Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi
It’s almost so obvious I hesitate to post. As part of my weekly cleaning routine I now run a bottle brush down the open ‘T’ end of the SLO pipes. Apart from cleaning the initial 30 cm or so the plunger action releases detritus stuck lower down the pipe.
Strangely satisfying to watch the sh**** rising to the top!

Never cleaned mine like that. I just shove a hose down there and flush it every month or 2.

As you pull the bottle brush out does if flick crap everywhere?

Hi EB
Of course not!
I always keep my tongue firmly in my cheek but the first 30 cm of my SLO are squeaky clean!
There is a small amount of clean FT water sprayed but the plunging action seems to release detritus lower down the pipe. This then follows the rising bottle brush up the pipe.
Coachchris is correct in that a hose will clean out the pipe more completely.
However as he said, “Once a month or so”
On my small scale 5 to 10 secs per SLO as part of the weekly cleaning routine is minimal effort. I am of the old school. Little and often.
What I want to avoid is the occasional dead fingerling caught in the pipe.
Thankfully we don’t have possums here in Wiltshire. I was quite vexed by a Mink recently but that is another story.