Tips and Tricks

[fluffyntex]

There may already be a thread like this but I thought it would be neat for people to list any tips and tricks they have learned in one place. I will start it.


I bought 2 of the 5 gallon water bottles that I keep full of water for water changes. When I use them I refill and put the water treatment in so it's ready for the next use.

I was having trouble with floating small plants (duckweed, pieces of guppy grass, java moss etc) getting sucked up by the filter and sticking all over the end of the cover at the end of the tube. I put a bubble bar under it and that solved that problem. It stays clear now.

I will add more as I think of them.

 

[haykay]

QT all inhabitants...everytime

 

[fluffyntex]

no one else have anything to add?

 

[meegosh]

I'll add a few...

When starting out, get the biggest aquarium you can afford. Makes your life so much easier. Not to mention you won't have to upgrade so soon.

Get a python!!! Makes gravel vacuuming so easy!

Always keep a back up heater especially in the winter months. If your heater fails at 10 o'clock at night you won't be able to go buy another till the morning.

I'm drawing a blank now, I'll add some more later.

 

[kimo]

On any tank larger than a 29g, use two heaters. Both under rated individually for the tank. If the contacts ever stick closed (always ON) you will never cook your fish or plants. (titanium heaters usually don't have this problem)
Smaller tanks don't usually have the space to add two. Just make sure its rated for that size tank and not one thats 2x as large. (On another board someone was asking "why can't I add a 200 watt heater to my 10g tank?" ans: You can if you like boiled fish.)

 

[Sahabo]

I use an empty 2.5 gallon water jug for adding new water during pwc's. I cut a hole in the top and fill it in the sink. I run the tap water over a glass thermometer until I get the right temp and fill it up then add some Prime. Using the pull out spout, it makes it easy to gradually add the new water!! This works for small tanks 5g and under. Cool thread

 

[Zagz]

For filter floss for all kinds of filters, use 100% pure polyester batting in a bulk bag and cut to fit. Pennies a filter.

For cannister filters, use plastic pot scrubbers rather than bio balls or ceramic rings. Works the same way but much cheaper.

Pool filter sand is an excellent substrate and inexpensive.

And I second the python for water changes!

 

[haykay]

maintain a consistant water change schedule
INvest in a QUALITY test kit

on water changes since I don't use a python..yet I keep 4 5gallon drinking water jugs always with water aged and dechorinated on hand

Please don't over feed!

Also have to second the buyt the BIGGEST tank you can afford, i may even suggest taking a month or more to buy the top notch everything that you can afford to go with size so you arn't upgrading the tank, then the stnad, tehn oh no the filters not enough..(lol im sure a few of us have been there...)

 

[kimo]

If you vacuum your tank(s), do it lightly. Never more than 1/4" and better just to skim the top of the gravel. There any many types of infusoria that live in the gravel and are favorite foods of fish. Vacuuming these out takes away a food source. Keep them in and you will never have to "overfeed".

Tip: Only feed fish six days a week. Let them take the seventh to clean up after themselves. You will save time on cleaning and money on fish food.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Sometimes you need to look at your tank without thinking about the problems inside of it. Take the time to enjoy the hobby without thinking of it as a "job". Sometimes I find myself sweating the small stuff and forget why I do it.

Take time to smell the flowers of your work. You will enjoy the hobby more.

 

[jsoong]

Keep your QT tank's filter material in the main tank's filter. When you need a hospital tank or a QT for that impulse buy, you can use that spare filter pad in the QT tank & have an instantly cycled setup.

 

[fluffyntex]

Great tips everyone! Keep them coming!

 

[kimo]

Keep your QT tank's filter material in the main tank's filter. When you need a hospital tank or a QT for that impulse buy, you can use that spare filter pad in the QT tank & have an instantly cycled setup.

There's a problem with this though...

If You have fish that are sick in the main tank there is a possibillity that whatever they have (parasites,dormant spores) has already spread to the main filter. Keeping the QT filter pad in the main filter then transferring it and the fish to the QT tank means both are still infected. If the infection is dromant spores, tranferring them to a new, clean environment will help spawn them. Drug resistant germs are not always killed in the QT tank even with high doses of medications.

A QT tank does not need to be cycled.

 

[cogburn]

overfiltrate, overfiltrate, overfiltrate... and did i mention overfiltrate?

 

[Korwin]

Sometimes you need to look at your tank without thinking about the problems inside of it. Take the time to enjoy the hobby without thinking of it as a "job". Sometimes I find myself sweating the small stuff and forget why I do it.

Take time to smell the flowers of your work. You will enjoy the hobby more.

Thank you for that.

 

[NJGourami]

I was having trouble with floating small plants (duckweed, pieces of guppy grass, java moss etc) getting sucked up by the filter and sticking all over the end of the cover at the end of the tube. I put a bubble bar under it and that solved that problem. It stays clear now.


I but a bubble wand near the intake of my powerhead thinking it looked cool and would help to oxegenate the water. I wound up with a burnt out impeller. So i would not recommend it.

 

[kimo]

overfiltrate, overfiltrate, overfiltrate... and did i mention overfiltrate?

No need to overfiltrate as long as your bio-load matches your tank WITHOUT filtration. What happens when the power goes out for a few weeks at a time?
Overfiltering a tank that is already maxxed out will only lead to gasping fish at the surface and a good old ammonia spike.

 

[saffikeagan]

great advise jcarl!