Gravel cleaner recommendation

[mikfab]

Hi everyone!

I have a 36 gallon tank and bought a gravel cleaner. I got the Python Pro-Clean with the pump. I am finding that it doesn't pick up a lot of the debris. Does anyone else have this issue? Is there a better gravel cleaner I should buy?

My substrate is eco complete.

Thanks!

 

[SaraB]

How close to the substrate are you cleaning?

 

[mikfab]

We go in the substrate to get to the bottom and we scan the top.

 

[SaraB]

And it's a hand pump I imagine? Like you have to manually squeeze it to get it to work?
Maybe your gravel just isn't that dirty.
Also you probably shouldn't go that deep (like to the bottom), I hear it can release trapped ammonia bubbles.

 

[rlederer]

Skip the pump and just let the system pull water via gravity/suction. That's all I do and get a lot of debris with no pump.

 

[earhtmother]

The only time you will usually find ammonia pockets is in a heavily compacted substrate like sand. As for having good suction it will depend on how much higher the tank is than the buket/sink you are draining it into. When I do my second floor tanks they go much quicker than my tanks on the same level as my sink

 

[mikfab]

We only pump to get the water flowing, then we just let the gravity/suction go naturally. We drain it into a bucket on the floor and our tank is on a stand.

What I tend to notice is that I will see debris go up the tub but will never make it all the way up to get suctioned out. It seems like the suction isn't powerful enough.