# Eheim Automatic Gravel Cleaner - Should I buy it ?



## nagukush (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi Friends,

Hope all is well and great !

I've been planning and saving money to buy the Eheim Automatic Gravel Cleaner for a long time now and I think I can buy it now. Just wanted to request you Friends, to kindly guide me if its good and really worth the Cost. Its about 4000 in my currency but if its good, then it can really help me to keep my Fronts healthier and happier 

My main concern is that my Black Gravel (Which are very-very tiny chippings of a black colored rock) are about 0.5mm in size and the manual of the Eheim Auto Gravel Cleaner states the following -

"Aquarium gravel not coarser than ø 2 mm. Not suitable for cleaning sandy
bottoms"

Kindly guide me on what ø means? Will the Auto Gravel cleaner be suitable and good for my tank ? Also if some gravel is sucked up by the cleaner will it break / damage the Impeller ?

Kindly guide me if I should buy it or not.
Thanks a lot !
Regards and Care to all
Kush


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## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

ø probably means approximately. I just got one of these yesterday. Our local Pet superstore (Petco) had them for $39 USD on sale. Although not very powerful it did indeed suck up into the container of the unit a lot of my Soilmaster Select gravel (small black chips) which made me not be as aggressive with it as I would have liked to get a good cleaning done. Still not sure if it was worth it or how much I'll use it but my first try was not all that great. Would be better to just use a siphon gravel cleaner and then let the water settle and pour it back into the tank. Pretty much the same thing, no batteries and cheaper.


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## kodiak (Jul 15, 2006)

That symbol (greek letter phi) is typically used to indicate "diameter". Your gravel has particles which are likely to small for the Ehiem, and might damage or clog it.

I had purchased same gravel cleaner years ago, but found that it lacked desired suction but it picked up waste easily. In the process of vacuuming with the Eheim, fines are picked up and escape through the filter basket mesh back into the water causing teporary cloudiness. I prefer the common siphon vacuums because the suction is about twice as strong and the fines are also removed.


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## nagukush (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi Friends !

Thanks a lot for all the replies and for caring. I have decided not to buy it. I do my Water Changes regularly but I wanted something to clean the Gravel of Solid Wastes. We dont get the Python here in India and the only choice was the Eheim. Anyways, I guess its not worth such a huge investment...

Thanks again for kindly guiding me Friends - Really grateful to you all !
Have a Wonderful Day and Keep smiling 
Regards and Care
Kush


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## crystalview (Mar 9, 2008)

I have used the Eheim vac and found it not very powerful on smaller bits of gravel. I switched to using my hot shot magnum as a vac and I used it for a long while. I kept losing fish not knowing why. Then one time everybody died. The water seemed fine and I was told that I was sucking anaerobic gunk into my tank water. I now will only siphon the water from the gavel out of the tank and not reciculate it.


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