A SIMPLE, CHEAP JAR-BOTTOM SUCKER FOR CLEANING BETTA JARS

A day doesn't go by where I don't spot a bit of something in the bottom of one of a betta jar that I want to get rid of. Many times it stays there because I'm too lazy to set up a syphon or try and scoop it out with a spoon. Then I got an idea of a cheap bottom sucker that is easy to make and easier to use. Here's what it looks like:

I took a thoroughly cleaned-out Lysol bottle, drilled a hole in the top and force-fit a length of rigid tube into the hole. A little aquarium glue around the edge created an air-tight seal. The tube extends into the bottle one inch and out of it six inches. At the other end of the bottle, I drilled two 1/4-inch holes close together and covered them with a small piece of thin plastic sheet taped on one edge only to form a one-way flapper valve. That's it!

Now when I see something I want to take out of a jar I simply give the bottle a good squeeze, position the end of the tube near it and quickly relax my hand. The sides of the bottle spring back drawing water and debris with it.

I tried several different soft-sided bottles and found that this concept works best with a stiff-sided container like a Lysol or Pinesol bottle. Softer-sided bottles like those used for shampoo don't have enough springiness to suck the water up.

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