How To Siphon Aquarium Water?

[Platy lover]

My mom made me get rid of the 30 gallon tub I was using to put the siphoned water in and I was wondering how you siphon water to tell my mom she was wrong in saying just scooping just water out of the aquarium without cleaning the gravel isn't just stupid but bad for the health of my fish. I have a gravel vacuum and I know how to clean it but I mainly want to prove my mom wrong because I think she is just doing this as a way to get rid of my aquarium which has almost $300 put into it.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm not entirely sure what it is you're saying?

If your mum is telling you that just scooping water out is ok, and that gravel cleaning is bad for your fish, then yes, she is wrong.

Water changing is not just about water (although that is, of course, important) but all the fish poop and any uneaten food that falls to th bottom of the tank also needs removing, or it will eventually build up.

If you didn't syphon out water and clean the gravel, then you would have a filthy, smelly tank full of sick fish, which would be even worse for your mum to put up with than some buckets of water.

Best of luck.

 

[Essjay]

I siphon the tank into a bucket, but my biggest tank is only 125 litres (about 33 galls). I have to empty the bucket a couple of times during each water change, but I can't carry a big bucket.

If you have a bigger tank, why not use a hose pipe to empty it, either put the other end out of the window or down the sink, or get a python to attach to the tap - this will start the siphon for you so you don't have to suck on the hose to start it. Though I can see if your mom doesn't like your fish she'll have a problem with that too.


Tell your mom you do need to siphon the gravel. Tell her just scooping the water out is like her using a bucket for all her bodily functions then just pouring the liquid off the top leaving the solid behind to build up Siphoning the tank is the equivalent of flushing the toilet.

 

[pyrofishtoo]

Will your mom buy you a Python?

 

[Tizer]

hes having a hard enough time with his fish let alone other pets...

HAHAH etc.

i'll get my coat on the way out...

 

[orandas]

hes having a hard enough time with his fish let alone other pets...

HAHAH etc.

i'll get my coat on the way out...

lol cheesy joke.....it is an odd name....whats wrong with aquaurium hose or water change hose......too many generic words?!

 

[raptorrex]

My mom made me get rid of the 30 gallon tub I was using to put the siphoned water in and I was wondering how you siphon water to tell my mom she was wrong in saying just scooping just water out of the aquarium without cleaning the gravel isn't just stupid but bad for the health of my fish. I have a gravel vacuum and I know how to clean it but I mainly want to prove my mom wrong because I think she is just doing this as a way to get rid of my aquarium which has almost $300 put into it.

yes, there is nothing to stop you just putting a pipe on the tank, and syphoning water straight out to a drain.
and if you only do 75% of your water change that way.
you can clean the gravel (syphoning into a small bucket) with the remaining 25%.

I see no reason for a python. your tank is too small to warrant it.

 

[waterdrop]

Perhaps the message from your Mom is indirect? We've had a number of cases where the members have been able to give kids some ideas to try out for talking to their parents about their tanks (after all, a lot of the members are parents themselves.)

It is possible from what you say that there was something about your process that was bothering your Mom. Perhaps she was worried about her furniture, rug or something else getting wet. Or who knows? It could be anything, but the fact that she got rid of your bucket seems to be (unless I'm reading more into this than is really there) saying something.

One of the suggestions I've heard is that it can be more effective to actually -schedule- a chance to sit down and talk. Ask her to pick the time and place such that it does not interrupt her schedule and such that she can give you her full attention. Perhaps start by focusing on her and seeing if any aspect of your hobby or the tank is bothering her. Only after that can you perhaps talk about why you like the hobby and ways you could accomodate her concerns. Perhaps at some point you'd have a chance to explain about the gravel cleaning being quite important, but I wouldn't hit her too hard with the technical stuff unless she's interested.

~~waterdrop~~
(by the way, you are right of course, gravel cleaning is quite important and I agree with the others comments up there about various ways to do it.)

 

[This Old Spouse]

I'm still confused about why she would make you get rid of the 30g tub you were using? Too big and splashed a lot? What about using a 5 gallon bucket? It's what I use for all my tanks, and although it's a lot of work, it's easily moved from floor to sink.

 

[Platy lover]

I'm still confused about why she would make you get rid of the 30g tub you were using? Too big and splashed a lot? What about using a 5 gallon bucket? It's what I use for all my tanks, and although it's a lot of work, it's easily moved from floor to sink.

Only reason she gave me was that nobody else had a tub infront of their aquarium.

 

[Essjay]

Do you mean you leave the tub you siphon your water into sitting permanently in front of the tank? I think I'd get fed up of my bucket sitting in front of my tank permanently.
I use a 12 litre bucket to siphon the water into, making 3 trips to the drain with my biggest tank, two trips with the middle one and one with the smallest, then the bucket gets put away in the garage till next water change.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

So, the problem is appearance and probably size. I can understand that. My wife wasn't in favor of the large tank I got at first either. But, now that I have it up and running she likes it. The thing she likes the most is that all of the fish supply stuff is in the cabinet that the tank sits on. So, all she sees is the tank and the fish. She doesn't see my 5 gallon bucket, the testing supplies, the food, the bottles of dechlorinator, the algae scrapper, the siphon hoses, or anything else. Not knowing where this tank actually is located makes it difficult to figure out all the details, but wouldn't there be somewhere that you can store all your supplies until needed that is out of the way and out of sight?

A 5 gallon bucket is a good option - they are cheap, they are available at any hardware store, and they have lids! You can put all the stuff in there to store in between uses and you would just need a spot to store that bucket.

 

[kittylover63]

I understand your moms way of thinking. It looked like an eye sore. I small 5 gallon bucket looks a lot better next to the tank then a 30 gallon. Maybe you can take it out of the area and put it in a closet so that it will be out of sight.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Holy smokes. Yeah, I would have gotten fed up with a big tub in plain sight! And I'd imagine she may have asked you more than once to move it?

 

[CezzaXV]

A 30 gallon tub must be a pretty sizeable thing. My TANK is only 15 gallons!