Tubing for cleaning display

[BradB]

I know similar questions have been asked and this seems simple, but after 25 years, I am still looking for an answer. If I just want to do a water change, I can do it almost completely automatic just with a few valves and switches. However I have a lot of crud accumulate on the bottom of my barebottom 270 display tank. Often I syphon this into a rubbermaid bin, then brush off my live rock into that bin to clean my display. You'd be surprised how much dirt and crud you can remove doing this.

I use a 1/2" tube cut from a python. It drains slow and is prone to clogging from rocks and gravel and anything that barely fits. I tried 1 inch clear vinyl, this kinks, drains way too fast when it doesn't kink, and the piece I have is too short because it is so expensive. I suppose I could try 3/4", 5/8", etc, but this stuff is expensive, especially trying to find it thick enough not to kink. Does anyone have a good solution?

 

[blaxsun]

What about a gyre (etc.) placed lower in the tank to minimize any buildup along the bottom?

 

[BradB]

The more flow you have, the less often you have to clean this. As long as you have some rock stuff is going to accumulate and you have to clean it eventually.

 

[Ocean_View]

I know similar questions have been asked and this seems simple, but after 25 years, I am still looking for an answer. If I just want to do a water change, I can do it almost completely automatic just with a few valves and switches. However I have a lot of crud accumulate on the bottom of my barebottom 270 display tank. Often I syphon this into a rubbermaid bin, then brush off my live rock into that bin to clean my display. You'd be surprised how much dirt and crud you can remove doing this.

I use a 1/2" tube cut from a python. It drains slow and is prone to clogging from rocks and gravel and anything that barely fits. I tried 1 inch clear vinyl, this kinks, drains way too fast when it doesn't kink, and the piece I have is too short because it is so expensive. I suppose I could try 3/4", 5/8", etc, but this stuff is expensive, especially trying to find it thick enough not to kink. Does anyone have a good solution?

I just this pass weekend made up a 3/4" pvc 30" long pipe and cut the end at 45° and then clamped the other end of it to a 1" gardeen hose 25'. Now i can clean my tank in and around all the tight spot. Maybe somthing like this can help you was all in from home depot for les than 50 bucks. Mine was 30" long due to tank being 26" deep make yours to your liking , no wet hands lol

 

[d2mini]

Why not use the python as-is? The big tube at the end keeps the rocks and gravel from getting sucked up into the small-diameter tubing at the top. Too big to get it where you need to?

 

[BradB]

I cut it because I needed 10 feet and had 50. I can put the tube back on, but it seems backwards. I need something small at the end of the tube to keep anything that would clog it from getting in, a big tube seems like the opposite of what I need.

 

[maroun.c]

Then each time it picks something big the front smaller end would also clog I'm afraid.
More flow should get detritus to keep floating till it goes in ur drain where a filter sock or skimmer would take it out. The time between siphons you do will allow that detritus to break down adding nutrients to ur tank which I believe will create issues with time.