Gravel vacuums typically have a rigid plastic tube that is about 2 inches in diameter attached to a smaller flexible tube that is around ½ inch in diameter. The larger tube should be a bit shorter than the height of your tank, and the smaller tube should be 4 to 6 feet long so that it can easily reach a bucket on the floor.
Things You'll Need
- Gravel vacuum siphon
- Bucket
- Towels
Instructions
Place a bucket on the floor below the aquarium to catch the water that you are siphoning out.
Lower the larger end of the siphon tube into the aquarium water and place the smaller end of the siphon into the bucket.
Start the siphon by gently sucking on the smaller end of the siphon tube. Stop sucking once water is running through the hose and into the bucket. Some siphons have a priming ball for people who don't want to use their mouths to start the water flow. To use the priming ball, plug the end of the smaller tube with one of your fingers and pump the priming ball until air bubbles flow out of the tube and into the aquarium. Releasing the pressure on the priming ball will then suck water into the siphon tube; simply remove your finger from the end of the smaller hose and the siphon will start.
Move the siphon through the gravel to suck up any unwanted debris that has accumulated on the bottom of the aquarium. Try to keep it in one place until all the debris is cleaned from the gravel before moving to a new spot. Moving the siphon around or up and down excessively will not clean the aquarium efficiently, because it will stir the settled debris into the water, which will make it harder to vacuum.
Remove the siphon from the aquarium to stop the flow of water. It is best to place a finger on the end of the siphon hose to stop the flow before lifting the tube out of the aquarium so you don't accidentally suck any fish through the siphon.