How to Siphon an Aquarium

Calculate approximately the amount of water in liters that will have to be vacuumed.

Get a suitable bucket which allows you to minimize trips to empty it but which, at the same time, reaches a sustainable weight: remember that 1 liter of water weighs 1 kg.A bucket full of 20 liters of water, therefore, will weigh around 20 kg;Keep in mind though that you don't have to fill it completely.

Get a drainage kit. Aquarium pet stores typically sell fairly inexpensive drainage kits (usually clear plastic tubes).These long, rigid, clear plastic tubes are about 5 cm (or more) in diameter and 15 to 45 cm long;they are also open at one end, while they have an opening of approximately 1.5 cm in diameter on the opposite side.Also included is a rather long tube, about 1.5 cm in diameter, flexible and transparent.The two pipes will be connected to each other.The 1.5cm hose should be long enough to reach the farthest point inside the aquarium, pass over it and reach the inside of the bucket.You can place the bucket wherever you like, as long as its top remains below the bottom of the aquarium.If this is very wide, additional pipework and other joints may be required.If you prefer, you can cut off the excess tubing.

Connect the vacuum cleaner Connect the wide hard plastic tubing to the 1.5cm hose (if they aren't already joined). The aim of weekly maintenance is to remove solid debris and change approximately 25% of the water contained in the aquarium.This procedure will allow you to do both at the same time.

Wash your hands carefully. Do not put your hands into an aquarium without washing and rinsing them thoroughly.Marine plants and animals can react negatively to dirt, soap etc.

Let the water enter the vacuum cleaner. Place the open end of the larger vacuum tube into the aquarium, so that the water replaces the air inside.Slowly immerse the remaining length of tubing into the aquarium.The tube should be immersed in the tank so that the water continues to replace the air along its entire length.If you do this correctly, there should be no air left inside the tube and tubing (or only a very small amount).

Grab the pipe suction and direct the open end against the bottom of the aquarium.

Grab the exhaust end narrower than the flexible hose. While still submerged, have someone help you seal the end by placing a finger over the opening. Be careful not to break the seal.

Lift the exhaust end of the tubing and let it exit the aquarium. Place it in the bucket.Make sure the intake end is still at the bottom of the aquarium and remove your finger from the exhaust end.Water will begin to flow from the aquarium into the bucket.

Hold the drain end directly into the bucket, at the same time delicately moving the aspirator along the bottom of the aquarium. Your helper should direct the drain hose inside the bucket.Raise the vacuum enough to clean the gravel and immerse it inside, until it almost reaches the glass bottom of the aquarium.Hold it still until the water inside the aspirator becomes clear and until the entire seabed is free of waste.

Stop the flow of water raising the drain end so that it is higher than the remaining water level in the aquarium, or sealing the opening with your finger. Raising the mouth of the aspirator above the water level in the aquarium would require you to pass the water back through the various tubes if you needed to perform additional drainage.