Python Gravel Cleaner, Small

It's good to use

Purchased this on my wife's account, but putting the review on mine. Hence no verified purchase. What has a guy got to go to get people to believe him these days? Anyway, I digress. This thing is top notch. We have a Top Fin 10 gallon starter tank complete with a few real plants and Johnny Depp style pirate decor, with a top fin premium gravel base (see tasteful picture attached, complete with Mickey Mouse Platy and Blue Dwarf Gourami hiding at the back). The vacuum has no pump - it works purely on the wonders of physics and air pressure by creating a siphon. You submerse the empty tube completely in the tank and work out all the air (wiggle it around a bit). Then you put your thumb over the end of the small pipe to stop the water coming out, put that end into a big bucket below the level of the aquarium, and hey presto, water starts siphoning out of your tank. Don't take the big end out, and start to gently vacuum the gravel. It will suck up some of it, but with a little shake the gravel will all fall down again and only take the light dust and other detritus with it. Once the bucket is full or you have removed enough water (25% is good) you can lift the small tube above the level of the tank to stop the flow. Then take it out if you have finished, or empty the bucket and start again. Our first few weeks of ownership we lost 3 guppies because of steadily increasing nitrate levels (we were over-feeding), and also because we didn't have a vacuum. Two weeks of cleaning the gravel using this little beauty of a contraption, and we're back to safe levels. We did a 25% change twice a week, and learned a lot about the delicate bio-chemistry that exists in a fish-tank. The amount of dirt sucked up each change was pretty incredible, even after such a short time. You see it billowing up the tube. Guppies by the way are like the canaries of the aquarium - you only have to look at them the wrong way and they'll expire. A bit traumatic but nonetheless a good life lesson for younger kids. Anyway, can't fault this at the price. Well done Python people.

By far the most excellent Syphon I have used. Definitely worth buying! Make sure you check that the size you get is suitable to the size of your tank but I think every fish keeper should own this

Tough to get started but works very well.

This thing is a beast! I have a 30 gallon tank and this Python Vacuum cleans things out very quickly but also takes a lot of water with it. By the time I've vacuumed most of the poop out I've lost a few gallons of water, but that just reduces all the additional water changes I'd need to do. It's fairly easy to use, just submerge it in the water and try to get as much air out of each end of it as you can. Set up you BIG bucket and let it flow! I have a blood parrot cichlid who isn't bothered at all by it so cleaning is a snap. I used to have the Python that attached to a faucet so cleaning was a bit easier, but given that this was significantly cheaper, I'm very happy with its performance. Finn and I give it two fins up!

best product and cheap in case you have planted aquarium