# Love/hate relationship with Lily pipes



## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

I definitely love the way these look, but I definitely hate cleaning them infact I've broken a few doing so. I'm curious to how other members clean them. Bleaching seems to be the way to go, but I've broken my pipes removing the flexible tubing prior to bleaching.


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## Coralite (Nov 29, 2008)

I dont remove my lily pipe at all. I only use one for return as the tank is drilled low for a discreet intake to the modular canisters. I use a dobie pad to clean most of the outflow portion and then a smei-rigid pipe brush to clean the part of the tube that is still visible. I use the largest size lily pipe and I am actually impressed by how thick the glass appears to be.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

Bleaching doesn't really get all the crud out, particularly the intake pipes. I found a flexible brush at Petco that's used to clean filters and tubing for $5. Prior to that I broke 2 ADA intake pipes trying to clean them!

Here is something similar at DFS except the Petco one had 2 different size brush heads.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3728+3896&pcatid=3896


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

I actually have that brush, but it's too short to clean flexible tubing. As I said my main problem is taking the tubing off the pipe to soak it in bleach. I've now been using a thin knife to first break the cohesion of the tubing to the pipe before removing it. If your in a rush or not careful doing this it's very easy to break them.


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## Coralite (Nov 29, 2008)

You might consider using some unions or quick disconnect fittings but this would ruin the aesthetic if the external return and intake tubing is visible.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> I actually have that brush, but it's too short to clean flexible tubing. As I said my main problem is taking the tubing off the pipe to soak it in bleach. I've now been using a thin knife to first break the cohesion of the tubing to the pipe before removing it. If your in a rush or not careful doing this it's very easy to break them.


Oh I see what you mean. Have you tried soaking the connection is really hot water? I find that softens the connection sufficiently to get it to wiggle off. One thing I have noticed once you've done this a couple of times, is end of the tubing no longer fits snugly, so I have to cutoff 1/2" off the end to get it to fit tight again.


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## jargonchipmunk (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm almost glad I don't mind seeing nonglass pipes lol. poor guys like me can't afford the fancy ADA pipes anyway, and I certainly would have a fit if I broke the first one I finally had the courage to order!


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Coralife,
Yeah the disconnects would work but the reason for the pipes to basically aesthetic. Although maybe a disconnect alittle further down wouldn't be bad and you could clean the pipe along with the small piece of tubing.

Bunbuku,
The heated water would help, but I think you always have that 'feeling' that you might still break the pipes as you wiggle it off. 

Jargonchipmunk,
Well that's why I buy the cheaper ones. It would hurt worst if I broke the ADA ones. In addition to the pipes I've also broken some of the diffusors as well removing the airline tubing.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1 (Feb 10, 2005)

To remove the tubing from the glass is actually easy once you get used
to it, hold the pipe next to tubing and push the tubing and pipe into
each other, like you are putting the tube on, this will break the tubing
lose, then it will slip off with ease.


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## CraigThor (Aug 5, 2007)

Wö£fëñxXx said:


> To remove the tubing from the glass is actually easy once you get used
> to it, hold the pipe next to tubing and push the tubing and pipe into
> each other, like you are putting the tube on, this will break the tubing
> lose, then it will slip off with ease.


agreed this method works well.kind of like a chinese finger trap.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Wö£fëñxXx said:


> To remove the tubing from the glass is actually easy once you get used
> to it, hold the pipe next to tubing and push the tubing and pipe into
> each other, like you are putting the tube on, this will break the tubing
> lose, then it will slip off with ease.


This is how Mike Senske told me to do it as well.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

AaronT said:


> This is how Mike Senske told me to do it as well.


Never really thought to do it that way. These are the kind of 'tips' that should be on vendor websites that sell lily pipes. If I'm having an issue with this I'm sure many others are as well. If this instruction is already on the sites, my apologies.


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## TNguyen (Mar 20, 2005)

houseofcards said:


> Never really thought to do it that way. These are the kind of 'tips' that should be on vendor websites that sell lily pipes. If I'm having an issue with this I'm sure many others are as well. If this instruction is already on the sites, my apologies.


That's why APC is a great place for info! :first: Always someone out there willing to help.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

TNguyen said:


> That's why APC is a great place for info! :first: Always someone out there willing to help.


