Minnow

Tria's new 20g long is on the floor, and we didn't think about cleaning it until it was set up. How will we be able to clean the sand? Is it possible? I tried getting the siphon started, but it doesn't work. Luckily the water quality is great now, but we'll need to do water changes soon if we want it to stay that way.

(mods, thanks for moving this!)

aquarist48

Good morning. It's going to be difficult to use a siphon when the tank is on the floor as you have discovered. The tank needs to raised in order for it to work properly.

Nick G

It is possible, although difficult and slow. One of my 20gal fry tanks is on the floor. You need to hold the vacumn as high as possible in the water to get it started, and the water flow will be quite slow, but it will still work. It just takes a bit of patience!

Minnow

Okay, thanks. We'll try again this week, and if it doesn't work we can always use a turkey baster or something.

ray_sj

I have a small fry tank on the floor, and I can get a siphon working. What I do is I get a length of tubing and completely fill it with water. I tightly cover both ends with my fingers to keep the water in and bring it over to the tank. I put one end just under the water level, and the other end in the bucket, making sure the bucket end is lower than the end in the tank. Then I uncover the ends of the tubing. Works every time, and I can do at least a 50% water change.

A Python water changer will also work.

fishgirl

Go to the hardwear store and buy a "drill pump" and garden hose thatis long enough to go from the thank to where everyou want to drain the water to(I drain to my garden). Cut the hose so that you have about 3 or 4 feet of hose that will go into the tank and screw it on to the drill pump screw the other peice of hose to the other side of the drill pump. Hook to your drill( a corded drill works best)