steve wrote:I don't think a UV sterilizer will help. Depending on the filter, some people find it's easier just to replace the hoses when necessary. I use a wooden dowel and push a damp paper towel through it to clean it out.
Thanks for your input on the UV Sterilizer. I haven't yet gotten around to putting mine online because I'm soon going to replace my current Marineland C260 with a C360. Just awaiting my local Petsmart to get the item in, which they've back ordered for me, and should arrive within the next few days. Once I swap out the filters, I'll run the filter output through the UV Sterilizer.
If, as you note in a previous post, the crud in the hoses is a mix of turtle poop and bacteria, I wouldn't expect the UV Sterilizer to do much either. It might eliminate the bacterial component, though, which in turn might let the poop flow more smoothly into the filter where it will get trapped in the mechanical filter sponge. On the other hand, if the crud is primarily brown algae and bacteria, I would expect the UV Sterilizer to remove both over the course of a few days or weeks.
I'll report on the success or failure of the UV Sterilizer to help keep the hoses clean.