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16/22mm hose/tube question.

GlenD

Member
Joined
26 Jun 2019
Messages
161
Location
London
Hi guys..

The clear 16/22mm tube that I'm currently using is very rigid. Are there more flexible options/manufactures. My currently one is tougher than ehiem but this can cause issues as it pulls the pipework out of position.

For example one of my garden hoses is very flexible (but the wrong size).
 
Hi,
I found the all pond solutions pipe to be very rigid and on occasion prone to kinks. The obvious and most popular would be eheim piping but I have bought a lot of pipe through, https://www.aquariumplumbing.co.uk/buy-aquariumplumbing.asp?ID=1781&ProdGrp=116

Seems to be of a better quality and not quite as expensive as the eheim. They also have ribbed or braided/reinforced pipework sold by the metre.

Hmm, that looks like the pipe I have, but mine is much more rigid than the eheim stuff. What are the ribbed and braided/reinforced pipework like?
 
I use the braided pipe to replace the ribbed hosing that came with my fx6, stiffer than the ribbed but larger inside diameter for better flow. Plus possibly easier to clean.
 
Silicone tubing. :) But that's not clear.

Another option, since the hose you are using, is PVC. Throw the entire length you are using in a tub with warm water. Then it gets a lot softer after it is soft install it quickly in place and guide it.
Then run the pump to cool it off again.

PVC has a memory, it tends to keep the shape after cooling. That's why tube stored long term coiled up as a spiral wants to keep that spiral shape. To get that spiral tension out you need to warm it up and reshape it.
 
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Thus actually not a bad idea to do this while installing. Since we probably all have everything before we start scaping.
Then first install the filter and hoses in the cabinet fill the aquarium enough with pretty warm water and run it to soften and shape/guide/fix the hoses. Then drain it and run it directly after that with cold water again.

It will rememorize the PVC internal structure.

But that goes only for new builds from scratch of course.
 
Silicone tubing. :) But that's not clear.

Another option, since the hose you are using, is PVC. Throw the entire length you are using in a tub with warm water. Then it gets a lot softer after it is soft install it quickly in place and guide it.
Then run the pump to cool it off again.

PVC has a memory, it tends to keep the shape after cooling. That's why tube stored long term coiled up as a spiral wants to keep that spiral shape. To get that spiral tension out you need to warm it up and reshape it.

Hi, I actually had some long lengths of this stuff in the bath, with the hot water and shower on MAX heat, it softens. But only a little and it refuses to forget its coiled up mode. The ehiem one dose soften much more and much quicker.
 
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