How Does an Aquarium Gravel Vacuum Work?
To operate the gravel vacuum, you will need to get a siphon started in the tube. Place a bucket on a low stool or on the floor in front of the fish tank, and place the wide end of the gravel vacuum in the aquarium. To get your siphon started, you will need to get water into the siphon tube. Probably the easiest way to do this is to gently suck on the other end of the tube while holding it above the bucket, but lower than the water level in the aquarium. As soon as the water gets past the edge of the tank and begins to flow down the tube, remove your mouth from the siphon and allow the water to flow into the bucket. However, some people think that this method is a disgusting way to get a siphon started (though the water in your aquarium should be no more harmful to you than it is to your fish). In these cases, there are other ways to get your siphon started. Some siphons and some gravel vacuums come with a priming ball. This priming ball is a soft, pliable rubber ball on one end of the
