How to Build Your Own Gravel Vacuum Faucet

Supplies

• A few supplies are required to build a gravel vacuum faucet. This includes a garden hose long enough to reach from your fish tank to your sink, a shut-off valve, and a female-thread hose reducer with 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch ends. These supplies are at many home improvement stores. You’ll also need a gravel vacuum and plastic water pump with a faucet adapter, which are sold at pet or aquarium supply stores.

How To Assemble

• With the supplies on hand, unscrew the aerator -- the small cap -- on the mouth of the sink’s faucet. Screw on the adapter from the plastic water pump in its place. Screw on the female thread at the top of the plastic water pump to the sink’s faucet. Screw one end of the garden hose to the male thread of the plastic water pump, which sticks out at the center of the pump piece. Screw the other end of the garden hose to a threaded hose shut-off valve. Ensure the shut-off valve is in the “off” position. Slide the end of the 3/8-inch gravel cleaner vacuum hose onto the 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch adapter. Screw the adapter to the free end of the shut-off valve.

How to Use

• Once assembled, stretch the connected garden and plastic gravel vacuum hose to reach the fish tank. Turn the shut-off valve to the “on” position. Turn the plastic water pump piece to the "drain" position. The plastic water pump starts when the faucet is turned on. Water coming back from the tank empties through outlet in the bottom of the pump piece into the sink. Use cold water when using the faucet adapter. Insert the suction tube into the bottom of the fish tank on the gravel. When you’re completed cleaning the tank and removed enough water, lift the suction tube out of the fish tank. Turn off the water at the faucet.

After Use

• Run the faucet for a few seconds to ensure the plastic hose and garden hose don’t have any water in them. Because the pump operates with the sink’s water pressure, running the faucet continues to clear the hoses. The system can be disassembled if you need the garden hose for other uses and reassembled quickly.