DIY siphon for cleaning the aquarium

The most polluted place in the aquarium is the soil. Over time, the bottom is covered with excrement of the inhabitants of the aquarium and the food not eaten by them. Of course, all this needs to be removed, otherwise - the fish can get sick. The siphon will cope with this task efficiently and effectively. Meanwhile, a siphon for cleaning the aquarium with your own hands is a task that any aquarist can do. You will be convinced of this by reading the information in this article.

Important! If the thought of the need to create a siphon for your aquarium was prompted by a coating on the glass and an unpleasant smell of stagnant water, we recommend that you clear out your fish kingdom before making the filter. How to do it quickly, efficiently and as budgetally as possible - read in our selection:

• Cleaning the aquarium at the lowest cost at home.
• How to remove the smell from the aquarium.
• How to clean the aquarium of limescale?

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Siphon principle

Simply put, the siphon is a regular pump, with the help of which water is pumped out along with waste and dirt. In an aquarium, this device works very simply:

1. Lower the tube so that it touches the bottom.
2. The second end of the tube is lowered into the container outside, which should be below the bottom.

From the outer end of the tube, we suck in air through the mouth and lower the hose into the container. The water that has drained settles, and then the purified liquid is poured back into the aquarium.

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Types of siphons

Devices can be electrical and mechanical. The difference in models is usually insignificant: they include a glass and a hose.

Mechanical

The mechanical device includes a transparent plastic cylinder or funnel with a diameter of at least 50 mm and a tube. With a very narrow glass and a small height of the aquarium, not only dirt, but also stones will get into the device. The siphon must be transparent in order to observe the cleaning process and rearrange the hose in time.

Important! Some models are available without a hose. In this case, instead of a funnel, dirt collectors are involved, which look like a pocket or a trap.

Electric

The electric model will require batteries. The principle of operation of such a device is similar to a vacuum cleaner, the water from the aquarium does not drain. Water is inside the siphon, dirt settles in your pocket, and clean liquid is again in the aquarium. Such a model is used to clean the soil of aquariums, where the bottom is intensively silted, but at the same time a frequent change of water is undesirable.

Important! It is very convenient to use an electric appliance: dirt is trapped in a trap - a pocket, and water flows back through a capron. The main advantage is that no filtering of dirty water is required.

To adjust the intensity of the water flow, an impeller is used - a rotor located inside the device. The disadvantage of the electric siphon is that it can be used in aquariums, where the height of the water does not exceed half a meter. Otherwise, water may be inside the battery compartment.

Important! How to choose a siphon for an aquarium:

• Experts recommend choosing models with a tall glass, at least 20 cm.
• Its edges should be rounded so that the cylinder can easily sink into the ground, but at the same time not harm the roots of plants.The oval shape of the glass is considered the most convenient, since such a device is easily located in the most inaccessible places of the bottom.

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DIY aquarium siphon

Siphon cleaning of the aquarium is a must. In addition, the device has a fairly simple design. Usually it is presented in the form of a regular hose with a wide tube at the end. Do-it-yourself siphon for cleaning the aquarium soil with your own hands is very simple.

Important! To improve the model, the edge of the hose is equipped with a conventional medical bulb, but this does not greatly increase the efficiency of the device.

Consider how to make a 50 l siphon on your own.

To do this, acquire the following materials and tools:

• Hose with a diameter of 5 mm - 1m;
• Plastic water bottle - 1 pc.;
• 10 cc syringe - 2 pcs;
• Electrical tape;
• Brass hose outlet - 1 pc.;
• With a knife.

So that the soil of the fish and other inhabitants is always clean, we follow the instructions:

1. We take out the pistons and remove the needles from the syringes.
2. We cut one syringe with a knife so that there are no protrusions and a tube is obtained.
3. In the second syringe, we cut off the part where the piston inlet used to be.
4. In the place of attachment of the needle, cut a hole with a diameter of 5 mm.
5. Using electrical tape, we connect the syringes so that they become one tube. Make sure that the part with the hole remains outside.
6. Insert the hose into the opening of the syringe.
7. In the cap of the plastic bottle, cut a hole with a diameter of 4.5 mm.
8. Insert the outlet under the brass hose into the cover.
9. Connect the second end of the hose to the protrusion on the brass outlet.

Everything, the device is ready to use!

Important! The first upgrade for the aquarium is ready and installed. Perhaps it's time to expand the range of improvements. With events that can significantly improve the life of the inhabitants of the aquarium and please your eye, in detail on blogs:

• Decorative aquarium lighting ideas.
• How to glue the background to the back of the aquarium.
• How to install a heater in an aquarium.

In order for it to fulfill its function, it is necessary to immerse the hose with a wide end in the soil and squeeze a plastic bottle. After the return draft appears, when the debris begins to rise along the hose, the bottle is unscrewed from the lid, and the hose is lowered into the bucket.

Important! Instead of water that spilled from the aquarium with garbage, you need to pour fresh into the tank. And after that, perhaps it is worth thinking about the new inhabitants. But first, solve the main question: TOWhich fish to choose for the aquarium.

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Stock footage

The aquarium environment can be called a complex and multifaceted system that will flourish if there is cleanliness and order at the bottom. Any aquarium lover cannot do without a siphon for the substrate, regardless of its size. And now it will be much easier for you to cope with cleaning a decorative reservoir without buying expensive equipment.