Gravel Vacuuming

I'm confused... How exactly do you vacuum gravel in an aquarium? I'm new to the hobby. So new I don't even have a tank yet! :-[ I want to get one soon and need to know everything I can that will help me set up a tank.

Any help is appreciated,
~Melkor

 

To vacuum gravel you need.....guess?....a gravel vacuum! They are pretty cheap I have a 10 gal and my mini vac was $5. They are easy to use, you just start the siphon and it will suck up all the yuck in your gravel, but not the gravel itself. I would think you have to be careful with really small fish like young neon tetras not to suck them up ;D

 

Depending on the size of your tank, the gravel vac Emma is talking about is a good start. I have a 100 gal. tank, and use a   to clean my tanks. I do 50% water changes in that tank weekly, so using a regular syphon would mean probably emptying a bucket at least 10 times to take the water out, and at least 10 times to add new water in. With my python, I just change the water flow from sucking water out to adding water in, and it's done in about 15 minutes. Butterfly has a 75 gal. she still uses a regular gravel vac to clean it with, and she doesn't mind doing that, but it would get old very quickly for me. If you tank is only gonna be a 10 or 20 gal. tank, then the gravel vac would work just fine.

 

If the water comes straight from the tap do you just add the tap water treater straight into the main tank? Do you just work out how much you've taken out and put the neccessary amount of treater in when you fill it?

 

Yep. Just make sure the temperature of the water is the same or very close to the temp. in the tank. As the water is going back into the tank, I just pour the dechlor in the stream.

 

Cool, I'm trying to convince my parents that I wont spill any water if I get one for my room with a python vac.

 

Melkor -

I don't know how others do it but I have a battery operated vacuum cleaner made to do the job. I believe I got it online from either Petco or PetSmart for around $18.00 It uses 2 "C" batteries and has a place to attach tubing if you want to use it to empty the water from your tank into a bucket for water changes. There are many sizes of manual vacuums too but I never have used them so I do not know much about them.

I hope this helps a little.

Welcome to the group. It is good to have you here.

Shalom, (Peace)

chickadee
 

Rose