Absolutely, no doubt, but suppliers should still be providing these types of procedures, tips, etc on their websites.


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## apistaeasy (Jul 16, 2004)

anyone ever used Superge by ADA to clean their pipes?

I've used bleach and muriatic acid, and the bleach is much quicker.


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## TNguyen (Mar 20, 2005)

It would be an added bonus as tips goes. I know it suck to break a piece of equipment. Buying glassware does come with a little more special attention.


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## TNguyen (Mar 20, 2005)

apistaeasy said:


> anyone ever used Superge by ADA to clean their pipes?
> 
> I've used bleach and muriatic acid, and the bleach is much quicker.


From what I was told, it smell like a mixture of bleach. I soak mine in CLR and rinse afterwards.


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## apistaeasy (Jul 16, 2004)

TNguyen said:


> I soak mine in CLR and rinse afterwards.


Do you have to scrub your pipes to get the algae off, or does the CLR remove it completely?



TNguyen said:


> From what I was told, it smell like a mixture of bleach.


Superge is made of Sodium chlorate, I wonder why it would have a bleach smell?
Superge also looks like a product that you wouldn't have to scrub to remove the algae.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

I second Thanh's observation. I had some Superege and it does smell like bleach. Both are essentially strong oxidizing agents. If you dilute Superege per instructions to soak the pipes I still end up scrubbing the intake pipes.

I used CLR to clean my Cal Aqua diffuser when it became hopelessly clogged despite overnight soaking in bleach. Worked like a charm but it also removed the CalAqua logo etched on the glass.


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## TNguyen (Mar 20, 2005)

apistaeasy said:


> Do you have to scrub your pipes to get the algae off, or does the CLR remove it completely?
> 
> Superge is made of Sodium chlorate, I wonder why it would have a bleach smell?
> Superge also looks like a product that you wouldn't have to scrub to remove the algae.


I still scrub using the same coil brush Bunbuku posted earlier. Not too much on the outside as I like my ADA logo. Otherwise it just another piece of glass.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

So do others here use the method described by Wö£fëñxXx to remove the tubing from the pipe? Also has anyone tried bleaching (diluted) the soft tubing along with the pipe instead of removing it.


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## TNguyen (Mar 20, 2005)

houseofcards said:


> So do others here use the method described by Wö£fëñxXx to remove the tubing from the pipe? Also has anyone tried bleaching (diluted) the soft tubing along with the pipe instead of removing it.


Yes to the first question, it looks like several posts after that agrees too.

As far as bleaching the tube, the only thing I'm concern about is that it will haze up. Correct me if I'm wrong. I get to a point where I just order a 50ft roll and just replace them after a couple of cleaning. I order the kink free tubing from Jehmco. You can buy smaller amount too.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

TNguyen said:


> Yes to the first question, it looks like several posts after that agrees too.
> 
> As far as bleaching the tube, the only thing I'm concern about is that it will haze up. Correct me if I'm wrong. I get to a point where I just order a 50ft roll and just replace them after a couple of cleaning. I order the kink free tubing from Jehmco. You can buy smaller amount too.


Yes might haze up, I thought maybe someone hit on a good bleach/water concentration that would prevent this, but that is true the tubing is inexpensive I guess depending on how often you clean.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

apistaeasy said:


> anyone ever used Superge by ADA to clean their pipes?
> 
> I've used bleach and muriatic acid, and the bleach is much quicker.


I've used Superge on glass diffusers and it works quite well, though as far as I can tell from the smell it's just concentrated bleach, but there may be some other additives in it.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1 (Feb 10, 2005)

houseofcards said:


> These are the kind of 'tips' that should be on vendor websites that sell lily pipes. If I'm having an issue with this I'm sure many others are as well. If this instruction is already on the sites, my apologies.


With the only two ADA website/stores that we have in the US
there is no need for that info to be on the page, it comes printed
on the manual for each pipe you purchase.

I've never used the sweatshop pipes so maybe they didn't get
the memo or they want you to break them to come back for more.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Wö£fëñxXx said:


> With the only two ADA website/stores that we have in the US
> there is no need for that info to be on the page, it comes printed
> on the manual for each pipe you purchase.
> 
> ...


