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wait... are you using the vaccum to like sucking the gravel out of the tank or the dirty stuff out? If you wan't to take the gravel out just take the big siphonining tube and throw it to away and take the 1/2 inch diameter tube do the work. The smaller the hole the more force it exert. But not too small like airline tubing That never work.

bleck bleck... sucking on it? yuck. i totally submerge mine in my tank, let it fill with water (bubbles come up), cap my finger over the small end and put that small end in my bucket (lower than my tank)... and water and stuff come sout. it works well once i get it started, (and when i t works i consider it a GREAT invention... ) sometimes it takes a couple of tries. but better than drinking fish water anytime...!!!

liz

Gravel vacs from Wal-Mart should work just as well as ones from regular LFS'

I'll share some gravel vaccing tips with you, it took me awhile to get the hang of it.

First off, when you're planning on doing a WC, make sure the bucket you are siphoning into is LOWER than the actual tank. It doesn't even work that well if they are the same level, it's gotta be lower IMO.

Secondly, the easiest way to start a siphon is in fact to quickly suck on the other end of the house (the part like airline tubing) then put your thumb over it and drop into the bucket. Works every time. Just make sure you don't drink any.

Thirdly, make sure when you gravel vac that you don't do too much, if you don't finish vaccing but you've taken enough water out, just wait till next time. It's too easy to kill off too much bacteria and send the tank into a mini cycle.

HTH...Happy Vaccing!
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-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

I've had them from Wal-Mart and they are just as good as any others I've bought. Leslie had one that moved awfully slow, but it was the small one, not the large one...If you are using it in the gravel, and get a good suction going it'll be great! Of course a python is the best! Heidi



Last edited by heidi at 26-Dec-2004 21:56

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

You're supposed to put the cylinder in the gravel. That lets you suck up all the junk in the gravel with minimal spreading of it out to the rest of the tank.

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