Guard For Gravel Vac

[celaeno]

anyone have any good ideas for making a guard for a gravel vac? i want to prevent fish from being syphoned off when i'm doing water changes, but i also want the debris to go through.

 

[kribensis12]

Do what I do, when you are about to stick it in the gravel, shoe the other fish away. It works in my tank filled with Baby Bristlenosed pleco's.

 

[afishdude]

Put some screen around the end and hold it on with a rubber band. Poo still goes through but fish and plants cant.

 

[celaeno]

what kind of screen?

 

[saltynay]

Just syphon into a bowl or bucket and check it before throwing down the drain I think using a screen completely defeats the purpose.

 

[celaeno]

what if the fish is just small enough to fit through the vac, but too large to make it through the tubing?

 

[Geoff1991]

Easiest way is to just watch the end of the tube and move it to shoe any curious fish away.

 

[saltynay]

what if the fish is just small enough to fit through the vac, but too large to make it through the tubing?

Then when you stop syphoning the water the fish will pop out through gravity and rush of water back into the tank when you lift the hose out of the bucket.

 

[celaeno]

what if the fish is just small enough to fit through the vac, but too large to make it through the tubing?

Then when you stop syphoning the water the fish will pop out through gravity and rush of water back into the tank when you lift the hose out of the bucket.

there's no question the fish will pop out. it's just what kind and level of damage will be done to it while you're busy lifting the hose out of the bucket. maybe i should consider myself lucky if both of its eyes are intact afterwards.. and all this just because i didn't take the time to put a simple guard on the gravel vac..

 

[saltynay]

A simple guard which may become blocked and prevent the whole purpose of a gravel vacuum just shoo the fish away and try your best to save them if they get stuck in the hose that is a pretty large fish and you must be blind to of not seen it get sucked in.