angela0912

First of all, let me tell you I am a beginner with a capital B. I have a 5 gallon aquarium with two goldfish living in it. I understand I have to cycle approximately 25% of the water out about every 2 weeks, change the filter every 2-4 weeks, clean the algae off the inside walls and dechlorinate the new water before it is added to the aquarium.

But, I cannot get the siphon gravel cleaner to work. I read and reread the instructions, but it just doesn't work for me. I bought a battery operated gravel cleaner that is supposed to also siphon water out. It doesn't work...at all.

I REFUSE to suck on the end of the siphon to get it started. I know there are siphons with bulbs to squeeze to begin process. Do they work well? If so, can someone recommend a brand?

I prefer a battery operated gravel cleaner/water siphon but cannot seem to find one. Is there anyone out there that uses a battery powered gravel cleaner/siphon that actually has suction strong enough to do what it is supposed to do? If so, can you recommend the brand and place to buy?

I'm feeling overwhelmed at this point. The fish were given to my son. Before he received them I read up on aquarium care and found the process to be straight forward and seemed easy. I started with a 5-gallon to make sure the maintenance wouldn't be a pain in my neck, and hope to get a maintenance system down so that I can get a bigger aquarium and more fish. This is not going to happen until I find something to help me clean the gravel and siphon the water. By the way, I cannot use a python thing because my aquarium is not near a sink and I do not care to have a water hose running through my house.

Please respond with recommendations. Thank you.

Tommy Gun

Welcome to the forum Angela0912! Sorry to hear about your frustrations; however, I can assure you, there is nothing to feel overwhelmed by in this hobby.

Personally, I feel that many of the gadgets and gizmo's that hobbyists can find from time to time are simply gimmicks that we can do well with or without their help...in fact, in some cases I would say that they can be completely useless. That being said, I might lump the whole battery operated gravel vacuums in the 'with or without' category since there are other, much cheaper and much easier to use methods of gaining the same benefits.

Arguably the more popular and more effective gravel vac is the "python". While I believe that the term 'python' is more of a brand name than anything else, this sort of gravel vacuum is based on the relatively simply concept of a siphon. What's better is that they can not only be found in almost any LFS I have ever been in/heard of, they can also have a 'power assisted' option in which we can simply hook them to a sink in order to start and keep the siphon action working, but also to help keep the siphon action strong enough to 'suck up' detritus, removing it from the tank. In fact, I really enjoy the fact that, when using a sink/faucet, the detritus is simply goes down the drain so there is no need to deal with a bunch of gross and nasty water.

To help you get a better idea of what I am talking about in a visual sense, as well as to help support my comments here, check out this thread in the forum's DIY section by clicking HERE. This thread, created by another FTF moderator and great asset to myself and our members, GM333, details not only how a python works, but also how to make your own (which I can vouch for the fact that money can be saved by going with the DIY option). This should get you headed in the right direction by at least answering some questions and perhaps, helping you to formulate more specific questions in which we would all love to help you with.

Again, I promise you that there is nothing to be overwhelmed by and if you ever feel frustrated or confused about anything aquatic, please feel free to pick our brains! Since joining this forum almost a year ago, I have found that there is no question too large (or too small) or too complicated for at least one member here to provide an answer, info, idea, or suggestion about. As always, welcome to the forum and I look forward to talking with you again soon!

P.S. Feel free to use the links in my signature below to learn more about FTF's useful features, including the abundance of basic information in our article section and how to pose any questions you might have in order to get the most rapid and accurate replies!

jazz

I was about the post the same question.

Thank you much for the info. I've been having the same problems as well.