Vacuuming The Large(r) Tank

I have a Python water changer that I love and it's great for draining and refilling my 46 gallon aquarium. However, there is just not enough suction to actually pick up detritus from the sand. For those in similar situations, how to you vacuum your larger tanks? Buy a regular siphon with a long tube? I would love to know. I need to know.

I thought I was doing fairly well with maintenance of my tank. I change 50-60 percent weekly and always vacuum (or try to) as much of the sand as possible (hovering above the sand and swirling to make ..things..float up. However, this weekend I was spot cleaning with a baster because the Python just wasn't doing it. Unnoticeable until then, I discovered that my water was tea colored! I'm sure it's because of things staying on the bottom and not getting removed. I immediately switched the Python from refill to siphon again and removed about 80 percent of the water in total. I turned the flow rate back up on my canister (I had dropped it down to around half way because of my goldies having difficulty swimming in the current). It's still not open 100 percent and I also have a silk plant stuck in the heater to help diffuse some of the flow (very ghetto).

I welcome any and all ideas!

 

Is the hose connected to the sink while you drain it? I drop mine into the tub. It’s enough suction then.

 

How are you doing that? Do you start it using the faucet, then undo it?

 

I find that my python doesn't work as well if someone else is using water in the house. I have a device that reduces the pressure into my house since the psI was 150! Now the psI is between 50-60 if no water is being run. If someone is showering, dishwasher is running, etc. then the psI reduces to about 20-30. My python will not work with weak pressure; plus the hose on the python is 50 ft so that makes things even slower.

I just try cleaning the tank when my husband is giving the kids a bath since no water is being run at that time.

 

Hi,
The amount of suction you get normally depends on the distance from tank to sink and if your cold water tap is fully open. If you use the longer tube you will reduce the suction even more.

 

How are you doing that? Do you start it using the faucet, then undo it?

Yes. Besides the fact my sink would overflow, it is a huge amount of water to waste having the tap running to get enough suction. I have a small water tank so by the time I water change all my tanks and leave some for the downstairs renters I’m pushing it’s capacity.

 

Do you have an outside drain that you could drop the end into?

Connect the python to the tap and fill up the hose with water to get the suction started. Then disconnect from the tap and carry out to the drain. The height differential and power of gravity will give you much better suction Bathtub works just as well.

You won't spill a drop if you remember to keep the end held up in the air when moving from sink to drain. You'll only forget this once

Also, if you want to do less vacuuming in general (or even avoid it altogether), just bung a load of easy care plants in your tank (fast-growing stem plants work well). I have deliberately stuffed so many plants in my tank that I can't even see the gravel to vacuum it. I just water change now. Edit: sorry just seen you have goldfish - might not work for you then!

 

Do you have any issue with spray from the faucet when detaching it to move it to tub/drain?

 

Do you have any issue with spray from the faucet when detaching it to move it to tub/drain?

No, none at all. Obviously turn the tap (faucet) off first, then gently unscrew, and lift up to around your head height while you carry it to the tub/drain. Have a cloth to hand the first time you do it just in case.

 

Do you have any issue with spray from the faucet when detaching it to move it to tub/drain?

No, none at all. Obviously turn the tap (faucet) off first, then gently unscrew, and lift up to around your head height while you carry it to the tub/drain. Have a cloth to hand the first time you do it just in case.

I pinch the line (garden hose and the sprinkler anyone?) because I pin the hose under some rocks in my tank. I pinch it off then move it.

 

My phyton broke years ago.So what I do is stick the big end in the tank make sure there water in tube.Then I put the other end in the tub,one good suck after that I put a sock on the end,let the water run out. When its time to stop just pull the big end out from tank.Roll up the hose while let it drain in the tub you don't want that dirt back in tank.To full back up just use the end that screw on the faucet.check water temp and a way you go.

 

Update: Okay, I am stuck. I cannot even get enough suction to pick up goldfish poop. I have detached the python from the sink and dropped the end into the bathtub, I've even tried using my regular gravel vacuum ... nothing seems to work! How are people getting their larger tanks cleaned!! This weekend, I changed out 60-70 percent of the water, trying to vacuum, then we rearranged some of the sand that had drifted into a pile on one side. There were floaties everywhere!

I have a Fluval 306 that has a strong enough current that my sand builds up on one side of the tank; however, it is baffled a bit with (cough) a silk plant in the stream. The flowrate is turned up to about halfway because of concerns with the swimming of clumsy goldfish and the sand.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated!

 

I have trouble with low water pressure at my house when there are other taps open. I normally wait till all other taps are closed to do a water change. If for some reason the python is not vacuuming, I empty the water out of the python, shut off the tap water and wait about 10 minutes before trying again.

 

It's frustrating. I don't know what the problem is. We have good water pressure from the faucets, but it doesn't seem to help .. and who wants to run their faucets full blast the whole time they're vacuuming/siphoning? Ugh!

 

Sadly, I have to run my cold line at full blast in order to do a water change. Have you thought about ordering a pump that you can hook up to your siphon?

 

No. Maybe I should look into that .. cause this isn't working LOL. It's bad because I have goldfish. Not only are they big fish (big poops), but they pretty much always have veggies attached to a clip to graze on. That's probably what a lot of the floaties are .. little filaments from spinach.

 

I don't have a Python but face a similar problem with not getting enough siphon on a manual vacuum so I am considering building a powerhead powered gravel vac instead. Maybe something you could consider also?

There are several Youtube videos on this but this one seems one of the better:

 

I have a lot of experience with the pyhton,make sure the green has know clogs also the little cone is thight inside no leaks.Also if that don't work put the end in the low sink tub or outside one good suck and thinks should start flowing.I also made a home made filter that you run the clean water through