This is my BOOM STICK !!
- Thread starter sazhar
- Start date
awesome!!! i think i'm gonna take your idea and run with it.. my 210 is on a very tall stand and i wouldn't have to get the 6' ladder out to do gravel vacs with that thing..
well actually, the ball valve would be a good Idea actually, I have a 24in Python gravel cleaner and 50 ft hose setup and when I clean, it sucks up a column of stones in the tube, so if you turn the ball valve it will relieve the suction a little and stones can drop out. Which may come in handy if ya have a huge tank and ur digging in the subtrate all the time, just turn the valve a little and it clear and then turn it back and continue cleaning!!! Great idea!!Egon;4195043;4195043 said:
Just my 2 cents.
The ball valve serves two purposes. The first one was the reason cjbarth gave, to relieve the suction when you get a ton of gravel in the intake tube.
The second is the ability to pause the cleaning if needed. I have a 16 month old and I have to be ready a moments notice to stop what I am doing and clean up whatever mess he makes. I can turn off the siphon through the boom stick, leave the boom stick in the tank while I take of whatever I need to, and then just open the valve to continue cleaning the gravel.
The second is the ability to pause the cleaning if needed. I have a 16 month old and I have to be ready a moments notice to stop what I am doing and clean up whatever mess he makes. I can turn off the siphon through the boom stick, leave the boom stick in the tank while I take of whatever I need to, and then just open the valve to continue cleaning the gravel.
And also I don't use the boom stick for refilling the tank. I only use it to clean the gravel during water changes. After taking the water out and cleaning the gravel, I unscrew the boom stick froom the hose and use the hose to fill the tank.
Egon;4195043; said:
Egon & daveydoodle:
I my honest opinion and from my past experience of owning tanks, the ball valve on your own personal "Boom Stick" would be an indispensible item for you to have. It could be used for several things in the care and cleaning of aquarium tank(s):
1] To relieve or regulate suction pressure when cleaning substrate as mentioned and discribed in the previous post made by "cjbarth".
2] I have found, by some inate nature, most small fish or other small tank creatures are a curious bunch when it comes time to cleaning tanks. I have found they become curious of the clear suction tube and get caught up into the water flow during regular tank maintenance and go up the clear tube. You see it happen and you turn the ball valve to relieve suction pressure. Relieving this pressure will allow the small creature to float back into the tank, and then you reopen the valve and can continue to clean, when the the fish are no longer in harms way.
3] It could be used to maintain or keep the suction flow in your hose if you have several tanks to clean, going from one tank to the others, instead of having to restart suction on each tank.
4] If you have several tanks to add water to caused by evaporation or filling a tank for the first time, or if you have to do a complete tank breakdown for some reason, you connect your hose to your "Boom Stick", the other end of your hose you connect to your water supply (a water faucet of some type) and then you have the water right there at the tank instead of having to use buckets, pitchers or other types of containers to carry water from the sink or large water storage barrel to your tank.
daveydoodle:
In response to your question regarding the Python comparrison to the "Boom Stick", I would have to say, yes. I find it is a slightly modified version of the Python do to the extended long handle, and larger ball valve. Same type of function for the same purpose. But, I find and see that with the Python, you place the clear tube in the substrate to begin the cleaning of your tank with your arm becoming wet. With the "Boom Stick", this eliminates having to get your arm wet when cleaning the subsrtate, unless of course, maybe a piece of tank decor has to be put back into place, which is the only drawback I foresee, if any, with the "Boom Stick". If the ball valve is too high for you on the end of the long tube section, adjust it to fit your needs.
These are just some of my ideas as to why the ball valve was put on the design of the "Boom Stick". In my opinion, I would be against the removal of it's design purpose for my uses. But, if you see that it would not work for your particular situation and you want to make one for yourself, by all means please use what works best for you. I hope this helps.
I was wondering about the ball valve too, great reasoning for that. I was gonna leave it out but looks like i'M gonna add it back into mine.. Can't wait to get going on mine..
