Anyone have any experience with these? I have a really hard time with the manual one, harly any waste at all comes out and I don't feel like I'm even doing anything other than scaring the *** out of my fish pumping the stupid thing up and down! I'd like to try one of the battery operated ones, just thought I'd see if anyone has experience with them first.
Battery operated gravel vac???
- Thread starter Holly9937
- Start date
I had one once... it's still kicking around at the bottom of a supply box somewhere.... Unless they've dramatically improved it, or there's a different design, I wouldn't use it again...
There is a certain line where the water level has to be for it to operate right or there is no suction. BELOW that line is the out spout where the little bag for dirt is (i.e. the dirt bag is in the water). The bag is like a media bag or aquarium net. Granted, there is a lot of force by the vacuum, and as you vacuum, the bag really puffs up, but it is blowing stuff (and water which must pass through so you can't have, say, a solid/plastic bag) and VERY small dirt then passes through as well. Within a short time, the whole aquarium is disgustingly cloudy! It does settle and clear, but I couldn't stand it, I felt so sorry for my fishes.
edit.... thought I should also mention, that I had tried to improve this by putting a wad of filter floss in the vacuum bag to catch the finest stuff, but that didn't work.
There is a certain line where the water level has to be for it to operate right or there is no suction. BELOW that line is the out spout where the little bag for dirt is (i.e. the dirt bag is in the water). The bag is like a media bag or aquarium net. Granted, there is a lot of force by the vacuum, and as you vacuum, the bag really puffs up, but it is blowing stuff (and water which must pass through so you can't have, say, a solid/plastic bag) and VERY small dirt then passes through as well. Within a short time, the whole aquarium is disgustingly cloudy! It does settle and clear, but I couldn't stand it, I felt so sorry for my fishes.
edit.... thought I should also mention, that I had tried to improve this by putting a wad of filter floss in the vacuum bag to catch the finest stuff, but that didn't work.
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buy a syphone vac and then you can change the water at the same time, or depending on what you use for a filter I've seen DIY and other vacs that run through the filter to catch the crap, but let the water stay in the system, you then just have to clean the filter and be done.
I got one, and while it is great for me to sweep around in the 10gal betta tank, for larger tanks there really is no substitute for a good Python or other such device to clean siphon and fill all in one shot. The gravel vac is ok I guess was just under $20 from drsfostersmith.com they do however, have a bigger albeit more pricey unit which runs around $80 so I do not know if it is actually any better and it only runs on 4 AA batteries, while mine runs on 2 C batteries which to me, does not seem like it is a super pump but I have been wrong about things in the past.
Will get a link here in a sec for ya to see what I got and the bigger one.
This is what I have
Here is the Big Boy runs $70
Will get a link here in a sec for ya to see what I got and the bigger one.
This is what I have
Here is the Big Boy runs $70
maybe I need to give my manual one some more attempts... I just have had very little luck with it. With my new tank, its only been up a few months, I have been agitating the gravel and doing regular redecoration changes to keep things from getting to dirty, and it still looks brand new, but I know I can't keep this up forever :thud:
I'd just like to put in another tip of the hat to the Python.
I use it to do a 30% weekly change on my 30g, 20g and 10g all at the same time and the whole process takes less than 30 minutes to remove and refill all three.
I think it does a real nice job cleaning my substrate when I actually use it for that and the fact that you can shut it on and off in one spot really keeps from disturbing the substrate too terribly.
Cleaning my tanks went from a chore to an enjoyable process after purchasing it.
I use it to do a 30% weekly change on my 30g, 20g and 10g all at the same time and the whole process takes less than 30 minutes to remove and refill all three.
I think it does a real nice job cleaning my substrate when I actually use it for that and the fact that you can shut it on and off in one spot really keeps from disturbing the substrate too terribly.
Cleaning my tanks went from a chore to an enjoyable process after purchasing it.
Holly9937 said:
if you fully submerse the head of the vac in the water, then suck SLOWLY on the other end, you can siphon the water instead of pumping the vac. MAKE SURE to watch how much water you suck in, or you will get a mouth full of water. That is what I do, I couldnt pump it either.
the Python sounds good, but how do you add conditioner to the water, do you just put it in after your finished, will this stress the fish or would they be ok swiming in the water for a short period of time?
also how do you keep the temperature the same doin it this way.
is the flow so low that it doesnt change the water temp of the whole tank?
sorry for hijacking your tread
also how do you keep the temperature the same doin it this way.
is the flow so low that it doesnt change the water temp of the whole tank?
sorry for hijacking your tread