You'll want to keep a variety of handy tools and equip around.
A good debris filter, like a HOT Mag, Diatiom, or something similar. These are handy, after cleaning, or doing tank cleanups, for getting the disturbed debris particles out of the water.
A decent siphon tube....or python to clean the bottom and gravel. Also, for removing water during water changes.
5 Gallon bucktes...enough said.....buckets are handy
who can name or add some other things???
Buckets? Mug, you live in the dark ages, you poor dear. No need for buckets if you have pumps.
Quote from: LizStreithorst on October 15, 2012, 10:37:10 AM
Buckets? Mug, you live in the dark ages, you poor dear. No need for buckets if you have pumps.
Lol
Quote from: LizStreithorst on October 15, 2012, 10:37:10 AM
Buckets? Mug, you live in the dark ages, you poor dear. No need for buckets if you have pumps.
Agreed, but I got new fish and did the quarantine thing with everything like you & Jon told me too and I had to go Saturday and buy a bucket and siphon tank cleaner to keep everything isolated from rest of tank. The bucket sucked!!!!
What about a glass cleaning pad?
Yeah, QT can be a pain. I can siphon out my kitchen door but I need to refill with buckets.
Good for you doing a proper QT. Usually you can get away with just tossing the new fish in the existing tanks but when you don't get away with it, you are in for a lot of heart ache. You can loose everything.
Come on ladies, don't be so hard on Jon LOL
I pump all my water too, but my discharge pump sits in a 5 gallon bucket that I move around the fish room.
Dennis
Quote from: LizStreithorst on October 15, 2012, 10:37:10 AM
Buckets? Mug, you live in the dark ages, you poor dear. No need for buckets if you have pumps.
Buckets are good for transport, cleaning sponges, isolating fish before bagging and many other things....I use a pump to do water changes and a submersible pump from a holding tank to fill....but I couldn't live without my various sized buckets.....LOL
oh..and soaking/cleaning nets and equip. too
Quote from: LizStreithorst on October 15, 2012, 12:05:39 PM
Yeah, QT can be a pain. I can siphon out my kitchen door but I need to refill with buckets.
Good for you doing a proper QT. Usually you can get away with just tossing the new fish in the existing tanks but when you don't get away with it, you are in for a lot of heart ache. You can loose everything.
I believe you and did not take any chances. I will try getting pics of them later.
Yep I got a pump for water changes but still use buckets for everything else. Life got a lot easier with the pump.
I would also like to thank Jon for getting me hooked on the green 3M pads. I think I clean about everything with them.
What kind of pump are you all using? I want to get one or else figure a way to turn power head into one. I have a python I empty and fill with, but our water is high, however much you use they charge double for sewer charge. So since I got back into fish keeping in March my water bill has doubled. :'( I figure if I just had a pump it may go down some.
Here's the pump....
http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-PC2-115-Volt-Portable-Transfer/dp/B000CPZTEK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341962918&sr=8-2&keywords=wayne+transfer+pump
I got a gray heavy plastic cattle feeding tub from Farm&Fleet,,about 100gal, then I got a submersible pump for the tub.....I put a few sediment/carbon cartridge filters in and fill the tub thru the filters, zapping the chlorine(mostly)...then I refill from the tub,,,,
For cleaning and draining...take the 2-3ft section of the python hose(with the switch0 and put it on a hose.....hose to pump, another hose to drain....bingo,,,,drain and fill from the tub....
You can even get a little remote switch for the plug and turn the pumps on and off as you drain or fill,,,,,great for moving between tanks...
Thanks Jon. Going to look at that pump. :)
I use this one http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-PC4-115-Volt-Transfer-Water/dp/B0002YQUBM/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1350396782&sr=1-2&keywords=wayne+transfer+pump
If you look around you can find a deal. I got mine for $99 with free shipping. I water the garden with the out going water.
I've been doing that with water I take our of quarantine tank, and when I clean my sponges.
Quote from: Mugwump on October 16, 2012, 08:40:23 AM
Here's the pump....
http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-PC2-115-Volt-Portable-Transfer/dp/B000CPZTEK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341962918&sr=8-2&keywords=wayne+transfer+pump
I got a gray heavy plastic cattle feeding tub from Farm&Fleet,,about 100gal, then I got a submersible pump for the tub.....I put a few sediment/carbon cartridge filters in and fill the tub thru the filters, zapping the chlorine(mostly)...then I refill from the tub,,,,
For cleaning and draining...take the 2-3ft section of the python hose(with the switch0 and put it on a hose.....hose to pump, another hose to drain....bingo,,,,drain and fill from the tub....
You can even get a little remote switch for the plug and turn the pumps on and off as you drain or fill,,,,,great for moving between tanks...
Great minds must think alike. That's the same one we use.... Hmmmm where did I get that idea??? 8)
LOL................miss you two...We do... 8)
Them are some big pumps. I just got a little pond pump at the hardware store.
Hmmm...got a link or a pic, Scott?....I like the submersibles for my tub...always looking to improve tho...and a pond pump would be submersible too.....what's the pump 'head'..??
Here is a link. It's not that big but it works good for what I need.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202278930/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=md+11300&storeId=10051#.UH61jsXR7bM
This is what I use looks similar to yours killer.
http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/eco-396-water-pump.html
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this just gets better and better, do either of you want to elaborate on how you use the pumps? I'm only using python and a squeeze bulb water changer on quarantine.
