Stupid Question

[RockyProndoa]

Ok... So I know I should be smart enough to figure this out, but....

I read a lot of posts about people vacuuming their sand bed and sumps, and other than getting a length of flexible tube and sucking on the end of it, how do you all accomplish this task?

[MrSexyShrimp]

Yup, that's it. Just make a siphon. If you get a hose with a wider end on one side, the vacuum will be a little bit weaker and it won't suck the sand up, just the debris.

[billdogg]

I use a python siphon - hooks to the sink - no buckets, no tank splooge in my mouth

[johnike]

Bill is correct again.
http://www.pythonproducts.com/

[RockyProndoa]

Oh yeah.... Forgot about the Python! Think I may even have one left over from my freshwater days.

[disc1]

Don't suck on the tube. You're not stealing gas here. Put the whole tube underwater. Put your thumb over the end. Pull that end out and don't take your thumb off until it is lower than the water level. Sucking on it is a good way to end up with a bad infection.

[cloak]

Oh yeah.... Forgot about the Python! Think I may even have one left over from my freshwater days.

Another option is to just use your finger, a stick, or a small power head and stir the sand bed up right before a water change. Running a filter sock for a few hours will also help to remove some of the detritus.
The Python will be limited by the rocks, whereas the power head knows no boundaries. You'll be amazed at how much crap has accumulated UNDER your rocks. GL.

[RockyProndoa]

That leads me to my next question.... How to get the water OUT of my tank. I have a c2c overflow, so I'm limited by how much water is in my sump, unless I just drop a power head in my DT?

[JMorris271]

Don't suck on the tube. You're not stealing gas here.

You can really have a great way with words :beer:

[RockyProndoa]

Don't suck on the tube. You're not stealing gas here. Put the whole tube underwater. Put your thumb over the end. Pull that end out and don't take your thumb off until it is lower than the water level. Sucking on it is a good way to end up with a bad infection.
I get that... However... Cleaning the bottom of my sump is posing a problem as there is no way to maintain a siphon because the sump sits on the ground, or nearly on the ground.

[billdogg]

And that puts you right back at the python siphon. You can also pull off the large vacuum tube and use just the 5/8"? tubing. A short piece of cpvc with one end cut at an angle works great for hair/bubble algae.

The other option is a small shop vac. Just make sure it's big enough to hold all the water you want it to. And don't ask me (or my wife) how I know this.

[RockyProndoa]

And that puts you right back at the python siphon. You can also pull off the large vacuum tube and use just the 5/8"? tubing. A short piece of cpvc with one end cut at an angle works great for hair/bubble algae.

The other option is a small shop vac. Just make sure it's big enough to hold all the water you want it to. And don't ask me (or my wife) how I know this.
Lmao... I won't ask!

[dragonfly1972]

I use an old 900 powerhead with a piece of tubing clamped on the end. I siphon out my sump with it and get all the gunk off the bottom and then I use it to pump out a bit more water from my DT since I do water changes that are larger than what drains into my sump. I pump into a 5 gal bucket.
Pretty easy and works great.