Gravel Cleaner , What the hell?!

Fantail_Lover

Fantail_Lover

Medium Fish
#1
Nov 9, 2005
93
0
0
Washington
#1
Ok so I went to Petco and bought the nice "Long" gravel cleaner with the 72" hose. I put it together (no brainer) but it won't work. This isnt rocket science, what the hell do I do? Is it just broken (dont know what could break) or am I not using it properly? Does the whole gravel cleaner need to be submerged or just the end that goes into the gravel, because I only have a 12 gallon and about 5 inches of gravel cleaner tube is sticking out the top of the water. I dig the end into the gravel and jerk it up and down for ever, nothing happens.

These things are useless, all I did was get my floor wet and startle my fish. What a joke.

-Xan
 

S

stef25

Medium Fish
#2
Nov 28, 2005
62
0
0
Brussels, Belgium
#2
make sure the output of the tube is lower than the input of the gravel cleaner. you do have to jerk it up and down quite a bit. sometimes there is also a valve that close the whole thing, make sure that isnt closed.

i have a loooong tube hooked up to mine that goes outside so i dont have to stop it when the bucket fills up.
 

TLH

TLH

Large Fish
#3
Jun 27, 2005
703
1
0
Northants;England
#3
A syphon is an infallible device.It can't go wrong.All you have to do is prime it and off it goes.Just make sure you've filled the vacuum up with water so there is no air in it and,like stef25 said,that the outlet is lower than the intake.
Instead of pumping it up and down submerge the whole thing into your tank,get all the air out,then block the end of the tube before you lift it out into your bucket.Release the end and voila
 

svetlana

svetlana

Large Fish
#4
Feb 16, 2005
327
0
0
55
Gaithersburg, MD
home.uchicago.edu
#4
I usually plug the tube that goes into a bucket by my finger, then submerge the syphon and fill it with water, lift it a little bit in the air with sucking end UP (as a cup with water) and release my finger slowly seeing the water replaced the air in the tubing. Then plug it with the finger again and submerge the syphon again (make sure not to spill the water), release your finger and water will flow freely. It sounds as complicated, but once you master it, it comes naturally, and it won't scare your fish because it is very quiet and nice method. You will have troubles though if you bought syphon too big for the volume of your tank, then you'll have difficulties of filling it with water.
 

B

Bonsai-Mike

Small Fish
#6
Dec 19, 2005
12
0
0
#6
all you need to do is make sure the output of the tube is lower then your tank, place the larger end in the tank, straight up, and jerk it up and down in a fast motion, keep doing it till you hear or see water coming out the other end and wahla! suction! Just pull the end in the tank out when you dont want to siphon any more.
 

Seleya

Seleya

Superstar Fish
#9
Nov 22, 2004
1,384
3
0
59
Cape Cod, MA
Visit site
#9
The problem is, you bought too large of a vacuum if the tube is sticking 5" out of your tank. The self-priming feature won't work without submerging the entire tube section (the flapper at the very top of the tube where it meets the hose is where the siphon is activated). If you want to use this vacuum, you'll have to suck the end of it until it gets going, no other way since the tube is too large to fit in the tank to start otherwise and you can bob it up and down all day and it won't do anything. Your best bet is to exchange this vacuum for one with a smaller/shorter tube. your other option is to cut down the tube until it is shorter than the tank by a couple of inches minimum.
 

Fantail_Lover

Fantail_Lover

Medium Fish
#10
Nov 9, 2005
93
0
0
Washington
#10
I know what you mean, the flapper is a little plastic valve at the top of the tube right? I can see it when I take the hose off and look up the tube, its either open or closed. I was so pissed off last night that I demolished a soda pop bottle and made a make-shift cleaner out of the bottom of the bottle (sawed off). It actually worked, but it just drained water out of the tank, it did't stir the gravel around any :confused:

Also I got the makeshift one to work by giving it a good suck, unfortunately I also got a mouth full of water and proceeded to cuss and kick even more...

-Xan
 

Seleya

Seleya

Superstar Fish
#13
Nov 22, 2004
1,384
3
0
59
Cape Cod, MA
Visit site
#13
FroggyFox said:
Its an art...seriously just have to practice and know when to get your mouth outta the way. You only have to do it long enough to let gravity take over.
Click to expand...
LOL, I'm not sure if it's on the level of a parlor trick or a beer bet. *celebrate

Beware, if your fish have anything particularly heinous, you ~can~ pick up some funky nasties by starting your siphon this way. :eek:
 

B

bandito41

Large Fish
#16
Dec 6, 2005
177
1
0
Coolville, Ohio
#16
The easiest way to start the siphoning is to suck on the end of the tube. However if you are to slow you will get a mouthful of yummy fish water. You can submerge the whole tube in the water and put your thumb over the end of the tube, but it just isn't as fun.
 

cybersymes

cybersymes

Large Fish
#18
Nov 3, 2005
426
0
0
'serendipity' tank
#18
scubadude said:
Call me old fashoned, but i just drop the vacume in and give a good suck on the opposite end of the hose then drop it in the bucket.
Click to expand...
bandito41 said:
The easiest way to start the siphoning is to suck on the end of the tube. However if you are to slow you will get a mouthful of yummy fish water. You can submerge the whole tube in the water and put your thumb over the end of the tube, but it just isn't as fun.
Click to expand...

hahahahahahahahaha...that's the way i do it... :)

i didn't want to say...glad there are other loonies out there... :):)

the possibility of a mouthfull of fishy H20 ...
keeps the mind focussed on the job at hand... :):):)

i've got it so i get it started first time every time now...
if i miss one...i'm un-chuffed... :)

on the practical note...
you need a small tube set-up fot a small tank...

for my 3gall[imp] i made my own syphon...
out of a tube container for peppercorns...
and some new m/cycle petrol pipe...
works real well... :)
 

Last edited:
cybersymes

cybersymes

Large Fish
#19
Nov 3, 2005
426
0
0
'serendipity' tank
#19
longtyme68 said:
I did that as well scubadude. Then I bought my python, which I just hook up to my sink and can drain the tank, fill my bucket for purifying the water, then slowly pour the "cleaned" water into the tank. I have no problems now!
Click to expand...
don't you 'match' temp as you water-change ... ???

my tap water is about 5 degrees cent. at the moment...
i pop a spare tank heater in me bucket to bring it up to 24 ... :)

4 gallons out...4 gallons in ... [imp] ... :)
 

TLH

TLH

Large Fish
#20
Jun 27, 2005
703
1
0
Northants;England
#20
FroggyFox said:
Its an art...seriously just have to practice and know when to get your mouth outta the way. You only have to do it long enough to let gravity take over.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean but there is little "art" about it.Mine has a clear tube I can see the water rising up,when it gets to within a few inches of the end I just stick my thumb over the end,lower it into the bucket and release.
There is really nothing more simple than a syphon.
 

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