EheimQuick Vac Pro Automatic Gravel Cleaner and Sludge Extractor- PetOverstock

I have a fairly large fish aquarium (~45 gallons) and had always cleaned it with the old siphon and hose routine. Honestly, I haven't been very diligent about cleaning the tank because it was such a hassle to use the old rig and then refill the tank. My old siphon cracked so I went shopping for a new one and found this on Amazon. I got it today and can already tell I am going to be much better about cleaning the tank regularly. It is just so much more convenient than the old method that touch ups are going to be very little hassle.It is just so much more convenient not to run a hose out the front door and have to refill the tank after cleaning. The water just goes through the filter netting and right back in the tank.Getting Started----------------There are about 4 pieces that pretty much only fit together one way, so it is pretty straightforward. I had it put together in roughly 3 minutes including a quick skim of the instructions to make sure I was doing it right. Putting the batteries in was the trickiest part because I didn't initially notice the diagram on the battery cover which is a little hard to see if you don't have a bright light on it.Power-----A few reviewers commented that it was underpowered, and that was my biggest hesitation at buying this. However, after using it I think it definitely has enough power. After clicking the on button a cyclone (of aquarium gunk) immediately formed in the tube and it appeared to be vacuuming at least as well as the siphon, perhaps slightly better. I THOUGHT my tank was at least somewhat clean, but this vacuum quickly cured me of that notion. I can't believe how much gunk came out of my "clean-ish" aquarium. I wonder if that old siphon system was doing anything at all judging by the bucket of sludge I pulled out of that gravel.Hint: I have an idea what might have been the problem for some who complained about the power. If you have a really dirty tank (as apparently I did) the mesh can get pretty clogged up and obstruct the flow. After I used it for a few minutes the filter bag turned black and the debris seemed to just circle in the tube at the bottom without being sucked up as well as when it started out. Once I dumped the bag and rinsed it off it went back to full power mode. This really shouldn't be an issue unless your tank is really dirty. Worst case you will probably have to stop every 10 minutes or so and clean it out, which is super easy and quick to do.Cleaning the vac-----------------The front just snaps off and easily rinses clean under the tap. Couldn't be easier.Tip: Once I dumped a pile of gunk out of it on my kitchen floor and once I poured it out on the counter next to the sink. The placement of the drain hole is (unexpectedly) on top, not the bottom. Intuitively I thought it would be the reverse so I kept flipping it upside down without thinking about it. I guarantee you will do this at least once on accident before you get used to it. My advice is to only open the vacuum inside a bucket, outside, or over a large sink the first few times until you get used to it. It is probably a good idea to transfer it directly from the aquarium to a bucket so to catch the drips anyway.Fish Safety-----------I have pretty big fish, so it wasn't really an issue, and you pretty much have the head down in the gravel the whole time anyway so I don't see how they would get in there. It seemed safe enough, and it also didn't seem so powerful that it would suck a fish up. It seems safe enough to me if you are using a modicum of care.Construction------------It seems rugged enough. I didn't feel like it was brittle like some other reviewers. If you dropped it from chest height it would probably break, but unless you are abusing it, it looks like it would hold up pretty well. I'd love to see a heavy duty version (and would even pay more), but the current model is plenty sturdy for frequent use. As other reviewers have noted, it is fairly long so you will need some overhead clearance above the tank to use it effectively, but you can also leave off one of the extension pieces if necessary to make it work in tighter quarters.Suggestions for manufacturer----------------------------This is a top notch product that is extremely useful and will save me tons of time. I'd love to see a PRO version of this product with either an A/C adapter or a rechargeable battery (with charging station) instead of using disposable AA batteries. With the extra power it seems like it would also be possible to enlarge vacuum tube opening that could make it quicker to get a larger tank done. No complaints about the current size, but that would make it doubly awesome.TL:DR - Definitely worth the money, 10x better than the siphon/hose method, ignore the reviewers who say it is underpowered.

I had a love/hate relationship with this vac for 1.5 years. I just bought my 2nd one 6 mos. ago and I learned a lot in that time period. It is the best vacuum of its kind. Many of us don’t want to take a large amount of water out of the tank as a result of vacuuming it. I have a single goldfish in a 40-gallon breeder tank, and I’m amazed at how much crap comes out of that fish. I need to vacuum almost daily, but don’t need to change the water that frequently. Plus, it takes me a long time to vacuum, so if I used a siphon all the water would be long gone before I finished. This vac solves that problem nicely. It can either save you time or cause you huge amounts of stress, depending on how you use it. The picture above shows my tank with its original sand substrate (I chose it because everyone said it would be “easier to clean”). It was a nightmare. It looked pretty but it was actually harder to clean for me because all the detritus, bacteria, and funk stuck to it. It would form a little crappy sand ball and would become too heavy to suck up. I would literally stand there and curse at the vacuum after an hour of cleaning was still unfinished. I hated it but needed it! Eheim recommends NOT using this vac on a fine-grained substrate. I thought I was smarter than that and did it anyway. Bad idea. Sand will eventually destroy the vac and cause it to work terribly until the point that it eventually dies. Sand and other similarly fine-grained substrates will rub against the magnetic impeller/shaft and wear the metal away. I learned this the hard way. If you use the extension tube to put distance between the substrate and the impeller, it loses the strength of suction and becomes useless. I think it works great with just one tube, but not 2. That’s why I’m not sure this vac would work well on deeper tanks that would require that extra tubing length to reach the bottom without submerging the battery compartment. My tank is about 17” deep when full. I take out some water before starting, so it’s about 13”-14” deep when I vacuum. That will cover the mesh holding compartment and just reach the bottom of the handle. It’s okay to get the bottom of the handle wet, but stop before it reaches your hand. It works best when the whole mesh area is submerged. I also learned this the hard way. I don’t want to tempt fate, but I have never had a problem with water getting into the battery compartment. I make sure the cap is pushed down/sealed tightly before starting and never get that portion wet. Any water entering that area would corrode the wires inside. I removed all my sand substrate 6 mos ago and then started with a new Eheim vac. Amazingly, when I follow the manufacturer’s instructions, it works perfectly! It was the sand, not the vacuum that was the problem all along. Make sure you buy good quality 1.5v rechargeable batteries at the same time you buy the vac. I recharge mine about every 4th session. Don’t be worried about negative reviews on this product. I would have given it 1-star last year. Just reduce your water depth to about 14” before vacuuming, don’t use on a fine-grained substrate, make sure your 1.5v batteries are charged and you should be fine. A little patience may be required.