The Gravel Vacuum

Siphoning Your Aquarium Water and Cleaning Your Aquarium Gravel

What is a Gravel Vacuum?

Most gravel vacuums are a wide rigid tube, typically about 2" in diameter attached to a narrower siphon tube, typically about 1/2" in diameter. The wide part of the tube should be almost, but not quite as tall as your tank is, as this will make operation of the gravel vac much easier. The narrower siphon tube will need to be 4-6' long to make it easy for you to reach the bucket and move the gravel vacuum around as necessary. Gravel vacuums are used when performing your regular weekly 10-15% water change to clean part of the gravel while removing the water. This is important in all aquariums, but is particularly important in an aquarium with an under gravel filter.

How Does an Aquarium Gravel Vacuum Work?

To operate the gravel vacuum, you will need to get a siphon started in the tube. Place a bucket on a low stool or on the floor in front of the fish tank, and place the wide end of the gravel vacuum in the aquarium. To get your siphon started, you will need to get water into the siphon tube. Probably the easiest way to do this is to gently suck on the other end of the tube while holding it above the bucket, but lower than the water level in the aquarium. As soon as the water gets past the edge of the tank and begins to flow down the tube, remove your mouth from the siphon and allow the water to flow into the bucket. However, some people think that this method is a disgusting way to get a siphon started (though the water in your aquarium should be no more harmful to you than it is to your fish). In these cases, there are other ways to get your siphon started. Some siphons and some gravel vacuums come with a priming ball. This priming ball is a soft, pliable rubber ball on one end of the siphon tube that can be used to start the siphon. To use one of these, you will need to plug the end of the tube near the bucket and squeeze the rubber ball. Air bubbles should be forced out of the siphon into the aquarium. If you release the pressure on the ball while keeping the end of the siphon closed, then the water should be sucked into the siphon and over the lip of the tank where it can begin to flow down into the bucket as soon as you release your finger. However, you will have to release your finger quickly after the water reaches the lip of the tank, because if air has a chance to get to the top of the tube, the siphon will not flow. If your gravel vac does not have one of these attachments, you may be able to pick up a siphon starter at your local pet shop. Another option to get a siphon started is to lower the entire siphon into the aquarium and make sure that you get all of the air out of the tube. Then you can plug the one end of the tube with your finger or thumb and lift that end out of the tank (being careful that the other end does not come out of the water) and lower it toward the bucket before releasing your finger.

Once you have your siphon started, you will need to place the end of the gravel vacuum into the gravel. The flow of water out of the tank through the siphon will lift the debris out of the gravel and carry it into the bucket. As each spot in the gravel gets clean, you will probably want to plug the lower end of the siphon with your finger or thumb and lift the gravel vacuum out of the gravel and move it to an adjacent and uncleaned section of the gravel. Unless you are severely over feeding your fish or providing water changes too infrequently, you should be able to vacuum between 1/4 and 1/3 of the gravel with each weekly 10-15% water change. You will get best results if you place the end of the gravel vacuum deep into the gravel, and do not move it until it has pulled all the debris out of the gravel. Moving the gravel vac excessively, or pulling it up and down while the siphon is running will lead to a less efficiently cleaned tank and can stir up a lot of debris that would otherwise be drawn through the siphon and into the bucket.

If, at any time, the gravel gets too high in the gravel vacuum, you can easily release the gravel from the vacuum by plugging the other end of the siphon tube with your finger or thumb.

How do I Stop the Siphon?

To stop the siphon, simply raise either end of the siphon above the surface level of the fish tank.

Are There Automated Gravel Vacuums?

Some manufacturers produce a gravel vacuum that can be attached to a faucet. These gravel vacuums allow you to remove water from the tank while cleaning the gravel, then to fill the tank again without using a bucket or having to start a siphon. Though cleaning the gravel is the same with one of these devices as it is with a regular gravel vacuum, you will need to consult the manufacturer's instructions for attaching the apparatus to your faucet and for switching from drain mode to fill mode. If you are using one of these, remember to add dechlorinator to your tank prior to adding new tap water to minimize the exposure of your fish, plants, and biological filtration to toxic chlorine.

My snail mail address is: Keith Seyffarth, 217 W. Koch, #308, Bozeman, MT 59715.
Thank you for your support.
Page most recently modified: July 22 2007 23:24:25.