Hi Cali
Cleaning a tank with a siphon is an easy thing to do once you learn how. And don't worry, you do not have to suck on the end of a hose to do it.
Siphoning works on the principle that gravity will cause water to run downhill. The thing you are siphoning from should always be above whatever you are siphoning into. This means that if you are siphoning dirt from your tank into a bucket, the bucket should be lower than the tank. Just put it on the floor. But, if you are siphoning clean water into the tank, the bucket will have to be held higher than the tank so the water will flow down into it. (It's probably easier to add water to the tank by just pouring it in gently from a cup or pitcher, whatever.)
To get the siphon started just fill it with water from the tank and while holding one end of it in the tank, put the other end down into the bucket. The water will flow downward until you stop it by raising the lower end above the level of the higher end. Then the water will flow out of the hose into the tank. Until you get a feel for how this works, just put the entire hose into the water to fill it.
If you want to stop it for a moment to change or empty the bucket, just hold your finger over the lower end and make the change. Or, while holding your finger over the lower end, put it into the tank. You will then have both ends in the tank and the hose will still be filled with water. You can leave it that way while you empty the bucket and restart the flow by taking the lower end out (with your finger held over it) and putting it back into the bucket.
These steps are basic to siphoning and can be done to change the water using any clean hose available. To actually clean the tank, you will need to penetrate the gravel and this is best done using a siphon hose purchased at your lfs called a gravel vac or some variation of that name. (The person who waits on you will know what you want.) This tool consists of a length of hose about 1/2 inch wide having a wider, hard plastic attachment on one end. This is the end you stick in the water to actually clean with. Mine came with an oval piece at the very end which I removed. I feel I have better control with just the round piece attached to the hose.
To clean the tank, start the siphoning, then plunge the plastic piece up and down into the gravel. When it is in the gravel you will see all the dirt being sucked out and flowing down the hose. If you lift it slightly, the suction will cause the gravel to seperate and release the dirt. Repeat this process until the tank is clean or until you have removed all the water you want to have removed.
When you have learned how to do this, you will be able to clean all the gravel in one session, but until then, you may have to clean half of the gravel one time and the other half the next. It just takes some practice.
This whole process may sound complicated, but it is not. Just give yourself some time to get used to doing it and the entire cleaning job will be done in just a few minutes. The fish will love you for it!
