Siphon from Hell!

[Panthera]

I got this dang thing a week ago, and for the life of me I can't get it to work. I've looked at numerous videos on youtube and read up on how to use it, but it just doesn't work for me. It's the Aqua Culture regular vacume cleaner, and I follow the instructions and everything, but it doesn't siphon. I don't know if It just doesn't work, or if I'm not comprehending how to use it.

Please help xD Thanks!

[Drift]

O.o Place the end that is bigger in the tank and such on the hose until the water runs through the tube?
If it's one of those auto start ones I find that they're a pain in the butt.
I didn't look it up to see what one it is. XD I would try just sucking it though even my auto-start one I can still do that with. :3

[Canuck Fins]

Someone (and apologies that I do not recall who) had posted this youtube video on how to siphon the tank. I bookmarked it bc it explains it so well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa_44...eature=related

[Panthera]

Thanks for the vid but I already saw it. I do exactly what she does, but it doesn't work. I'm thinking I got a dud :(

[Alex09]

I have that same vacuum. What I do:
- Insert vacuum into tank
- suck on the narrow end of the tube until I see the water come over the rim of the tank (make sure you are below the water's level when doing this)
- QUICKLY remove siphon from lips into bucket (ugh...)

What size tank is it? If your tank is too short relative to the vacuum's height it may not work. The bucket MUST be below the tank in order for the suction effect to occur.

[Panthera]

It's 5.5 Gallons so I think it should work. Thanks for the advice, I'll try it tomorrow since Adamu is do for a 50% water change anyway. The lips thing doesn't bother me at all xD I kiss my cats on the lips.....

Waits for people to call him a freak........

[Oldfishlady]

Gravity.....if the tank is not high enough or the collection bucket low enough....it will not work....they are gravity dependent once the suction is started-

Most of the hydrocleaner also have a valve flap in the area between the large and small tube connection area- make sure that is free and working properly

That is a good video on how to get the suction started but a poor example on proper cleaning...you want to do an up and down motion only pulling about a half inch of the gravel into the tube and then allowing the gravel to fall and move on to the next spot and pull the mulm/gravel from that area...etc....

[Panthera]

Thanks for the info Oldfishlady! I finally got it to work after using my lips on the end xD But I swallowed a little o.o

Adamu wasn't too happy about me taking him out of his tank though, but I couldn't suction it properly without him getting in the way or getting sucked up himself. How often should I siphon the tank? It's 5.5 gallons with a filter, in the process of cycling with 1 Betta. I don't wanna stress him out too much, he turned as pale as a ghost :(

[wallywestisthebest333]

Yeah you have the same one I have. I used to do the fill and raise thing but the sipping method is much faster. XD

[Oldfishlady]

During the cycling process I would do twice weekly 50% water changes-1-50% water only and 1-50% with vacuum-unless you have water testing products and then the weekly 50% with vacuum and 50% water only with ammonia or nitrite of 0.25ppm or greater

Give the filter media a swish/rinse in old tank water a couple of times a month and when the water flow slows to maintain good water flow