# Brown "stuff" in filter tubing?



## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

Hi everyone,

It's been about 3 months since I've hooked up my Rena XP4 and to my surprise, there is brown "suff(?)" growing inside the tubing. I'm assuming it's an algae of sorts, but am not positive. Is there any way to clean/prevent this from happening. I cannot imagine it's good for the tank.

The other problem is I believe it's constricting flow, as when I do my normal tank cleaning, once I power the filter back on, it spits this **** out of the intake right back into the tank. So it's completely counter-productive seeing as I just completed a water change/cleaning.

My first thought was a cleaning trush, to run through the tubing. However, with Rena's tubing, it's 7/16th's I believe where as the barbs are 1/2". Therefore, you have to boil the ends to get it on the barbs and once they cool, good luck getting them off!

Here are some pictures of the stuff:



















Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!


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## theyangman (Nov 5, 2011)

you can shoot hot water through those parts and hope the heat, and power of the water flow dislodges the gunk. As for getting them like new, I believe that to be a pipe dream (ha ha pardon the pun). It is just algae growth that inevitably will come back, and if you have it to the point where you believe you are having water flow obstruction, then I'd hate to see the inside of the filter itself.


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

The brown stuff is just nature at work man. Bacterial colonies, likely some low light algaes, detrius, etc. A clean tank to the eye matters not. Just clean to the test tube. You're fine.

You could clean it out. Then it'll come right back. That's just how it is. THere are things you can do. Black tubing is available. Otherwise just 'let it beeeeee, oooooooh, let it be'

BTW it is good for the tank. It's basically an extension of what's happening IN the filter. Stuff likes it in that tube due to the high flow of water. It's helping clean if anything. Worry not. I've had canisters forever and they all eventually get some nice gunk in the tubes unless you use non see through (ie black) tubes. At which point I'm sure it's still in there but you'll never know.


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

Its probably just calcium deposits,totally harmless,when I had my eheim,I would put the spray bar in a container when restarting the filter,but if yours are restricting flow ,I would figure out a way to clean them,I would probably cut off a bit of the ends where it connects,and then carefully cut off from the barbs


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Once a year I remove my filter and hosing from the tank and run the filter on a bucket of semi-hot water and bleach (10:1). 
I run the filter for an hour or two, then swap out the bleach water with fresh plus dechlor, run again and then hook everything back up to the tank.
Of course the filter is empty and the media and baskets are in another bucket of tank water.


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## babarian16 (Apr 27, 2011)

I have that from time to time in my tubes also. A couple times a year, when i do a full cleaning of the filter, i take the tubing apart and i wrap a small rag to the end of an unfolded metal coat hanger and push the cloth throught the tubing. works amazing. You do that on each tube once then rinse with hot water n it should be aaalll gone :thumb:


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## bluedot (Aug 5, 2004)

Babarian16's tip is a good one. Similar to what I do. However, if the hoses are too long for a
coat hanger, you can use some twine. Feed it through the hose, when it comes out the other end
tie your rag, or in my case a small brush, and just pull it through.

However, if your hoses are old, and getting hard and brittle, they are cheap enough to replace once in a while to make sure and maintain a tight fit on the couplings to prevent leaks.


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

I have a small nylon brush used for gun cleaning with a eye on one end. I tie a length of fishing line to it with a split shot (fishing type) clamped on the other end. Then drop the split shot down the tube and pull the brush through the tube. Works like a charm.


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## bluedot (Aug 5, 2004)

Yup! That's the ticket! Sounds like my brush. Only mine is for cleaning Eheim filters. However,
it does have that eye on one end; which makes it work great.


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