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I don't have a python, but the principal of cleaning any long hose would be similar. I know a lot of the US users here use pythons & I wonder how you keep the hose mould free. I have a long hose attached to a pump I use for emptying my water container. The hose is mouldy & none of my hose brushes is long enough to clean.

After each use, I make sure I fully drain all water from the tube.

Any tips appreciated.

Cheers
TW

based on a TFH letter I read a long time ago about siphons and personal experience, there is no need to clean these things. The stuff that grows in it isn't harmful, it's just unsightly.

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They do need cleaning periodically, especially if used for multiple tanks, the more residue builds up the more chance their is of bacteria and parasites finding refuge and being spread around, a dirty syphon or python can easily spread disease around should you get an outbreak. Granted because they all dry out inbetween usage there isnt a high risk, but I reckon just as you would with filter tubing, you give them the odd clean, and get the limescale off if you come from a hard water area. The pipe cleaners the lfs'S sell, basically a bottlebrush on a long nylon wire will do the job, and the odd soak in a weak bleach solution should do the rest.

Just about any piece of equipment used with a fishtank should be washed occassionally.

I have never seen or used one but cleaning a long tube is rather easy. Buy a good wire handeled bottle brush(this must be a tight fit) but be able to be pulled through the tube. After you have soaked the tube as recommended by Longhairedgit the bottle brush can be used.

Use a small ball fishing sinker and attach it to a strong fishing line 40-50lb breaking strain. Make sure the fishing line is longer than the tube and then drop the sinker through the tube. When the sinker has come out attach the other end of the fishing line to the bottle brush and pull it through. Do this several times and this will clean out any stubborn "muck"
When you have finished flush the tube out with a hose. You can do the same thing using a small piece of rag but this method is not as good as the bottle brush.

Now you should have a perfectly clean hose.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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I agree with the latter posters as my python spread the evolutionary lower forms of life throughout my tanks!

Good idea Tankwatcher!
i am going to make one tommorrow with an el cheapo powerhead.
How long is the hose you use??

I made my own python out of a water bed drain/fill kit and a 50 ft. garden hose and it only ended up costing me around $25 . I had a thought, what about just mixing up a solution of ammonia and siphoning that through? You could flush it with some water after that.

what I did was tie a peice of soft cloth at the end of a nylon cord and pulled it through the hose...

You could always buy some hosing at a home inprovement store. It doesn't cost a whole lot and i guess you could call it the "lazy way"


~Morgan~

Hi desiredusername

I don't know how long it is (don't have a long enough measure) but it goes from the Fish Room, through the family room & into the back yard.

I'm all for using an el cheapo pump, but make sure it has enough strength, otherwise it will take forever to empty your container, especially if it has to push the water a long way like mine. I bought JQB-3500 3,000l/phr for $40 from Ben in QLD (an on line store). If you don't have Ben's details, pls PM me.

What I do is gravel vac in the old fashioned way into a large tub from Bunnings, & then pump the water out from there. I have 2 of the Bunnings containers & while I gravel vac my 1st tank, the 2nd container is in the kitchen & one of those hair shampoo things you slip over the tap (lots of people use them for washing their pets), anyway one of those is filling the 2nd container while I do the gravel vac.

I also have 2 hose/pump setups, one for emptying & another one for refilling the tank. My refilling hose/pump has a much slower flow rate (only 1,200 l/phr instead of 3,000 l/phr which is the rate for the emptying one). I have a sort of water diffuser thing on the end of my filling one (but a normal hose nozzle would do). This & the more gentle pump ensure the water going into the tank goes in nice & gently.

I have these 2 setups, so I can simultaneously empty one water container, while another water container is filling a tank. Makes water change night (tonight) much quicker & easier. If you do choose to have just the one hose/pump set up for both filling & emptying (which I did for a long time), In between emptying & filling, make sure you get all the water out of the hose. A long hose can hold a bit of water (that you've just taken out of the tank). Unless you clear the tube, it will head straight back into your tank.

The reason I do it this way, instead of using the Aussie version of a python (Lees) was because I couldn't get enough suction for emptying my tank, without leaving the tap water running. With the drought, that's just something I couldn't do - even now that things are better that way.

Anyway, hope this helps you.

Thanks to everyone for the hose cleaning tips.

Cheers
TW