Wait! I just had an Idea! Siphoning Detritus

[Ted_C]

I'm sure we've all had some crazy ideas on how to keep our tanks clean from week to week. I know I have.

I tried to implement a venturi siphon once. http://www.millerplastics.com/eductors/ Didn't work. The flow you have going through the pipes with a normal hobbyist return pump doesn't come close to the requirements to get a good siphon going. Detritus would only go up about 3" in the hose before falling back down.

Of course I can get a hose and start a mouth siphon into a filter sock. That's what I'm doing now.

I dont want to set up a garden hose siphon. I'm trying to keep all of the water circulating in the aquarium when I siphon. I dont do my water changes by draining anything from the display - only draining the sump and replacing the water in the sump.

What if you were to Tee off the full siphon from the bean overflow. Put a hose on the tee that has a valve to be opened when your ready to siphon and put the end in your display for siphoning (the hose would normally be closed so the beananmimal runs correctly)? Of course you'd probably be messing with the beananimal flow characteristics while you siphon but once your done - close the valve and re-start the pumps to re-establish the normal flow.

I'm thinking of redoing my 150 plumbing so I might give this a try.

 

[MJNTWise]

There's a thread in DIY thread of people doing this...I will see if I can find it....

 

[Ted_C]

While I'm at - i'm looking for some solution to siphon the 310. It's 32" wide and 24" tall with rock work blocking my hose. I think I need some sort of ridged tubing or something (maybe that 1/4" ro tubing would do the trick).

This is a pic of the area where the detritus seems to settle. my siphon hose can go in at a 45 degree angle no problem - but then it's like I need to turn it back by another 90 degrees to get under those back rocks.

When I place the hose in the tank - it's got that bit of a loop that prevents you from getting to the places that detritus settles. it's too floppy. And I dont have the reach to stabilize the hose and get it to the back of the 32"

I tried a foot long piece of 1/2 pvc on the end of the hose and it worked ok for the most extreme reach areas - but it can't get under the rock work or to the very base of the rocks or get into those nooks and crannys in the back.

I think I need a movable mirror too so I can see where I'm working.

 

[rogergolf66]

That's sounds like a lot of work why not add more flow in the area under the rocks to make the collection area to symphony easier to reach that what i did