What do YOU use to siphon your Nanos?

11889 Views 25 Replies 16 Participants Last post by Flutteri, Mar 25, 2014

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · Mar 21, 2014 (Edited)

So I currently have an Aqueon siphon thats good for "15-55" gallons.. its very bulking in my 10 gallon. I also have some excess [strike]airline[/strike] siphon hose tubing (forgot its the wider stuff x.x) I've used for the no-tecs and 3 gallon but have a hard time not sucking up plants or substrate. Since I am planning future tanks that will be smaller/shallower (including 2x 2gallons, a 7g cube, and a 12g long) I'd like to get an appropriate siphon(s) for them.

SO, I've looked into it a bit and found a few brands including: Mareinland Siphon Kleen "mini", Aquaeon "mini" 5 inch siphon vacuum, and Python pro clean mini.

Has anyone used one or more of these in nano tank(s)?
If so how did they work for you?
What tank did you use the siphon in?
Do you know/use other brand(s) that you'd recommend?
Do you just use a simple air hose (suck one end to get it started and go), if so what's your magic keep from sucking up sand/gravel/flora/fauna?
Or do you simply cup out water for w/c, if so whats your magic for getting organics off the bottom without uprooting plants or just making a big mess?

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

BruceF

· #2 · Mar 21, 2014

I just use a small one of these and a 5 gallon bucket.

http://www.bigalspets.com/gravel-washer-small.html

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 21, 2014

BruceF said:
I just use a small one of these and a 5 gallon bucket.

http://www.bigalspets.com/gravel-washer-small.html

What size/depth tank did you use this in? Or do you mean to say you used it to clean a 5 gallon bucket 'tank'?

Qwe

· #4 · Mar 21, 2014

In most of my tanks, 3-30 gallon, I use a gravel vac tube, without the big vac attachment. Suck on one end like the airline, just be careful with it and keep your thumb near the outflow to block it off if you get too close to a critter or gravel.

BruceF

· #5 · Mar 21, 2014

I use it on a 2.5.

dru

· #6 · Mar 21, 2014

Turkey baster for me on my <5 gallon tanks

Down_Shift

· #7 · Mar 21, 2014

Tom's tank battery powered vac with the extension tube, no attachments. I usually use it to clean the lower parts of the tank. Then I'll vac the surface of any larger debris/leaves that the skimmer doesn't pick up. Hook up the output to a hose and goes direct into the sink.

Then I put the vac in a bucket and have it pump water back into the tank with a intake filter over the other end of the hose to avoid destroying the scape.

^doing the reverse, filling.

Takes me about 15 minutes to do a 50% change on a 18g.

Tried it on my 1.5g. Gotta be a bit more careful.

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AGUILAR3

· #8 · Mar 21, 2014

I use this on all my Betta cubes

3ft of hose and a gallon container.

It's self explanatory. 2 Holes on the cap with snug fit tubing. Long hose goes in tank while the shorter hose is used to start siphon. Make sure the cap and hose are both snug fit and simply suck on the short end until water starts to flow.

I used a piece of plastic coat hanger to keep the tubing straight and to stir up the water and gravel a bit.

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elo500

· #9 · Mar 21, 2014

I use a small fountain pump and tube to remove water to a bucket. I dont worry about cleaning gravel. Then turn it around to pump new water back I to tank.

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 21, 2014

Thank you for ideas/info so far! Happy to hear more ^^

Qwe said:
In most of my tanks, 3-30 gallon, I use a gravel vac tube, without the big vac attachment. Suck on one end like the airline, just be careful with it and keep your thumb near the outflow to block it off if you get too close to a critter or gravel.

I have no luck with this, always get gravel/moss/loose flora x.x

dru said:
Turkey baster for me on my <5 gallon tanks

Haha my husband would not be happy if I took our only working turkey baster for water changes (I swear the stores here seem to hide them in the "off" months).

Down_Shift said:
Tom's tank battery powered vac with the extension tube, no attachments. I usually use it to clean the lower parts of the tank. Then I'll vac the surface of any larger debris/leaves that the skimmer doesn't pick up. Hook up the output to a hose and goes direct into the sink.

