Article: Before you do anything to your tank, you must unplug the heater and turn off the filter and pump. Don't worry, the cleaning process is quick, so your fish will be fine. Do not remove your fish, decorations, or plants from the tank. There are two tools aquarium hobbyists will use for cleaning their gravel.  Aquarium siphons usually have a thick, plastic tube or "siphon" with a thin, flexible, tube attached to one end. Some of these may have a priming ball attached to one end. Plastic, flexible tubes can also be used to clean gravel. These are ideal for smaller tanks. The bucket must be beneath the water level. It will catch the old water. Slowly lower the entire siphon into the tank so that all of the air gets out of the tube. Cover the end of the tube with your thumb and take it out of the tank; keep the other, open, end submerged. Place the covered end in a bucket. If you release your thumb, the water will begin to flow; if you cover the end again with your thumb, the water will stop. Some aquarium vacuums come with a rubber ball attached to the end of the siphon. Stick the end of the siphon into the aquarium and lower the end of the tube into a bucket. Plug the end of the tube with your finger, and squeeze on the priming ball. Slowly let go of the ball, but keep the end of the tube plugged. Water will begin to fill the siphon, sort of like an eyedropper or turkey baster. When you unplug the end of the tube, water will start to flow into the bucket. These types of gravel vacuums are different from all others. They do not require a bucket. Instead, they need to be hooked up to a water faucet. Simply plug the end of the Python vacuum to your water faucet and place the entire vacuum into the aquarium. When you turn the faucet on, the vacuum will begin to siphon.
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Unplug the heater, filter, and pump. Get out your aquarium vacuum. Place a bucket below the aquarium. Start the vacuum by submerging it. Start the vacuum with a priming ball. Know how to start up a Python, and other similar types of vacuums, if you are using one.