Easy Start Syphon

[Mzungu]

Easy start siphon: hook up your gravel vac tube to hosing. Position end of hose in spot where you would like it to drain (i.e., the yard, bathtub, toilet, bucket, etc.). Place gravel vac in tank and let it fill with water. Lift out of water upright and let water drain out into hosing until the gravel vac tube is about half-empty. Dunk gravel vac back under water upright, let fill with water, then turn upside down so the opening is facing the gravel. The suction should already be going, and you can just start vacuuming away! :)

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[jarrodaden]

Easy start siphon: hook up your gravel vac tube to hosing. Position end of hose in spot where you would like it to drain (i.e., the yard, bathtub, toilet, bucket, etc.). Place gravel vac in tank and let it fill with water. Lift out of water upright and let water drain out into hosing until the gravel vac tube is about half-empty. Dunk gravel vac back under water upright, let fill with water, then turn upside down so the opening is facing the gravel. The suction should already be going, and you can just start vacuuming away! :)

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Somehow in the 2 years I have been maintaining tanks, I never was told about this trick. It inspired my latest youtube video. Thanks for the tip Mzungu!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_lFtqsg6GY

[uneek76]

This is a GREAT tip. I can't believe this one isn't told to people more often.lol

[cichlid1409]

good tip. been doing this for quite some time. although it doesn't work on my 1 1/4" drain hose since it doesn't have the additional gravel vac piece. Did you just learn this one MB?

[Mzungu]

Wow, my post was made into its own thread! Cool!

Yay me. Thanks, whoever did that, and I can't believe I missed it. I needed that today, lol.

I've been doing this since I got my first tank about 8-9 years ago. I don't even remember where/from whom I learned the tip! FYI, this was from before there were those FANCY 'self-start' gravel vacs. (I'm also one of those people that reads the instructions on things they buy - there's a little part of me that wants to say I read this on the instructions to my very first gravel vac. )

[jarrodaden]

After I made the video, Traci made it into an article. She pm'd me about that. You are on youtube too!