Starting a siphon... the easy way!

[Ludwigia]

When I do water changes, I stick a 3/8" hose into the tank, but how to start the siphon? Sure, you could suck on the end, and sooner or later you WILL end up with a mouthful of water, and let's face it, there's a reason you're doing a water change. To get rid of the nasties! Very simply put, stick the end of the hose in front of a power head. This will start the flow, and you can then complete your water change. While you have this siphon going, go ahead and suck out any debris. I have a millenium hang on back filter that does great for my tank, and I change the pads once a month. I clean them every week. The biggest problem is that when I'm done cleaning out the filter, I put the filter back on and it's empty. It doesn't self prime. Back to the tube in front of the powerhead, and use the tube to fill the filter. Simple stuff, but someone out there hasn't thought of it, and hopefully this just helped them.

[Fishmonger]

I use a turkey baster bulb, works awesome

[bfillmore]

Another trick is to just put the entire tube in the tank, and fill it up with water.

[clownfishman]

Another trick is to just put the entire tube in the tank, and fill it up with water. yup, thats what i do too

[BITEYAHARD]

What's the fun without the risk or challenge? :P

I remember my first solid mouthful of nasty fresh water right from the gravel, almost barfed up more than that mouthful! :oops:

I do love the syphon I found on eBay that has the built in bulb/pump, no worries from then on. :wink:

[rutledgek]

I use an infant aspirator(I think thats what it is called). I can use it on different size tubing for water changes or for smaller tubes for slow drip acclimation.

[flyboydave]

Just use a longer hose. I have an 8 or 10 foot long 5/8" ID hose and it just takes one short inhale to start it, but it then takes several more seconds for the flow to make it out to the end of the hose. The other nice thing is that if you need to stop the flow to change collection containers, you can just stick the output end back into the tank. Once that end is brought back below the water level, the flow starts again.

[Anemone]

For water changes i use my mouth not that hard to stop it before it gets to your moth, for restarting the overflow i use a smaller hose to go up that tube

[jetor]

Guys you are making this too hard. Just put the tank side of the hose against one of your powerheads and it will push the water right over the falls and start the siphon.

JT

[Mike O'Brien]

Where did you come up with that novel idea. :?:

[Chris_X]

I thought u were supposed to suck out a mouthful, spit it in the bucket, repeat. :oops: :P

[jetor]

Where did you come up with that novel idea. :?:

Just trying to work smarter and not harder

:)

[Mike O'Brien]

Where did you come up with that novel idea. :?:

Just trying to work smarter and not harder

:)
Great idea, but did you read the original post? :)

[phillipm]

I made U shape in my siphon hose using 2 10mm right angle irrigation conecters. It hooks over the hood & down into the water. The hose is cut off at the the depth you want the water to stop. I 3/4 fill the hose from the tap first its easier & when the siphon starts no untreated water flows back into the tank. If you have other tanks of different depths you could drill a series of holes in the tank side tube the part witch goes into the tank so when the water drops down to the cut off depth where the hole is the siphon will stop. Does that sound clear cut & easy to understand to you?