How do you syphon the water out of a fish tank...?

Question

...without getting the water in your mouth?

Answer 1

Take a hose and put one end in the tank and have the other end out side the tank lower than the one end in the tank. Attach a turkey baster to the end outside of the tank. squeeze the bulb part a few times and the water should start flowing through the tube with no problem.

Answer 2

This is a simple procedure. Do the following:

1. Know the size of your tank. If its a 10 gallon tank, make sure you have empty plastic containers that can hold 10 gallons. Position these containers close to the tank but lower than the bottom of the tank. My guess is that you would locate them on the floor next to the tank.

2. Get a hose, preferable a clear one, The minimum length shoud be so that one end of the hose reaches the bottom of the tank and the other end extends below the bottom of the tank by atleast 12 inches. I have a 5 foor hose that works on all my tanks.

3. Put one end of the hose into the tank to a depth about one inch above the gravel or the bottom of the tank. This is so you don't syphon the gravel but only the water.

4. Hold the other end of the hose over one of the plastic containers. Suck the end of the hose until the water starts coming out. One it starts draining, just watch to make sure the plastic container does not over flow. When the plastic container starts to get full, switch the hose to the other container. (we used to syphon gas like this when I was in high school).

5. To stop the water from draining, just put your thumb over the end of the hose in the plastic container and raise it above the height of the fish tank.

You can also purchase a syphon hose at one the the local per shops. These are easier to use. When you purchase it, ask the pet shop workers how to use it properly. They make different kinds so its best to ask.

Another way is to dip the water out and dump it into the containers. Just use a plastic tupperware picture and dip the water. I do this sometimes when only removing part of the water.

Once you get most the water out and if you have gravel you want to syphon also, they make a gravel pump. You can actually use your syphon hose to pump the gravel provided you make sure you stir the gravel with the water so that it goes through the hose easily.

Wish you the best of luck. Once you decide and actually start you will find that its easier than you think.

Answer 3

Fish Tank Syphon

Answer 4

You shouldn't start the siphon by mouth. Too many possibilities of medications, tank chemicals, fish poo, etc. (plus the remnants of last cleaning's water that may be lurking a little closer to your end of the hose than you realize!).

You can put the thin end into a bucket and use the wide end to "scoop" water a few times (ho many will depend on the size/length. Once water starts flowing through the hose, it will create enough "pull" that all you have to do is put the wide end into the tank and wait a few seconds for all the air to be pulled out.

Note: You shouldn't remove all the water when you clean a tank - only around 25%. And you want to get the end of the siphon down into the gravel where the gunk accumulates. The purpose of doing water changes is to remove the built-up ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc. If you leave the waste by just siphoning or scooping the water (on an ongoing basis), it just builds up and decomposes creating more of a waste problem.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmaint.htm

Answer 5

Fish Tank Siphon

Answer 6

Gravel vacuum is the best option. Python is probably the most popular. http://www.pythonproducts.com/a-gws.html

If you can't afford or can't find one, use a CLEAR hose to siphon your tank so you can see when the water in the hose is lower than the end of the hose you have in your tank (and before you get a mouthful of fishwater). Once that happens, the water should siphon out.

Answer 7

there are pumps designed for such a case. if u just have a hose, completely submerge the hose in the tank, taking care to let all the air out. then use ur finger to plug up one end. draw that end out of the water and place it in a container/bucket lower then the tank. then release ur finger. water pressure will force the water thru the hose as long as one end is lower then the other. if u have a long hose and are near your garden, just release the hose into the garden. you'll be watering/fertilizing your garden while removing water from your tank.

Answer 8

buy one of those siphoning tubes from a local pet store, even walmart has them for sale. You just create a suction by inverting the sucking tube in water until no water bubbles are there, and just keep pumping the suction part in the tank until the the water pressure is strong enough to make the siphon tube suck the water out of the tank.

Answer 9

You got to be quick! lol Try this... Put the whole entire hose in the fish tank so it fills up with water, put your thumb on one end ... put that end lower than the waterline in a bucket.
Ps. Keep the other end in the tank.

Answer 10

You can get a good siphon at stores like petco, or petsmart. Some work differently. For mine (got it at petco), I just have to shake it up and down, while its underwater, and then it starts. I also use an empty gallon carton of milk, to put the dirty water in.