Flexible PVC Pipe (solvent weld)

[Ratsima]

I am advised by several members of the online pond community that I should replace my 5/8" pump-to-fountain hose with at least 1" Flexible PVC Pipe. (It clogs with biofilm so frequently that I need to ream it out at least every other day. A larger hose will supposedly solve that problem.)

I have searched, but have found nothing. Nothing at the Korat Thai Wassadu yesterday. Nothing locally online.

Here's what I'm supposed to get: Flexible PVC Pipe

pipe.jpg (91.15 KiB) Viewed 681 times

It's the one on the left in case the link didn't work for you.

I don't know anything about this flexible PVC, so I don't really know where to look.

Any ideas where to buy or order locally?

[brianks]

Look for flexible sink drain hoses in that department. Their gray and you may have to cobble a few together to get the length but might solve the problem.

[joelle]

I am advised by several members of the online pond community that I should replace my 5/8" pump-to-fountain hose with at least 1" Flexible PVC Pipe.

I take it that they can tell you what you should do but not where you could get it from.
Maybe you could try at a place where they sell agricultural machinery or a car/truck garage, as they might have that size pipe. Just a thought.

[Nereus]

Try Thaiwatsadu, or Global House. 1 inch PVC hose can be found both reinforced, and plain clear, in the plumbing departments. Also worm type hose clamps to attach it.

You will get a better flow with a bigger pipe, but if crap is the problem a better filter may be the answer.

[Ratsima]

I can't be ordinary PVC hose; it has to be flexible as it goes around a 90º bend. That bend is OK for my current 5/8" pipe but wouldn't do for anything larger. My pond is always crystal clear. The problem is biofilm that accumulates very quickly in the hose (pump to fountain) but nowhere else.
.
.

2022-05-15 06.29.17.jpg (174.35 KiB) Viewed 632 times

I use a wire cable with a sponge on the end to ream out the hose about every other day. This morning I accumulated everything that came out. That's it; nothing solid at all.
.
.

2022-05-15 08.33.20.jpg (78.48 KiB) Viewed 632 times

I let is settle for a couple of hours and then removed the clear water.
.
.

2022-05-15 09.55.17.jpg (101.84 KiB) Viewed 632 times

I filtered what was left with a coffee drip filter. The water that drips through is quite clear.
.
.

2022-05-15 10.43.46.jpg (83.7 KiB) Viewed 632 times

This gelatinous sludge is what is left. It's very sticky and adheres to surfaces, but I can't see how this tiny amount can almost complete block a 5/8" hose connected to a pump with a two meter head.
.
.

2022-05-15 10.50.14.jpg (79.39 KiB) Viewed 632 times

Weird stuff. Maybe it's the answer to global hunger.

[PeteC]

You may want to introduce some Algae Control substance first to see if it takes care of the problem. I've used the below very successfully before in a small fish pond.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ma-pl ... 3585iLSBRs

[Nereus]

I don't know nuttin about fish tanks, but have had more than enough experience with plastic hoses.
I do not follow your reasoning about the 90 degree turn. A bigger hose is harder to "kink" than a small one, but if it is a problem a simple 90 degree PVC bend inserted into the correct area will surely eliminate any problem.

The following is the hose that I had in mind. He lists various sizes although the one shown is only half inch.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/tool- ... PGEALw_wcB

I am sure that your are aware, but the following explains some of it:

https://scapelyfe.com/articles/how-to-p ... nt-biofilm

edit: https://aquariumbreeder.com/biofilm-in- ... to-remove/

[Ratsima]

Yeah, I've been dealing with this problem for 15 years now. I've read more than I can imagine. The thing is, the pond itself never has any visible biofilm. It only occurs in the hose that goes from the pump to the fountain. As you can see, the amount needed to almost completely block the hose seems very tiny. The only creatures in the pond are a few dozen tiny (less than an inch) guppies that I keep as mosquito control.

The hose you referenced is not the kind I need. That one is reinforced, but not what is termed "flexible". If you look at the original photo I posted you'll see that it has a spiral rib inside that makes it extra flexible.

[Nereus]

Maybe you have a different interpretation of "flexible". If bending it is a problem, then the hose to use is called "convoluted".

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/masak ... 94479.html?

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/air-d ... M3EALw_wcB

There is also "flexible" electrical conduit that may work.

[Ginjaninja]

Is there anyway you could add a sediment trap such as a u-bend sump at the intake of the hose? Something that could easily be removed and emptied?

[Ratsima]

I never intended this to be a discussion of my pond woes, but that's what it has devolved to. Although I'll probably regret this, I'm going to post a fuller explanation of what's going on.

2022-05-13 17.07.08.jpg (126.86 KiB) Viewed 556 times

Here's the flow out of the fountain a couple of days after I reamed the entire hose.
.
.

2022-05-13 17.07.46.jpg (129.19 KiB) Viewed 556 times

This demonstrates that even though the flow out of the fountain is very slow, the pump still manages to maintain at least a two meter head. There is nothing clogging the the pump intake or outflow.
.
.

2022-05-13 17.18.31.jpg (129.94 KiB) Viewed 556 times

This is the flow out of the fountain after reaming the hose.
.
.

2022-05-14 05.56.49.jpg (166.53 KiB) Viewed 556 times

This is where the hose and pump AC line come to the surface from the pond. They run through 2" PVC which has a 90º bend. This worked fine when I was using a ½" hose. Any major changes to this would require breaking a lot of concrete and rock. I want a "flexible" hose so that I can thread it through this 2" PVC mess that I made when I built the pond in 2007. I do not want to have to break and redo the concrete.
.
.

2022-05-14 10.40.45.jpg (190.9 KiB) Viewed 556 times

Here you can see the green hose which runs from the pump up to the pond end of the 2" PVC.

I should note that there is never any sign of algae in the pond. There is never any sign that there is sediment stuck in the pump/fountain hose. There is sediment in the pond which I stir up when I cull the vegetation, but the pump never has any problem sucking up that sediment and sending it out the fountain.

The pond filter is a three meter stream that is at least 30cm deep and which is full of gravel and sand. This semi-natural stream filter is which the pond water is always crystal clear (unless I've recently stirred up some sediment).

[Dannie Boy]

I have nothing to add to how you might overcome your problem, but it’s a very nice looking feature.

[Ratsima]

I have nothing to add to how you might overcome your problem, but it’s a very nice looking feature.

Thank you. We sit out by the pond every evening for happy hour and enjoy it very much.
.

2022-05-14 10.40.jpg (128.19 KiB) Viewed 527 times

[migrant]

The goop that clogs up your hose does look algae like. Perhaps the inside of the hose is more prone to get the algae? Maybe Pete's idea is worth a try?

Good luck it is nice, been planning one out for us too.

[PeteC]

The goop that clogs up your hose does look algae like. Perhaps the inside of the hose is more prone to get the algae? Maybe Pete's idea is worth a try?

Good luck it is nice, been planning one out for us too.

Caution though. The product I indicated takes the oxygen out of the water, that's how the algae is killed. If you put too much in, say goodbye to the guppies.