self contained vacuums

[rexford]

Has anyone every tried one of these smaller battery powered
vacuums? They look perfect for a smaller pond. The pool guy
says they are awesome but I thought I would check here before
I bought one.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM1423842301P?mv=rr
Thanks,
Mike

 

[DoDad]

For another hundred dollars you could get a good 2HP pond vac

 

[addy1]

I would go to home depot and get a rigid vac, all different sizes and not as much as that one for the smaller ones.

 

[LuLu]

I just have pebbles and flat glass pebbles in the bottom of my in-ground 64 gallon. I rigged up/DIY Python (aquarium gravel vacuum/water changer) from a cheap gravity gravel vac and a waterbed mattress drain/fill kit. Those little foam gardening/kneeling pads only work so well, so I duct-taped the actual gravel vac part to an old broom handle so after all the stooping to temporarily remove plants I can vacuum while standing up. The entire thing was less than $15-20 to make and works perfectly for my needs. I found the instructions online. Y'all want the link and pics?

 

[rexford]

Thank you everyone for the great advise

 

[sissy]

That what I use a shop vac cheaper and easier to use .I put an outlet hose on the other end and let the water I take from the pond reenter the pond from the outlet into a tote with holes in it with batting to pick up all the finer stuff the shop vac doesn't pick up

 

[superdaft]

Y'all want the link and pics?

Yes please Lulu that would most appreciated

 

[sissy]

nice pic of a hummingbird lulu

 

[LuLu]

Superdaft... I took the duct tape and pole off for better pics. And I apparently lied to you good GPF'ers. I thought I had a waterbed mattress drain/fill kit, but I apparently have an Aqueon (aquarium) part, that's made to go with their siphon/gravel vac. As seen here: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=aqueon+water+changer&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1034&bih=629&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=974105745185566943&sa=X&ei=JEE0TqOMNMa1sQLu1vDqCg&sqi=2&ved=0CGsQ8gIwAg

I don't even know what brand my siphon/gravel vac is; it was tossed in with all the freebies received when I bought an aquarium from a guy off of Craigs List. The waterbed drain/fill kit and the Aqueon part are essentially the same thing, the only bonus noted to the part I have is that the on/off valve is built in to the part instead of having to add one separately according to these directions: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquarium/DIYpython.php

 

[superdaft]

Thanks Lulu, very helpful, I'll have a go at making one of these up

 

[addy1]

I have one of those from my fish tank, but it does not do well with this pond, too deep. but they do clean well

 

[superdaft]

I have one for my fish tank also, just not the hose connection, but a hand pump. I think the one I am going to make will be scaled up and use a sump pump in place of the garden hose so I can hoover the bottom as I do a water change.

 

[addy1]

My main concern for hoovering the bottom is my trap door snails, I even have baby trap doors, sure would not want to hurt them.

 

[DrDave]

I have been using a Ridgid and emptying the muck onto my bushes and garden.

 

[JenH]

I would go to home depot and get a rigid vac, all different sizes and not as much as that one for the smaller ones.

Probably a stupid question......How do you use a wet/dry vac in a pond, doesn't it suck out the water?