Using an Aquarium Siphon

A siphon is a tube, made of rubber or plastic, by means of which water can be drawn out of the aquarium into a container which is at a lower level. A convenient size t use is a 5-foot length of 1-inch inside diameter heavy rubber tubing. Heavy-wall tubing is advisable to prevent kinking and collapsing. There are three methods for starting a siphon:

1. Holding the tube to form a U, put one end under the faucet. When water runs out of the other end, indicating that the tube is full of water, cover both openings with your thumbs. Hold one end underwater in the aquarium and the other end in a bucket lower than the aquarium. Release both ends. Once the flow has started, it will continue automatically.

2. Immerse the entire tube in a container of water, keeping the open ends higher than the center so that all the air runs out of it. Place a thumb over each opening, and then release both ends.

3. The method most frequently used by experts, because it is fastest, should first be practiced with a container of clear water. It involves placing one end of the siphon tube in the water to be siphoned out. The balance of the tube is allowed to hang down. Suck on the lower end until the flow starts, and then quickly drop it into the bucket. A little practice will enable you to tell by the sudden easing in the resistance of the suction pull that the water has come over the top of the loop and is starting down. It will, however, take a little practice so you won’t get a mouthful of water.

An 8- to 10-inch piece of rigid plastic tubing in the end of the siphon hose makes it easier to control and move. The short end in the aquarium is held in the right hand, which guides it over the bottom. The left hand directs the flow into the basin or bucket and regulates the flow, either by pinching the hose or by moving the thumb over the outlet opening.

Stop the flow, hold the suction end about 1 inch over some debris at the bottom of the aquarium, and release the flow momentarily. The debris will be sucked up like magic. By controlling the flow, a maximum of dirt and a minimum of water can be removed. A siphon can be used as a cleansing tool, as a means of emptying the aquarium of water, and as a way of removing gravel - providing the tube is wide enough. In any of these jobs, practice develops control. By putting a funnel at the siphon intake, the siphon will not pick up gravel - only the lighter material.

Surprisingly enough, fishes are seldom sucked up in a siphon. Ordinarily, they avoid it when they feel the suction, although when an aquarium is being emptied, fishes that remain as the water is lowered become panicky and will rush up the siphon tube. The rapid trip rarely injures them so long as they land in a container of water and not on a hard surface like the floor.

Lifting the siphon out of the water without closing the ends will empty the tube and break the suction. Should the siphon tube become clogged and resist efforts to blow it out, place it on the floor and walk along it to crush the clogging material.