gravel vac recommendation

[europas_ice]

Could someone please recommend a good gravel vac? The TopFin one from my LFS won't pick up waste from the bottom of the tank. I know about Pythons; I'm not looking for something that hard core yet. I only have 1 fish in a 5 gallon tank. A specific brand, possibly with a link, would be great.

 

[DeFeKt]

1.25L coke bottle and a bit of canister hose

 

[sir_dudeguy]

python...even tho its only a 5 gallon, you can adjust how much the thing is sucking out...theres a little valve type thing to control that. They're not that expensive now..i think maybe 25-30...at least thats what i got mine for, and i'm sure "thats on ebay!" for cheaper lol. Also, if you're into fish at all, you're gonna want a bigger tank soon anyways lol, so i'd just get that.

 

[Ky'smommy]

ok arent pythons big.lol
i have a 2.5 gallon and i use the smallest possible hose and its hell.
anything would be fine really.
any gravel vac would work. i would just reccomend the smallest one.
i bought a huge one for my big tank andi hate it. it takes out to much water before you can throughly suck the gross stuff out.
i just use my small one.
a python is great for many reasons too but if you dont plan on getting a bigger tank later on.
it might be worth it.
goodluck

 

[sir_dudeguy]

mmm...they're not too big..the small one is 25 ft (the hose is, not the suction part lol) and the big one is 50, but that doesnt affect how well it works...you could also just get a smaller suction part for it too...probably not from python, but i know home depot usually has something like that.

 

[src]

I just bought a python this week, and it does make filling/emptying much easier. However, I find that using it as intended when cleaning/emptying is incredibly slow and wasetfull. Instead, I am planning on getting the siphon going using the sink attachment, then running the hose outside and letting gravity do the rest.

I ran about 20 gallons into my new 125 for cleaning, and gravity was about 50-75% faster than the faucet attachment. Plus, I'm not running perfectly good water down the drain.

 

[JustOneMore20]

ok arent pythons big.

I think she meant isn't the tube (can't think of another word) big. Yes it would be pretty big for a 5g. I'd go with maybe a 1/2 inch diameter tube (the thing that picks up the gravel). I use a python so I don't have another recommendation. My tanks are 10g and over though.

Now that I think about it, I used the python in my 5g tank when I had it setup. It takes water out really fast, so there wasn't much time to clean the gravel before half the water was gone. I think you can adjust the suction by turning the water pressure down though. I never tried it. Anyone else have experience with this? If you can turn the suction down, it would be a great investment, especially if you plan to have bigger tanks. Now that I have my python, I hate the "manual" gravel vacs. I never could get mine to start and ended up scaring my fish instead of taking water out.

 

[JRagg]

The easiest way to turn down the suction on a python is with the little ball valve operator about 3 feet back from the gravel vac. It's an easy on/off switch while you're at the tank, and it can be used for throttling if necessary.

 

[BillD]

All gravel vacs will work, if used properly. If the tube is filled with water, and there is enough drop to the bucket or whatever your siphoning to, it will work. A Python is not magic, and will not do a better job than a regular siphon gravel cleaner. I suggest, what we have here is a problem with technique, rather than the equipment. As DeFeKt mentioned, you can make your own, that will work every bit as well as a Python. You can alter the rate of flow on a regular siphon, by raising or lowering the siphon hose.

 

[verucaproduce]

I have one like this. http://www.aquariumguys.com/siphonkleen1.html

I use it on my 5, 10, and 29 gallon. It is very simple and works well.