self starting siphon...

[mellowvision]

found this great little graphic today... gives me a ton of ideas.

 

[silentskream]

i dont see any reason why that wouldn't work.. but most gravel vacs on the market are easy start syphons anyway... and then there's the python which is automatic.

 

[Plecosterone]

I made this contraption and just leave it in the tank. Open the valve and water starts flowing, as long as it is draining to something lower than the tank water.

 

[Plecosterone]

This is one with a vacuum attachment.

 

[mellowvision]

nice

 

[legendaryfrog]

It would be nice having a self-starting suction, but I seem to be doing fine with just sucking on the hose.

 

[mellowvision]

yeah, sucking on the hose works most of the time, but I've gotten a few mouthfuls of nasty lately, and it makes me want to avoid that... I'm going through mouthwash like there's no tomorrow!

 

[jm1212]

i use my gravel vac every week with the PWC, and i just have to shake it in the water a couple of times to get the siphon going.

 

[mellowvision]

yeah, that works in larger tanks, but not in my 20 gallon paludarium.

also, I've been using 1/4" airline tubing for a lot of clean up lately, rubber banded to some bbq skewers, to get into tight areas and grab detrius without disturbing the plants... the only way to start that is with sucking, but a bent tube might do the trick.

 

[ThePBM]

aww i almost don't want to tell you how to get a siphon without sucking cause that would mean your mouthfuls of nasty water were in vain.

anywho, what i do is just submerge the entire siphon into my tank so the tube is full of water. plug one end with my thumb, take it out of the tank, and point it into a bucket. simple as that.