Need more suction on vac

[MidSSouth]

My current vacumn (Python with 30" tube) doesn't have enough vacuum to lift debris off the sand. It can suck up the sand but i can't hover to suck up just debris. I've tried different faucets, hanging the exaust tube off my deck to give a total of about 15 feet of drop but can't get enough flow to really vacuum.

I am thinking about putting a pump inline with the tubing to increase the flow. Has anyone done this or have any advice on it's feasibility?

 

[Mahamotorworks]

I think it would work. The only thing you run into it the Debri going through the pump. It will also be a lot of suction power you you may end up sucking the sand up with it. If you are going to do this I would add some kind of filter before the pump to keep it clean.

MAHA

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

man... with a pump, id watch out for fish! i think its a good idea, but have your hand on the little flippy thingy that turns off flow.

 

[SANND]

I have the same problem so I use a small vac to do a quick once over on the sand to get the debris and then switch to the python to finish the water change. Not ideal but it works. When I had white sand I used a turkey baster every day to clean the sand but that got old quickly.

 

[Dennis-Pir]

Ok hanging it off your deck...? lol,

Are you trying to say that you are using your python on the second floor while it is attached on the 'first floor' ????

Because gravity insisits that this must work, and you would have PLENTY of suction then....

 

[Truckmuddr]

When I went to sand I tried the whole turkey baster idea, that didn't work, gravity just made the debris fall right back out of it. I had the same issue with the vac, what I did was flatin the end of the tube and that made it have alil more suction. My problem I have now is I have 20+ baby snails runnin around and I need to vacuum the tank and they are small.

 

[MidSSouth]

Yep, hanging it off the deck. I get it started then toss the hose over, it's not hooked to a faucet down there or anything. Theory being the extra elevation would give it more pull but it doesn't seem too. I might try heating the tube to get it to flatten.

 

[Orion]

Flattening the end of the tube should help, but I would think switching to a shorter length vac tube will help as well.

Surely you don't keep fish and are afraid to get your hands a little wet?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

What I found that helps is to wave the python above the surface, and when you get surface debris floating, I place the suction tube horizontally, and get up all the debrit. The suction in the nozzel is poor, but when it hits the hose, it's strong. Sometimes I even tip the end of the nozzel up for bigger pieces of junk.

 

[MidSSouth]

I'm not afraid to get wet but I don't have enough arm to reach the bottom of the tank! I will try the waving at the debris technique too. Thanks for the advice Lonewolfblue.

 

[tropicalfish]

oh, so you guys do the hovering methods? In my 10 gallon hexagon, with a bunch of plastic decorations, I just take everything out, and dig deep into the gravel,.. you will be surprised at the amount of gunk that has buried deep in...
well, of course, I won't dig in when I get my 30 gallon set up, I will probably make it a planted tank.

 

[Truckmuddr]

You can't dig deep into a tank with sand, you will lose your sand.