cleaning filter tubes

[Lindsey]

I have a Whisper 20 filter with a tube much like so:



I haven't quite figured out if this piece breaks apart at the top or not. Does anyone else with this filter know how I go about cleaning it out? The build-up on the inside of the top of the tube is getting pretty bad.

[trashion]

I have a filter brush i bought at my LFS. It's a brush on a bendy wire, you can bend it and then insert it all the way through the curve in the filter pipe. Check out your LFS, see if they have one.

[Good Wolf]

I just dip it in old tank water. I don't mind the scum. I figure the more bacteria the better.

[gil_ong]

keep an eye on the scum, wolf. too much build-up will restrict water flow and put a larger strain on your motor.

[COM]

Lindsey- the black thing on the left looks like a flow control valve. I remember the old Whisper filters used to have that feature. You can remove it if you want to.

Like Julie said, there are flexible wire brushes sold precisely for the purpose of cleaning filter tubes. The scum isn't all that bad; it does restrict water flow a bit. The real problem with it is that it allows other stuff to stick to it which further restricts flow. I clean my filter tubes regularly.