Cleaning your aquarium can be a difficult and time-consuming task. Sometimes, you don’t even feel like your tank is very clean by the time you finish.
Fear not, electric gravel vacuums may be the answer to your problems! These products can give a thorough clean and many of them are multipurpose products that allow you to perform different types of cleaning and maintenance in your tank. These reviews cover the 7 best electric aquarium gravel vacs to make it easier for you to find the perfect product for your tank.
A Glance at Our Winners in 2024
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Best Overall
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Eheim Quick Vac Automatic Gravel Cleaner |
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Best Value
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NICREW Automatic Gravel Cleaner |
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Premium Choice
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Fluval Aqua Pro Vac Gravel Cleaner |
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Upettools Aquarium Gravel Cleaner |
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hygger 360GPH Electric Aquarium Gravel Cleaner |
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The 7 Best Electric Aquarium Vacuum Gravel Cleaners
1. Eheim Quick Vac Automatic Gravel Cleaner – Best Overall
| Power Source: | Batteries |
| Tubing Included: | No |
| Multipurpose Heads: | No |
| Removes Water: | No |
The best overall electric aquarium vacuum cleaner is the Eheim Quick Vac Automatic Gravel Cleaner. This handy device is intended to be used during water changes. Battery-operated (including batteries to get you started), this gravel vac pulls water through the vac, pushes it through a filter, and then returns the filtered water to the tank. This allows you to remove solid waste, plant matter, and leftover food from the water. It’s fully submersible up to 3 feet, which includes the battery compartment. The removable mesh filter is washable, ensuring you get a great clean every time you use it.
It’s not recommended to use this gravel vacuum with sand or small gravel. It typically is not able to suck up gravel larger than a dime.
2. NICREW Automatic Gravel Cleaner 2 in 1 Sludge Extractor – Best Value
| Power Source: | Outlet |
| Tubing Included: | No |
| Multipurpose Heads: | No |
| Removes Water: | Yes |
The best electric aquarium vacuum gravel cleaner for the money is the NICREW Automatic Gravel Cleaner 2 in 1 Sludge Extractor. This product can be used between water changes to filter out solid waste, but you can also connect tubing to it and use it for water changes. It includes a washable mesh filter that helps remove waste before returning the water to the tank. It pulls water up and pushes it back into the tank through a mesh filter.
It has an electrical cord, so an outlet is required to use this vac. The operation level of this gravel vacuum requires it to be at least 8.5 inches underwater.
3. Fluval Aqua Pro Vac Gravel Cleaner – Premium Choice
| Power Source: | Battery |
| Tubing Included: | No |
| Multipurpose Heads: | No |
| Removes Water: | Yes |
The premium choice for an aquarium vacuum gravel cleaner is the Fluval Aqua Pro Vac Gravel Cleaner. This fully submersible vac can be used to filter water and return it to the tank or to perform water changes. The mesh filter can be removed and cleaned, and it includes a replaceable filter that provides a separate density to ensure you catch as much waste as possible. It includes an optional long reach nozzle to help you reach the bottom of deep tanks. This gravel vac also includes a built-in LED light to make spotting waste in dark areas easy.
This gravel vacuum can be used to remove water, but you will need to provide the hose. It is battery powered and batteries are usually not included, so you will need to purchase these separately. It requires a depth of 8 inches to function.
4. Upettools Aquarium Gravel Cleaner
| Power Source: | Outlet |
| Tubing Included: | Yes |
| Multipurpose Heads: | Yes |
| Removes Water: | Yes |
The Upettools Aquarium Gravel Cleaner is a 6 in 1 gravel cleaner that can also be used to perform water changes, wash sand, filter water, improve water flow, and serve as a shower over your tank. It includes five head attachments and a mesh filter bag that can be detached for cleaning. This gravel cleaner can remove up to 360 gallons of water per hour, so it can greatly reduce the time it takes you to clean the tank. It comes with four extension tubes measuring 8 inches each.
This gravel vacuum requires an outlet for use but has an easy-access on/off switch on the cord. If turned on before being put in the water, it will fill with air and may take a few minutes to create suction underwater.
5. hygger 360GPH Electric Aquarium Gravel Cleaner 5 in 1
| Power Source: | Outlet |
| Tubing Included: | Yes |
| Multipurpose Heads: | Yes |
| Removes Water: | Yes |
The hygger 360GPH Electric Aquarium Gravel Cleaner 5 in 1 comes with five different heads and four extension tubes that measure 7 inches each. It can be used to clean gravel or remove water in water as shallow as 2 inches. This gravel cleaner can also be used to filter water, wash sand, and clean in the corners of the tank. The filtration function contains replaceable filter foam. It’s powered by an electrical outlet and includes an on/off switch. It can remove water at 360 gph, reducing tank cleaning time.
Does require an outlet within 9 feet for use. It may drain water too quickly and too powerfully for small tanks, making this a better option for large tanks.
6. Boxtech Upgraded Electric Aquarium Cleaner 6 in 1
| Power Source: | Outlet |
| Tubing Included: | Yes |
| Multipurpose Heads: | Yes |
| Removes Water: | Yes |
The Boxtech Upgraded Electric Aquarium Cleaner 6 in 1 is made to be used with tanks from 10-200 gallons. This product’s features include water changing, gravel cleaning, sand washing, filtration, showering, and increasing water flow. It comes with five heads, a removable mesh filter bag, and tubing for water changes. The filtration and water flow features include an adjustable water flow.
It is not recommended to use this pump for vacuuming or water removal in tanks with substrate that is smaller than 3mm. If started outside the water, it will take time for it to begin working correctly when placed in the water. It does require a nearby electrical outlet for use.
7. HiTauing Aquarium Gravel Cleaner
| Power Source: | Outlet |
| Tubing Included: | Yes |
| Multipurpose Heads: | Yes |
| Removes Water: | Yes |
The HiTauing Aquarium Gravel Cleaner is a good pick for tanks with sand substrates. It includes three heads, filter sponges, two extension tubes, and a water change hose. It can be used to perform water changes, wash sand, vacuum fine substrate, and vacuum coarse substrate.
This electric vacuum gravel cleaner is prone to leakage with water changes and works best with tanks that are 20 gallons or smaller. You will need to be close to an outlet to use this product. The filter canister on this vac is small and becomes clogged easily, which may make this difficult to use for heavy bioload tanks.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Electric Aquarium Vacuum Gravel Cleaner
What Kind of Options are There?
Final Thoughts
The best overall electric aquarium vacuum gravel cleaner is the Eheim Quick Vac Automatic Gravel Cleaner, which is highly functional and affordable. The best value is the NICREW Automatic Gravel Cleaner 2 in 1 Sludge Extractor, which suits any budget and provides great substrate cleaning. The premium choice is the Fluval Aqua Pro Gravel Vac Cleaner, which lives up to the Fluval product name, but for a premium price.
All of these reviews cover some of the best electric gravel vacuum products on the market. This allows you to find a starting point to identifying what your tank needs and then choosing a product. This type of convenient product can make caring for your tank incredibly easy.
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Featured Image Credit: M-Production, Shutterstock
