Braided vinyl tubing

[larrysaltisfun]

Finishing off salt mixing station system on top of my mini GFO disaster today .

I need to buy a 50 foot length of braided vinyl tubing. Is it a safe bet if it says BPA free it should be reef safe? Looking at the stuff on BRS website it doesn’t even specify this, but I have found some from Davco. Interested to know how pure the braided vinyl needs to be an experience of the Reef2Reef community

 

[UncommonSense]

Finishing off salt mixing station system on top of my mini GFO disaster today .

I need to buy a 50 foot length of braided vinyl tubing. Is it a safe bet if it says BPA free it should be reef safe? Looking at the stuff on BRS website it doesn’t even specify this, but I have found some from Davco. Interested to know how pure the braided vinyl needs to be an experience of the Reef2Reef community

Anything that’s “food grade” should work excellent!

Various suppliers sell this tubing in various wall thicknesses; select wall thickness based on bulk vs. kink resistance!

 

[larrysaltisfun]

Does BPA free imply food grade?

 

[Privateye]

I've used plenty of vinyl tubing over the years, and sold it for years as well. I haven't seen any issues with any brand. Some are a bit more limp, some are a bit more stiff, but I've never had one contaminate an aquatic system. I have used it for my return lines in many reef tanks.

There is no such thing as food grade vinyl tubing. It is not acceptable for drinking water either. It is prone to growing mold over time, but our critters won't mind.

Why braided? It's a little more difficult to work with than the normal stuff, but if it's a high-pressure application I understand. It's more expensive too.

This stuff is sold for aquatic systems in 50' rolls: https://pentairaes.com/vinyl-reinforced-clear-tubing

The stuff from Home Depot is fine too.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

lol i never even checked if it was. i just got a length of the stuff at the local hardware store and use it! its not like it stays in the tank. just to run the water out

 

[UncommonSense]

There is no such thing as food grade vinyl tubing. It is not acceptable for drinking water either. It is prone to growing mold over time, but our critters won't mind.

NSF and the FDA would disagree here, but each to their own!

 

[larrysaltisfun]

I've used plenty of vinyl tubing over the years, and sold it for years as well. I haven't seen any issues with any brand. Some are a bit more limp, some are a bit more stiff, but I've never had one contaminate an aquatic system. I have used it for my return lines in many reef tanks.

There is no such thing as food grade vinyl tubing. It is not acceptable for drinking water either. It is prone to growing mold over time, but our critters won't mind.

Why braided? It's a little more difficult to work with than the normal stuff, but if it's a high-pressure application I understand. It's more expensive too.

This stuff is sold for aquatic systems in 50' rolls: https://pentairaes.com/vinyl-reinforced-clear-tubing

The stuff from Home Depot is fine too.

Thank you I appreciate it and you’ve answered my question

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, food or pharma grade does not mean reef safe, but without more evidence, it’s the best one can do.

There are problems with tin in some types of tubing, and it can be approved for food and pharma use.

I recommend and use food grade silicone tubing. I don’t think tin is used in silicone.