# Can't Siphon water



## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

Im getting so mega frustrated and annoyed that i can't even siphon my aquarium water , it's been almost a month in my guppy tank with no water proper water change(though water evaporates in my tank so i have to replenish the water) I'm not so worried with my ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates cause my guppies seem to be doing well, since of the hornwort and amazon sword helping.Is it my siphon's quality problem? It was from walmart and looks kinda bad in quality sense. Is there a technique to doing this? Without using my mouth!


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

Alot of debris seems to be settling in the gravel ! Can someone explain how to do a proper water change step by step?


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## Dsharp (Apr 22, 2011)

exactly what did you purchase in order to do your water changes?


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

a siphon from walmart


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## duckyser (Oct 4, 2009)

look on youtube for a video on how to start a siphon. I have purchased siphons from walmart which have worked fine. 

If you still cant get the siphon working take a picture and well see if anything is broken.


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

Assuming your tank is higher than your bucket you should have no problem siphoning water out of your tank and into a bucket. Water flows down hill not up.

If you don't want to suck on the end of the gravel vacuum tubing you can buy one of the available siphon starter bulbs such as the one linked below.

I suggest you go to Big Al's or PetSmart and ask for a siphon starter bulb and ask them to show you how to do it. You can also watch the Python video that is usually playing non stop at most Big Al's locations. It helped me to understand how to push the vacuum tube into the gravel to get the crap out of the tank.

http://www.bigalspets.ca/Marina-Sip...olor_map,price,size_name&searchRank=salesrank
--
Paul


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

if i put my mouth on the tube will i get sick ,even if i dont swallow water by accident?


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

don't use your mouth, there is a hand pump that you can use to siphon the water out. Go to BigAls, buy one and ask them to show you


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

is it combatible with the ones at walmart ,how much does it cost? BTW might not be able to buy one can i buy bottom feeders to take care of my uneaten food problem


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*siphon*

i have a cheapie one that has a primer bulb incorperated into it works well but i also have a larger siphon that i have no prob starting i scoop water into the big tube lift it out of the water till the water starts draining the quickly put the big tube into the water so that the siphon will start . not sure if that makes sense to u . what area are u located in . any of the local fish stores can help u if u ask 
or if anyone is close to u maybe we can help u five us a location see whos close to you 
cheers 
tom


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

BoiBJ said:


> is it combatible with the ones at walmart ,how much does it cost? BTW might not be able to buy one can i buy bottom feeders to take care of my uneaten food problem


These bulbs are compatible with most gravel cleaners. You can't buy one however you can buy bottom feeders? I don't understand? If you click on the link you'll see that they only cost $8.99. Or you could just ask the folks at Big Al's to show you how to start a siphon without using one of these bulbs.

Its not just uneaten food that is a problem What about the fish poop? You have to use a gravel cleaner to siphon that crap out of your tank.
--
Paul


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

I'm in the scarborough region near miliken park so i have lots of lfs i can go to mainly asian lfs how much does thing u guys are talking about cost?


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

BoiBJ said:


> is it combatible with the ones at walmart ,how much does it cost? BTW might not be able to buy one can i buy bottom feeders to take care of my uneaten food problem


it will fit into the hose on the other end, ya you can buy bottom feeder but wouldn't you still have issues with siphoning the water out?


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

yeah but the reason i have to siphon is the uneaten food , i hate having to feed guppy fry lots of food in intervals! lots of uneaten food settle on the gravel ! and theres a risk of siphoning out my fry by accident so maybe a bottom feeder is a good idea maybe some sterbai cory cats?


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

oops sorry didnt read ur reply paul sorry yea ur rite im just being lazy again ok yea il just buy the siphon bulb lol my minds weird dont think things properly


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## CoryKat (Apr 8, 2011)

If you want to be really ghetto, you can use a turkey baster. I used it to start a siphon when my cheapie siphon couldn't get a good suction going without churning the water all to heck. It was handy and did the job.


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## peterpd99 (Oct 18, 2010)

tom g said:


> i have a cheapie one that has a primer bulb incorperated into it works well but i also have a larger siphon that i have no prob starting i scoop water into the big tube lift it out of the water till the water starts draining the quickly put the big tube into the water so that the siphon will start . not sure if that makes sense to u . what area are u located in . any of the local fish stores can help u if u ask
> or if anyone is close to u maybe we can help u five us a location see whos close to you
> cheers
> tom


Tom's got it right...I do the same thing..except I plugged the tube end with my thumb... when the tube is filled with water and put the siphoning end back into the water to fill in the air part until it's full...then release the thumb...water should drain freely at this point if your bucket is lower than your tank...get it? if all fails...Lucky's has one you might be interested in.


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

LOL you guys are paranoid!  I've been using my mouth to start siphons since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I did have an accident once or twice, but using clear hose helps a lot. Never got me sick or anything, just spit and rinse out your mouth if you get it in your mouth. Use a mouth sucking action rather than breathing in and you'll never accidentally breathe in water.

I will agree that height plays a big factor. Get the bucket you're siphoning into as low as possible.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

How to start a siphon:


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

BoiBJ said:


> if i put my mouth on the tube will i get sick ,even if i dont swallow water by accident?


