The Best Gravel Vacuum Cleaners For Your Aquarium

How Often Do You Clean Your Gravel?

  • Once A Week

    Votes: 6 54.5%
  • Once A Month

    Votes: 2 18.2%
  • Every Few Months

    Votes: 2 18.2%
  • Once A Year

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Never!

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • Total voters
    11

arcab4

The Big Fish
The Big Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,554
30
48
46
Sunny Southern California
#1
Since there was some discussion about how to clean your gravel/substrate in your aquarium, I thought I'd make a quick post about why it's important and the different options there are for you to pick from when you clean our tank.

The dirtiest part of your tank is probably your gravel. That's where all the fish poop and uneaten fish food goes and collects. Overtime if you don't clean it, it breaks down and starts to pollute your tank and if you don't do regular water changes, the effects will start to show in new algae growth or sick fishes. That's why water changes are important too but that's another post for later.

So how do you clean your gravel? The easiest by far is with a vacuum siphon. It's super easy to use and you really do clean out alot of gunk with it. The water I pull out when I do it is dark and gross. That's all gunk in your tank if you don't clean it.

So get yourself one today if you don't have one. Here's my picks for some of the better gravel vacuum cleaners out there (in no particular order - except the python at #1 because that's what i use). :)



PYTHON NO SPILL CLEAN & FILL AQUARIUM SYSTEM:


- 25FT long hose (longer extensions are available)
- connects to most faucets
- no need for buckets - can drain directly into sink
- faucet pumps (meaning it'll start to siphon when you turn on the faucet)
- Click Here To Learn More


AQUEON #06232 SIPHON VACUUM GRAVEL CLEANER WITH BULB:


- Self Priming (use up and down motion to start the water flow)
- includes a clip to attach hose to bucket
- needs to drain into bucket
- Click Here To Learn More

EHEIM QUICK VAC PRO AUTOMATIC GRAVEL CLEANER:


- no need for buckets or tubes. imagine a vacuum that you can use inside your tank
- battery operated
- fully submersible
- fine mesh traps all particles and is reusable
- Click Here To Learn More

AQUEON #06226 MINI SIPHON VACUUM GRAVEL CLEANER:


- for smaller size tanks where you don't need a large siphon
- self-priming
- includes clip to attach hose to bucket as you clean
- Click Here To Learn More

so hopefully that'll point you in the right direction on which product you should consider. If you have any experiences with any of these, let me know. Want to make sure our members and visitors pick the best one for their use!
 

Last edited:

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
38
Cape Cod
#2
I actually do once every other week but that wasn't an option. I use the little aqueon one. It doesn't self prime but otherwise works fine. Tried to get a python-like sink one but apparently my sink is funny so it wouldn't attach.
 

arcab4

The Big Fish
The Big Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,554
30
48
46
Sunny Southern California
#3
i had to connect my python to an outside faucet which was okay since that ended up being the closest and i could put a bucket underneath it to catch the drained water to use to water the plants on my fw tank.
 

FreshyFresh

Superstar Fish
Jan 11, 2013
1,337
23
38
East Aurora, NY
#4
On two of my tanks, I basically never vacuum the substrate. This is on my 55g and 29g with plants. The 55 has gravel and the 29 has sand. Both have corys that sift through the bottom and stir it up.

On my oscar tank and goldfish tank, I do a pretty thorough gravel vac every week during the water change. I've got a big Aqueon vac for the oscar tank. The one that you pump/giggle in the water to start the siphon. I also have a few cheapy $2-4 eBay vacs with squeeze bulbs built in to start the siphon. I use those on the goldfish tank.

I basically vac/siphon into a big storage tote, with a submersible utility pump (Harbor Freight Tools) and run the discharge hose out the nearby back door and onto the lawn:
 

arcab4

The Big Fish
The Big Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,554
30
48
46
Sunny Southern California
#5
i really need to get a pump like that. thinking of having to carry the containers of water out is tiresome..this would make it easier for sure and probably make me do more water changes since it'll be easier.
 

FreshyFresh

Superstar Fish
Jan 11, 2013
1,337
23
38
East Aurora, NY
#6
Yeah, I do the 5gal bucket-toss for my 29g and 55g. The 55g's buckets get carried out the front door and tossed on the front lawn. The 29's go down the toilet. I don't really mind it because it's just these two tanks. ~50% weekly water changes for both.

Bucket toss would be a pain on my oscar tank because I do fin-level WCs on it.
 

FreshyFresh

Superstar Fish
Jan 11, 2013
1,337
23
38
East Aurora, NY
#8
i really need to get a pump like that. thinking of having to carry the containers of water out is tiresome..this would make it easier for sure and probably make me do more water changes since it'll be easier.
I paid under $40 for it a bit over 2yrs ago, but I had a coupon. LOL. It's been used once a week for 2.5yrs. The only catastrophe I had was one of the first times I used it. I had a different hose with an ill fitting thread connector at the time. The connector blew right off the pump and shot tank water straight up to the ceiling and all over the place before I could get the power cord unplugged! Pretty sure I created a few new swear words. I do use a portable GFCI for this setup for safety.

 

Matt Nace

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,470
1
38
Pennsylvania
#9
Since there was some discussion about how to clean your gravel/substrate in your aquarium, I thought I'd make a quick post about why it's important and the different options there are for you to pick from when you clean our tank.

The dirtiest part of your tank is probably your gravel. That's where all the fish poop and uneaten fish food goes and collects. Overtime if you don't clean it, it breaks down and starts to pollute your tank and if you don't do regular water changes, the effects will start to show in new algae growth or sick fishes. That's why water changes are important too but that's another post for later.

So how do you clean your gravel? The easiest by far is with a vacuum siphon. It's super easy to use and you really do clean out alot of gunk with it. The water I pull out when I do it is dark and gross. That's all gunk in your tank if you don't clean it.

So get yourself one today if you don't have one. Here's my picks for some of the better gravel vacuum cleaners out there (in no particular order - except the python at #1 because that's what i use). :)



PYTHON NO SPILL CLEAN & FILL AQUARIUM SYSTEM:


- 25FT long hose (longer extensions are available)
- connects to most faucets
- no need for buckets - can drain directly into sink
- faucet pumps (meaning it'll start to siphon when you turn on the faucet)
- Click Here To Learn More


AQUEON #06232 SIPHON VACUUM GRAVEL CLEANER WITH BULB:


- Self Priming (use up and down motion to start the water flow)
- includes a clip to attach hose to bucket
- needs to drain into bucket
- Click Here To Learn More

EHEIM QUICK VAC PRO AUTOMATIC GRAVEL CLEANER:


- no need for buckets or tubes. imagine a vacuum that you can use inside your tank
- battery operated
- fully submersible
- fine mesh traps all particles and is reusable
- Click Here To Learn More

AQUEON #06226 MINI SIPHON VACUUM GRAVEL CLEANER:


- for smaller size tanks where you don't need a large siphon
- self-priming
- includes clip to attach hose to bucket as you clean
- Click Here To Learn More

so hopefully that'll point you in the right direction on which product you should consider. If you have any experiences with any of these, let me know. Want to make sure our members and visitors pick the best one for their use!
I still use my Python after many many years. Best tool I ever got for the aquarium. Only part that needed replacement was the part that connected to your faucet. Mine was plastic. I replaced it with metal. The picture above looks like it comes with a metal one.