Gravel vacuum question
- Thread starter tks4d2
- Start date
the only nice thing about a gravel vac is the narrowing that prevents gravel from making it out of the tank and often allows you to start the syphon by pumping the vac. If you're having success with just tubing, I would say stick with it.
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
yeah, I find my vac is more trouble than it's worth, and is not flexible enough to get it where i want it.
you might consider upgrading your hose to have a wire stiffner, so you can bend it in different positions... or a cage at the end to avoid sucking up your little fishes.
I've also thought about making something with multiple smaller hoses, like 10 pieces of 1/4" tubing bound together... the idea being that it would move a lot of water without sucking up any gravel. might be hard to get going at first...
you might consider upgrading your hose to have a wire stiffner, so you can bend it in different positions... or a cage at the end to avoid sucking up your little fishes.
I've also thought about making something with multiple smaller hoses, like 10 pieces of 1/4" tubing bound together... the idea being that it would move a lot of water without sucking up any gravel. might be hard to get going at first...
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
it's not really any different than a hose, except it has a wider mouth and is rigid. there's no magic.
Your best bet would be to get a python. You attach these to a sink and turn the water on and it does all the suction. You can also use it to fill your tank up as well. For any tank larger than a ten gallon this is the way to go.
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
do you get a commission on pythons? I'm not saying they don't look convenient, but it's not going to do any better a job than his hose is currently doing.
No, I wish I did I'd be a rich man. You are right a hose can do the same thing, I use the smaller gravel vac's on my smaller tanks. I just find that the Python gives you better suction then gravity, seems to do a better job IMO.
a gravel vac is essential to the health of a system. without it, fish junk will start to accumulate in the gravel and hamper the filter system's ability to keep water quality under control because of all of the decaying matter. all of the uneaten food, fish watse, and possibly dead plant matter is just going to sit there and rot. nitrate is going to go through the roof. also, not stirring up the gravel leaves an opertunity for anerobic bacteria to grow, and when the gas they create is released, it will severly harm or kill the fish. it is definitley NOT more trouble than its worth.