Time ????

[Steven A]

I am still at secondary school at the moment and i am in my last year. I am about to sit my final exams! 8O I want to know the easiest way to clean fish out and the quickest. Is it easy to maintain a tank with no gravel or anything just the bottom(glass). And only including the objects wich are needed, for the breeders and fry.

Please leave your sugestions as i was even thinking about selling all my tanks and fish :x :x But i really dont want to.

 

[redwhiptailplec]

Yes it is much easier to maintain a tank with no substrate, infact it is recommended for some particularily messy fish such as Oscars. Most breeders seem to use substrate less tanks, no my taste but it could be the way to go.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I dunno. Substrate houses alot of beneficial bacteria, Food for bottom feeders, and anchors for plants. Cleaning a tank is fast. Takes me about 20 minutes to clean my 55 gallon tank, and fill it back up, and that's with vaccuming the gravel.

 

[Toirtis]

Or, alternatively, if you have a sibling, bribe them to do it for you...100% of time saved there.

 

[bzbee]

How many tanks do you have? If you're concerned about not having time to feed the fish and do PWCs, I'd agree with Toirtis and recommend you ask a family member for help. Sign your parents up for a week or two each "for the sake of your education". It's been eons since my 'O'-levels, but I remember how stressful it was. All the best to you!!!

 

[Steven A]

Well I have 2 - 3 foots and 2 - 2 foots. The tanks need alot of care as one is a fry tank, 2 water changes a weak and then the other 3 contain breeders such as: pufferfish, Kribensis and my angelfish. I am oing to keep the tanks and fish However make some changes ..... Tanks will not contain as much gravel; except the one wich is run on a undergravel filter. The rest are goingt o have a thin layer and only consist of objects wich are needed. I am going to carry on with one water change per weak (25%) However I will buy a hose pipe so i dont have to use buckets . Also I wouldnt trust any one else with my fish ! LMAO ... When i go on Holiday for two weaks the deal is the lfs where all the fish were purchased from are going to be given a temp house .... so i know they are in good hands and the deal is if they breed the store keeps the fry .... so there hopeing my puffers breed lol

 

[Guest]

Well I have 2 - 3 foots and 2 - 2 foots. The tanks need alot of care as one is a fry tank, 2 water changes a weak and then the other 3 contain breeders such as: pufferfish, Kribensis and my angelfish. I am oing to keep the tanks and fish However make some changes ..... Tanks will not contain as much gravel; except the one wich is run on a undergravel filter. The rest are goingt o have a thin layer and only consist of objects wich are needed. I am going to carry on with one water change per weak (25%) However I will buy a hose pipe so i dont have to use buckets . Also I wouldnt trust any one else with my fish ! LMAO ... When i go on Holiday for two weaks the deal is the lfs where all the fish were purchased from are going to be given a temp house .... so i know they are in good hands and the deal is if they breed the store keeps the fry .... so there hopeing my puffers breed lol

Sounds like its not the substrate that's the problem, but all your tanks! If you are pressed for time, one tank is always the best idea. If you set it up like mine all you need is to spend 20 minutes a week pythoning 30% of the water total.

 

[Toirtis]

When i go on Holiday for two weaks the deal is the lfs where all the fish were purchased from are going to be given a temp house ....

...and how do you plan on keeping the bacterial colonies in your tanks and filters from dying out within this time, since there will be no fish and food in your tanks?

 

[Steven A]

Sorry i wasnt very specific, the only fish that will be going to the store are my pufferfish (breeders) and there are 5 tetras in there i cant catch lol. So they will still be there. I couldnt really get rid of my tanks I am to far into the hobby lol 8)