I have just setup my first tank with Flourite. I did a water change using my siphon and tried cleaning the substrate and ended up sucking up a ton of Flourite.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
How to siphon a Flourite tank?
- Thread starter only6foot6
- Start date
Unless you are dramatically over feeding or have large fish which produce large waste, it's usually not necessary to gravel siphon a planted tank unless you are uprooting and moving plants around.
But if you find the need to gravel siphon, slowing the rate of water coming out of the tank will lessen the suction, making it easier to clean up without drawing much substrate into the tube.
Len
But if you find the need to gravel siphon, slowing the rate of water coming out of the tank will lessen the suction, making it easier to clean up without drawing much substrate into the tube.
Len
If you are siphoning manually, put your finger over the end of the tube in the bucket and you can adjust the flow rate to a trickle if needed. Tonight I sucked approx. 40 Kribensis fry out of a 55 gal. tank and only removed about 2 cups of water with them.
If you are using a python just turn down the tap a bit and the water withdrawn from the tank will slow.
Len
If you are using a python just turn down the tap a bit and the water withdrawn from the tank will slow.
Len
Or, with the Python, you can get the suction going and turn off the water. The suction will continue, but at a greatly reduced rate. You'll save water, too 
Another way is to just "swirl" the end of the vacuum about 2" above the substrate so that loose particles float up into the water column. Don't touch the substrate at all.
The only places I vacuum my tanks are in "dead" spots right under the spray bars, in corners, and under the driftwood. I only do those once a month or so.
I also vacuum manually, into a bucket, then Python the bucket out into the sink. That way I can check the bucket for Goo obo fry before it goes down the drain.
You'll also find that in a month or so the Flourite will pack down and not be so easy to suck up in a vacuum.
Roan
Another way is to just "swirl" the end of the vacuum about 2" above the substrate so that loose particles float up into the water column. Don't touch the substrate at all.
The only places I vacuum my tanks are in "dead" spots right under the spray bars, in corners, and under the driftwood. I only do those once a month or so.
I also vacuum manually, into a bucket, then Python the bucket out into the sink. That way I can check the bucket for Goo obo fry before it goes down the drain.
You'll also find that in a month or so the Flourite will pack down and not be so easy to suck up in a vacuum.
Roan