Then I put the vac in a bucket and have it pump water back into the tank with a intake filter over the other end of the hose to avoid destroying the scape.

^doing the reverse, filling.

Takes me about 15 minutes to do a 50% change on a 18g.

Tried it on my 1.5g. Gotta be a bit more careful.

Hmm I'd not considered powdered siphons, how quickly do you go through batteries on those?

AGUILAR3 said:
I use this on all my Betta cubes

3ft of hose and a gallon container.

It's self explanatory. 2 Holes on the cap with snug fit tubing. Long hose goes in tank while the shorter hose is used to start siphon. Make sure the cap and hose are both snug fit and simply suck on the short end until water starts to flow.

I used a piece of plastic coat hanger to keep the tubing straight and to stir up the water and gravel a bit.

Nice DIY. I realized I put "airline tuber" in my first post, but I actually use the wider siphon hose tubing (opps), is your using the narrower airline tube? Like the suction start method you have, better than putting a mouth right on the tube that has tank water go through it (yuck).

elo500 said:
I use a small fountain pump and tube to remove water to a bucket. I dont worry about cleaning gravel. Then turn it around to pump new water back I to tank.

Interesting... though I'm going to have some messy fish like dwarf puffers in teh 12 long which like to leave snail shells littering the bottom after they suck squishy parts out so need something I can get crap off the bottom without without sucking up all of "the bottom"

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Down_Shift

· #11 · Mar 21, 2014

AquaAurora said:
Thank you for ideas/info so far! Happy to hear more ^^

I have no luck with this, always get gravel/moss/loose flora x.x

Haha my husband would not be happy if I took our only working turkey baster for water changes (I swear the stores here seem to hide them in the "off" months).

Hmm I'd not considered powdered siphons, how quickly do you go through batteries on those?

Nice DIY. I realized I put "airline tuber" in my first post, but I actually use the wider siphon hose tubing (opps), is your using the narrower airline tube? Like the suction start method you have, better than putting a mouth right on the tube that has tank water go through it (yuck).

Interesting... though I'm going to have some messy fish like dwarf puffers in teh 12 long which like to leave snail shells littering the bottom after they suck squishy parts out so need something I can get crap off the bottom without without sucking up all of "the bottom"

I've rub it for 3-4 changes and 2 vacuum/cleanings. Still on the original first set of dollar store batteries.

I doubt it uses a lot of power. Really just to start the siphon.

pucksr

· #12 · Mar 21, 2014

Cheap $5 siphon pump from walmart(sold in automotive section. Milk jug

BruceF

· #13 · Mar 21, 2014

Oh. just put something under the opening of the tube like a small flat dish.

prighello

· #14 · Mar 21, 2014 (Edited)

I use the aqueon extender siphon. Seems to work well.

I use a 2 gallon sprayer to refill and it got me thinking that it would make a great siphon if I could just figure out how to make it create a vacuum rather than pressure. When the piston goes down it's pressure so pulling up would be vacuum. Maybe there's one that has a valve that goes both ways or something.

frankiefire702

· #15 · Mar 22, 2014

dru said:
Turkey baster for me on my <5 gallon tanks

Same here.

AGUILAR3

· #16 · Mar 22, 2014

frankiefire702 said:
Turkey baster for me on my <5 gallon tanks

frankiefire702 said:

Same here.

Click to expand...

Turkey basters for a water change or removal of waste?

dru

· #17 · Mar 22, 2014

AGUILAR3 said:
Turkey basters for a water change or removal of waste?

If I am only pulling water out I will use a siphon

Cleanup I use the baster

AquaAurora

Discussion Starter · #18 · Mar 22, 2014

Thank you everyone for your input so far ^^ Cool hearing what others do for cleaning/water changing nanos.

Deflected

· #19 · Mar 23, 2014

Amazon.com: Python Pro Clean-Mini 1" x 6" Tube with 6 ft. Hose: Pet Supplies

Is what I use. It works well for my 5 gallon tanks.

Fletch

· #20 · Mar 24, 2014

@ Aguilar3: The Bleach bottle siphon (above, with photo), is truly an ingenious device. Even has a handle. I will make one on the weekend. No more sucking bacteria, planaria and copepods from my nanos. No more running to the sink to spit said creatures out.

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

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