how do i use my gravel cleaner?

Question

hi all,
i was jus wondering how i use my gravel cleaner?
i fink that is what it is!
its a long tube fing, with a plastic fing at the bottom, do i have suck the water up? how does it clean the gravel?
wont it suck the gravel and fish up to? thanks guys

also, can anybody tell me how many gallons my tank is? its L92cm W32cm H38cm....
i have 1mollie, 3neons, 1siamese fighter, 2 blue platies, 2red platies, 1gorami, 2 kuhli loaches, 2clown loaches and one plec
how many more fish could i put in there? as its lookin abit spacous. also what other fish can i put in with the ones ive got? thank you

by the way i did have 6 neons, as they like 2 school in groups of 6+, but 2 died when i first got them i think they wer to stressed, and one i believe to have been eaten, bcz i cant find him any where, is it possible that one of my other fish may have eaten it??

Answer 1

Your tank is just under 30 galolons.

Answer 2

These things can be a pain to get going. I have one and I have tried the electric ones too. However, the electric ones do not work as well as the manual ones I find.

To use a manual gravel siphon, do the following:

1) Fill the entire siphon with water from the tank including the hose.
2) Keep your finger on the end of the hose while filling the siphon
3) Once it is filled lift it up and down on the gravel until the gravel fills the siphon, then shake the gravel out of the siphon and repeat until about 1/3 of the water is emptied from the tank
4) Refill the tank with clean water and the treatment for the fish tank.

The gravel siphon should not suck the fish up provided you are careful and doing it properly!

Answer 3

Seems no one wants to tackle math today! I get just under 30 gallons.

ADDITION: Seems no one got back to you on the fish either. If your neons are getting along with eveyone, I'd get more of those about the size you have now or larger. Tetras are a schooling fish and like to be in groups of 6+. Any of the tetras would make a pretty site schooling in your tank.

Answer 4

I have one, at first it was hard but now its easy.

1. get a few big buckets
2.fill up the whole tube with water, no air allowed!(block the smaller side of the tube with thumb)
3put the wider side at the bottom of the tank at the gravel
4.clean the gravel using motion like you would with a vaccum cleaner

I hope this helped! goodluck!