TERA PUMP TRFTCLN Aquarium Gravel Cleaner, 10-20 Gallon Tank | BPA Free, Long Nozzle, Water Flow Controller, Sand Cleaner / Water Siphon

I started fishkeeping in fall of this year, and purchased a basic siphon from Petco so I would be equipped to perform water changes. I knew the reputation of these hand-pump siphons (where you have to move the cylinder up and down with your hands until it starts siphoning) wasn't particularly great, but I figured I could handle it. And I could... for a time. It took some getting used to but once I got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad until it simply stopped working properly. I still don't know what it was, but ultimately, the up-and-down motion just failed to push any water through the tubing. It was frustrating - I'd found a workaround, but it was messy and unreliable. Enter the Tera Pump aquarium cleaner. I happened to see it on Amazon, as a related product to the popular Python aquarium cleaner. Fact was, I didn't want to invest in that one yet, plus I wanted something that could clean up fish waste on the daily a bit more reliably than my finicky turkey baster, whose suction seems to be weakening. This cleaner is great! It's handy, well-made and reliable. The key is quick, successive pumps on the priming bulb, as opposed to a couple pumps as stated on the instructions. I suspect this is relative to how you set it up (how tight the turn is in the tube going from the tank and into the bucket/sink, and the distances of the length of tube going into the tank, and the length going into the bucket/sink). In my case, the suction-side of the cleaner has to make an immediate turn after the rigid section, out of the fish tank and to the bucket below. In other words, I have the shortest possible suction-side length coming out of the tank, meaning the discharge-side is the maximum possible length. The turn that the tube makes isn't too extreme either - but my setup required 5-6 quick pumps on the priming bulb to get the siphon started. All that being said, it works reliably every time. Little things like the suction cup on the suction end and the clip on the discharge end help a lot with operation. My old basic siphon would sometimes flip itself out of the fish tank if I rested it in the water, which was incredibly irritating. Here, the suction cup will keep it in place, while the clip helps keep the discharge end stable. This is especially important when the siphon first starts up and the discharge end shakes a bit. The two nozzle types (one short, one long) included are also a nice, helpful touch. Additionally, the flow "clip" is a helpful feature. If you've used basic siphons like I have, this is the equivalent to pinching the hose, which is useful in a pinch. Now you don't have to use up a hand - just slide the clip to the half with the narrow cutout and you're good to go. My only complaints are 1) the hardness of the priming bulb, 2) the length of the cleaner and 3) the straight section on the suction end. To address #1, the priming bulb isn't a particularly soft material. I'd describe it as more of a hard, flexible plastic, comparable to a squeeze-to-drink water bottle, and not like an eyedropper or turkey baster bulb. For #2, I felt like the cleaner's tubing could have been a bit longer - in my setup, I need a stool for the bucket just so the hose could reach - which wasn't a problem for the basic siphon. Perhaps a threaded end somewhere along the tubing, similar to what is used for the nozzles, could allow for extensions that can be developed for separate purchase, so that the existing model only requires a slight modification (as opposed to changing the overall length of this base model). Lastly, the straight, rigid section of tubing (on the suction end) can be a bit of a pain to work around, especially if you have a shallow tank. It's best to tip that end of the tube on an angle, instead of having it straight up-and-down in the tank. Despite these complaints though, the user experience for this product, compared to my old, basic siphon, is leaps and bounds better. No frustration, no accidental spills or splashes, and consistent and reliable performance. I'd recommend it to anyone first starting out with fishkeeping and, of course, to anyone who's stuck with a basic siphon from the pet store right now. If you intend to use this for water changes, I wouldn't use it for tanks any larger than 20 gallons or so, unless you really love to make repeated trips with full buckets of water from the tank to your sink. The Python may be better for water changes for large tanks. But, even if you have a really large fish tank, this could be helpful for collecting waste during regular cleanings.

I've used this a number of times to do partial water changes in my fish tank. My biggest warning for users of this product is to make sure you use a drain bucket that's bigger than the amount you intend to take out because it can be hard to stop the water flow quickly. Make sure the flow control is adjusted properly, it can drain very fast once it gets going. Was hard to get going at first until i realized you need to quickly squeeze the pump for a little bit befote you get a consistent flow, and then you can let it go. I'd recommend looking up a couple of youtube videos on how to vacuum a tank, there are plenty of videos and the procedure is generally the same with different gravel vacuums. If you have a very active and resonsive fish like I do, keep an eye on him. When the vacuum is in the gravel it wont hurt him but he may swim up to check it out and it's best to just be cautious. I have a betta who is always curious of what's happening. Also, if you plan to remove over half the water I'd recommend temporarily moving your fish to a different tank, just make sure the water in that tank is a similar temperature and ph. Best to just get a small bowl and put some of the old tank water in there, then put him in it while you clean the tank. Overall, good product, best paired with a bucket that's slightly larger than the volume of your tank. When I first used it I drained it into an empty gallon jug and kept having it overflow. I have a 4 gallon tank so I use a 5 gallon bucket just to be safe and leave space for sloshes as I carry it to the sink. If you can't find a bucket big, try a plastic storage bin, that's actually what my bucket is. This product makes water changes and cleaning gravel very easy. I would NOT reccomend this for anyone with a fish in a small bowl, don't use if your tank is less than 4 gallons because it drains water quickly. Overall, it's a good product and fairly easy to use. It might be more difficult if you have lots of fish in a tank, but as a betta owner with a 4 gallon tank, I found this did what I needed it to do.

Awesome

Calidad y funcionamiento

So easy to use. Directuons very clear. Nice suction power that you can adjust with the clamp!

I didn't like that the tube was split and therefore product would not work. Check photo and compare to what I received with product that was being sold not the same. The length of tube was 60 inches not 120 as advertised.

Great upgrade from my cheap chinese one but the lenght of it all is very SHORT! It's hard to do a simple water change on my 40 gallons because the hose is not long enough to reach the floor... I really wish that it was longer so I could use the clamp accessory; now I have to hold the hose until it's done... I'm a bit disappointed.