What tubing are people using?

[Be102]

Am I the only person who goes and buys every homedepot/ Lowe’s / Amazon tubing to never seems to get a decent type? Every tubing I have is either too rough and doesn’t bend at all or is just always trying to wind itself up and whatnot and it’s driving me crazy.. today I was at Home Depot and bought clear tubing, black tubing ( for heating or something??) and I even tried my other tubing and all just winds itself up in a ball every time.. I’ve tried heating it with boiling water.. I’ve tried a lighter.. I’ve tried everything it seems and it still manages to go into a roll and pour all over my floor and it’s very frustrating..

As of now I am shutting a door on it outside and trying to keep it straight but it still seems to start to ravel up... any ideas?? Any recommendations for a different type of tubing?? All I want to do is be able to siphon my tank of the algae without soaking everything in my house

 

[SMSREEF]

I used the clear stuff. Used a pot of boiling water and a big bowl of ice water. Did one small part at a time and heated it up and then bent opposite direction in the ice water.

 

[Be102]

I used the clear stuff. Used a pot of boiling water and a big bowl of ice water. Did one small part at a time and heated it up and then bent opposite direction in the ice water.

I can try the ice water.. good idea!

I saw stuff like black hydroponic tubing but unsure if that will be any better..

 

[Brett S]

Vinyl tubing can definitely be a bit of a pain, especially in larger diameters. They do make tubing with different wall thicknesses, so pay attention to the inner and outer diameters. The closer the outer diameter is to the inner diameter the thinner the wall of the tubing. The thinner walled tubing tends to be more flexible, but doesn’t hold it’s shape as well. That would probably be best for siphoning. Thicker walled tubing holds it’s shape better, but is much less flexible. I might use that for a return pump where you have it permanently installed, but it’ll be a huge pain for siphoning.

The other thing you might want to try is silicone tubing. You’ll have to get it online because they don’t sell it at Home Depot or Lowes, It’s also much more expensive than vinyl tubing, but it is unbelievably soft and flexible. The only problem is that it’s so flexible that it might tend to kink as it goes over the top of the tank while you siphon.

 

[SMSREEF]

I can try the ice water.. good idea!

I saw stuff like black hydroponic tubing but unsure if that will be any better..

That’s too firm and will not stay in bucket when you move it.

One thing I did when siphoning chrysophyte is use a piece of rigid tubing (bent with heat to get hard to reach places) and attach some flexible tubing to it. Siphone right into the filter sock in the sump.

 

[Be102]

Vinyl tubing can definitely be a bit of a pain, especially in larger diameters. They do make tubing with different wall thicknesses, so pay attention to the inner and outer diameters. The closer the outer diameter is to the inner diameter the thinner the wall of the tubing. The thinner walled tubing tends to be more flexible, but doesn’t hold it’s shape as well. That would probably be best for siphoning. Thicker walled tubing holds it’s shape better, but is much less flexible. I might use that for a return pump where you have it permanently installed, but it’ll be a huge pain for siphoning.

The other thing you might want to try is silicone tubing. You’ll have to get it online because they don’t sell it at Home Depot or Lowes, It’s also much more expensive than vinyl tubing, but it is unbelievably soft and flexible. The only problem is that it’s so flexible that it might tend to kink as it goes over the top of the tank while you siphon.

Any recommendations on where to buy this silicone tubing you are referring to? I can envision the exact tubing and how it is easy to squeeze just no clue where to get it and I feel Amazon is confusing for stuff like this in regards to what sizing I’d want and whatnot. Like I said it’s overall just for water changes / the siphoning of my sump and whatnot.

 

[Be102]

That’s too firm and will not stay in bucket when you move it.

One thing I did when siphoning chrysophyte is use a piece of rigid tubing (bent with heat to get hard to reach places) and attach some flexible tubing to it. Siphone right into the filter sock in the sump.

That’s pretty much exactly what I am trying to do... maybe I was just working too hard with thicker tubing?? Would chunks of algae clog yours up?

 

[DC Reefer]

Any recommendations on where to buy this silicone tubing you are referring to? I can envision the exact tubing and how it is easy to squeeze just no clue where to get it and I feel Amazon is confusing for stuff like this in regards to what sizing I’d want and whatnot. Like I said it’s overall just for water changes / the siphoning of my sump and whatnot.

BRS sells it by the foot. I have a clip that goes on my bucket that I can put the end of the tubing into to hold into place. Sorry by I have no idea where I got it

 

[Brett S]

Any recommendations on where to buy this silicone tubing you are referring to? I can envision the exact tubing and how it is easy to squeeze just no clue where to get it and I feel Amazon is confusing for stuff like this in regards to what sizing I’d want and whatnot. Like I said it’s overall just for water changes / the siphoning of my sump and whatnot.

BRS sells it. You can also find it on Amazon and eBay for a little less. I‘ve found that most of the Amazon and eBay listings tend to use metric sizes. So if you want half inch tube search for 13mm tubing.

 

[SMSREEF]

That’s pretty much exactly what I am trying to do... maybe I was just working too hard with thicker tubing?? Would chunks of algae clog yours up?

Algae didn’t clog it, but pieces of coralline and crushed coral did a few times. But that wasn’t a big deal to clear out.