Well that's good that they do that. But others have broken the ADA ones as well, so it can't hurt to have this info on the websites. It could only help move more product. Are you referring to all brands of lily pipes other than ADA as 'sweatshop' ones' I'm not sure that's accurate.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

Here an old post of mine comparing the ADA and the CA lily pipes. http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=53645

IMO, the ADA has better workmanship. Granted the CA ones I had were probably version 1.0 (ordered year before GLA became the US distributor).

One significant advantage when it comes to cleaning is the hole at the end the CA pipe which allows you to insert a very small brush or Q-tip to better scrub the intake side. Another subtle difference during maintenance is that the tubing fits noticeably tighter on the ADA. Common between them is that maintenance instructions on both leave something to be desired.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Bunbuku said:


> Here an old post of mine comparing the ADA and the CA lily pipes. http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=53645
> 
> IMO, the ADA has better workmanship. Granted the CA ones I had were probably version 1.0 (ordered year before GLA became the US distributor).
> 
> One significant advantage when it comes to cleaning is the hole at the end the CA pipe which allows you to insert a very small brush or Q-tip to better scrub the intake side. Another subtle difference during maintenance is that the tubing fits noticeably tighter on the ADA. Common between them is that maintenance instructions on both leave something to be desired.


Thanks for the link. That's a good comparison. One issue I had with some non-ADA pipes was that the holes on the intake were too big and some of my otos got caught tail first in the pipes and died. These were perfectly healthly otos and the pipes were connected to just a eheim 2213.


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## Bunbuku (Feb 10, 2008)

houseofcards said:


> Thanks for the link. That's a good comparison. One issue I had with some non-ADA pipes was that the holes on the intake were too big and some of my otos got caught tail first in the pipes and died. These were perfectly healthly otos and the pipes were connected to just a eheim 2213.


I have had that happen with ADA pipes too (Ehiem Ecco 2234). The other issue I had with CA is its too long on the intake side which is a problem if you slope your substrate high in the back -its so now temporarily in the hands of a NASH member till he gets tired of it.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Bunbuku said:


> Here an old post of mine comparing the ADA and the CA lily pipes. http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=53645
> 
> IMO, the ADA has better workmanship. Granted the CA ones I had were probably version 1.0 (ordered year before GLA became the US distributor).
> 
> One significant advantage when it comes to cleaning is the hole at the end the CA pipe which allows you to insert a very small brush or Q-tip to better scrub the intake side. Another subtle difference during maintenance is that the tubing fits noticeably tighter on the ADA. Common between them is that maintenance instructions on both leave something to be desired.


Thanks for the comparison.

Actually one issue apart from cleaning, that I've had with some non-ADA pipes is that the intake openings were too big and my otos kept getting caught in them tail first and killing them. This happened to perfectly healthy otos with just an Eheim 2213.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1 (Feb 10, 2005)

houseofcards said:


> Well that's good that they do that. But others have broken the ADA ones as well, so it can't hurt to have this info on the websites. It could only help move more product. Are you referring to all brands of lily pipes other than ADA as 'sweatshop' ones' I'm not sure that's accurate.


Yes I was referring to all non ADA pipes as sweatshop pipes... :badgrin:
They are well made and with care will last a long time, they are glass
however so if someone is reckless it will break easy.

No comparison in quality between the bunch, i've only seen
pictures of the offbrands and well frankly they are butt ugly.

The ADA pipes are made in several ways for function, the bell
housing size functions as an aerator and depending on amount
flow desired based on filter output strength, the larger the bell
for a more relaxed flow etc.

For instance, on my 120 I use a P-4, I have placed a P-2 on it to see
for myself what happens and it jettisons much more, nearly shooting
water out the other side with a torrent on the surface.


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## marrow (Mar 4, 2007)

Try a laboratory supplies company they usually have a range of flexible brushes to clean lab glassware.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

Wö£fëñxXx said:


> Yes I was referring to all non ADA pipes as sweatshop pipes... :badgrin:
> They are well made and with care will last a long time, they are glass
> however so if someone is reckless it will break easy.
> 
> ...


I don't honestly think you can make a fair comparision just from pics, but I can tell you the CA ones are very nice looking. Also if they are placed at a certain height you get nice gentle funnel effect at the water's surface. I still feel the communication is lacking from the suppliers of almost all glass ware and a possible redesign to make the point of contact between tubing and pipe stronger is in order.


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