# Lily pipes - What do you prefer? -



## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

Hey all

So i'm picking up my Magnum 350 canister filter tomorrow for my 55g I plan on buying a set of glass lily pipes in the very near future. My local pet store doesnt carry them so I've looked alot on ebay. I'm wanting to keep it as cheap as possible... but still get a good looking and decent set.

My main question is: 

Can anyone point me in the direction as to what size lily pipe is recommended for a 350gph canister filter? 13mm? 17mm?? 20mm???

Sorry, I dont know the diameter of the tubing that comes packaged with the filter. that would probably help..

I've never used a canister filter or lily pipes so i was also wondering if their is anything i should look for specifically in a set. Any certain brands or recommended sites for a great deal on a decent set?

Any help is appreciated 

Thanks!!!


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

Also to anyone who has used a Marineland Magnum 350 Canister filter what do you think of it??? I know their not top of the line and I've read a few negative reviews but im getting mine from a guy who bought it 2 yrs ago and never set it up, its still packaged in the box. Im only payin 50 bucks for it so i figured i couldnt pass up that deal.


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

If you want glass lily pipes, i'm a fan of the generic ebay ones. Be warned, they are delicate. Warm up your tubing in some very hot water before trying to slide the tubing over the glass... thats about it. If you want something far more durable and just as nice looking,(IMO) check out Fishman9809's thread, he makes custom acrylic lily pipes that are pretty awesome.
As for the magnum filter, I've heard good things about them from most people, and $50 is a bargain. took a quick peek at Marineland's site, and per the manual i found there, your filter uses 3/4" tubing, or 20mm.


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

double post


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## tnsser (Sep 23, 2009)

I have a 350. It works well as a polisher and it is used has added filtration on my 150g. I do not feel it is the best option as the only filter used because I don't like using charcoal.


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## sajata (Aug 21, 2009)

i run mine with the blue filter mat and the space where the charcoal would be filled with bio balls. seams to work for me.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

Indignation said:


> If you want glass lily pipes, i'm a fan of the generic ebay ones. Be warned, they are delicate. Warm up your tubing in some very hot water before trying to slide the tubing over the glass... thats about it. If you want something far more durable and just as nice looking,(IMO) check out Fishman9809's thread, he makes custom acrylic lily pipes that are pretty awesome.
> As for the magnum filter, I've heard good things about them from most people, and $50 is a bargain. took a quick peek at Marineland's site, and per the manual i found there, your filter uses 3/4" tubing, or 20mm.


Very helpful!!

Thanks for the heads up on the ebay glass!! 

I know $50 is awesome!! i found it on craigslist for 60 obo. I'm very excited!! had been wanting one for quite a while but just couldnt bring myself to dish out 150+ on one at my local LFS. 

Thanks again


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## jmhart (Mar 14, 2008)

Magnum 350 is a good filter. Last I looked, the manufacturer's recommendation for media was to load the media basket with charcoal. If you do that, the Mag 350 is great for chemical and mechanical filtration, but the charcoal only provides so/so surface area for a biofilter. When I used a magnum as my primary filtration, I stuffed the media basket with filter floss...GREAT for biofiltration.


And as far as lily pipes go, I got some of the el-cheapo's off ebay, and I love them. They look great, they weren't nearly as fragile as I figured they'd be(read that as: I break stuff, and I didn't break these), and they work great. 

For the Magnum, it has 5/8 ID tubing, same as the Eheim Pro II. You'll want 17mm lily pipes.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

So i stopped by my LFS to make sure he didnt have any venders that he could order lily pipes from. Unfortunatly I left a little disappointed. Not only had he never heard of them, after i showed him a set online he thought they would impossible to keep clean. He thought I would have to clean them ATLEAST once a week. I had assumed reg maintenance and figured i could get away with cleaning them once a month or even just when i clean my canister. 

So...

How much maintenance is really required to keep this things looking nice???

My LFS guy was also concerned about how well they seal to the inlet and outlet tubes from the canister? that made me wonder..... Ive heard you heat the tube with a blow dryer to slide it over the lily pipe but... if im removing these once a week for cleaning how well will they reseal? will i have to keep trimming the tube back to get a tight seal?

I need some input from someone who has a set of lily pipes and who has used them for quite some time.


Thanks to everyone who reads and replys!!


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## dtsuyuki (Nov 16, 2009)

I also make custom acrylic lily pipes.. if you're interested .. this is them: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/97214-dtsuyukis-10g-planted-tank.html


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## jmhart (Mar 14, 2008)

MlDukes said:


> So i stopped by my LFS to make sure he didnt have any venders that he could order lily pipes from. Unfortunatly I left a little disappointed. Not only had he never heard of them, after i showed him a set online he thought they would impossible to keep clean. He thought I would have to clean them ATLEAST once a week. I had assumed reg maintenance and figured i could get away with cleaning them once a month or even just when i clean my canister.
> 
> So...
> 
> ...


If people don't know, they shouldn't guess. 

Lily pipes work great, they seal great. Yes, you have to clean them. Once a month, at the very most. Usually not even that often, maybe 4 times a year. Every intake/outlet gets dirty, it's just that when it's big, black, and bulky you don't notice the gross stuff growing on the inside. 

