Fish Keeping Forum: vacuuming gravel

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just wondered how often every1 vaccums there gravel??

is it normal to almost half empty my tank in around a minute or so when vacuuming?? 

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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Topic: vacuuming gravel Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:34pm
	just wondered how often every1 vaccums there gravel?? is it normal to almost half empty my tank in around a minute or so when vacuuming??

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kirstyandjack Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 December 2009 Last Active: Today Posts: 112 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 8	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:42pm
	How big is your tank? I vacuum 60 litres out of mine (3 buckets full - I normally do round the sand under the filter inlet each week and also move the wood as quite a lot gets trapped there so that is two buckets and then the other bucket is a wee swirl round the rest ) each week - doesn't take long to fill the buckets - takes me much longer to do the rest of the house with the dyson ...lol!
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 27 July 2010 at 10:51pm
	lol my tank is 75litre and i did almost 40% in just a minute or 2 on sunday! ive only vacuumed once in over 4 weeks of there being fish in there! i think i should be doing this a bit more often then?
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Goonerman1 Moderators Marine Forum Moderator AquaTrax User: YES Joined: 20 December 2006 Last Active: Today Posts: 6321 Articles: 3 Member Rating: 390	Posted: 28 July 2010 at 7:48am
	Some of these vacuums do drain at a very quick rate (not enough time to clean the gravel before half your water's out!!) you could try tying a loose knot in the tubing,and tighten it a little at a time until you are happy with the flow.... that should sort things out Edited by Goonerman1 - 28 July 2010 at 7:48am
	Click here to see my 5x2x2 Marine set up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZRZMI34smU
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jennybugs Moderators AquaTrax User: YES Joined: 20 January 2008 Last Active: Yesterday Posts: 4085 Articles: 4 Member Rating: 392	Posted: 28 July 2010 at 2:50pm
	Also raising the height of the bucket the dirty water is draining in to will slow down the syphon effect as well
	Slowly, slowly, happy tanky! :D
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manutius Admin Group The Boss AquaTrax User: YES View My Setup Joined: 06 January 2006 Last Active: 03 September 2010 Posts: 16418 Articles: 9 Member Rating: 424	Posted: 28 July 2010 at 3:25pm
	Not one to over engineer things I just stick my finger over the end of the hose at the bucket end to regulate flow Its a doddle once you get the hang of it, it works well when you get inquisitive shrimp or danios inside the vaccuum nozzle I do all my gravel on all my tanks as my water change every 2 weeks, this is my prefeered timescale though if your tank is newer then weekly would be better
	15000+ posts and hardly any sense made or spellings correct
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big-mike Novice AquaTrax User: no Joined: 31 May 2010 Last Active: 29 August 2010 Posts: 142 Articles: 0 Member Rating: 2	Posted: 29 July 2010 at 8:47pm
	my thumb over the end of the pipe was my 1st thought will give that a try hopefully will get more in the bucket than on the carpet this time once a week it is thanks all for the help AGAIN lol
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