Python Technical Question

I have been using my Python water changer to clean my tanks and do my water changes but every time I use it I end up having to rescape when I done because....

When I finish vacuuming and suctioning water, when I remove the wand from the tank, the remaining water in the wand falls out and completely destroys the substrate bed under where I removed the wand - the water falling out dumps onto the bed and blows the substrate around and uproots any plants I have planted there.

Am I doing something wrong when I remove the wand

Should I remove it by lifting it up vertically rather than tipping it up?

Do I close the valve when I remove the wand?

Is there a way to pull the wand out so the water doesn't rush out and f-up the substrate?

My tanks:
(1) 5G with 1 betta, two nerites and a billion MTS
(1) 20G with 1 betta, 8 cardinals, and half a billion MTS (it's a newer tank)

The Python does this more consistently in the 5G tank as it's much smaller but it happens in the 20G, too.

 

I pull mine out an an angle and I cup my hand under the end so it baffles the water as it comes out like that.

You can use the valve too. But I personally dont.

 

I have the cheap version. I put my hand over the end to buffer it.

 

If you're in the vacuuming (not refilling) portion of your maintenance, you can always tilt the tip up underwater and then lift it up ... it should continue to flow back up the tube and not fall into the tank.

 

Why not leave it alone? Close the valve, open the bypass on the faucet, temperature match, open the valve, close the bypass. I haven't used a faucet sized python for a small tank before, but if you aren't creating a mess when filling, if you never let the water leave the hose to begin with, it won't be a problem.

 

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I'll give these a go on my next water change

Wraithen I'm not sure I understand your description or perhaps I wasn't clear enough in my own. The big water dump happens when I lift the wand out of the tank after siphoning/vacuuming. When the end of the wand breaks tension at the water surface, whatever water remained in the wand suddenly falls out and back into the tank creating a big whooshing wave that crashes down through the water column and completely washes away the substrate right underneath it.

I don't have a problem refilling the tanks as I can control the amount of water flowing back into the tanks at the faucet.

 

When you go to pull it out of the water put you hand on the end and it should suction. Then turn it upright and move your hand to empty the remaining water