I use 13 mm lily pipes, with 1/2" ID reinforced tubing...I use the reinforced not for strength but because it was the look I was going for and I needed it to not crick on itself. Anyway, the stuff makes a great seal. Not too hard to put on, not too hard to pull off.


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## Dempsey (Oct 27, 2009)

Do you all think that Lily pipes in a 75g would slow down allot of flow? Actually, thinking about it, maybe it would increase my flow given that I set it in the right spot? I am trying to keep my tank as "clean" as possible from visible equipment and have been thinking about LP's for a while...


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

MlDukes said:


> ...So i stopped by my LFS to make sure he didnt have any venders that he could order lily pipes from. Unfortunatly I left a little disappointed. Not only had he never heard of them, after i showed him a set online he thought they would impossible to keep clean. He thought I would have to clean them ATLEAST once a week. I had assumed reg maintenance and figured i could get away with cleaning them once a month or even just when i clean my canister.
> 
> So...
> 
> How much maintenance is really required to keep this things looking nice???


I agree with jmhart, the guy doesn't know what he's talking about. 

I've used a glass lily and acrylic inflow for almost a year, and they still look great... think I've cleaned them twice. Now, if you want them brand-new ADA photo shoot sparkly, then MAYBE once a week cleaning is necessary, but I don't buy it. 

As for how to clean them - I take the entire line, with lily pipe attached, off at the canister. I pull a bottle brush through until clean, and use a stiff toothbrush for the lily outflow and intake slits. As far as maintenance goes, pretty simple.


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## btan (Nov 4, 2009)

Indignation said:


> If you want glass lily pipes, i'm a fan of the generic ebay ones. Be warned, they are delicate. Warm up your tubing in some very hot water before trying to slide the tubing over the glass... thats about it. If you want something far more durable and just as nice looking,(IMO) check out Fishman9809's thread, he makes custom acrylic lily pipes that are pretty awesome.
> As for the magnum filter, I've heard good things about them from most people, and $50 is a bargain. took a quick peek at Marineland's site, and per the manual i found there, your filter uses 3/4" tubing, or 20mm.


I'd have to agree with Indignation with the eBay knock-off lily pipes. I received mine a couple days back and found that they were about 1 to 1.5mm thick. If I tried brute forcing the tube on/off, the glass would definitely break resulting in probably a red mess =/.


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## jmhart (Mar 14, 2008)

btan said:


> I'd have to agree with Indignation with the eBay knock-off lily pipes. I received mine a couple days back and found that they were about 1 to 1.5mm thick. If I tried brute forcing the tube on/off, the glass would definitely break resulting in probably a red mess =/.



This is probably obvious to everybody else, but it wasn't to me: If the lily pipe and hose are wet, it makes it a lot easier to slide them on and off.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

F%@K back to the drawing board. called the guy on my way to pick up the filter, he said "Ive been lookin all over for your#, got home from work and my wife had already sold it" So disappointing

Thanks for all the great info keep it coming!! Ill have my lily pipes, just gotta break down and pay retail for my canister. thinking about ordering off of aquatraders.com, they have a 325gph canister for $45 and 4x54 t5 pro for $109. 

Making the order as soon as they are in stock, does anyone object???


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

That filter has gotten some decent reviews on here, but be aware that the actual flow is going to be about 50% of what it's rated at. Many filter companies post gph readings under optimal conditions with the filters empty, so real world results are far less. Still sounds like a bargain though.

Are you injecting CO2? 4x54 T5HO is alot of light. I'd really recommend going with the 2x54w. Ignore most of the crap you've read about watts per gallon, you can grow any thing you'd like with 2x54w, co2 and ferts.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

"Are you injecting CO2? 4x54 T5HO is alot of light. I'd really recommend going with the 2x54w. Ignore most of the crap you've read about watts per gallon, you can grow any thing you'd like with 2x54w, co2 and ferts." --Indignation--



Keep in mind i am a noob to the planted world but have had aquariums for years. I was originally going with a dual 54w for my 55g but... I decided on the 4x54 t5 Pro for two reasons. One - I hope to upgrade to a 75g sometime in the next couple years. and - The pro model has 3 built in timers, 1 for a pair of T5, 1 for the other pair, and one for the led moonlights - thus giving me the ability to program a perfect days light - White only from 6am - 2pm Actinic Blue from 10am - 6pm and Blue LED moonlights from 6pm - 6am. 


I set up an old 10g for a prep tank, plants are lookin great - My Riccia is growin like crazy.. cant wait to get them in my 55! I have DIY co2, with a diy diffuser that is 100% efficient using a small powerhead. It was made from a plastic single shot vodka bottle, very small and transparant, not a single bubble reachs the surface. i will try to post a pic soon!!

I have already purchased my substrate, i went with 60lb black eco complete and 40lb black sand. 

My fiance is a PCT at a Kidney Dialysis center and has access to an unlimited supply of RO water "reverse Osmosis" with a neutral PH of 6.5-7.3. My plants and neons seem to love it in my 10g. That is the water i will be using for my 55.

