Airline tubing annoyance

[Lady Hobbs]

Why doesn't airline tubing come in one size everywhere? You get a roll that's nice, fits all your equipment and the next purchase elsewhere you end up with stuff that's so darned small one end might fit into an air pump but the other end won't fit your bubbler, sponge filter or a darned thing. I just spent 20 minutes tryng to get my airline tubing to fit my sponge filter.

Airline tubing should not be like buying car parts.

I will be buying all vinyl tubing after this and plastic is out!

[Wild Turkey]

Why doesn't airline tubing come in one size everywhere? You get a roll that's nice, fits all your equipment and the next purchase elsewhere you end up with stuff that's so darned small one end might fit into an air pump but the other end won't fit your bubbler, sponge filter or a darned thing. I just spent 20 minutes tryng to get my airline tubing to fit my sponge filter.

Airline tubing should not be like buying car parts.

Gotta measure it in mm hobbsie ;)

[Rue]

I feel your pain...

[Lady Hobbs]

Gotta measure it in mm hobbsie ;)

You see airline tubing in 25 ft or 50 ft. Why isn't the stuff all standard sizes. I have no idea the size of my sponge filter thingie or my air pump thingie or my bubbler thingie.

[fins_n_fur]

I wonder if the tubing wasn't just cold, assuming you bought the right diameter. I soak the ends I'm going to connect in hot water out the tap for a few minutes to let it get soft. The tubing usually slips rights on and then shrinks to a nice tight fit.

[Lady Hobbs]

You're gonna tell me this now after 4 years?

[fins_n_fur]

Assuming you directed that last post at me, I would have told you sooner had you posted about this problem sooner.

[Lady Hobbs]

Hobbs.....sitting in the corner feeling very stupid!

[Wild Turkey]

Good idea fins! Thanks for sharing

[fins_n_fur]

HA-HA! That picture is priceless! No need to feel stupid. I struggled with this at the beginning of the hobby and came across this trick in a manual. It reminds me the day/night I first set up my first Eheim filter and just assumed that a kitchen knife would be needed to cut through the filter tubing. I had to keep cutting small amounts as the cuts were very irregular. It was a nightmare to say the least trying to cut it with various knifes and a thin plastic cutting board as everything was in situ.

Once month later I had to make some adjustments and reduce the length of the tubing...I was shocked and amazed how easy it was to do with normal scissors leaving nice clean, regular cuts. I felt pretty stupid when scissors would have been just fine in the beginning.