Gravel siphon

[trashcan]

Hi,

I bought a "self starting" gravel siphon a while ago to help keep my aquarium clean. I lost the instructions... Some of my fish are sick, and I really need to clean the gravel to help get things under control. But I'm unable to get the gravel cleaner working. I looked online at the company's description and it says to "put the tip in the water and move it up and down." Of course this does nothing.

. I tried draining all the air bubbles from the tip, and then moving it up and down, and a few drips of water dribbled out the other end, but stopped as soon as I stopped moved the nozzle up and down. And to add the problems, there was a great deal on Zebra Danios ... and well.. I need to clean my tank even more now!

. If anyone has experience with the kind I'm talking about, please let me know. I previously had experience sucking on one end, but I always got gross aquarium water in my mouth. I didn't have any luck with that method this time.

Thanks in advance,
Pat

 

[elgecko]

I have always started my siphon by placing the large gravel end into the water. Then the small hose end of the siphon I place in my month and give a small suck, and remove from mouth before you get a mouthfull of water. This is how I start my siphon.

Another way is to place the large gravel end into the water, fill with water turn upside down, then raise above the tank. The water will flow out the other end. You must quickly place the gravel end back into the tank before all the water leaves the large gravel end to continue the flow of water.

 

[NickHubbell]

Make sure your bucket is lower than the tank. If not, the siphon will not work. I also use the method of sucking the water through to get it started.

Just make sure you remove your mouth before the water gets to the tip. All that gunk in the bottom of the tank does not taste very good

 

[biggun110]

Hi,

I think you have the one with the built in primer at the top of the gravel vacuum. Put the big fat tube in the water a good ways and really pump it up and down vigorously. Have the siphon hose end in the bucket below the tank level. It should start flowing after a few healthy pumps.
You can submerge the whole thing -- vacuum tube and siphon hose in the tank and fill them with water. Then the leave the vacuum tube in the tank and remove the siphon hose end with your thumb over the end of the siphon hose. Put it in the bucket and take your thumb away and the siphon action should start.
Last resort -- suck on it. You only have to get the water flowing over the top edge of the tank and you can take your mouth away.

Bobby

 

[trashcan]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the tips! I figured out the problem. The little stop valve (at the base of the collector) is stuck. Once I took that out, the second method elgecko described worked perfectly. Now I just have to find chlorine removing stuff and I'm set. Thanks again.

Pat

 

[elgecko]

Glad I could help.

 

[Spectabilis73]

hehe, I remember the bucket days... and days with mouth fulls of dirty fish water...

You should get the new systems at petsmart, they cost alot (anywhere from 20-50 dollars) but its worth the money. it somes with about 50 feet of tube. you take the end of the tube (and attach the attachment in the kit that attaches to the hose line {boy that sounds weird!

}) when you turn the hose pump on it pumps water either out of the tank or into the tank (however you set it) this made my life alot easyer...

 

[vft guy in SJ]

Spec,
Does that attach to the gravel siphon as well?

I have a small pond pump (looks like an oversize powerhead) that I use to pump clean fill water from the sink into the tank, but to gravel vaccuum I still use the old fashioned gravel siphon. I start it by doing what Biggun110 said, completely submerge and fill it with water then drag the drain end into the catch bucket. Nothing fancy, but it works  lol..  Of course all I raise are goldfish which are almost unkillable..  So I only gravel siphon about once every 4 or 5 months or so.

That might be a good idea for a poll?  How often do you vaccuum your gravel? And list what fish you keep, see what breeds require more dilligent care..  just a thought..
Steve

 

[Spectabilis73]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (vft guy in SJ @ Aug. 31 2003,9:35)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Spec,
Does that attach to the gravel siphon as well?

I have a small pond pump (looks like an oversize powerhead) that I use to pump clean fill water from the sink into the tank, but to gravel vaccuum I still use the old fashioned gravel siphon. I start it by doing what Biggun110 said, completely submerge and fill it with water then drag the drain end into the catch bucket. Nothing fancy, but it works  lol..  Of course all I raise are goldfish which are almost unkillable..  So I only gravel siphon about once every 4 or 5 months or so.

That might be a good idea for a poll?  How often do you vaccuum your gravel? And list what fish you keep, see what breeds require more dilligent care..  just a thought..
Steve[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Yes, I have that exact siphon, that pump starts on its own. They fit perfectly

I am thinking of getting a new siphon though. There is an air leak in the lid, I've noticed this always happens in these kinds of siphons...

 

[biggun110]

Hi Spec,

Are you talking about a Python? The unit where you attach a Jiffy Kit to the faucet and then use the water running out of the faucet to create a siphon effect in the hose? Then by closing the Jiffy Kit, you can return clean water to the tank? Or do you mean an actual electrical pump, pumping water out of the tank through a hose? One could use a pump and attach a length of hose to it going into the pump and a gravel vacuum at the end of that hose, as well as, a length of hose running out of the pump and into the sink. My fear would be running all the muck from the gravel through the pump and any gravel that went spinning through the pump. It might not last long. The only thing bad about the Python's is that they waste good faucet water when siphoning. I would just keep the gravel vacuum unit and go buy a very long piece of plastic tubing that fits the vacuum (usually 1/2 inch) and then run that tubing to the bathtub, out a window or door. If you don't want to carry buckets, attach a hose to a source of hot and cold water, mix them for the right temperature, and then fill the tank back up. Be sure and put the chlorine remover in the tank BEFORE you run the new water in -- or get a carbon filter on that faucet line that removes the chlorine first.

Bobby