Steel Lily Pipes Advice

[Courtneybst]

On both if possible 🙂 ?

My thoughts on the stainless steel pipes still stands:

Hey, I didn't get these ones in particular but I got one from Amazon which is virtually identical except the cap on the intake is plastic instead of metal. I think it's called JARDLI

Positives:

• Looks way better than plastic
• Easier to clean and dirt is less visible
• Robust, so very little chance of breaking
• Surface skimmer works well (only with a strong enough filter. It works on my Eheim 2217 but not my 2213.
• Output can be rotated 360 degrees rather than being fixed

Negatives:

• You have to get the perfect amount of air under the skimmer rim to get it to sit at the right level, which needs to be reset whenever the filter is stopped or you do a water change. Too much air and it will only skim a little, too little air and it sinks, potentially sucking in anything that comes by. You get the hang of it quickly though.
• I don't have a rimless tank so I can't use the mounting brackets. As a result I have to tape the hoses to a fixed position on the wall so the pipes are straight and not wonky.
• I wish the inlet pipe was much longer or at least had an extension. The pipes sit about halfway down my tank so there's not much opportunity to take in debris from the substrate. But alas, I knew this before I bought it. Would have been nice though.
• There's hardly any choice in terms of outlet design so you're stuck with the plain jet. I did buy some acrylic lily pipe adapters but I found they actually impeded the flow which is the opposite of what I was trying to achieve.

As for the Aquario pipes (in my opinion):

Positives:

• Break-resistant clear pipes that can resemble glass when nicely cleaned.
• Flow can be adjusted 360 degrees.
• Modular nature of the pipes means you can configure the pipes with many different attachments for different scenarios. You could also use them in any position you like including in the shallowest of tanks because you can cut the pipes to size.
• Skimmer on the inlet means you don't have to worry about fish or shrimp getting sucked into the filter.

Negatives:

• Although the pipes themselves may be break resistant, the attachments are not. I've accidentally broken several of their attachments with very little effort.
• The version 1 skimmer sucks, and not in a good way. If you don't have an auto top off, forget it. It will become noisy or even cease to function. The version 2 is better but still not great in my opinion and still requires regular adjusting.
• The brackets and 'nuts/bolts' are cumbersome. They actually released some new easier to grip bolts but after everyone bought their pipes no less...
• They are too expensive for what they are (attachments included). I don't see how they cost more than some high quality glass and metal lily pipes? My only thought is the distance it's traveling before it gets to the UK market.
• Once you've trimmed the pipes they have next to zero resale value.

 

[Dogtemple]

I'm really interested in how you are doing this. Got any details?

Hi thanks for your interest. If you check my posts there is a thread where I detail building my aquarium and nearly everything from scratch, including the pipe work. Theres some info in there if you want to check it out.

I’m fortunate enough to have a metal workshop so I have a mill to make accurate cuts and slots and for bending I invested in a bit of equipment specifically for stainless tube bending.

I was thinking of making pipes to order if anyone was interested but we had a baby a year ago and the whole “hobbies/projects/doing literally anything” has gone out of the window for the time being. I hope to get back to it soon though, I only put it on pause and intend to get back to it.

But my pipe work is half inch, which is 12.7mm outer diameter and just over 10mm inside diameter.

it is possible to make them yourself but you need some very sturdy equipment to do it neatly. Stainless steel is very very hard to work with and it work hardens. Which just means it chooses to get harder and harder the more you work with it 😂

I’ll take some photos in the daylight if anyone is interested

 

[simon_the_plant_nerd]

Hi thanks for your interest. If you check my posts there is a thread where I detail building my aquarium and nearly everything from scratch, including the pipe work. Theres some info in there if you want to check it out.

I’m fortunate enough to have a metal workshop so I have a mill to make accurate cuts and slots and for bending I invested in a bit of equipment specifically for stainless tube bending.

I was thinking of making pipes to order if anyone was interested but we had a baby a year ago and the whole “hobbies/projects/doing literally anything” has gone out of the window for the time being. I hope to get back to it soon though, I only put it on pause and intend to get back to it.

