Embarrassed to admit this

[Jseimo]

With everything in my tank I’m meticulous about cleaning (pumps, reactors, skimmer, accessories). I’ve never cleaned my siphon hose. It’s been 5 years. So I finally decided to give the nasty lil guy a vinegar bath. Anyone else neglect something like this for way to long?

 

[tnw50cal]

My wife would say her.

Come to think about it, so would my dog.

 

[Reefer1978]

Some equipment I clean, some I don't Especially the easy-to-replace items.

 

[Memisis]

I have a good imagination and extraordinary empathy, but how exactly how bad a as it lol? Did you snap a pick?

In your self described meticulous-ness I can only guess that you are an engineer of some sort and that you have added the siphon and overflow tube cleaning to your scheduled annual tank cleaning duties list! (Hourly, Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual lists remain untouched)

#1 show us the cleaning schedule
#2 did you snap any picks? Could a cross section of that tube be used in a cholesterol medicine commercial?
#2A does anyone think that we can use cholesterol medicine to prevent this type of build up in our tanks? "Tanklestra" - for those older tanks that like to keep everything flowing nicely.

Don't best yourself up, you learned and your post has brought this issue to light. I hope 582 people go clean their siphon today!

 

[BigRed78]

Wait people clean those? Lol

 

[Jseimo]

I have a good imagination and extraordinary empathy, but how exactly how bad a as it lol? Did you snap a pick?

In your self described meticulous-ness I can only guess that you are an engineer of some sort and that you have added the siphon and overflow tube cleaning to your scheduled annual tank cleaning duties list! (Hourly, Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual lists remain untouched)

#1 show us the cleaning schedule
#2 did you snap any picks? Could a cross section of that tube be used in a cholesterol medicine commercial?
#2A does anyone think that we can use cholesterol medicine to prevent this type of build up in our tanks? "Tanklestra" - for those older tanks that like to keep everything flowing nicely.

Don't best yourself up, you learned and your post has brought this issue to light. I hope 582 people go clean their siphon today!

I have a good imagination and extraordinary empathy, but how exactly how bad a as it lol? Did you snap a pick? Ok

In your self described meticulous-ness I can only guess that you are an engineer of some sort and that you have added the siphon and overflow tube cleaning to your scheduled annual tank cleaning duties list! (Hourly, Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual lists remain untouched)

#1 show us the cleaning schedule
#2 did you snap any picks? Could a cross section of that tube be used in a cholesterol medicine commercial?
#2A does anyone think that we can use cholesterol medicine to prevent this type of build up in our tanks? "Tanklestra" - for those older tanks that like to keep everything flowing nicely.

Don't best yourself up, you learned and your post has brought this issue to light. I hope 582 people go clean their siphon today!

My normal schedule for maintenance is a 2 month revolving soak for all components in citric acid. Then break them down and scrub them good. My siphon hose is the typical suck and spit type that started clean and is now black. It’s more sad I care about the tank health more than mine. Now I’m scared the tube is held together by the crud

 

[Beau_B]

The long eye-dropper/coral feeder I use 2x daily. I've cleaned it once in the past year. No ill effects yet, but it's definitely not sanitary.

 

[CindyKz]

I have a few sections of hose that no amount of vinegar is going to cure.

The long eye-dropper/coral feeder I use 2x daily. I've cleaned it once in the past year. No ill effects yet, but it's definitely not sanitary.

I gave up on this LOL.

 

[TriggerFinger]

I gave up on this LOL.

Use Zip strips and save your droppers for testing ! Easy to clean and picks up a nice chunk of frozen that fits perfectly between egg crate!

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

This is exactly why I get disposable items in bulk lol

 

[anthonygf]

I use 2 washing machine drain hoses for my overflow to the sump. those ribbed hoses are very hard to clean so are cheap enough to replace every year.

 

[jesspal]

I had a siphon hose that could have pulled side duty as a fuge.

 

[najer]

Turkey baster, I always have a bit of cyano, I just leave it floating where I can't see it, quick shake and a squirt into the fuge and we are good to go!

 

[Dolphins18]

With everything in my tank I’m meticulous about cleaning (pumps, reactors, skimmer, accessories). I’ve never cleaned my siphon hose. It’s been 5 years. So I finally decided to give the nasty lil guy a vinegar bath. Anyone else neglect something like this for way to long?

10+ years on my siphon house. I even leave water in the 30 ft hose to make starting the siphon easier every time WC.
Too bad we cant turn them inside out like socks.. lol.

 

[Karen00]

With everything in my tank I’m meticulous about cleaning (pumps, reactors, skimmer, accessories). I’ve never cleaned my siphon hose. It’s been 5 years. So I finally decided to give the nasty lil guy a vinegar bath. Anyone else neglect something like this for way to long?

