Siphon Is To Strong?

[FergusDaFish]

I have a small aqueon gravel vacuum to Siphon detritus from my tank but it's so strong that it sucks two gallons out of my five gallon tank before I can even make a decent pass around the tank to clean the detritus out.

I've tried raising the bucket from the floor to a chair to slow the suction but it's still draining too quickly for me to clean The open area of the tank let alone the harder to clean areas around heavily planted areas or around the hard scape.

I got a baster because I've heard people use those to clean out detritus but the poo just falls back out of the tube when I lift the baster out of the water.

Does anyone have advice on how to slow a siphon so I can clean?

(I do water changes at the same time so I'm not opposed to sucking out a lot of water, it's just coming out too fast.)

Thx

 

[Cichlidude]

Just get a hand clamp and clamp the hose or tie a knot in it to slow the flow.

 

[JadeMau]

This was one of the things I was worried would happen with mine...but I can't even seem to get mine to work! I feel so incompetent... T^T

HOWEVER, with the baster, I can help! I'm practically the master of the baster *snort*! (Yes, I know, juvenile). Where did you get your device and how big is it (stop brain)? It helps to life it from an angle. I got super good at using it because I used to remove bladder snails with it, (it was actually the first thing I did with it) and that is its own special kind of challege where I experienced something lIke what your were describing. It's hard to explain how to best use it though when you get to the point of auto pilot with it, but I'll do my best if you would like any further tips! Overall, practice makes perfect!

Back the siphon, I could spout a few ideas on how to slow it down, but I think that's best left to people who have experience and definite answers, so I'm just going to chill here to see what people say of that's okay. xD
Unless of course you have more questions.

 

[FergusDaFish]

Does it matter where the knot is? I would assume somewhere toward the output end or in the middle?

 

[CanadianFishFan]

I just bend the front first hose a bit to slow it down.

 

[JadeMau]

Just get a hand clamp and clamp the hose or tie a knot in it to slow the flow.

I just bend the front first hose a bit to slow it down.

That's what I thought, but I didn't want to say in case I gave wrong info and I had probably talked enough...

Also, I didn't want to be wrong, even though, logically, that is how one could slow the rate of water.

Ps- Basters are still useful for cleaning stuff off of plants and decos, however they're a major pain to use to clean a whole tank, which is why I've been trying to find the right gravel vac for me and keep hitting a wall (why, why couldn't that eheim be smaller, it would have been PERFECT as it doesn't remove water just detritus).

 

[Cichlidude]

I am in the process of building this. About $30 in parts.

 

[bitseriously]

There are some really useful tips in this video. Check out esp the 3:00 min mark, where he describes folding the hose to stop water flowing through, and let sand/gravel settle before moving on to another spot. You'll easily double you efficiency using this method (speaking from experience).

 

[FergusDaFish]

@Cichlidude I watched all of those videos over the weekend while I did maintenance on my tank I like the ball valve idea.

@bitseriously That's a really good video describing technique, thanks for sharing that! I played around with my dirty water siphoning it from one pale to another working on the best way for me to work and I think I'm getting it down.

I'm going to have to find his video on the planted tank and mine is definitely planted. And sand.

I also dumped my dirty water out on my hydrangeas, coleus and roses - saved me from having to brave the Spider Zone when turning on my hose.

Thanks, all, for the tips and videos!

 

[skilletlicker]

didn't cost much and has suited my needs for six months now.

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[FergusDaFish]

Thanks for the recommendation but I need to stop buying things for my aquarium

I'm going to see if I can make my current siphon work for me.

 

[bitseriously]

The technique for sand is different from gravel. One of the benefits of sandbis that particulate dirt (poops, etc) don’t fall between the bits of substrate, but stay on top to be picked up by filter when they’re disturbed/resuspended.
So u don’t actually plunge the siphon into the sand, u just hover above it.
For working in tight spaces and around things use the swirling technique. U just swirl your siphon above the substrate, and it makes a little vortex that picks stuff up, then you target the stuff in the vortex.

 

[FergusDaFish]

The good news is my nerites are pooping machines so it won't take long before I can practice my technique.