Easy way to siphon water

[Biggen]

Hey guys. Well I finally got my plants in. The look pretty darn good. I do have a question though. The way my tank is built, it is extremely difficult to get a siphon working without me sucking on one end of the tube. This is because there is a brace that runs in the middle of my tank to support a top. Do they make any siphons that I can pump manually to get the siphon going? I just don't have enough room to put the siphon underwater, then lift it up to get it going.

Oh, a python is out of the question. I am too far from the nearest water source.

[fishfreek]

If you have no intent of using the syphon to get the stuff out of your gravel then you can do what I do on occasion.

I have a Maxijet 1200 PH that i have connected to 1/2" tubing. I put the ph in the tank and put the tubing in a bucket. Then i just plug the PH in and it pumps the water out of the tank.

You could do this to start a syphon also but really its just so much easier to give a good suck on the end of a tube to get the syphon going. You dont have to do it long. Just a quick 1 or 2 sec burst. All you really need to do is get the water in the hose to be at a point that its up and over the side of the tank.

If you can put 1 /2 of the hose in the tank and put your thumb over one end and then put that end down toward the bucket and release your thumb it should start to flow also since the water will be in the hose will be below the tank water level outside the tank.

[shawmutt]

and nothing tastes better than a mouthfull of fishwater 8O

[d9hp]

They do sell self priming siphons on eBay, all you do is squeez and they work.

[Biggen]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I have no intention of cleaning the gravel since I can't actually get to it. I have a "Roman ruins decoration" that sits in the middle of the tank and then I heavily planted around the decoration. There just isn't anywhere to vacuum without sucking up a plant in the process. My plan is to let the plants clean the gravel naturally and then get some cory's or loaches to help out.

Yeah it may be easier to just suck it over the top of the tank and then get the tube out of my mouth before the good ol'e aquarium water comes rushing out.

I'll check out ebay for those self priming siphons d9hp is talking about. If they are inexpensive, I may pick one of those up.

[mound]

or you could get one of those Pythons, (or make your own: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_python.php )
where you hook it up to the faucet and turn the water on and that starts the siphon.. flip a nozzle and the water pushes back through to re-fill the tank. they are incredibly handy

[Zuppie2000]

I have a python so EZ no spilling (no after taste) mine hooks up to the sink 25' away I do a 30% water change in about 20 min on my 150 gal planted tank

[Biggen]

I actually already have a python I use for one of our 85 gallon turtle holding tanks. The only problem is my fish tank is 50 feet away from the sink.

[mound]

make your own as long as you want!

[d9hp]

That might get expensive and those priming pumps are only 6 bucks.

[Barney]

1.you can add a water hose

2.you can use the bathroom sink

phyton make adapter for that....

[d9hp]

O, well, hey, I am cheap and old fashion so I will stick to the bucket and water on the floor.

[Barney]

lol

understood!!!!

[Biggen]

Yeah for my situation a bucket is actually easier than having to string out a python. I will be doing weekly water changes. A 10% water change on a 40 gallon tank is only 4 gallons. With two 5 gallon buckets (one for the old water and one for the new water) I can do the change in about 10 minutes...

The python is a life saver for the turtle tank though. Doing a 100% water change on my 85 gallon turtle tank is a pain in the butt. It takes approx an hour to change the water, clean the filters, etc... If I didn't have my python it would be one huge mess...

[fishfreek]

Originally Posted by shawmutt

and nothing tastes better than a mouthfull of fishwater 8O

I would have to disagree. I think a mouthfull of saltwater tastes much better.

Plus you have that nice after taste for much longer to remind you of the great event.



I waited all day but just could not resist this reply..

[d9hp]

Thats a good one Aaron. I love the aftertaste bit LMAO

[Zuppie2000]

you can extend the hose take the ends off and get a longer piece of tubeing and put the connector ends back on I did this for a friend of mine and it works. his is 100' and no problems

[BHBowhunter]

go to your lHS and get a battery operated keroseen pump. they are like 11 dollars. all you do is put it in and flip theswitchreal easy