cleaning gravel in 135 gallon tank help!!

[thayayballa]

hi i have a 135 gallon tank. it is 6 ft. by 18 in. right now i have a gravel cleaner but the cleaning tube diameter is only about 1.5 inches. and it takes forever for me to clean. i have been searching around the internet and the biggest i could find was 2.5 in. i want to know how you guys with big tanks clean your gravel faster. are there any really large gravel cleaners with a wider cleaning tube that i am missing out on? i need a tube thats wider so i can cover more ground.

thanks

 

[OldMan]

The bigger bottom opening also means a larger diameter hose for a drain. There comes a point where you can't move enough water fast enough unless its going directly outside. Even then it can cause problems because the level in the tank is dropping so fast. I also clean a 6 ft long tank. The stiff tube is only about 2 inches across but the mouth on the end is an oval that is 4 inches across and less than 1 1/2 inches in the other dimension. It lets me cover a lot of area fast without a tube that's so big I run out of water. The siphon hose on it is only about 1/2 inch.

 

[scottgeeze]

I have a Python to clean my tank and it has a 2"1/2" tube to clean it with and I do just fine. You have to invest time in this hobby if you want to have success in it, by the way I have a 180 and a 75 gallon and it doesn't take me very long at all.

 

[ShadowBass]

There's no way to get around taking quite awhile to gravel vac in a larger tank, that's why all mine are barebottom or sand.

If my 220g had substrate I wouldn't even be able to maintain it because it's so tall and I'm short. (Even with really long siphon tubes it would still be really hard)

 

[Ohboitony]

Really just make your own... I made my own with a big bottle and use the tip to run it outside! I make it sound easy but it did take time to make but it only took 3 bucks cause I work for a warehouse!

 

[seamus]

This doesnt solve your gravel problem but... sand is a good option. With UGJs and elimination of dead spots I dont have to vac. Even when I had dead spots I only had to spot clean.

 

[danhfvcsd]

How would it go if you used something with like a funnel shape? Large mouth, but with a thinner opening up top (or below - depending on which way you look at it)

Could you use a 2Ltr Coke bottle cut in half or something and tightly fit a hose over the end where the cap screws? although the hose wouldn't end up very wide....

 

[puffcrusader696]

i would just buy one with a wide opening. like a long mouth thats skinny so you get like 4 inches of coverage but its only like an inch wide so the tube doesnt have to be big. tho its not like i have experience since my biggest is a 20. but i am gonna be getting a 300 soon

 

[tchizzle]

instead of using 2L coke bottles, why not gatorade bottles. the 64oz of 1g bottles. Just a suggestion to the coke bottles not being wide enough at the neck/cap.