ok this python vaccuum siphon is a pain

[oldshell4481]

suck on the end of the hose thats what i do, all you have to do is suck just hard enough to get it to run over the top of the tank and gravity will do the rest

 

[Star_Rider]

the dunking method works but I tired of that.. i simply hook the vac end to a garden hose start the siphon then turn the water off.. disconnect the vac from the hose and let it drain. only takes a few seconds to get the siphon started doing this.

btw I am on septic and prefer to let water run on the surface during spring and summer to feed the lawn.


added water to septic doesn't hurt the septic system.

 

[wataugachicken]

the one in the drawing IS the kind that hooks up to the sink. it just doesn't have to. once you get the hang of starting it and have somewhere to let the water drain out (whether out a door, window, or into a bathtub) why waste the water to try and power it when it's hooked up to the sink? plus, if you have low water pressure, it's often faster to drain it without using the tap connection. and if you have certain debris in the tank (clumps of stray java moss and other plant bits, small pieces of wood, etc.) you don't have to stop what you are doing to struggle with getting those blockages out of the connector piece. i usually drain 3 tanks at a time, hook it back up to the sink to refill them, then disconnect, put it outside, and continue draining the other half of the tanks. what would be really nice would be to get two of them, one draining outside, and one to hook up to the sink and refill as i go.

 

[Felix T Cat]

I have drained my 55 a few times (read really messed up the ammonia level the first time). What I have found that works the best is hook everything up like you are going to fill the tank, turn on the water to "fill the tank" until the air bubbles are out of the hose then turn it off, unscrew the hose from the faucet connector, hold it up high and walk it out the door, then toss it on the ground. Tank is about 5ft off the ground and this will usually get the flow going great.

 

[svf]

I usually use the water pressure from the sink. Quick and easy. Sometimes I start the python and run the hose out the door, but usually quick and easy sink is what I have patience for.

 

[RiftLakeRosco]

shame on python for designing something that wastes water to drain a fish tank..... as hobbyists u would think we would be a little more involved in water saving and whatnot. and a lot of us pay for the water thats going down the drain for no reason! use it to drain just like the old school siphons, and the sink to fill. its a siphon, not rocket science.

 

[katuuuz]

shame on python for designing something that wastes water to drain a fish tank..... as hobbyists u would think we would be a little more involved in water saving and whatnot. and a lot of us pay for the water thats going down the drain for no reason! use it to drain just like the old school siphons, and the sink to fill. its a siphon, not rocket science.

not really. i own the python, which has that valve switch on the end near the vacuum. simply move the switch to close, submerge the vacuum end in the tank and fill the tube up (the water will stop at the valve. once it's filled and all air bubbles are gone, re-submerge the vacuum without letting any air in and open the valve. the only water wasting is the water already in the tank... unless you drink your aquarium water.

 

[TMDragon]

For my python, sometimes after I turn on the sink and get the syphon started, I'll disconnect the hose and bring it outside into my yard like a few people above mentioned. Most of the time though, I'll use the sink to get the syphon started and then just turn off the sink faucet and let the water continue flowing from the hose. The python still runs pretty fast anyway and my water pressure isnt great so its about the same.

Also, Where I'm at, there's a water conservation project called the 20 gallon challenge which tells us to try and use only 20 gallons of water per person per day and I totally fail that challenge every weekend when I change water for my tanks, lol.