Need a DIY for (strong) gravel vac

[Tstone]

I currently have the aqueon water changer, the one you hook to the sink to start the siphon, and it just doesn't seem to be strong enough.. it can't even pull up my fish's waste.. and yes it is all downhill

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I seen someone did a DIY tank and in their thread they DIY'd a gravel vac and they said they couldn't get within like 5 inches from the bottom without sucking everything up...... I have to literally touch the sand to atleast get everything into the gravel vac tube thing, but they'll always just fall out....

 

[ruddybop]

I just run a strait siphon out a door or in the toilet. It's pretty strong that way. It waste to mush water hooking to a sink to clean the tank...

A smaller hose to get debris off the sand is usually used. The large end on your cleaner needs to be smaller.

 

[Tstone]

I just run a strait siphon out a door or in the toilet. It's pretty strong that way. It waste to mush water hooking to a sink to clean the tank...

Well if I turn the faucet on, it'll start the siphon, then once it's started I jsut turn the faucet off... so the water runs for like a minute to start the siphon, and that's it..... minus filling it back up obviously lol...

 

[Mavrick813]

2" PVC pipe, into a Barb into 1 1/2" hose. It's plenty strong, Only problem is you can't see what your picking up unless you watch the hose. Also you have to put in some kind of Substrate guard.

Mike

 

[Mavrick813]

Well if I turn the faucet on, it'll start the siphon, then once it's started I jsut turn the faucet off... so the water runs for like a minute to start the siphon, and that's it..... minus filling it back up obviously lol...

With my python I learned that using the syphon back up to my sink is a waste. I throw my hose outside while Gravel Vac. and then hook up to the sink to refill. This is good on 2 fold. 1 I cut down on my Sewage outgoing. 2 I water the flowers outside with Liquid Fertilizer.

 

[Tstone]

2" PVC pipe, into a Barb into 1 1/2" hose. It's plenty strong, Only problem is you can't see what your picking up unless you watch the hose. Also you have to put in some kind of Substrate guard.

Mike

Well I got sand...... lol.. but i don't mind some sand getting sucked up as I put too much in it from the get go... any chance you could show me what kinda barb you're talking about?

 

[ruddybop]

I had the same problem with my cleaner. When you push it in gravel it makes a great suction and took the dirt and waste out. Now that I have sand it did the same to me. I pushed it in the sand and it sucked sand up about 5 inches.. The I pinched off the hose so the sand would fall back down and the waste would float down with it.
When the sand was out of the tube I unpinched the hose and the waste still went back down to the bottom. weird.. smaller hose works though.

A small 1/2 inch hose just above the sand sucks it up real good. It takes a little bit of sand with it but not enough for me to worry about....

 

[ruddybop]

Do you have sand in your tank Maverick.... What are you using for a guard

 

[Mavrick813]

Barb like this, They come in both Metal and plastic. I used Plastic.


Guard like this,


A 2" Cap like this.


Now, I have 40" of 2" PVC, then the Drain was modified so the holes were slightly larger, this was Glued into the end. The Cap was Drilled and Tapped, the Barb was then Glued on. The Cap was Glued to the same end of the PVC that has the Guard. Basically giving me 40" of pipe, then Guard, then cap, then hose.

Mike

 

[Mavrick813]

Lastly I was looking at Clear PVC. But 40" of clear 2" PVC. $ I didn't feel like spending.

Mike

Edit: I have Pea Gravel and Large river rock on my tank. I think with sand your going to have WAY TOO Much Siphon and lose A Lot of sand.