How to Make an Aquarium Siphon

An aquarium siphon, or gravel vacuum, is an excellent tool to use for removing debris from your fish tank. This "gentle" siphon is a little slower than regular siphons. However, it's better to use for smaller tanks, such as tanks being used to raise fry, and for hospital and quarantine tanks. Once you begin using this siphon, you'll find that it's highly efficient for removing gunk from smaller tanks, and you won't be disturbing your fish. But maybe the best part is that the gentle siphon will cost you little, if anything, to make.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plastic water bottle, 16 to 32 oz. size Aquarium air tubing Noniodized salt Hobby or pocket knife Scissors Aquarium sealant

Making the Siphon

1. Rinse the plastic water bottle in clean water. Don't use any soap or detergent to clean it. If you must clean the bottle, use a paste made with noniodized salt and a little warm water. This is safe for the residents of your aquarium.

2. Take off the bottle's lid. Bore two holes just barely big enough to squeeze the aquarium tubing through into the top of the lid. You can use either a drill or a hobby or pocket knife for this.

3. Cut two pieces of aquarium air tubing with scissors. One should be 8 to 12 inches long, and the other should be 2 to 3 feet long.

4. Stick the end of the shorter piece of air tubing through one of the holes in the lid. There should be about 1/4 inch of tubing poking through the bottom of the lid. Stick enough of the longer piece of tubing into the other hole in the top of the lid until the end extends from the bottom of the lid almost to the bottom of the inside of the bottle.

5. Apply aquarium sealant to the holes around the tubing on both the top and the bottom of the lid. Allow the sealant to dry according to the packaging instructions.

6. Drop the longer piece of air tubing into the bottle, and tighten the lid very well. Your gentle aquarium siphon is now ready for you to use.

Using the Siphon

7. Double-check that the lid is closed very tightly.

8. Put the loose end of the longer tube into the aquarium.

9. Hold the bottle outside of the tank and below the bottom of the aquarium water's lowest point. Suck on the shorter tube to start the flow of water. Don't worry, you won't get any water in your mouth unless you let the bottle fill up completely. Once the water begins flowing well, you won't need to suck anymore.

10. Move the longer tube over the bottom of the aquarium to vacuum up debris. Vacuum plants, ornaments, corners and crevices as well as the tank's bottom.

11. Regulate the force of the suction by partially covering the end of the shorter tube with a finger. This will slow down the suction a little. Or you can speed things up by sucking on the shorter tube again.

Tips & Warnings

• Use only a plastic drink bottle. Other types of plastic bottles are often made of materials that can absorb chemicals over a period of time.
• Never use detergents or soaps to clean any part of an aquarium siphon. The scum usually can't be rinsed off well enough, and it will harm your fish. Follow the instructions on the sealant package carefully to avoid making a sticky mess with it.