Tropical Fish Forums

[cherrybarb06]

Okay...I know this sounds kind of slow but I can't figure out how to use my gravel vacuum and I'm making a huge mess. Anyone have some simple instructions.

[Bob]

Some of them have a handy starter, where you put the business end into the water and shake them up and down and the water starts to flow, older types its a case of put the business end in the water, then suck on the other end, and point it into a bucket before you get a mouthful.

The bucket needs to be lower than the tank.

Once water is flowing you hoover your gravel, if like me you have a soil substrate under gravel, you only want to clean the top layer, if it's just gravel, stick the syphon right into the gravel and suck out the gunge.

If you are having trouble hitting the bucket whilst concentrating on the cleaning end, get a helper (Get them to do the sucking as well).

Bob

[cherrybarb06]

thanks bob!! I figured it out.

[Bob]

What, to get someone else to do the sucking

Bob

[fishlover888]

[ceci9293]

Gross.

I never could get mine to start by pushing up and down. I've gotten pretty quick at feeding the tube into the aquarium a bit at a time starting with the skinny end, letting the air bubbles come out as I coil the tube up under the surface. When you get the whole tube in there, put the big part in and let out the last of the bubbles, then take out the skinny end and set it into the bucket which you have to keep lower than the tank.