DIY aquarium siphon

The aquarium requires constant maintenance, which includes not only filtering, adding or changing water, but also cleaning the soil. A special device that copes with this task can be bought at any pet store, but you can also make a siphon for the aquarium with your own hands. Information on how to turn an idea into reality can be found in this article.

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Why clean the aquarium soil?

Fish in the course of their life leave a variety of garbage. Often the owner overfeeds his pets, and the fish just do not have time to eat food. The remains of vegetation, as well as excrement - all this clogs the aquarium, settles to its bottom and mixes with the substrate. Therefore, the fish house should be regularly cleaned.

Important! Timely cleaning of the aquarium substrate prevents soil acidification and the formation of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which is dangerous for underwater inhabitants.

The frequency of the procedure depends on the number of residents of the glass house:

• Some aquarists clean the soil in the water tank weekly.
• Others - perform general cleaning twice or even once a month.

Important! Special devices can help to make high-quality cleaning of the substrate, one of which is a siphon.

Previously, when there were no siphons, all the soil had to be removed from the aquarium and washed, and then placed again on the bottom of the vessel. However, it was noted that such a procedure has a negative impact on the creation of microflora-friendly water for underwater inhabitants. Beneficial bacteria died, and pathogens developed rapidly. With the advent of siphons for cleaning aquarium soil, this problem has disappeared.

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How to clean an aquarium with a siphon?

What is a siphon for an aquarium and how to clean a fish house? In simple terms, this device is an ordinary pump. The main part of the siphon is a suction pipe that pumps dirt and waste together with water.

Principle of operation

The siphon works according to a rather simple principle:

• Toward the aquarium soil, the end of the tube or hose comes down very close.
• The other end should be on the outside of the fish tank, at a level well below the bottom of the aquarium above any tank.
• To start the operation of the aquarium vacuum cleaner, it remains only to create a vacuum in the tube, which is, in fact, not difficult to do by simply sucking in air by mouth.
• Water with garbage will begin to drain into the tank. To weed out waste, it is necessary to defend water. The cleaned liquid can be returned to the aquarium, and the dirt removed.

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Professional aquarium bottom cleaners

The range of such devices can please with its variety, both in functionality and price. From such abundance, even an experienced aquarist can get confused before buying. In order not to get into a mess and choose a good and necessary model, we will get acquainted with the main types and useful constructive details of professional siphons.

There are two types of devices for cleaning aquarium soil:

• Electrical - devices that operate from the mains or autonomously using batteries. Such appliances can supply water even if the outlet pipe is located above the water level in the aquarium. If the outlet is located far from the fish nursery, then a battery-powered device will be more convenient.
• Mechanical - devices that do not have an electric drive. For a more convenient start-up of such a siphon, manufacturers began to produce models with a pear-shaped pump. With its help, the risk of swallowing dirty aquarium water while pumping air out of the system is reduced to zero.

Popular brands

The leading manufacturers of such aquarium equipment are the following brands:

• EHEIM (Germany);
• HAGEN (Germany);
• AQUAEL (Poland);
• Tetra.

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Important details when buying an aquarium siphon

There are also some technical features of such devices that you need to consider when choosing the right device for you.

Socket height and width

Choose this option based on ease of use in your tank:

• For high tanks, appliances with a long mouth and a wide mouth are more suitable.
• In small containers, working with such a siphon will be extremely inconvenient.

Important! Siphon should be only those sections of the bottom where there is no vegetation.

Hose diameter and length

The performance of the device depends on these parameters. If the drain is too low relative to the bottom of the tank, and the hose is too thick, then the pressure will lead to pulling into the funnel not only debris from the soil, but also its particles.

Important! Select the device depending on the density of the soil:

• For light soils, it is better to choose a device with a low pressure.
• For heavy - on the contrary, with powerful.

Siphon drain valve

This part makes the operation of the device more convenient. It allows you to adjust the intensity of the water flow passing through the device. Without such a tap, siphoning the soil is very inconvenient, because you have to constantly change the height of the drain or pinch it with your finger.

Mesh in the fence

Such a part prevents the pebbles from the ground or small inhabitants of the aquarium from being drawn into the device.

Siphon drain filter

Some devices are equipped with a special small-sized cloth bag, which is located on the drain of the siphon. Thanks to him, the water that drains into the tank is already cleared of debris, and it can be immediately reused, that is, poured into the aquarium without subsequent sedimentation.

Important! If the aquarium has not been cleaned for a very long time, then the pumped-out water must not be reused, even if there is a filter on the siphon. Ammonium salts and nitrites contained in large quantities in the liquid will cause the death of all living organisms in the reservoir.

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How to make a siphon with your own hands and clean them with aquarium soil?

It is not so difficult to make such a device yourself. And to clean the bottom of the tank with water is even easier.

Procedure:

1. To begin with, you should choose a hose suitable for your aquarium.

Important! For a tank of 100 liters, a tube with a diameter of 10 mm is suitable. Based on these parameters, you can calculate the required hose diameter for your aquarium.

2. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
3. Attach the neck to the edge of the hose.
4. Dip the hose into the aquarium so that the cut of the plastic bottle touches the ground.
5. Lower the other end of the hose into the tank, which is below the position of the aquarium.
6. Create a thrust with your mouth and begin to siphon the soil by moving the neck of the bottle along it.

Important! Select the distance from the soil surface to the bell so that as little as possible of the substrate is absorbed into the siphon. If this happens, raise the socket higher. Thus, traction from the soil surface will decrease, and the substrate that gets into the siphon will fall out.

7. After cleaning, let the water settle for half an hour.
8. Strain the settled water and pour back into the aquarium.

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Useful recommendations for making a siphon with your own hands and its storage:

• The hose should have an internal diameter of 0.8 to 1.2 cm. The main thing is that it is no larger than the diameter of the smallest pebbles in the aquarium.
• It is better that the hose is transparent. Thus, you will notice a blockage in time if it occurs.
• It should be borne in mind that corrugated, reinforced and other reinforced structures for a hose of this purpose are not at all suitable. The best option for the material is polyvinyl chloride, which is compact, flexible and lightweight.
• Keep the hose folded without creases. Otherwise, cracks may form in the places of kinks.

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Stock footage

Now, knowing what a siphon is and how to clean it, your aquarium will become even more beautiful, and the fish will be more healthy. It is not difficult to buy a device, but it is also easy to make a siphon for the aquarium with your own hands. Here the choice will depend only on the financial capabilities, desires and convenience of the aquarist.