# Do most glass lily pipes offer a surface skimming effect?



## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Hello folks,

I plan on starting an ADA 30c (currently have a 60p) soon in the future. I wish to do a iwagumi scape, and I want to use clear lily pipes to keep the tank looking "clean," no funky green eheim pipes or anything like that, and I am aware that the glass pipes are algae prone.

In my 60p, I use a surface skimmer and I cannot live without it. I always have plenty of surface scum despite surface agitation. I remember some people saying that the lily pipes has some sort of suction skimming effect, is that true?

Here is the set of lily pipes that I am looking at, $20usd, awesome deal, decent quality too. http://hk.f1.page.auctions.yahoo.com/hk/auction/b16583105?u=jt_pkc


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

Mine don't have any effect of that sort. I raise them up when I'm not home to agitate the surface, though. It clears the scum up quite well.


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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

Some lily pipes, if positioned correctly, with the proper out flow, will create a bit of a vortex (baby whirlpool)...sucking the surface clean. I don't know which ones do this for sure though.


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

Mine will do this only if I lower the water an inch in the tank. Some times I'll look in the tank when it's completely full and you can see a slight vortex but it would be enough to suck the film off. I have never see a vortex like they all claim in their pictures. They must be running a super powerful pump to make that claim.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Not sure about all brands but I have an ADA set and they do keep the scum off the top. I don't keep mine low enough to create the famed vortex though. I have it positioned so as to create a generous surface ripple. As the water exits along the bottom edge of the pipe it does seem, at least from my observations, to pull the water from the surface down into the flow that's being discharged into the tank. Before changing filters and using lily pipes, I used a couple of fluvals with spraybars at the surface and still had to add a fluval surface skimmer to get rid of surface scum. With the lily pipes that scum is now a thing of the past.


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Thank you so much guys, I appreciate all the input! I will go with the lily pipes.

How often do you guys clean the pipes?


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

Ya about that.....I need to get one of those brushes. I have never cleaned my and they are the worse example of a lily pipe. SO much GSA and brown algae inside them. ya I need a brush.


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## samamorgan (Dec 31, 2011)

jmowbray said:


> Ya about that.....I need to get one of those brushes. I have never cleaned my and they are the worse example of a lily pipe. SO much GSA and brown algae inside them. ya I need a brush.


Soak em in organic cleaning solution, then treated water.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

chiefroastbeef said:


> Thank you so much guys, I appreciate all the input! I will go with the lily pipes.
> 
> How often do you guys clean the pipes?


I end up taking mine off about every three weeks. Usually by that time there's enough biofilm that it's starting to be noticeable, at least to me. I clean them with an ADA spring washer and soak them in a dilute bleach solution. Takes about 15 minutes.


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## ktownhero (Mar 21, 2011)

Keep a couple pieces of plant(s) floating and you'll never have surface scum again. You don't need a lot, I just keep a few leaves of pennywort floating in my tank.


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## pwolfe (Mar 2, 2011)

I can tell you that DoAqua Violet pipes absolutely do not do this.


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## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

I have a few experiences with them:

The standard ADA Lily Pipe: (http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_26_3&products_id=409)









It can skim the surface if you put the pipe high up. If you put the pipe all the way in the tank, it will create that vortex effect but basically be really calm and the film can build up. What some people do is keep the pipe all the way down in the tank and then put it higher up at night so it skims the water layer, then just put it back down during the day.


The metal ADA Lily Pipe (http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_26_44&products_id=83)









This metal pipe (I think they also come in a glass variation by the sister company Do! Aqua I believe) is a monster and will blow the surface to kingdom come.


Do! Aqua Violet Glass (http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_67&products_id=355)









This one is similar to the original ada glass pipe but is skinnier and taller in the opening. It's pretty calm if you keep it low, but can skim the surface if you put it high near the water line.


