Python 6 Foot Manual Siphon

HI there! Just got a 6 foot Python manual siphon for my 20G. Any tips on how to keep the tubing clean? I can never get all the moisture out and the tubing eventually gets black in some areas where, I guess mold, forms. There is no way my husband is going to drag out the air compressor every week to blow the moisture out! Ha ha. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

 

How about a pipe brush

 

Do you run hot water through it when you are done? And slowly roll up the hose while it is draining? (this is the one that attaches to your sink right?) I have been using the same python for years, on 14 tanks, and there has never been any blackness or gunk in the hose....and that is all I do.....

edit: Could it be the frequency of use? How often do you use yours? I use mine almost every single day because I do so much breeding in my house. Most people wouldn't use their that often!

 

It's a manual one, I just got it and it's a 20 gallon tank. ( not the kind you hook up to a sink) I took some pictures I have it hanging over my shower but you can still see water in there and I used it last night. Those water droplets sit in there. I do rinse with hot water but it's the water not drying out I guess that would be the problem. I like the pipe brush idea but it would have to be really long to get the end out, it's a 6' hose.

 

Maybe I don't have the problem because I use mine so much...that's the only thing I can think of. Because you are not the only person who has this problem and I have always wondered why I don't have this problem!! LOL How often do you use yours?

 

This is a new tank so I plan to use it once a week. It's a 20 gallon with 9 black neon tetras.

 

Well a 6 foot hose is very long...so I don't know how you can find a pipe brush that could do that.....Maybe try running water through it daily just for a couple minutes? even on days you don't change tank water? (if my frequency of use is the reason I don't have this problem, maybe a daily rinse would help? I don't know, just a theory!)

 

Rinsing it daily may help. That's a spare shower we rarely use I could leave it in there. Hmmm maybe a hair dryer on low/cool would help too. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

Ive got one ive been using for years and its mostly black. Hanging it is probably the best way to aid in it but if water sit in there it will mold or grow whatever it grows. Another option that may work is take a pipe cleaner, fishing line or thread and a fishing weight that fits in the tube. Tie them all together and drop the weight out the other side pull the string and wala. Or tie a small cloth to dry the tube and tie it to your new redneck contraption. Lol

 

Ive got one ive been using for years and its mostly black. Hanging it is probably the best way to aid in it but if water sit in there it will mold or grow whatever it grows. Another option that may work is take a pipe cleaner, fishing line or thread and a fishing weight that fits in the tube. Tie them all together and drop the weight out the other side pull the string and wala. Or tie a small cloth to dry the tube and tie it to your new redneck contraption. Lol

Thanks for the ideas! I am mainly concerned about the mold in case some of the water comes in contact with it and then flows back into the tank. I just don't want to harm my fish.

 

I don't think the mold would be a big problem. Though the post about running some cord with a cloth tired to it sounds like a good idea. I just have to question is it really necessary? IMO I wouldn't worry about it.

 

I mix up a weak bleach solution in a bucket and siphon the water out to clean my hoses.
Then I rinse the bucket super well until I can no longer smell bleach.
Fill with fresh water add, water conditioner and siphon that out. Rinse repeat
I will also (sometimes) take the outside hose to really get a forceful spray through the siphon hose.

 

Thought about the bleach as well but can't say I would do it considering the risk of not getting it all out and the potential to bleach your clothes or carpets. It's a risk vs rewards thought in my opinion.

 

I mix up a weak bleach solution in a bucket and siphon the water out to clean my hoses.
Then I rinse the bucket super well until I can no longer smell bleach.
Fill with fresh water add, water conditioner and siphon that out. Rinse repeat
I will also (sometimes) take the outside hose to really get a forceful spray through the siphon hose.

How often? After every use, or weekly/monthly..?

 

Thought about the bleach as well but can't say I would do it considering the risk of not getting it all out and the potential to bleach your clothes or carpets. It's a risk vs rewards thought in my opinion.

That's what the water conditioner is for.

How often? After every use, or weekly/monthly..?

Not often. Only if there was disease in the tank or the hose starts to look nasty.

Are you hanging the hose up to get the water out?
I use an over the door coat cloth hook. Works like a charm.

 

That's what the water conditioner is for.



Not often. Only if there was disease in the tank or the hose starts to look nasty.

Are you hanging the hose up to get the water out?
I use an over the door coat cloth hook. Works like a charm.

Yes I do hang it up but the moisture collects around the "kinks" in the hose. Not sure if you can zoom in on my 2nd picture in attached in original post and see the water. It's been hanging almost 24 hours and still has water droplets in it.

 

Thanks!

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and it looks like I'm not the only one with a shower that isn't being used except for fish stuff. lol

 

Again I have to ask is a bit of discolored hose or maybe mold a big deal? Seems like a lot of effort for something that may not matter at all.

 

Again I have to ask is a bit of discolored hose or maybe mold a big deal? Seems like a lot of effort for something that may not matter at all.

I don't mind if it's discolored, my concern is mold flowing back and getting in my tank.

 

Yes I do hang it up but the moisture collects around the "kinks" in the hose. Not sure if you can zoom in on my 2nd picture in attached in original post and see the water. It's been hanging almost 24 hours and still has water droplets in it.

I wouldn't worry about those few drops of water.

Again I have to ask is a bit of discolored hose or maybe mold a big deal?

Possibly not. No one said you were wrong for not worrying about it.
I simply gave information about how to remove mold/mildew from a siphon hose.

 

I like Big Red 's idea.

 

bizaliz3 Your tanks are so beautiful how do you keep from uprooting everything when you vacuum?

 

bizaliz3 Your tanks are so beautiful how do you keep from uprooting everything when you vacuum?

Thanks Punkin
Because my plants are in sand, I don't have to shove the syphon into the substrate to vacuum. So it doesn't uproot anything. When you have sand, you just hover the syphon an inch or two above the sand and swirl it around a bit. That makes the debris that rests on top of the sand get stirred up and goes right into the syphon. That is the nice thing about sand. The poop and extra food doesn't sink into the sand like it does with gravel. So there is no need to do a deep vacuuming.

Sometimes It gets hard to get in between the different plants without disturbing them too much. I just have to be gentle when moving around certain areas of the tank with that syphon.

 

Thanks Punkin
Because my plants are in sand, I don't have to shove the syphon into the substrate to vacuum. So it doesn't uproot anything. When you have sand, you just hover the syphon an inch or two above the sand and swirl it around a bit. That makes the debris that rests on top of the sand get stirred up and goes right into the syphon. That is the nice thing about sand. The poop and extra food doesn't sink into the sand like it does with gravel. So there is no need to do a deep vacuuming.

Sometimes It gets hard to get in between the different plants without disturbing them too much. I just have to be gentle when moving around certain areas of the tank with that syphon.

Ah! I see! That makes sense. I have very fine gravel. Still larger than sand though.