Why can't I get my ammonia to go down?

[Colin_T]

and if filter, tank and substrate was all getting hosed off with chlorinated tap water, resetting the cycle or at least causing a mini cycle every time! What a pain. I'd never have taken up the hobby if we still had to do that! But, people were using hosing or whatever to create a syphon by sucking on the end of it to empty tanks for a long time before the 80s though, right? Just without the bigger bell bit on the end?

Yes the weekly or monthly clean wiped the filter bacteria out and started the tank cycling again.

Some people used hoses to drain water out of the tank, others used plastic buckets to scoop it out.

I remember seeing Python gravel cleaners advertised in TFH magazines back in the mid 80s but don't recall seeing the adds in earlier mags.