Aquarium Cleaning & Maintenance Siphons

Aquarium Cleaning Siphon

Aquariums easily acquire debris over time, such as plant waste and uneaten food. 

An aquarium cleaning siphon performs a crucial role in maintaining the water quality of your aquarium by removing built up debris which can cling to the plants and rocks and cleaning the gravel. 

This filtration process means you will have more brightly coloured fish and clearer looking water. A siphon also allows you to clean the tank without having to take any of the plants, coral or other features out.

Types of Siphon

• Standard siphon - one end is placed into the tank and other into a bucket placed outside and lower than the tank to drain the water using gravity. These come in a variety of sizes and lengths, so that you can choose the siphon that best suits your size of tank. The length of most siphons are typically adjustable according enabling you to extend it down deeper into the tank if needed
• Cordless siphon - a handheld battery powered cleaner gives you more flexibility in how you clean. No buckets or hosing attachments are required. They usually feature a removable filter housed inside the siphon
• Vacuum pump siphon - self-priming siphons which feature a pump, making it easier to start the water filtration process where an external suction source is not needed
• Water driven siphon - one end of the siphon attaches to a tap, which acts as the external suction. As the water from the tank runs up the siphon is drains directly into the sink, avoiding the need to haul around and empty buckets of water

How to use a siphon

• Turn off the tank's electricity supply and remove all electrical items. Ideally you should be able take off the tank's hood.
• Place a bucket (at least 5 gallons) beside the tank on the floor.
• Put the siphon's hose into the bucket and the siphon tube about 6 inches down into the water
• If you’re using a standard siphon, manipulate the end of the tube until the water starts to flow from the tank into the bucket. If you’re using a pump, start the siphon pump to get the water flowing
• Move the hose along the gravel to clean the bottom of the tank
• When the bucket is two thirds full, empty the dirty water