Tube Discoloration *PICS*

[foodfightr]

New Tygon / Old Tygon (Drained)

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/9232/tube1wx5.th.jpg (http://img179.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tube1wx5.jpg) http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4296/tube2od6.th.jpg (http://img502.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tube2od6.jpg)

Just disassembled & drained my loop for my upgrade. I noticed that my Tygon (Laboratory Grade) is stained. It has a sort of yellow-ish hue to it and is stained blue. I've been running diluted pentosin g11 in distilled water for about six months now. I carefully cleaned each piece of the loop using vinegar to make sure it was free of contaminants when I assembled it the first time.

Is this a normal occurrence? Is it possible to prevent this from happening? The clean tubes look so much nicer!

[safan80]

it's normal. you'd have to clean your tubing a lot to get rid of it.

[foodfightr]

it's normal. you'd have to clean your tubing a lot to get rid of it.

So no sense in replacing my dirty tubes with clean tubes unless I just want it to look pretty for a couple months? Are there certain dyes that won't stain it and keep the tubes looking fresh and clean?

[ginnz]

that happened to me when i used watter wetter and some kind of green UV dye.

when i rebuilt my loop, i used new tubing and distilled water and some kind of fish tank anti-fungi stuff (its UV reactive!), since then my loop has stayed clean, my tubing is over a year old and still clean.

[Russ_64]

that happened to me when i used watter wetter and some kind of green UV dye.


Exactly the same here, other rig has WW only and is clear.

Anyone tried Fesser ready mix with UV dye ?

[Eddie3dfx]

Use good dish soap and fill each tube up with the soap. Shake it around, squish the tubing, and move it back and forth so all the tube gets filled and soapy.
Then hopefully your utility sink has hot water with good pressure.
I fill and rinse the tubing 3x on each piece and then continue to rinse with hot water.
I tried vinegar, alchohol, and everything, but this was the only way I found to get it super clean!

[NickS]

Easiest way to do it would be to find a large test tube cleaner, rofl.

http://www.jjcardinal.com/brushes-small.jpg

[foodfightr]

Use good dish soap and fill each tube up with the soap. Shake it around, squish the tubing, and move it back and forth so all the tube gets filled and soapy.
Then hopefully your utility sink has hot water with good pressure.
I fill and rinse the tubing 3x on each piece and then continue to rinse with hot water.
I tried vinegar, alchohol, and everything, but this was the only way I found to get it super clean!


I think I'll try this and make sure to rinse it extra well. I'll do my final rinse with distilled water to make sure any deposits left behind get removed. As far as preventing future staining, are there certain dyes that won't make the tubes look like crap but still give a blue/UV look?

[Eddie3dfx]

My dye-light engine coolant dye stains the tubing as well (green)
Redline, as mentioned, gives it the nastiests film.
I did everything to clean the film out of the micro-res and it wasn't until I used strong dish soap that it finally took that redline film off.
Yesterday I put an order for the same blue dye as yours for my 2nd loop. I will combine that with a little bit of pentosin and distilled water.
Hopefully It will be clean ;)

[Jedda]

Easiest way to do it would be to find a large test tube cleaner, rofl.

http://www.jjcardinal.com/brushes-small.jpg

Gunshop, ask for a shotgun barrel pull through or brush.

[Brian MP5T]

that happened to me when i used watter wetter and some kind of green UV dye.

when i rebuilt my loop, i used new tubing and distilled water and some kind of fish tank anti-fungi stuff (its UV reactive!), since then my loop has stayed clean, my tubing is over a year old and still clean.

That is Awesome! Great idea..

[v0dka]

I had exactly the same problem.

Was using distilled with Pentosin. Switched to clean tubing and put only distilled in, lets see how it works out this time. I'm trying to find out why it doesnt happen in some cases, or barely.

Main suspects are the tubing itself obviously since the problem is plasticizer. However, Im sure some factors are important - like additives or the strength of the pump perhaps (Iwaki made the tubing cloudy within 1 month, another loop with a lowly Hydor never had that effect in years).

Anyway, Im using plasticizer free tubing next time.

[road-runner]

I took mine apart last week after about 6 months of use, it was the same using distilled with Pentosin and petras PT nuke and Masterkleer tubing. As cheap as new tubing is I just used new since I was redoing it anyway...

[fireice2]

Have you guys tried Medical Grade Sterilized Distilled Water? :D

[Waterlogged]

I think it's time I remind ppl of a couple pearls of wisdom of mine. :D :ROTF:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2474548&postcount=2

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2589499&postcount=24

[IanY]

I can vouch for this Remington kit. It also comes in a nice looking wooden box. Costs less than $25. Maybe its easier to just buy in store than order on line.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4253114

[foodfightr]

I'm not trying to clean the tubing at all. I'll get new tubing if it comes down to it. What I'd like to do is have UV blue liquid and crystal clear tubing.

[Waterlogged]

I'm not trying to clean the tubing at all. I'll get new tubing if it comes down to it. What I'd like to do is have UV blue liquid and crystal clear tubing.

This is a contradiction of terms. If there is dye in the system, expect your tubes to become stained.

[Underwater Mike]

If you're going to bother to clean the tubing, don't get a rigid rod barrel cleaner. Try a Bore Snake instead. Just remove the spring portion first.

[foodfightr]

This is a contradiction of terms. If there is dye in the system, expect your tubes to become stained.

Surely there is a substance that could color the water but not the tubing? Just saying theoretically. Maybe it would be something that has color but doesn't dye at all-- it just dilutes to tint the water rather than adhere to it and the tubes.

Either way, I think I've settled on washing the tubes with a little detergent and then filling it back up with 9:1 Distilled Water to Pentosin G11 with a couple drops of PT Nuke and calling it a day.

[MorGo7h]

Easiest way to do it would be to find a large test tube cleaner, rofl.

http://www.jjcardinal.com/brushes-small.jpg

I made my own costum one with toilet paper.
But I can get my Tygon clean with it ^^

[Underwater Mike]

Tygon is supposed to be non-absorbing, correct? (I use Masterkleer, so I dunno.) If that is the case, and the stains are driving you nuts, cap the ends of the segments and fill them with plain old bleach. Leave a few days and then drain and rinse repeatedly. Failure to rinse well before reattaching is going to corrode everything in your system. If that doesn't work, get new tubing or live with it.

Personally, I'd live with it. ;)

[Sparky]

I use masterkleer, which stains just the same, but since it is so cheap I just replace it when I drain and refill the loop :D