Is my siphon too big??

[H0pefulDad]

Look, I have a pretty simple siphon, one that online said it was good for 10 gallon tanks. That might have been at the edge of the range it covered, but it was still in there.

I have a 10 gal tank with sand substrate that I need to clean, but the damn thing won't work. I've seen all those videos, I know how to start the siphon: fill it with water, let the top part drain until only a bit of water is left, pop it back in. Boom, should start siphoning. Only mine doesn't. I've done that exact process over and over, and it always only siphons for a single second before stopping. I can't think of a single thing I'm doing wrong, and any suggestions I get here for what I am will probably be ruled out immediately, so it must be because of the siphon itself. Here is a picture of it with my tank:

As you can see, I can't quite fully submerge the top part of the tube completely vertically. The one time I did actually manage to get it to siphon continuously was when I managed to submerge the entire top tube by tilting it, but then I lifted part of it out of the water and it kept going, so I just don't understand. I can't recreate that now anyways, and there's a lot of gunk on my substrate that I need to clean. So my question is, is this siphon just too big for my tank? Is the brand I got it from full of liars by claiming it would work for a 10 gal tank, and I should get the next size down? I genuinely can't think of any other reason it only worked for me once.

 

[CassCats]

I suck on the other side of the hose until the water is over the "hump" of the hose. Then let it drain.

Mind you, I've had a few mouthfuls of tank water... lol

 

[H0pefulDad]

I suck on the other side of the hose until the water is over the "hump" of the hose. Then let it drain.

Mind you, I've had a few mouthfuls of tank water... lol

Ew gross, no. I've heard that you specifically do not have to do that to start a siphon, and in fact shouldn't, since the dirty aquarium water can get you sick.

 

[FishGuest5123]

There’s no suction bulb? My small one has the bulb and the large one (Python) hooks to sink. Can you return that one?

 

[H0pefulDad]

There’s no suction bulb? My small one has the bulb and the large one (Python) hooks to sink. Can you return that one?

I don't know, I ordered it online a while ago. My problem is that it shouldn't need a bulb or anything like that, because I've seen plenty of videos of people just using a plain siphon like this, or even just a plain tube and it works.

I actually was considering one with a bulb before I think, but then in the reviews someone shared a horror story about their betta getting sucked into it and it killing the little guy because the parts weren't detachable, so I left that option pretty quickly.

 

[betta fish]

It does look a little large for that tank but can be done, basically lay the tube horizontally on the bottom of aquarium to fill it with water, making sure all air is out then place your finger over the hose and lift the tube from aquarium letting water drain all down hose you will want to place the hose over a bucket but with your finger still on the end and the hose full now submerge the tube again making sure no air is visible and take your finger off the end should now start draining so you can move it around the tank, it is better to get a smaller one though!

 

[H0pefulDad]

It does look a little large for that tank but can be done, basically lay the tube horizontally on the bottom of aquarium to fill it with water, making sure all air is out then place your finger over the hose and lift the tube from aquarium letting water drain all down hose you will want to place the hose over a bucket but with your finger still on the end and the hose full now submerge the tube again making sure no air is visible and take your finger off the end should now start draining so you can move it around the tank, it is better to get a smaller one though!

Okay thank you, I'll try that. Maybe when I go to the fish store again I can see of they have a smaller one I can buy.

 

[H0pefulDad]

It does look a little large for that tank but can be done, basically lay the tube horizontally on the bottom of aquarium to fill it with water, making sure all air is out then place your finger over the hose and lift the tube from aquarium letting water drain all down hose you will want to place the hose over a bucket but with your finger still on the end and the hose full now submerge the tube again making sure no air is visible and take your finger off the end should now start draining so you can move it around the tank, it is better to get a smaller one though!

Thank you so much, this actually worked! I might get a smaller one as a backup, but it's good to know that I don't have to rush over to the fish store.

 

[betta fish]

Glad to hear it I've had no end of trouble with various syphons through the years lol the bulb ones are my favourites as they are easier to get started but that type has their uses, they are more powerful and don't usually get clogged so much.

 

[Metalhead88]

You can also get one of those squeezable pumps that attach to the end of the hose to get it going easier.

I found that it restricts flow too much and I have stopped using it. My tanks are larger, so I need to drain fast.

I don't think that would be such a problem on a smaller tank.