Swell Gravel Cleaner

What is this Swell Gravel Cleaner?

This Swell Gravel Cleaner makes water changes quick and easy thanks to its high-quality, ergonomic design. Its long hose also makes it suitable for a wide range of different aquariums - from large and deep tanks to small and shallow tanks.

To operate it, just place the longer part of the hose into your aquarium and squeeze the hand pump. This will get the water flowing through the hose and out of the other side. You can control the flow at the end of the hose using the plastic tap provided.

As well as using this Swell Gravel Cleaner to change the water inside your aquarium, you can also use it to clean your substrate. To do that, you'll need to attach the gravel cleaner attachment to the stiff plastic tube and then attach that to the end of your hose, furthest away from the squeezable hand pump.

From there, just poke your substrate with the gravel cleaner attachment and watch as all the loose debris is sucked away. Do this across your substrate for a thorough, all-over clean.

What's the difference between the Swell Gravel Cleaner 170cm and the Swell Gravel Cleaner 3 in 1 Kit 260cm?

Both tools perform the same functions, but the Swell Gravel Cleaner 3 in 1 Kit comes with a range of attachments that make gravel cleaning that little bit easier, such as a bigger gravel cleaning tube, a gravel vacuum and a water change filter. It also has a longer, 260cm hose.

That said, the Swell Gravel Cleaner 170cm is still a quality bit of kit. It doesn't come with a range of attachments, but it does have a dedicated gravel cleaning tube that can double up as a water change filter, keeping your fish safe as you suck up water and debris.

Why are water changes important for my aquarium?

There's no getting around it, you're going to have to change the water inside your aquarium eventually. There are many different reasons why you may do a water change, but here are the main ones:

• To remove accumulated nitrates, nitrites and ammonia - All of your aquarium's inhabitants will appreciate clean water. As your fish produce waste, they pollute the water around them. Your filter can only process so much of this waste, eventually you'll need to syphon out some of your dirty water and replace it with clean, dechlorinated water.
• To remove particulates from your water - After you add sand, gravel, rocks or other dusty decor to your aquarium, your water may start to look a little cloudy. To remove a lot of the floating particulates you can do a large water change.
• To replace depleted trace minerals - Tap water contains a lot of trace minerals that are readily used by your aquarium's inhabitants. After a while, these minerals will be used up and you may see some problems start to arise as a result. Avoid them by doing a water change.