Can You Not Siphon A Tank That's On The Floor?

[Zekumi]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I have tried over and over to siphon my 30 gallon that's flat on the floor, and I can't seem to get it to work at all.
I'll be sitting there for over a half and hour and I'll have only managed to get about 1/4 of a bucket full from repeated attempts.

And unfortunately, the tank is bigger than every non-floor surface in my room, so I have no option but to leave it in the floor until I'm able to get a job and buy a stand for it.

 

[Mikaila31]

Well a syphon needs gravity to work. You can syphon a tank on the floor, but it takes longer, because it is slower. You would have to use a bucket shorter than the tank and syphon into the bucket. Or use a cup and bail the water out......

 

[Zekumi]

What I've been doing to compensate is about a 3 gallon water change every other day or every three days or so. I remove a gallon, then add a new gallon to disturb any debris that's in the gravel/at the bottom (I have biggish stones, so it's kind of difficult).
Once the debris is disturbed, I remove another gallon or two there and then and try to net up any of the larger fish excrement that might be floating about.

But I'm worried this is unhealthy for my fish? The water settles and is very clear after about 10 or 15 minutes, but even so. Should I remove them when I do this?
My Honey Gourami appears to have developed Dropsy in the last day or two, and I'm completely disheartened. If I'm doing something wrong and my fish are suffering due to it, I'd very much like to correct my mistakes before any more of them get ill.


I was really hoping I could buy one of those siphons that hooks right to the sink ... Would that work, or would the gravity issue still be a problem? This is my first aquarium, so I'm kind of lost as to what will work/what won't siphon-wise. I've never even seen it done before.

Anyhow. Any help at all would be appreciated.

 

[pammy172]

Syphoning from anything that is not higher than the destination will not work. You could use an electric pump - how about a cheap small internal filter? Using the motor bit and inlet tube only. Keep the plug and socket well away of course!! But use the inlet pipe as set up with the guard on it to protect the fish and connect the outlet to a length of tube into your bucket. Get someone else to turn it on and off to avoid a shockand away you go. When your bucket is full simply lift it out to stop the flow? Just a thought.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Use a long hose and site the open end (outlet) anywhere at a lower elevation than the tank.... (like about 2 foot down the outside drain).... make sure you leave some water in the hose,... suck at the inlet side of it, block it with your thumb when the water gets to the top, submerge the inlet side below the water level in your tank and release your thumb.... The water will flow.

 

[scotlad]

I use a power head and a hose attached works a treat.

 

[paulbr1]

If you have a long hose and a drain as mentioned and if it is feasable - slowly coil your hose in to the water so it fills completly, then put your finger over the drain end and get somebody to hold the hose in the tank, once you have the drain end in the "drain" assuming the drain end is lower than the tank end - remove finger and presto! no need to suck either!!