I can't vacuum the gravel in my 29 gallon without help. So I'd like to purchase an automatic or battery operated one where I can vacuum it by myself. I want the best one but not the most expensive. What do you guys use?

Sorry, Haven't seen one that is worth a crap. I clean my gravel with I do water changes.

I just use my siphon to vac the gravel during water changes like DK mentioned.

Ditto the above two replies.

I've tried a couple of brands years ago. They lacked suction power, plugged quickly so often had to be disassembled and cleaned/unplugged to continue vacuuming, and used batteries so fast it wasn't economical. Maybe they've gotten better over the years, but for some reason I tend to doubt it. Based on my experiences, I consider them one of those gimmick products that if the producer gets every new customer to buy one when they buy their first tank, they've made their money. The goal isn't repeat customers, the goal is to sell one to everybody. Either the person will drop out of the hobby and the vacuum will go in a yard sale with the tank. Or the person will get hooked and advance to the next level, finding that the vacuum isn't all it was advertised, in which case the vacuum is either trashed or stuck in a yard sale. BTW, I see a lot of 'em in yard sales, if ya hadn't figured that out.

I'd suggest seein' if ya can find a gently used one cheap at a yard sale or flea market and see if ya like it before spending the money to buy a new one that may not be quite what ya were expectin'.

WYite

My simple siphon works great, but the only way I can get get it to work is to have my husband hold one end in a bucket with his thumb over the end. Then I fill the tube with aquarium water and hold it up so that the line is taut. Then I gently move the tube up and down until the siphon tubing fills 3/4 of the way with water. Next I lower the tube into the aquarium, refilling it with water, my husband removes his thumb and I vacuum until he tells me the bucket is almost full.

I can do my 15 gallon by myself, as I can do the stretch. I was just trying to find a way to do the 30 gallon by myself, when he might not be available.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#drum-dispensing-pumps/=c3bzpc

From the link, you want to click on Siphon Plastic Drum Pumps. They have battery ones but I've never used them. I prefer the bellows style one - G.

The item no I have is: 4270K21 and it works fairly well for smaller tanks. It can get clogged if you're not careful, since it's a two chamber system but it's very easy to take apart. When you get it, it will be set up for a drum so you may want to cut off some of the tube that sucks water in and attach it to the outflow tube to give you some extra length..

There is one important thing to note. You will flood the floor. Not maybe not if, but the first few times and any time you don't pay attention to. It fills a 5g drum FAST.

Or something like this...

http://www.petdiscounters.com/Deluxe-Squeeze-Bulb-Siphon_p_12051.html

I didn't have that one specifically, but if it's like the one I had, the hosing was too small so it took forEVAR to do a water change.

I'm impatient though, so that may make a difference.

lol...you may be right. I only use the mouth siphon method because I'm too impatient. The clear tube make the mouth siphon super easy to not swallow any water