Gravel Vacuum help?

Question

Hi, I have a gravel vacuum but inside the tube part (some parts) are really dirty. How can I clean the gravel vacuum or do I need to buy a new one???

Answer 1

I wouldn't worry about it. The water passing the dirt is on the way out, not in.
I clean aquariums for a living. I have a 6.5 gallon bucket for waste water and a 5 gallon bucket for clean water. In my station wagon I keep a 5 gallon bucket with 4 oz of Clorox to sanitize equipment and another 5 gallon bucket of plain water to rinse it off. When I go to the client's location, I rinse my gear again.
While nothing looks all that "spiffy", because I clean 15-20 tanks a week, I have never infected any tank either.

Answer 2

What you're seeing is probably some bacterial/algae growth inside the hose. You can get rid of it by soaking the hose in a mild bleach solution (about 1 part bleach to 19 parts water) for about 15 minutes, then rinsing well. I use an old dishpan for mine. You have to start at one end and make sure all parts inside the hose don't have any air bubbles.

In the future, when you do a water change rinse out the gravel vac in the sink in very hot water, then hang it up so any water in the line can run out. This will keep the moisture out so you won't get as much build-up inside the hose.

Answer 3

Make a solution of 50% water / 50% chlorine bleach and soak for a few hours Then use a brush, toothbrush, even pipe cleaners for the tricky areas. The scum will come off easily. This IS safe as chlorine does not bond with plastic /PV polymers. If you want to be really safe then soak it in water mixed with a triple dose of neutraliser, but this is really not necessary. Do not use scented bleach as the scents are usually chemical ester based and may bond then leech into the tank.

To avoid this problem in future, make sure to wash out the vacuum in warm tap water. There is enough chlorine in the tap water to kill any residue. Never use detergents for the same reason mentioned above (chemical esters)

Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Run hot water through it and brush out all you can with an old toothbrush. It really won't hurt anything for it to be a bit dirty.

MM

Answer 5

if you go to wal-mart you can buy a wire brush (in the fish section) for about $3 American. this should help.

Answer 6

Pipe cleaner and warm water!