But my pipe work is half inch, which is 12.7mm outer diameter and just over 10mm inside diameter.

it is possible to make them yourself but you need some very sturdy equipment to do it neatly. Stainless steel is very very hard to work with and it work hardens. Which just means it chooses to get harder and harder the more you work with it 😂

I’ll take some photos in the daylight if anyone is interested

I realise we’re eleven months on from this post but I’d be interested to see your custom made pipes if they’re still in use?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I realise we’re eleven months on from this post but I’d be interested to see your custom made pipes if they’re still in use?

@Courtneybst has moved to Canada (Courtney, how are things (other than cold)? I was going to PM you), and I don't know what, if anything, he took with him.

cheers Darrel

 

[Courtneybst]

Hi all,

@Courtneybst has moved to Canada (Courtney, how are things (other than cold)? I was going to PM you), and I don't know what, if anything, he took with him.

cheers Darrel

Hey Darrel,

Things are good! It was bitterly cold when I arrived but I got a nice jacket and haven't thought about it since haha. It's actually quite mild right now, 10c on Friday!

In terms of equipment, I gifted the pipes to a friend last year and mainly took lighting and tools with me since that stuff is expensive and variable voltage.

I just got a place yesterday so I'll be able to start another journal soon! The longest I've gone without an aquarium since I was about 15!

Hope you're well too.

 

[Dogtemple]

I realise we’re eleven months on from this post but I’d be interested to see your custom made pipes if they’re still in use?

No worries. I have this setup ready and waiting but not yet in use. I’ve acquired another child lately so this aquarium has had to go on the back burner again.

Even so, they will get used hopefully in a year or two. The pic shows them as they are currently. The outflow is higher as it raises at night for oxygenation and moves left to right to aid flow around the tank and eliminate dead spots. The pipes are fixed below the tank to the cabinet.

 

[simon_the_plant_nerd]

They look great! I like how they’re fixed below the base of the aquarium. Looks like they’re floating. 👍🏻

 

[Gill]

What kind of Set would people recommend when looking at a Steel set. I am thinking about adding one to the new scape and I am not liking the green plastic set that has come with the external.
I need 16/22 set, ebay has a few options but not much availability in the uk.

 

[bazz]

Appears to be plenty on Amazon Gill.

Amazon.co.uk : lily pipes 16/22mm stainless steel

 

[richardcunliffe]

I have a glass set, and a stainless set, both with skimmers. It may have been said before, but for me the skimmer on the glass set works really nicely, but on the stainless set, (I think because the fit between the plastic floating element and fixed stainless tubing is too loose, the skimmer is almost non functional without shutting off the subsurface inlet altogether). I guess lots of us by online now, but you are getting a skimmer and get to handle the thing before buying, I'd check that the skimming portion is a nice close running fit into the rest of the tubing.

Perhaps there is another thread for skimmer woes, but I also noticed that my filter flow had dropped off without me realising and that was partly what was causing issues. Does anyone use an inline flow indicator for this?

 

[Bradders]

Perhaps there is another thread for skimmer woes, but I also noticed that my filter flow had dropped off without me realising and that was partly what was causing issues. Does anyone use an inline flow indicator for this?

Keen to understand any feedback and solutions to this. Also looking for a simple flow meter!

 

[Gill]

Appears to be plenty on Amazon Gill.

Amazon.co.uk : lily pipes 16/22mm stainless steel

cheers will have a look, as dont use amazon very often .

Have Ordered a Set

 

[Dogtemple]

They look great! I like how they’re fixed below the base of the aquarium. Looks like they’re floating. 👍🏻

Thanks. The idea with this setup was to have nothing touching the tank and the most minimal setup possible. So almost all the hardware is hidden, the only hardware visible is the pipe work and the ph indicator, which is a clear plug at the end of the inflow pipe.

 

[Bradders]

Thanks. The idea with this setup was to have nothing touching the tank and the most minimal setup possible. So almost all the hardware is hidden, the only hardware visible is the pipe work and the ph indicator, which is a clear plug at the end of the inflow pipe.

I would love to replace my Oase standard inlets and outlets; however, when looking at glass/steelware and my highly braced and hooded aquarium, I don't think I have any options. It's not the inlet, but the fixed curve on the outlet which I think will have a big problem.

 

[Dogtemple]

I would love to replace my Oase standard inlets and outlets; however, when looking at glass/steelware and my highly braced and hooded aquarium, I don't think I have any options. It's not the inlet, but the fixed curve on the outlet which I think will have a big problem.

How wide would that curve need to be to clear the braces etc?