Hi,
I have just got my fish in my new tank and am thinking about when i come to cleaning it for the first time? I have gravel at the bottom, and have found on amazon a gravel cleaner? just wondering how it works and if anyone has any other ideas?
here is the link for the item i found:

Aquarium fish tank BATTERY powered vacuum syphon cleaner: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Thanks guys xxx

You'd be much better off with a manual gravel siphon and two buckets, then simply siphon the substrate when you carry out a weekly water change.

Superfish gear isn't bad however their battery operated vacuum cleaners are worth avoiding, the impellers are cheap and prone to 'gumming'...

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Luke (The fish dude)

Photography gear- Sony a200 DSLR with 18-70mm alpha lens, Sigma (sony fit) 70-300mm and Manfrotto neotec tripod. Coming soon: One Nikon D700 with all the trimmings.

personally I never used to clean my substrate. I would use my syphon just to pick up the excess dead plant matter and poop, but just `waft` it close to the surface to suck it up.

There is a lot of good bacteria lives in there plus, if you have real plants the rotting waste is good plant food :-)

Just be sure to keep testing your water for excessive levels.

The one I have you just move the bottom part up and down under the water to get it going. It works really well.

Aquatic Prime Gravel Cleaner Medium Fish Tank Aquarium on eBay (end time 01-Nov-09 19:39:45 GMT)

x

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-MY DOGS ARE NOT MY WHOLE LIFE- BUT THEY MAKE MY LIFE WHOLE-

Dave and Dixie
Milo and Maisy

My partner has a Interpret Gravel Cleaner for his tank, it is a manual siphoning device that you are supposed to move up and down to get it started however we cant be abale to get it working and were wondering if any one has any advice on how to get it working!!

Thanks in any replies in advance