to do a full clean of my external filter, and struggle to get all the tubes (intake and outlet) cleaned of all the particles.

Do share your best practices. [a chopstick can only reach so far..

Thanks!

**kanguin** · 5th Sep 2009, 16:26

Put a glass pebble same siZe as the tube, blast it through with water..it will clear it up nicely.

**deacon** · 5th Sep 2009, 19:44

Just get a pipecleaner from your LFS. Its a simple coil with brushes of 2 sizes at either ends.

eg..

**neverwalkalone** · 7th Sep 2009, 17:30

Kanguin, 'glass pebble'.. eh, as in a marble? Will go look for it..

Deacon, thank you. should have known there'll be gadgets for such things. Will go check them out.

cheers

**padfoot** · 10th Sep 2009, 14:48

Tie a facial pad/filter wool to fishing string. Flush one end through and pull through.

**mordrake** · 10th Sep 2009, 17:07

just dump the old tubes and replace with new ones? OEM eheim ones not very expensive and less time your filter is left off the better. replacement could be an annual exercise rather than the regular maintenance.

**khtee** · 10th Sep 2009, 17:10

Originally Posted by mordrake

just dump the old tubes and replace with new ones? OEM eheim ones not very expensive and less time your filter is left off the better. replacement could be an annual exercise rather than the regular maintenance.

dump the original and buy OEM? I think it is still cheaper and better to clean up and use back the original tube.

**joopsg** · 10th Sep 2009, 18:27

I usually use wool from those OHF. Stuff and blast...

**EddyTing** · 10th Sep 2009, 18:49

I get a fine robe about 2.5X the length of my longest tube, then tie a sponge about 50% larger than the tube's hole at the middle of the robe. Flush it through from 1 end till it comes out the other end. Then you can scrub it by pulling both end of robe back and forth. Tubes look like new after scrubbing, no scratches visible too. Hope this helps...