Quote from: b125killer on October 17, 2012, 08:44:18 AM
Here is a link. It's not that big but it works good for what I need.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202278930/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=md+11300&storeId=10051#.UH61jsXR7bM
Looks like the vertical head is about 71/2 ft...not bad....I'm thinking of a bit stronger one to pump the water right out to the backyard garden area.....
Quote from: Jo on October 17, 2012, 11:18:16 AM
this just gets better and better, do either of you want to elaborate on how you use the pumps? I'm only using python and a squeeze bulb water changer on quarantine.
I got a new Garbage can and made a base with wheels. I just fill that up with water and move it to the tank that I'm doing the water change on. I Have a long hose that will reach any sink in the house for draining the water. I have a son with a good set of lungs that just learned the fine art of starting a siphon without drinking tank water. :D
" I have a son with a good set of lungs that just learned the fine art of starting a siphon without drinking tank water."
LOL...that's a critical part of fishkeeping....LOL
I was so mean to him the first time he tried it. I should of warned him. The look on his face was priceless.
Quote from: b125killer on October 18, 2012, 06:51:14 AM
I was so mean to him the first time he tried it. I should of warned him. The look on his face was priceless.
A tasty treat.... :o..poor guy...
At least I didn't have it in the gravel ;D
Quote from: b125killer on October 18, 2012, 07:01:36 AM
At least I didn't have it in the gravel ;D
*gag*.....good Dad.....when I have to start a 'manual' siphon, I've gotten it down to a science...quick hard suck and plop.....and keep your tubes clean.....LOL
Yuck! never want to try that!
Quote from: Jo on October 18, 2012, 01:51:38 PM
Yuck! never want to try that!
You haven't had a mouth full of fish water before?
No sir! I've had it splashed in face while feeding but never started a siphon by sucking on hose! :-X
Quote from: Jo on October 19, 2012, 06:52:35 AM
No sir! I've had it splashed in face while feeding but never started a siphon by sucking on hose! :-X
Ah, the fishkeepers baptism...... :o
I have swallowed more tank water than I care to admit. I once got a mouth full from a tank that I was treating for worms. As luck would have it I had a doctors appointment that day. I told him I was going to die and I swallowed aquarium water with worms in it. He looked at me like I had a third nipple growing out my forehead.
I have a angel that makes it his personal mission to get me wet when he eats.
ROFL with :') Mine always do that its like you arent feeding us enough so we gonna get you wet!!!! ha ha
I think it's more "move over gang"..this food is mine.... :o
Yea you are probably right! Some of them are so anxious it seems they are about to jump right out of tank. Crazy fish!
You are probably right except for the one that wants me wet. He waits for the right time than splash. I think he has it all timed out. Just waiting for the optimum angle to get me as wet ah he can.
Quote from: b125killer on October 19, 2012, 08:42:50 AM
You are probably right except for the one that wants me wet. He waits for the right time than splash. I think he has it all timed out. Just waiting for the optimum angle to get me as wet ah he can.
What'd you do to him to deserve that......LOL
I like to think he's just trying to show me what his world is like. It's the same angel that I pet when I clean the tank. He's my special little friend. I never had a fish that I could pet.
Quote from: Jo on October 19, 2012, 08:20:25 AM
Yea you are probably right! Some of them are so anxious it seems they are about to jump right out of tank. Crazy fish!
LoL
I have had one of my red headed tapajos dart from the bottom and jump clean out of the tank straight to the floor! Thankfully he survived it and is still swimming around with his siblings but I think he learned a lesson that day. LoL
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Quote from: b125killer on October 20, 2012, 12:12:40 AM
I like to think he's just trying to show me what his world is like. It's the same angel that I pet when I clean the tank. He's my special little friend. I never had a fish that I could pet.
I have a couple that will let me pet them too! Pretty cool
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I think that he is the way he is because of Jon. I got the angel from him. He plays with his angels all the time. It's cool to have fish that you can interact with like that. I haven't had a fish Jump out of the tank on me yet.
LOL...thats crazy....
I agree that buckets are great to always have around! I don't have enough!
Even if I did have a good pump system I wouldn't use it for WCs. I prefer to use a bucket because if I accidentally suck up any fry I can catch them and save them. :)
I've sucked up fry during WC. My opinion is that if the fry are stupid enough to be sucked up, they aren't worthy of being in the gene pool. I have found that baby fish learn to avoid the siphon hose very quickly.
I feed my fish with a turkey baster. Now when I put in siphon hose they think it's time to eat and got right to it.
just thump the siphon tube on the side now and then...they get the idea pretty quickly...it's like tapping the tank rim with your baster everytime you feed them...before long...tap,tap,tap..equates to food....they come a running.....'Pavlov's Dog'
I've thought that too Liz from time to time depending on what it is I will save it though
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Yeah, Liz, I remember you saying that before. But I just can't do that to my poor babies. I just adopt out all my cull to other little kids who don't care what genes their fish have. But my fish are stupid. they usually all come rushing over to it too. XD
... I didn't see these other pages. of course there are drawbacks to the disgusting mouth siphon, especially when doing sick tanks! :X