Aquarium Vaccuum Thingy

[stoneagedinosaur]

Hi folks - every Aquarium Vaccuum Cleaner wotsit I look at goes to a depth of 52cm but my tank is 58cm deep. Anyone know of one that goes deeper? I have 3 BN plecos (How couild I resist?) and they sure do make some poop so I need to vaccuum between water changes

 

[yabadaba]

I use the Eheim battery operated one and it reaches to the bottom of my aquarium with no trouble. It includes a removable extension piece and the battery compartment is watertight so no issues with submerging the whole device. Not sure of the exact length, but does fine in my 5x2x2 tank...I'd thoroughly recommend it.

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

I use the Eheim battery operated one and it reaches to the bottom of my aquarium with no trouble. It includes a removable extension piece and the battery compartment is watertight so no issues with submerging the whole device. Not sure of the exact length, but does fine in my 5x2x2 tank...I'd thoroughly recommend it.

Thanks yabadaba, Ill have a hunt for one

 

[OldMan47]

In my LFS I can find gravel vacs with the large tube measuring from about 30cm to about 60cm. They hang next to each other on the rack.

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

In my LFS I can find gravel vacs with the large tube measuring from about 30cm to about 60cm. They hang next to each other on the rack.

Only got the syphons in mine - my plecos mean that I need to vac in the week between water changes...

 

[salty pig]

Hi folks - every Aquarium Vaccuum Cleaner wotsit I look at goes to a depth of 52cm but my tank is 58cm deep. Anyone know of one that goes deeper? I have 3 BN plecos (How couild I resist?) and they sure do make some poop so I need to vaccuum between water changes

I have just googled the eheim vac and it does have some interesting reviews and comments.Im also reading a book about how its important not to disturb the sand or gravel too much coz it houses some important bacteria, bit like the media in a filter, If its too clean its no good can we have some comments on this please ??

 

[OldMan47]

The sand and gravel in a tank using a undergravel filter does indeed contain much needed bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. In our modern tanks with powered filters internal or external, that is much less of a concern and the bacterial presence in the gravel is very small. To get good bacteria growth, you need decent water flow and good oxygen content. Our modern filters have all of that flow going on inside them, not in your substrate.
As it turns out, the older advice to avoid disturbing the substrate was just wrong in many ways. Even on a tank using a UGF, the gravel needs to be well cleaned. It not only contained the bacteria but also contained all of the fish wastes. The bacteria grow in thin coatings on surfaces that get good flow and good oxygen so the surface of each bit of gravel became coated in bacteria. Unless you removed the gravel and scrubbed it, you would not have affected that part. Unless you cleaned the gravel regularly, you would end up with a layer of fish waste under the filter plate and the filtration flow would basically stop.
Do not be surprised when you find out that a book, especially one written some time ago, has advice that has since been proven wrong. It takes a long time to publish a book, not just to print it, and we learn things all the time. Many books are written by "experts" in their field who have accumulated information over a very long time. Unfortunately, the notes they rely on when writing may have been researched with the best information available at the time, many years earlier. That means the time lag on a growing and improving hobby like ours can be much too long to get all of the facts right.

 

[salty pig]

The sand and gravel in a tank using a undergravel filter does indeed contain much needed bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. In our modern tanks with powered filters internal or external, that is much less of a concern and the bacterial presence in the gravel is very small. To get good bacteria growth, you need decent water flow and good oxygen content. Our modern filters have all of that flow going on inside them, not in your substrate.
As it turns out, the older advice to avoid disturbing the substrate was just wrong in many ways. Even on a tank using a UGF, the gravel needs to be well cleaned. It not only contained the bacteria but also contained all of the fish wastes. The bacteria grow in thin coatings on surfaces that get good flow and good oxygen so the surface of each bit of gravel became coated in bacteria. Unless you removed the gravel and scrubbed it, you would not have affected that part. Unless you cleaned the gravel regularly, you would end up with a layer of fish waste under the filter plate and the filtration flow would basically stop.
Do not be surprised when you find out that a book, especially one written some time ago, has advice that has since been proven wrong. It takes a long time to publish a book, not just to print it, and we learn things all the time. Many books are written by "experts" in their field who have accumulated information over a very long time. Unfortunately, the notes they rely on when writing may have been researched with the best information available at the time, many years earlier. That means the time lag on a growing and improving hobby like ours can be much too long to get all of the facts right.

Thanks for your comments, half of the time I read these books and I end up feeling more confused then before I started. Im very grateful for members like yourself who have looked at and possibly tried these different ways and are willing to pass your experiences and information on to less knowledgeable fish keepers like myself. So thanks for your valuable input, and that not only goes out to you but too everyone who has suggested things or topics which have helped other members. That's what makes this Forum so good...Cheers Salty P.