Siphoning Tips

[Neptune54]

Quick question- whenever I siphon my tank, almost nothing gets picked up. I've been using the mouth siphoning method, by sucking it. Am I doing something wrong? If so, how can I get it right?

 

[Kelly-Jo]

Don't do the mouth siphoning method. Ever. There is no need to in this day and age with the wide array of syphons avaliable. Just pump the siphon up and down with some force, at a slight angle will help until it runs freely. There are serious risks with sucking the siphon pipe. If aquarium water is ingested, you will at least end up with vomiting and diarrhoea and in rare cases it can lead to serious bacterial infections or the contraction of fish TB.

With regards to nothing being picked up, there may be fine particles that are difficult to see if your tank is especially well maintained. If not, it could be that the suction of the siphon is too weak. I had this issue when the valve on my siphon broke. You could always try using a new one or a siphon using batteries which may have more suction.

 

[Erik]

What is the diameter of your siphon hose?

 

[FishFanatic04]

What is the diameter of your siphon hose?

+1 My little siphon has weaker suction then my BIG siphon, for obvious reasons. The inch diameter one hardly sucks anything up from my 75g, but works great in my betta tanks. Maybe you need a bigger one.

 

[fluttermoth]

The important thing about syphoning is making sure that the 'out of tank end' is much lower then the 'in tank' end. The lower the exit end is, the stronger the syphon effect will be.

 

[Neptune54]

Sorry for the late reply. It's about 1 1/2 inches long, or 4 centimeters (I think). The out of the end part is always much lower than the in the tank part. I also retightened the end to make sure it's on all of the way.

 

[DrRob]

Simplifying slightly, the rate of flow through a syphon is dictated by the pressure difference between the top of the tank being emptied and the first opening in the tube you're using, and the narrowest point of the tube diameter.

Changing that changes the flow through the syphon, however suction power also depends on the diameter of the tube opening being used to clean the tank. Generally the gravel cleaners have a wide diameter tube on a narrow pipe, to get a flow that disturbs the gravel but doesn't pull it into the tube completely.

I'm not sure what dimensions you're actually giving, but if I'm right you're talking about a gravel cleaner set up and you'd get more suction power with just the hose, but more chance of sucking things up that you don't want to.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Don't do the mouth siphoning method. Ever. There is no need to in this day and age with the wide array of syphons avaliable. Just pump the siphon up and down with some force, at a slight angle will help until it runs freely. There are serious risks with sucking the siphon pipe. If aquarium water is ingested, you will at least end up with vomiting and diarrhoea and in rare cases it can lead to serious bacterial infections or the contraction of fish TB.

With regards to nothing being picked up, there may be fine particles that are difficult to see if your tank is especially well maintained. If not, it could be that the suction of the siphon is too weak. I had this issue when the valve on my siphon broke. You could always try using a new one or a siphon using batteries which may have more suction.

I always suck the outlet end of my hose to get the syphon (and gravity) going... as long as you keep a close eye on the water, there shouldn't be a problem, IE: the second you see gravity doing it's job, remove from your mouth and out the outlet into your bucket, bowl,sink, etc etc. I find that rapidly moving my syphon up and down to get it going stresses my fish out, so i do the 'council house' way

Terry.

 

[Hoveringpie]

As I see it as a fishkeeping your going to get a gob full of fish crap every now and again just save some money and suck on the outlet

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Don't do the mouth siphoning method. Ever. There is no need to in this day and age with the wide array of syphons avaliable. Just pump the siphon up and down with some force, at a slight angle will help until it runs freely. There are serious risks with sucking the siphon pipe. If aquarium water is ingested, you will at least end up with vomiting and diarrhoea and in rare cases it can lead to serious bacterial infections or the contraction of fish TB.

With regards to nothing being picked up, there may be fine particles that are difficult to see if your tank is especially well maintained. If not, it could be that the suction of the siphon is too weak. I had this issue when the valve on my siphon broke. You could always try using a new one or a siphon using batteries which may have more suction.

I always suck the outlet end of my hose to get the syphon (and gravity) going... as long as you keep a close eye on the water, there shouldn't be a problem, IE: the second you see gravity doing it's job, remove from your mouth and out the outlet into your bucket, bowl,sink, etc etc. I find that rapidly moving my syphon up and down to get it going stresses my fish out, so i do the 'council house' way

Terry.

+1 I have a small tank so the pumping up and down method just ends up splooshing water all over the place as it's not that deep to have room for much...pumping

 

[FishFanatic04]

my siphon has a bulb that you squeeze that starts the flow. Very low disturbance in the tank, and no icky tube in my mouth. And it wasn't a bank killer.

 

[Flubberlump]

I use a different method to get mine going. Put the whole siphon in the tank, the tube too. Make sure that the 'bucket end' of the tube is lower down in the tank than the 'tank end'. The air will be forced out. There may still be some air bubbles left in the tube, which you'll be able to see. If so, push the part with the air bubble lower and it will be forced out.

Once all of the air is out, put your thumb over the 'bucket end', place it in your bucket, and take your thumb off. The water will start draining immediately. It can take a bit of practice to get the air out, but once you've cracked it, it's easy, and no need to suck the tube. I've used this. Ethos for years and as long as you're careful, the fish don't get stressed.

It sounds more complicated than it is.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

So, to clarify here, does a narrower syphon opening along with making sure your bucket is much lower than the tank increase the suction?

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Don't do the mouth siphoning method. Ever. There is no need to in this day and age with the wide array of syphons avaliable. Just pump the siphon up and down with some force, at a slight angle will help until it runs freely. There are serious risks with sucking the siphon pipe. If aquarium water is ingested, you will at least end up with vomiting and diarrhoea and in rare cases it can lead to serious bacterial infections or the contraction of fish TB.

A tad of over reaction there, there is risk these days with just about everyting you do now but vomiting and diarrhoea from a little tank water from syphon is extreme and that includes times when im took sample water in a glass forgot and then drank it

 

[FishFanatic04]

Glad you lived through that. I just watched my two year old eat sand. Whats a little fish water?