# RENA XP3 Dirty hoses



## JHG123 (Jun 14, 2010)

Rena XP 3 loaded as follows from bottom up:
2 20 PPI foam
2 30 PPI foam
2 half baskets of ceramic rings
top basket 2 micro filtration pads (from Rena) 
60 gal low tech (no CO2) Water parameters all good and have been okay throughout this problem. plants and fish are fine and even growing better than I figured they would since I started using excel
Light fish load with moderate to heavy plant load.
Problem, or maybe it's not? 
Should I be having to clean my hoses out every 4 weeks? They seem to gunk right up, both intake and outtake. 
I clean the the Rena every two weeks and never let micro filtration go without a wash or replacement. One thing I have going is a very tiny recurring hair algae which is easily beaten back by remaval and excel. So I have stepped up cleaning efforts. But these chronic dirty hoses don't seem right.
Thanks all


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## Gramazing (Mar 6, 2010)

This bugs me too. What's really annoying is when I have the filter off for an hour or so to do a water change and gravel vac and when I put it back on some of the gunk growing inside the hose has dislodged and it blows out through the spray bar all over the tank.

Black hose should stop the light from getting in. I was looking for black PVC tube over the weekend but couldn't find any with the right I.D., 5/8".


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

Yeah. Black PVC tube would help out, otherwise algae will continue to grow inside the tube due to the light. I get brown algae all over mine, no way to stop it really.

I clean my rena xp1 on my 33 gallon tank once a month or so. 
I don't use carbon anymore. I have a ton of ceramics media within for bio.


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## JHG123 (Jun 14, 2010)

Gramazing said:


> Black hose should stop the light from getting in.


Maybe, but in my case all the hoses are in a bookshelf unit completely in the dark all the way to the elbows into and out of the tank. It might be opened for 2 minutes or so every other day.
You didn't mention the algae condition of your tank itself. I'm curious as to how algae could be growing in the far less lit hoses and not in the tank.
For those looking for black hoses. If you can't find them try some of that split wiring harness shield. It should work perfect. Try Wallyworld or an auto parts store.


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

Not much algae is in my tank at all. There is however a coating of brown gunk on the inside of the walls.

Could be bacteria, could be algae... I don't know. 

Gunk is gunk though.


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## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

That brown gunk isn't algae. It's some kind of bacterial growth. You will still get it when you get the black hose. You won't see it anymore but, it will be harder to tell if the hoses need a cleaning. I get the clear hose, it's cheaper and easier to tell if it needs cleaning or replacement. I only clean it once a year.


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## cbwmn (Dec 18, 2007)

I take the hoses off, run a wire clear through and hook a brush on the wire and pull it through several times.
BUT, I do have a spare set of hoses that I use.
Charles


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## majstor76 (Feb 11, 2010)

heydude819 said:


> I don't think you can really do anything about that...the easiest way is to replace the hose every few weeks. 5/8 hoses are really cheap at home depot and lowes. I think it costs roughly 40 cents per foot


Not very good idea to change hose often , you can damage connectors or threads on filter. Its better to once a month use a hose cleaner. Gunk in hoses reminds me of diatoms so its easy to clean


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## Gramazing (Mar 6, 2010)

JHG123 said:


> Maybe, but in my case all the hoses are in a bookshelf unit completely in the dark all the way to the elbows into and out of the tank. It might be opened for 2 minutes or so every other day.
> You didn't mention the algae condition of your tank itself. I'm curious as to how algae could be growing in the far less lit hoses and not in the tank.
> For those looking for black hoses. If you can't find them try some of that split wiring harness shield. It should work perfect. Try Wallyworld or an auto parts store.


Apparently it's not algae but bacterial growth, so we're back to the question of cleaning them. Last time I took them off completely, took them into the bathroom and blew warm water through them. That was about 80% effective.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi All,

I went to a local DIY beer supply store and picked up a 4 foot long 1" brush with a flexible wire handle for about $5.00. Cleans out all the gunk in a jiffy! If my hoses are longer than 4 feet, first I go in from one end and then the other.


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## smackpixi (Oct 15, 2008)

Isn't all that stuff in the tubes the very stuff you're trying to grow in the biomedia? Unless it's clogging the tubes (in which case it's algae) it's good stuff.


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