Do! Aqua Poppy Glass (http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_67&products_id=361)









This one is used if you don't want to create a strong flow. The water shoots down then hits the rounded bottom of the poppy glass; then the water bulbs up more gently and will be like a bulbing effect. This one doesn't skim the surface as much and can build up a film layer. The bulbing effect does help but after a few days the surface will have that film.


Keep in mind that the film surface can be broken up pretty easily with a net and a small water change or re positioning most pipes near the water line overnight.


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Thank you everyone for the most useful info, thank you fusiongt for your ultra informative post! I will continue to think about this and make a decision!


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## Gookis (Dec 28, 2010)

Just to add to this. I have the last two Do!Aqua's. The Violet creates a strong flow, NO VORTEX, and has to be raised so that the top lip of the glass is arount 1/4" or more out of the water and it will churn water in it and push air bubbles under the water. This action sucks in surface film and mixes it in...completely within about 45 minutes if you don't have plants that reach up the surface and affect circulation.

The Poppy creates a very slow flow and pretty much NOTHING ELSE. The claim is that if you raise the Poppy out of the water enough it mixes up the water and film. You have to raise the damn thing almost completely out of the water. The "gurgle" noise created is easily 5x louder than the Violet and still doesn't get rid of surface film completely. 

There.

Matt


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Jeff5614 said:


> I end up taking mine off about every three weeks. Usually by that time there's enough biofilm that it's starting to be noticeable, at least to me. I clean them with an ADA spring washer and soak them in a dilute bleach solution. Takes about 15 minutes.


The outflow is easy just run the spring brush through it with the filter on the day u change water. The inflow is the only one id pull off for obvious reasons


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## Lurch98 (Oct 7, 2011)

I can consistently get the vortex with my cheap e-auction Power Ren glass lily pipes. The vortex doesn't have enough oomph to get rid of the surface scum, from what I've seen. 

The surface agitation from my homemade acrylic lilies seem to do the trick. My flow rate from my fliter had dropped off significantly, and I started noticing some scum come back, so I cleaned it, and I'm back in business.

I do have some driftwood that comes through the surface, and gets some waves from the lily flow, so that may help similar to the recomendation for a floating plant.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Gookis said:


> Just to add to this. I have the last two Do!Aqua's. The Violet creates a strong flow, NO VORTEX, and has to be raised so that the top lip of the glass is arount 1/4" or more out of the water and it will churn water in it and push air bubbles under the water. This action sucks in surface film and mixes it in...completely within about 45 minutes if you don't have plants that reach up the surface and affect circulation.
> 
> The Poppy creates a very slow flow and pretty much NOTHING ELSE. The claim is that if you raise the Poppy out of the water enough it mixes up the water and film. You have to raise the damn thing almost completely out of the water. The "gurgle" noise created is easily 5x louder than the Violet and still doesn't get rid of surface film completely.
> 
> ...


The violet glass is a bit different from the lily pipe in that it's meant to direct the water flow a bit farther down in the tank than a lily pipe so that may be the reason for no vortex.


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## alpo430 (Feb 6, 2014)

ive made my own lily pipe surface skimmer with a small bottle of shampoo( the one you use in hotels). but you can buy the empty bottle container. i made a slanted cut of the bottle then connect it to my canister output. the important thing here is make sure that the water flow gush on the bottom part of the pipe so that the upper part will have slower current thus making the suction on surface.


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## Thatshrimpguy (Aug 16, 2013)

My cal aqua lab lily does this, small vortex ... Does this inhibit co2 in the tank?


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I'm glad I found this thread. I am considering trying some of these glass piping for my next tank but didn't know how each one varied. Some very helpful posts in here ^^


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Yup, good stuff... although this thread is from 2012.


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## PeterN1986 (Jun 15, 2011)

I have the Do!Aqua Violet Mini-Outflow and with it submerged, it doesn't do anything for surface agitation, no vortex. It's hooked up to a 2211, full flow. I have it lifted out of the water right now and it has gotten rid of the scum somewhat. I'm about to go back to the stock spraybar for surface agitation purposes.


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