DIY gravel vacuum

[terrorist_124]

i have a bare bottom fry tank and i need a gravel vac to clean it

i dont want to buy one
can anyone help

 

[jimbooo]

cant you just use a piece of tubing as a syphon and move it around the bottom. if you haven't got gravel you shouldn't need the bigger tube which comes with a shop bought one.

 

[BigC]

In the past I have cut a clear johnson's baby shampoo bottle in half keep the neck end and connect a piece of hose to it and use as a syphon. Digging the wide open end into the gravel will suck up all the detrius. Yes the gravel will be disturbed to a certain degree but nothing you cant live with.
Hope this is of some help to you
BigC

 

[Lateral Line]

I used to make gravel vacs from old under gravel filter uplift tubes, a bored cork, and a length of airline. In a bare bottomed tank though, it shouldn't be necessary.

 

[BigC]

oops!
I diden't see the bare bottomed bit. Syphon tube then cause there's no gravel to clean. For fry tanks I just use a piece of airline as the syphon tube, nudging the fry out of the way as I go.

 

[Jen]

you could take a small pop or water bottle, cut off the bottom, and stick some clean hose around the opening... like new garden hose.