Graval Cleaner

[Matthew5664]

Being new to the hobby I felt that I can't be without the gravel cleaner, an indispensable piece of kit. Got it home and like a little boy with a new toy set-about cleaning the gravel! Much to my horror it didn't work too well, or not how the pictures have shown. You know the ones with the gravel up to the top 'That’s what the guard is for to stop glogging from the gravel' I was told as a sales pitch from the guy at my LFS. Anyway thinking about it later that day....... Small tubes for small tanks big ones for big tanks but they all have the same diameter of pipe!! Now surely the larger the diameter of pipe the lager flow of water there is therefor more of a 'vacuumed' effect at the nozzle end! Now does anyone find that they have the same problem or am I just going MMMMMAAAADDDDDDD???

 

[dwarfgourami]

How exactly do you mean it doesn't work? Doesn't it suck up the muck?

 

[Matthew5664]

To a extenet but not as much as i would have thought! first cm of gravel and no deper

 

[kat and james]

did you push the vacuum down into the gravel?

 

[rdd1952]

I think the misconception is (from looking at the pic on the package) that it will suck the gravel up like a brand new hoover vacuum cleaner, kind of let it tumble around so that all the dirt gets sucked into the bucket and the gravel falls back to the bottom of the tank. In actuality, they won't suck up much of anything other than light (weight) trash and waste and the smaller particles of sand. Definitely not gravel (at least mine won't). They do still serve a very valuable purpose though as the main reason you use them is to get the trash and waste off the bottom.

As a side note that I will try next time I do a water change, I was reading some old posts (through search) about changing the sand in the tank (I am going to have to remove all the sand in one tank and replace it - long story). Inchworm stated that if you take the intake nozzle (the ones that vary in size) off and just vacuum with the hose itself, you get much more suction and it will suck out the gravel or sand. Of course you don't really want to do that during a water change.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Mine will suck up the gravel about an inch into the tube, not all the way up (or if it does I get annoyed as it clogs up the suction). However, I'm not sure we should go to town on vacuuming the gravel through and through; you want to clean the poo, but not disturb the bacteria. Probably enough as it is.

 

[sharpshooter73]

The type that I have is battery-operated, so it provides a better suction than the non-battery type. What kind do you have? Mine does a great job at lifting the gravel as well as very quick water changes. I can use it to suck water out, as well as to quickly fill the tank.

 

[yvez9]

well, gravity has alot to do with it

of course the bigger the hose the stronger the current will be, but the lower you can put the bottom of the hose, the stronger it will be as well. for instance, a tank sitting on the floor will give poor effects as gravity doesn't push the water long enough... a tank sitting 8 feet high with the bucket on the floor will get more suction.

Unless you got a tiny little vacuum, it should be enough to clean your tank

 

[Matthew5664]

Thanks for the info wasn't to sure if it was working right that was all you've put my mind a rest