I may still need a lil help with my ferts, right now i only use some generic liquid ferts that i purchased from my LPS. Dont know what they are called.


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

take a look at this, and this.

Too much light with not enough CO2 is a very common mistake, one I made myself. I'd advise getting the 2x54w, and sock the rest away for a pressurized co2 setup. DIY is going to be difficult to maintain a good ppm of CO2 in a 55g.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

I have been a little worried about the DIY co2 and the consistency of it. After checking out those links I think we are on the same page now. Thanks for the advice! I havent really looked at co2 systems at all so i dont even know where to start. 

Is their a good affordable system that you would recommend? What parts do i even need, are they something i can pick up from my local hardware store? Point me in the direction of a recommended site to order.

The 2x54 comes with 1 daylight 12000K and 1 actinic blue - should I request diff bulb types??? 2 daylight? I've read 3000K is best for flowering plants - do i want to go with 6000K 10000K or 12000K??

Thanks again for the great advice!!!


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

I went super-budget on my first regulator, and regretted it the entire time I owned it. I bought a Milwaukee MA957 regulator on clearance, and while they worked fine for some people, mine and many others had some serious flaws. The needle valves on these tend to wander(turn themselves down throughout the day). As I can't really hang out by the tank all day, this sucked. 
I finally bit the bullet and bought a regulator from Green Leaf Aquariums. I got the Choice model, which is low-end as far as the GLA stuff goes, but still pretty nice. Since I set it up this summer, the needle valves haven't moved at all. Put it on a timer, and that was it as far as any maintenance/interaction goes. It really shows in the tanks, I have no algae, and tons of happy plants and fish. The almost-universal opinion of Green Leaf is great products with great service. If you don't know what you're doing, you can call the owner and he will walk you through the setup. 

There is also the option of building your own regulator, which is supposed to be cheaper with similar/higher quality, if you know what you're doing. I don't know much about it, but there are tons of threads about it in the DIY section here. 

Best price I've found on a CO2 tank is here. Buy it empty, get it filled locally at a welding supply/fire extinguisher supply store. 

run the co2 through your filter, or a cheap powerhead, or a knock-off glass diffuser off ebay. 

That's about all you need. 



As for bulbs... the common advice is to stick in the 6000-10000k range. 3000k is orange, 6000k is yellowish, and 10000k is blue-white. Actinic is a far-blue spectrum. Some people like the blue color, personally i think it looks weird. 
I've found that starting out with a 10000/6000k combo is pretty close to true color rendition (natural sunlight). You can always swap one or the other out once you have them and decide which you prefer.
Remember, 90% of light selection is what looks good to you. technically, plants would be happiest with red/blue lights, but that would look pretty nasty to us.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

sorry bit of an absence there... Anyway couple months ago i picked up a used Fluval 405. Works perfectly. Im back on the idea of getting a set of lilly pipes. I would also like to replace the stock flex tubing with clear tubing. This is my first go around with canister filters and i dont want to chance having 55 gallons of water in my floor. If someone out there has replaced the flex tubing with clear tubing on a fluval 405 gimme some input on the diameter and wall thickness that i would need to look at. Also how exactly do the tubes seal onto glass lily pipes? Do they just slide over the glass? how reliable are the seals? And finally what diameter lily pipes should i be looking for givin the size tubing i need???

Any input would be greatly appreciated!!!

THANKS


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

I use lily pipes on my tank, what i did was buy the lily pipes that are a little bigger than your tubing. My tubing is 1/2 inch internal diameter and I have 13mm pipes. 1/2 inch works out to about 12. something mm, so the tubing has to stretch a little bit to fit onto the pipes. This makes a very tight seal. I can't even take em off... haha

you can always make your own out of acylic pipes, i'm planning to do that with my nano tank since i don't want to drop a lot of money on a new set...

weird isn't it? I spend like, 40-50 bucks at a bar for drinks and yet 30-40 bucks on something that makes my tank look a lot nicer and i'm so hesitant to spend my money.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

IWANNAGOFAST said:


> I use lily pipes on my tank, what i did was buy the lily pipes that are a little bigger than your tubing. My tubing is 1/2 inch internal diameter and I have 13mm pipes. 1/2 inch works out to about 12. something mm, so the tubing has to stretch a little bit to fit onto the pipes. This makes a very tight seal. I can't even take em off... haha
> 
> you can always make your own out of acylic pipes, i'm planning to do that with my nano tank since i don't want to drop a lot of money on a new set...
> 
> weird isn't it? I spend like, 40-50 bucks at a bar for drinks and yet 30-40 bucks on something that makes my tank look a lot nicer and i'm so hesitant to spend my money.


Its funny how that works isnt it. But there is a certain satisfaction that you get out of makin something yourself. Ive seen the post with instructions and pics of how to make your own lily pipes from acrylic and really it looks fairly simple. Ive thought about it myself and for a nano tank it would be great but these are goin in my 55g and with that much water constantly flowing in and out i would prefer to have something professionally done. 

Thanks for your input!!!

Keep it comin!


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