No you won't get sick if you wipe it off. You could dip it in bleach water if you are concerned. If you don't want to use your mouth, fill the hose with water from a tap, hold your thumb over the drain end, out the fill end in the tank while holding the drain end over the bucket and release.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Just buy one of these at the dollar store and save your self the grievances.





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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

Everyone (including myself) suggested the hand pump or bulb which is good and I actually still have one but trust me get a water changer kit so you can dump the water from the other end of the hose directly to toilet and fill the water back directly from the tap. This will actually make water change not such a drag ... hauling buckets and filling buckets...


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

so the basic idea is to just get the air out of the siphon tube? OK thanks guys! I'll try the turkey baster or something to get the air out , if that doesn't work ill try my mouth if all fails i'll go on you tube and look at some tutorials , then if this all fails i'll get the siphon bulb (yes im cheap and don't like getting out of the house i'm a kid don't blame me)


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## KG20 (Aug 13, 2011)

i dont get this at all. just suck into the end of it. the water wont reach the other end unless its a super short siphon


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## peterpd99 (Oct 18, 2010)

Zebrapl3co said:


> Just buy one of these at the dollar store and save your self the grievances.


This is the exact same one at Lucky's...really they sell these at the $store?


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

peterpd99 said:


> This is the exact same one at Lucky's...really they sell these at the $store?


The ones at most dollar stores have a fairly short hose. But some have the longer ones. I've seen them around. I'll post a link to their location if I ever come across them.
I think I remember seeing it here, but need to verify (it's in the Indian/Pakistani (sorry, I wasn't paying attention) dollar type store:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll...DR0W0dlTzhXrJZ7icuJujg&cbp=12,166.43,,2,-0.72

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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

BoiBJ said:


> if i put my mouth on the tube will i get sick ,even if i dont swallow water by accident?


Please correct me if I'm wrong but IIRC the only thing I know that is transferable to humans off the top of my head is fish TB. As in fish tuburculocios.

That is one of the things I've heard of being warned about with the mouth suck suction start. I myself do the mouth suction start but I don't put my mouth on the hose. I put the hose between by thumb and index fingerV area to make a little seal then suck start and quickly put my finger over the tube hole as I put the hose into water change bucket.

BTW to control water flow you can bend the hose like kinking it.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

50seven said:


> LOL you guys are paranoid!  I've been using my mouth to start siphons since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I did have an accident once or twice, but using clear hose helps a lot. Never got me sick or anything, just spit and rinse out your mouth if you get it in your mouth. Use a mouth sucking action rather than breathing in and you'll never accidentally breathe in water.
> 
> I will agree that height plays a big factor. Get the bucket you're siphoning into as low as possible.


Yup height and if the hose is long then more reaction time to move the hose away from the mouth if the tubing is clear. I never bought long hose before that I can remember. I just use like a 3ft clear hose so I'm use to the quick movement of the suck start and finger hole plug. Never did like 'picses agua de culo'.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

AquaNeko said:


> Please correct me if I'm wrong but IIRC the only thing I know that is transferable to humans off the top of my head is fish TB. As in fish tuburculocios.


That is totally false. TB is just one of the nastier things you can get from tank water, but e coli and salmonella are also biggies.

Any rotting debris in the tank can potentially make one ill. Rotting debris is what produces ammonia (among other things)....


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

7 tanks, 1 5gal bucket, 1 hose. Thats my water change system. Swallowing water won't get you sick.


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

*NO NEED TO SUCK ON SIPHON or use bulb!*

You can just immerse the entire thing in water and move it around to let the bubbles out. Then put your thumb over the end that will go in the bucket, hold down the other end, and release your thumb. Simple.


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

You could always hire one of them to do the tank cleaning for you. 

http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19555


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*syphon*

have u figured it out yet let us know did u go to LFS and get them to show u


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

LOl AquaNeko hire a guy? Oh i got my aunt to teach me!


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*syphon*

so u are all good now ,


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

BoiBJ said:


> LOl AquaNeko hire a guy? Oh i got my aunt to teach me!


No.. click the link then click on the link I have in there.. argh... it was joke or not here.....

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=3321

Save you the clicking around. Enjoy.


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## BoiBJ (Aug 10, 2011)

tom g yup im all good


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## peterpd99 (Oct 18, 2010)

AquaNekoMobile said:


> No.. click the link then click on the link I have in there.. argh... it was joke or not here.....
> 
> http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=3321
> 
> Save you the clicking around. Enjoy.


This is hilarious 
now I know what business to start...and I know all you guys will stop cleaning your tanks.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

LOL!! I have seen that before. I do a tank cleaning job for someone once a month. It is pretty good $$, but the drive is longer than I would like. I get $30 per trip and it is usually about 1 hours work.

And I am no beautiful model


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## Fishlover_680 (May 5, 2009)

*water change*

You can fill the siphon full with water from the tap. Then you cover up the both ends with your hand and carefully lower one sipping tube into the tank so that the siphon is still full of water. Once the sipping part is in the water, release the hand and put the tube in the bucket and then move your hand (or finger). Water would start to come out. You do not have to use your mouth.

In case you have to use your mouth, once you see the water to start to come out, move your mouth. The water would keep on flowing out and you would not have to swallow the water.


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