# Gravel Vaccum



## Staubsaugen (Mar 3, 2003)

I got one of the syphon gravel vaccums. I tried it out today, and it seems to work fine, I just had a question about the proper way to do it. Should I just kinda go over the surface of the gravel or actually jab around in it a little bit to work up some of the dirt?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

I jab down to the glass. I do this until I have cleaned half the tank and then do the other half the next week. By the time I am done with 1/2 the tank I will have removed about 1/3 the water.


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

I stick mine right in the gravle sucking the gravel up the tube getting as much junk as I can out of the gravel and pinch the hose a bit to regulate the flow.


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## Staubsaugen (Mar 3, 2003)

thanx for your help


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## sccavee (Feb 11, 2003)

grosse gurke said:


> I jab down to the glass. I do this until I have cleaned half the tank and then do the other half the next week. By the time I am done with 1/2 the tank I will have removed about 1/3 the water.


 I do the same. Half the tank and it takes out 15 gallons in my 55 gallon tank.


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## baby_dragon (Mar 12, 2003)

I've got a 33 gallon, with just those glass bead rocks covering it (I needed probably 15 bags of them, it's expensive gravel, lol). My 7.5" pleco cleans it pretty darn good, but regardless, I now clean it once a day. I take about 5 minutes from start to finish, and clear about 5% of the water out, and replace it with clean water. Inside there, I've got mollies, swordtails, guppies, 2 neon tetras and my 7.5" pleco, who will be moved to a 150 gallon in 2 weeks (he will get big in there!), and I'll get a new baby pleco to replace him in the 33. I actually really love plecos. They are one of my favorite freshwater fish. probably a tie with arowana for first! wish I could breed them, but I hear it's practically unheard of.


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