My only piece of nasty equipment is my siphon hose. I thought running tap water through it after each use would help keep it clean but nope it still developed a gross algae (or something) on the inside of the tube. Vinegar didn't work. I had to use a diluted bleach solution and even then I didn't get all of it. That thing is brutal to clean and it didn't stay clean for long. It's not even kept in a sunny spot so I'm not sure why it keeps getting this buildup. If anyone has a method to keep this tool clean (besides a vinegar or bleach bath) I would appreciate hearing it. (Or do people not bother... Haha)

 

[Biglew11]

My cruddy hose and pump I use to mix and transfer freshly made saltwater. Think I cleaned it twice in about 4 years.

 

[wonroc]

My lucky underwear

 

[Memisis]

My normal schedule for maintenance is a 2 month revolving soak for all components in citric acid. Then break them down and scrub them good. My siphon hose is the typical suck and spit type that started clean and is now black. It’s more sad I care about the tank health more than mine. Now I’m scared the tube is held together by the crud

Seems like a reasonable schedule. Do you have links in the plumbing you can break down to clean it? Ive been thinking that I would get a long flexible pipe cleaning brush and attack it from the overflow, then the sump side up to the gate valve. Thanks again for the reminder about adding the overflow to the cleaning schedule!

 

[terraincognita]

My only piece of nasty equipment is my siphon hose. I thought running tap water through it after each use would help keep it clean but nope it still developed a gross algae (or something) on the inside of the tube. Vinegar didn't work. I had to use a diluted bleach solution and even then I didn't get all of it. That thing is brutal to clean and it didn't stay clean for long. It's not even kept in a sunny spot so I'm not sure why it keeps getting this buildup. If anyone has a method to keep this tool clean (besides a vinegar or bleach bath) I would appreciate hearing it. (Or do people not bother... Haha)

It's just biofilm.

Not neccesarily Algae, could be but rare.

By the way if you guys are REALLY super concerned about increasing longevity of your siphon hoses or wanting to actually clean them it would require similar protocol to Hospital Endoscopy Units.

I don't know if vinegar after every use would work. Partly the big situation is that you have teeming amounts of bacteria running through that line. I don't know if small vinegar flush would kill it all. You'd have to take way more drastic measures, with a cleaning brush/pipe thats long enough to also scrub down the entire tube.

additionally after cleaning and then rinsing with RODI or Freshwater for who knows how long to make sure no chemicals left, you still would then HAVE TO DRY THE HOSE ENTIRELY. Meaning you will have to run forced air through the hose channel until it is 100% completely dry. probably more important than even flushing with vinegar, as without moisture/water, nothing can grow. (if you actually wanted to do this, possibly a vacuum with the attachment connected to the exhaust(like with a wet vac) or This Air Canister might work....

Which is basically just too much work....... so i don't think there's a way to ever get around that.

Basically without it being 100% dry, you're leaving a perfect environment inside that tube for Bacteria to have an EXPLOSION of a bloom inside. Over the next 72 hours while it's tucked away in a corner, the bacteria colonies are going from a couple hundred to a few billion.

Then you get a bio film which just takes an insane amount of work to get rid of without harsh chemicals.

So ultimately, just replace your tubing, it's about $.50 a foot lol. I dont mean after every siphon either, just every now and then when it looks like... you know... you probably should... lol.

You don't know WHAT bacteria colony took hold inside. If that gets in your tank could be a problem, Probably the fact that 90% of the time the water is going OUT of the tank from that tube and not in, we're saved from more problems lol, human germs floating in the open air once your tube is no longer inside the tank could easily get inside introducing foreign bacteria particles such as C.Diff etc into your tank. Super easy to happen believe it or not, if you don't believe study up a bit more on endoscopy. Wet tubes are a thriving environment for them, It's like a perfect home for cultivation.

Also a reason to not use your mouth to start your siphoning.


This would not apply to any line in your tank constantly wet or constantly in the water, it's not the same concept. it's a tube that's left with small bits of water in it.

And lastly I've never changed my siphon tube, but it just looks like a tube with water spots, I don't have insane crusts or anything or weird films (YET)

And lastly, yeah, now you also know the similar procedure hospitals go through after they scope you each time to make sure the next patient isn't getting a scope with biofilm . Also why you shouldn't get scoped at lazy/dirty hospitals.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have few hoses but rather hard plumbing. As part of the bacterial and ecosystem, the film within lines are subject to constant flow and should not have anything harmful within. The only lines I DO clean are the dosing lines which tend to crystalize and the CA reactor line which knowingly does plug up periodically.
Pumps are necessary especially powerheads.