I hate cleaning my tank

[Todd2]

I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

I can never do it right. I always get water ALL over the place. On the stand, on the carpet, on the hood. I have a syphon and stick one end of the tubing out the window. For some reason I always get a mouthful when I try to syphon. I guess theres like still water in there from the last WC. Then water gets on the window sill and everywhere. Why you ask? Because I'm clumsy/careless, I don't know.

Ok so today I had to break down my 10g. I wanted to cry. It was just so fustrating. Getting water all over the place and whatnot. And then to top it off I cracked the whole side of the 10g. I was trying to get all the gravel out. And for some STUPID reason I thought that if I bumped the side of the tank it would loosen the gravel that was caught on the lip of the tank, the gravel didn't want to come out. Great now I'm out a 10g. Its only $10 but I'm a highschool student and it broke because I DID something so stupid. I was just so frustrated because it could've been easily prevented if I hadn't been so careless/stupid. Then to top it off one of my ballast stopped working in my DIY hood for my 20g. Great. Now I'm going to have to fix that. I'll probably end up making a whole new hood. But that means more money that I don't have. Will a python help the water spillage issue? It probably will but then that means MORE money. I'll be getting a job in December but thats months away. Also, I don't even know if I'm going to try to breed dwarf gouramis. I've been wanting to do it and doing research, but since today I'm thinking if I can't even keep my own tank straight how am I going to breed fish. And then there's my plants which have been slowly turning brown. That makes me feel like a failure/screw up. Today has just been very frustrating, it kind of makes me not want fish tanks. I kind of feel better now though and on the bright side at least my fish are doing ok, healthwise. Thanks for reading if you read this far.

/rant

 

[Jchillin]

The good thing is, you are not alone. A lot, if not most of us have done some silly things and suffered the consequences. My mom used to say: "Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it over again."

Of course, I didn't take that advice all the time. Shortcuts are imaginary time savers and do cause problems later on.

As far as the python eliminating water spills...not likely, though may be not as much. My wife still glowers at me because of a small lake I tried to create in the kitchen. It was just carelessness on my part but I've learned from it.

Cracking a tank? It happens. The good thing about your post is that you acknowledge your errors and you will certainly be a better fishkeeper as a result.

kudos to you!

 

[haus]

Keep your head up. There will always be good and bad days. A mouthful of water when starting a syphon isn't a big deal. I do it all the time, but it seems like it happens more often with the SW tank. Tastes terrible. Anyways, just look at those events as learning experiences. The way I see things, I have made MANY mistaked in my life, but I have no regrets, and from every time I have erred, a lesson was learned. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and strive forward.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The Python will certanly eliminate the moutfuls of water, but it won't eliminate the water spills. You may have fewer, but they will be bigger. Imagine having the hose in the tank, water pressure on full, then walking out of the room. Before you get back the cat trips the hose out of the tank, sending it to the floor. That's alot of water soaking in the carpet before you have a chance to get back and put the hose back in the tank. It is defintaely easier than the bucket brigade, but you still have to be careful.

 

[deli_conker]

One word (said already) "python".

I just bought one a few weeks ago. Wish I would have bought one sooner. You hook it up to your sink, turn on the tap and put the other end in your tank. Zoink. Before you know it you'll have plenty of water out. After that, you close the valve on the sink side and the tap water goes into your tank. Just add whatever you use to eat the chlorine, etc. straight to your tank.

If there's any mess, it's just drops of water, not actual spills (at least that's all I've experienced - I use the kitchen sink). A plain old hand towel works for cleaning those up. I also close the hood over the hose so it doesn't slip or otherwise get pulled out. The only thing you have to do is watch and wait, Don't go wandering off toi go do something else. I can do a 20% change on my 55 gallon in about 10 minutes. My girlfriend still isn't used to how fast it is done compared to how long it took before to do something similar. Since it is so easy to do, I also do it more often; the tank has never looked better.

 

[DeFeKt]

Take a step back, take a deep breath, and strive forward

When i first started working someone once said to me "slow down or your going to hurt yourself"
it took me 3 years and a running miller blade across the top of my fingers to realise he was right. i worked quick, but i got lazy with other things. and it almost, ALMOST cost me my fingers.(for those who don't know a miller is a minature power saw blade on a 5 1/2" grinder used in the aluminium boat building industry)

because my tank was inside i use a 15+ foot hose to run the water out onto the lawn. before creating the syphon i blow back into the hose to make sure it hasn't any water in it.

all in all don't sweat the small stuff mate. It's not worth doing the old pooper valve over eh.
Good luck

Matt.

 

[Andos99]

My mom used to say: "Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it over again."

Hey!! You stole my tag line.......words to live by....honestly.

 

[Toirtis]

Bah....I do upwards of 1200 gallons a week in water changes....all via bucket....and I rarely see more than a few millilitres hit the floor....and thats what I have towels and mops for...I personally dislike the lack of contril a python gives....and I prefer to treat my water before it hits my tanks.

 

[Andos99]

Bah....I do upwards of 1200 gallons a week in water changes....all via bucket.....

1200 gal/5 gal bucket = 240 trips to the sink.

Figure 5 minutes minimum per bucket (filling w/ tank water, dumping, then fill with tap water and chemicals).

That equals 20 hours per week MINIMUM in water changes?

I'd shoot myself.

 

[Toirtis]

Bah....I do upwards of 1200 gallons a week in water changes....all via bucket.....

1200 gal/5 gal bucket = 240 trips to the sink.

Figure 5 minutes minimum per bucket (filling w/ tank water, dumping, then fill with tap water and chemicals).

That equals 20 hours per week MINIMUM in water changes?

I'd shoot myself.

I see it more like 2-3 hours daily.....and man, I gots strong arms.

 

[Andos99]

Needless to say Toirtis, I'm not jealous

 

[Todd2]

Now all my hornwort and other plants are dying because I only have 1 wpg over the tank. My other ballast broke and I don't know when I'll be able to get to lowes. I'm too broke to buy a CF light fixture so I have to DIY. And this weekend I have a soccer pasta party friday night 6-9. We have a game saturday @ 11:00 am. Which takes around 3-3 1/2 hours. So I'll get back at 2 or 2:30. I have to shower and pack. Then at 3 or 4 I'm leaving to go camping with my friend. We will get back on sunday at 4 or 5. Then I have homework to do AND I'll have to do a waterchange. Oh well, I'll get through it somehow.

 

[Guest]

Here you go.

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Work on accuracy first speed will come later.

Both, very true and to the point.

But whatever you do dont give up!