New Gravel Vac

[Lexie3787]

Here

That is my new gravel vac my parents got me for christmas. When i openned it it was missing the filter net. I went to petco to see if i could exchange it and they didn't have anymore. So I just bought a net, cut it off from the pole and rubberbanded it to the gravel vac [the filter net that it was supposed to come with is attached to the vac by a rubber band also] anyways it seems to be working great except my water is exxxxxtremely cloudy. I feel bad for my fish and Im not so sure on what to do...is this normal?

 

[Mr.September15]

oh cool vac. I cant help with the cloudiness...

 

[Durbkat]

Did you thorougly vac the gravel, what are your water stats?

 

[Lexie3787]

my nitrates are high so im vaccuming then doing a wc was just wondering if the water was going to get thsi cloudy eveeerytime

 

[cujoho78]

Hi. As far as i know, cloudy water usually means a bacterial bloom. It is more common in newly set-up tanks. Is it possible that you haven't been cleaning the gravel enough and that when you used the gravel vac you stirred up a bunch of nutrients and bacteria that were previously in the gravel? In any case, i would make sure that you clean the gravel thoroughly, and if the water is still cloudy in a couple of hours then you can do a series of small water changes over time. This should help clear up the water. Also, as i'm sure you know, test your water for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia and keep them to acceptable levels.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Also, since this vac sucks up dirty water, holds the debris and then releases water that has gone through the debris- that could be another reason your water is going cloudy...which is one of the reasons I no longer use the handy dandy battery operated vac.

 

[Lexie3787]

Yea the water cleared up yesterday but I got home today and its cloudy again. My nitrates are high but ive been doing water changes to get them down. I guess thats the downfall of this vac, it just moves dirty water around.

 

[fishing4exotics]

Sorry to tell you this but the gravel vac you have is making your water cloudy. It is sucking up dirt in your gravel then some of the finer dirt is passing through your net and going back into your water.

I forgot to add. The best way to vacuum your gravel is to get one that has a the siphon tube attached to it. It takes your old water and dirt from your gravel completely out of your tank. You use them for water changes.

 

[Lexie3787]

I have one but supposedly when u move it up and down it starts to work, mine never did so I had to cover one end with a shirt and suck the water through until it got like halfway through the tube and quickly toss it into the bucket. You could imagine that after the first water change this was extremely gross. This gravel vac has a way where u can just empty the water into a bucket anyways.

 

[morgan]

I use a gravel vac on a regular basis and it doesn't make the water cloudy for more than a few minutes. Sorry that's not very helpful but perhaps there is something else going on? You can also use a battery operated gravel vac to syphon water out for a water change if you find the self-start ones not very easy to use. The first self-start one I had was useless so I bought another one and it starts quickly. I have also bought a bigger one for my new bigger tank and that one starts easily as well. I don't use the little bags for the battery vac, I use cut up tights. Not my idea, someone else's. PS Once the syphon starts you can turn the battery off.

 

[Lexie3787]

Thanks so much for the tips, Ill have to go looking for tights now

 

[CroNiC]

I had the same problem with the syphon but i realized the trick on how tuse it. First you tilt it upside down (the front part) and put it into the water. Let it will up so it comes out through the other side. Then quickly with your thumb hold the back side where the water comes out from. Then quickly turn the front towards the gravel and start moving it up and down. It works. It would be better if i could give a video but i dont know how to upload video's.