# Battery powered vacuum



## Eboeagles (5 Sep 2011)

So I think these are probably a bit rubbish, and I'm obviously going to continue doing my weekly water change with my standard gravel vacuum, but I want something pretty small that I can use to clean my nano's in between the water changes without having to disturb too much and go through the whole bucket rigmarole... 

Are they worthwhile? if so any suggestions on which one? 

The one that seems to have the best reviews and comments is the Eheim Battery Vacuum Cleaner, but I think it's too big (60cm) and definitely too expensive at 40 odd quid!! As its only for vanity reasons, it needs to be cheap as chips but I do want it to actually work as well!! 

Thanks in advance.

Phil


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## Iain Sutherland (5 Sep 2011)

they suck!! sadely not literally 
airline tubing does a pretty good job with minimal water loss.


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## cheebs (6 Sep 2011)

Hey mate 

Have a look at one of these: http://www.petsathome.com/shop/aquarium ... arde-30323

They are cheap as chips, run off air, and work really well for a quick cleanup. If you have a fine sand, you will probably loose a bit of that, but no more than if you were using a siphon powered vac. They are much smaller than siphon vacs too, which is great for smaller tanks.


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## hotweldfire (6 Sep 2011)

Don't get it. How does it work?


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## Matt Warner (6 Sep 2011)

I got one of these and used it once and it was crap, so never used it again!


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## Gill (6 Sep 2011)

hotweldfire said:
			
		

> Don't get it. How does it work?




It is Driven by Air. 
Air Line attached to the Base draws water up the tube, and out into the Cloth bag. Dirt is trapped in it and water flows out of it back into the aquarium

kind of like this one, 



They Do Work Very Well but you need to control the Speed of the Air, so it does not draw up air in Spurts. And Draws up air in a constant speed.


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## Matt Warner (6 Sep 2011)

Sorry I meant the battery powered ones are rubbish. I haven't used the air powered ones but I can imagine they are much more powerful being air driven.


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## Eboeagles (6 Sep 2011)

cheebs said:
			
		

> Hey mate
> 
> Have a look at one of these: http://www.petsathome.com/shop/aquarium ... arde-30323
> 
> They are cheap as chips, run off air, and work really well for a quick cleanup. If you have a fine sand, you will probably loose a bit of that, but no more than if you were using a siphon powered vac. They are much smaller than siphon vacs too, which is great for smaller tanks.



Hey Cheebs,

hope your well?

thanks for the tip! 

Will get one and give it a go...


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## cheebs (6 Sep 2011)

Cheers mate. I'm very well, all except a recent m/c accident (just a little bruised and stiff) thanks mate. Hope you are well too mate 

Saj, They work in the same way the BIORB and sponge filters work by just creating a current up the tube, which in turn sucks water through the filter media, or in the case of the vac, up the nozzle. I was surprised at how effective this was when i tried it out for the first time. You can make your own (I did...) but I could never get it working as well as the £6 P@H one, so at that price its not really worth it.

Regarding adjusting the airflow, I expect this would be necessary with the more powerful air pumps, but both of mine work OK with it. The smaller one just needs a little more patience. Neither are particularly big however.


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