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Good morning. I acquired the job of maintaining 2 10gal tanks. They are on a metal stand, with one tank beneath the other. Try as I might, I could not get the siphon hose to work on the bottom tank! Is there a way to clean this tank, short of taking out the fish, emptying it and cleaning the debris out by hand? Help! These tanks have been long neglected. Thanks.

Caviar,

Hi there

How large is the gap between the top rim of the bottom tank and the metal frame above it? I would figure that if it is at least as wide as the diameter of the wide end of the syphon then you somehow should be ok.

Try to insert the syphon end horizontally into the gap between frame and rim. Submerse it horizontally. Slowly lift up the open end, keep your finger at ready in front of the tube opening on the other end of the syphon. Try to go as far up with the syphon as you can, always trying to create a water flow into the tube. As soon as you feel the water coming towards your finger, close the tube with it and submerse the syphon again. Repeat this until you feel that there is enough water in the tubing to create a suction effect, then, while holding the syphon just below the water surface, remove the finger and you should have flow.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

using a simple gravel cleaner may require some practice if you want to use the tank water itself to fill it and start a flow. Here's the method I use, making life much easier. Hope i can explain it in a better way..
Fill the syphon and the tube with water outside the tank. Use the same water you'r gonna use for the water change. Hold the two ends at the same level in one hand and then fill both to end. Now use one hand to cover the wider tube (the syphon) and the thumb of the other hand to cover to outflow tube. Take the tube down to the waste bucket without letting the water out and then the wider one into the tank. If you manage to do that without spilling any water, you'll have a flow ready when you release the outflow tube!
Hope it helps

Guys,
I think you are kind of on the right track but you missed the mark. The important part of the question was that the tank is close the the ground.

I have a tank with simmilar problems. It is a 55G and the bottem sits only 4 inches off the floor. Being the tank is tall I can get the flow going. In your case I am guessing the problems comes in that your bucket is the same hieght as the tank. In this case you can't get gravity to work for you. If you can. Try and raise the tank up higher than the bucket you use or use a shorter bucket?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I have this problem with a tub that I mix my saltwater in. I ended up purchasing a small powerhead that I attached a piece of tubing to. This wouldn't be helpful to "vacuum" the gravel with but it displaces the water.

-Josh

perhaps try one of the air powered gracel vacuums that are available. As for getting a syphon, perhaps you could get a hose with a bulb on it to syhon that way.

Hi. Thanks for all your replies. Wingsdlc, you hit the nail on the head. It's the old law of gravity. I talked the lady into moving the tank to its own stand so I'll be all set from here on. Now if I can talk her into getting rid of the 8" loach and the 5" plecostomus in that little tank with 6 baby balloon mollies and a couple of big cories I'll be proud of myself! People that take on the responsibility of the hobby should know what they are doing. Her attitude is "They are only fish". Jeez! Thanks again.

Caviar,

I am glad things are going well for you and your new pet fish to take care of.

Good luck trying to Educate the fishes owners! Its not an easy job.....

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

My Panda Nursery is low sited too.

Gravel vac'ing that tank is always a pain. So, at the earliest opportunity, I'm going to rig up a powerhead to perform the gravel vac operation. Another nice DIY project for me to engage in!

The big problem with that approach though is that the powerhead needs to be submerged, so it'll go in the bucket itself, so that it'll be surrounded by cooling water except at the earliest stage of the operation.

One idea I'm working on developing is a powerhead driven gravel vac that filters the gunk so that I can recycle the water durring the vac'ing process, then simply siphon out however much I need for water changes after that. Should be a nice project to work on ... if I get it up and running, and the project works, I'll take photos and show everyone how it's put together and how it works.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_Nav_225_sku_538485_R_1943_enemerch_1.aspx?cm_re=225-_-TopSellers1-_-538485

They already have something like that. Check out the link!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Trouble is I'm on the wrong continent to buy it.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

ahh! I see!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric