Shrimp "Proof" Lily Pipes

[JayP]

This is a response to @Capraquaria's post regarding looking for some new pipes that are more user friendly but also better for shrimp. I say shrimp proof rather than safe, because the shrimp don't really seem to mind living in the filter from what I can tell, but of course, that's not where we want them.

One of these newer Jardli hybrid style pipes was posted by @Koan back in July and I've since purchased it and several other models that have different inflow styles with micro holes rather than large slits, although the Jardli hybrid glass inflow does still have slits, they're just super thin. Here's what I have and some notes and thoughts plus one that I haven't purchased but am considering. Since these are newer designs, their availability on amazon is spotty. In fact, the first Jardli set that I just started using came from Ebay as a new open-box item.

• Jardli 17mm long SS Lily Pipes (holes do seem small enough to be shrimp safe) These are what I just installed on my farm tank. I placed a small cap over the skimmer because I’m now running a powered skimmer on the farm tank. The plastic end cap from a Biomaster spraybar fits perfectly over the skimmer port.
  
  
• Jardli 13mm SS Hybrid Lily Pipes with Skimmer (slots in glass do seem small enough to be shrimp safe on 13mm size but not sure if they would be on 17mm though Jardli’s description states they are with no distinction between sizes.)
  
  
• Fjarde 17mm Outflow Lily Pipe with Skimmer (an unusual skimmer design) I’ll be starting with these on my 22g long. See mounted photo below.
  
  
• Fjarde 17mm Short Inflow Lily Pipe (Holes also look small enough to be shrimp safe, but the number of holes is higher than the Jardli inflow) Link is to 13mm as 17mm appears to be out of stock now.
  
  
• Landen 16/17mm ? Lily Pipes (perhaps same as Aquapro on Aliexpress) (haven’t purchased these yet but holes may be similar to the Fjarde. Hard to tell from photo. No outlflow skimmer option, although, Aquapro has one on Aliexpress. I have other Aquapro outflows with skimmers though and I don’t really care for them).
  
  
  
  

 

[JayP]

Oh, what I forgot to mention:
The way in which the new Jardli pipes connect together is a bit different, at least compared to all the other pipes I have. rather than sliding into the connector piece within an o-ring, the connector section has a full silicone sleeve inside with a slight ridge in the center, so as you push each side in, it naturally stops at the ridge. When I initially examined them, I had doubts, as there was a lot of flex between the two sections. Now that I have the one set in the aquarium and running, it really seems like a non-factor. Only time will tell how it holds up to algae and cleaning.

 

[MrJG]

Awesome! Thanks for trying these out and sharing your exp with them.

I’m most interested in the hybrid set at the moment. Once you’ve gone through a cleaning cycle or two I’d love to hear how they do for you.

 

[Capraquaria]

• Jardli 17mm long SS Lily Pipes (holes do seem small enough to be shrimp safe) These are what I just installed on my farm tank. I placed a small cap over the skimmer because I’m now running a powered skimmer on the farm tank. The plastic end cap from a Biomaster spraybar fits perfectly over the skimmer port.

Thank you, @JayP ! The intake on these Jardli ones is definitely what I was looking at in the GLA pipes. I am not a fan of glass slits in shrimp/snail tanks, and think these might be a safer option. I think for my 60cm, that will be a dedicated shrimp tank, these Jardli/GLA style intakes, with micro holes along most of the length, for physics alone, would be my preferred choice. They distribute the force of water flow better for smaller/weaker/curious livestock, without suctioning them to the pipe (I am looking at you, snails).

• Jardli 13mm SS Hybrid Lily Pipes with Skimmer (slots in glass do seem small enough to be shrimp safe on 13mm size but not sure if they would be on 17mm though Jardli’s description states they are with no distinction between sizes.)

The glass intake on this pipe is essentially what I have on the 150cm right now (except it is all glass). Probably adult shrimp proof, but shrimplets and fry, not so much. I am fishing fry out of the biomaster weekly in that tank. While the style with the holes will probably still let fry through, I have had suicidal snails in the past that get caught in the slits in these glass pipes to the point that even turning the filter off, does not resolve the problem. They get permanently wedged crawling into the slits.

• Fjarde 17mm Short Inflow Lily Pipe (Holes also look small enough to be shrimp safe, but the number of holes is higher than the Jardli inflow) Link is to 13mm as 17mm appears to be out of stock now.
  
  
• Landen 16/17mm ? Lily Pipes (perhaps same as Aquapro on Aliexpress) (haven’t purchased these yet but holes may be similar to the Fjarde. Hard to tell from photo. No outlflow skimmer option, although, Aquapro has one on Aliexpress. I have other Aquapro outflows with skimmers though and I don’t really care for them).

The Landen/Fjarde intake is something I have been considering for the 150, at least for the intake on the back of the tank. The Landen version was on sale on Landen’s website the other day. This design will stop the tips of my Eleocharis Montevidensis from getting repeatedly suctioned into the intake, but more importantly, it will allow me to keep one filter running throughout a standard 50% weekly water change. By the time I clean substrate, trim plants, drain, and refill, it takes a bit more than a hot minute to get it all done due to the size of the tank alone. As the water force on the intake is also concentrated lower down in the tank, it might also help remove debris a little better down at the substrate level than the slits distributed along the height of the water column with the existing Jardli pipes, especially in the back of the tank where plant mass is more dense, providing the force of water intake isn't too strong for smaller fish like Pygmy cories that spend more time at the bottom of the tank.

Overall, I do like the modular design on a lot of these pipes. As much as I love the look of all glass, I am so tired of trying to get the bottom of glass intakes clean. I have XL pipes on the 150, and my darned spring brush is about an inch too short, so I am having to bleach the intakes more than I would like. Being able to take at least the intake pipes apart is a game changer, and as we can’t get the Green Aqua pipes here, these are a good alternative.