Python syphon problem...

[revival]

I tossed the sink hook up years ago and wound up with about 3-4 more of them after as well without the sink stuff etc.My opinion is they never work right when used that way.I just go old fashion,put it in the tank and fill the tube,then start the siphon by mouth. You will have more than enough time not to get it in your mouth and gargle fish poop if you just watch it.You can actually feel it start anyway. The only other problem I encountered is some of the tubes at some point had a flapper added to the inside for some reason?I guess to prevent back flow? Who knows,but I rip that flapper off with a needle nose plier and that takes care of that flapper issue that used to slow the flow and make it clog.Siphon it out the nearest window,door,sink,toilet whatever you can get away with and forget the sink crap.The only thing that is really useful for is filling it back up but in my opinion, a bucket is better anyway so it can be treated with water conditioner each bucket before putting in the tank, or you have to use double doses when its in the water. That's a PIA. Filling buckets and dumping by hand is like my daily workout.My water bill is high enough without constantly running water also and wasting it with that sink adapter thing.
EDIT: I'm surprised all of you use that sink adapter. Don't bother with it.If you do a manual siphon the vacuum is way stronger and it could actually suck gravel completely out of the tank if I let it, using the regular siphon effect.

How long does it take you to do water changes?

 

[TheFishJunky]

How long does it take you to do water changes?

Can't really say? I do them daily on different tanks but I have a lot of tanks also.I'd say maybe an hour a day.Some days more.I normally gravel vac every time I do a "water change". Some people just hook up a smaller mag and do water changes as quick as possible but i don't usually mind doing them for the most part and if I have to change the water I may as well vacuum also so as I said, I look at it like exercise. Especially when its like the 15 th or 20 th bucket of water that day. Once I clean the gravel in each tank which is like 5 minutes at most I'd say,it's pretty easy.Just keep filling buckets and dumping. There's easier ways but I'm kinda a "clean freak" when it comes to my tanks so?

 

[3dees]

due to back problems, the python is my only option. yes I have to turn the water on full blast but it added about 1.00 to my water bill. I did'nt have great suction until I took the fat tube off the end. just use the hose. it takes a bit longer to vacuum but it greatly improves the suction.

 

[tscharf]

ok im in class and didnt take the time to read the entire thread so someone might have already said this but heres my 2 cents and what ive found. there could be 2 problems.

1. if the height difference between the highest water level in your tank and the height of your faucet which you have the python screw into is less than say... 6in, the suction dies down significqantly. try unhooking it from your faucet and using it as a general syphon hose.

2. if what i said in 1 isnt the problem then there could be air in the line. if thats the case, turn on your faucet like you would do to originally start the syphon and let it run until all the air is out of your line, then shut off the faucet and the syphon should continue.

 

[philfreenode]

i had this problem when the top thing, the thing with the female threading for the faucet adapter, became loose from the part that the python hose attaches to. you need to tighten that