What Did You do With Your Tank Today?

[D-Fish]

I had them on my 29gallon threadfin and shrimp tank. I loved them. I took it off once a week and cleaned it out.

Now I generally pull it out and break it down every 3 months or so and scrub it. I take the impeller out and scrub it and the housing.... tubes and filter casing. I've been seeing a lot of people here with pre filters so I might get that started.

 

[Fresh2o]

Look into trough heaters. You can run them all winter. They do it for horses and cows around here where I'm from.

I used a 100W floating heater (looks like a large donut) to keep a hole in the ice in my pond. It turns on when temps drop below 40F. This will help ensure proper gas exchange.
Strong aeration (in the winter) is not as necessary as one might think because cold water holds more oxygen and the fish’s oxygen demand will be lower due to the temperature.

 

[Autumnsky]

Stoopid! Stoopid! Stoopid - yeah, I know that is not spelled correctly for proper English.

So I wondered why a floating piece of Anubias was stuck in the OUTFLOW of my FX-5 on the spare tank /46G bowfront.

The flow is weak (before this) and I was planning to go back in and clean the motor and change the filter pads soon, when I got some extra time. Didn't think too much about it because of the lower flow output it was having before the last clean.

Figured it just got caught on it, but it didn't ever come off - Bet you know already what I did wrong. Yup, hooked up the in to the out and out to in. Derp.

I thought I double checked that too.

Fortunately it was a quick fix with the special locking valve disconnect.
Still need to dismount the motor and clean and change the polishing pads.

Wow, I am so human.

 

[Fresh2o]

Figured it just got caught on it, but it didn't ever come off - Bet you know already what I did wrong. Yup, hooked up the in to the out and out to in. Derp.

.

Is there a way to mark the connectors and tubing in such a way that this does not happen again? For instance, using brightly colored nail polish or colored tape.

 

[Autumnsky]

Is there a way to mark the connectors and tubing in such a way that this does not happen again? For instance, using brightly colored nail polish or colored tape.

Good point, colored electrical tape comes to mind.

One would think the 1 inch tall word IN and OUT would be enough

Hopefully I could match the same colors together...

I'll be writing a new book, Tubing Connections for Dummies.

 

[King Fisher]

I had them on my 29gallon threadfin and shrimp tank. I loved them. I took it off once a week and cleaned it out.

Sounds easier so I maybe seriously considering it soon.

 

[King Fisher]

I used a 100W floating heater (looks like a large donut) to keep a hole in the ice in my pond. It turns on when temps drop below 40F. This will help ensure proper gas exchange.
Strong aeration (in the winter) is not as necessary as one might think because cold water holds more oxygen and the fish’s oxygen demand will be lower due to the temperature.

Right. The ones I've seen out here for live stock is a typical coil heater that screws into the drain hole on the bottom side of the trough. I've also seen the drop in kind. Keeps the water completely ice free. Not sure of the wattage on these.

 

[Barliman]

I've been seeing a lot of people here with pre filters so I might get that started.

You won't regret it: not only does it keep the gunk out of the filter, but it's that much extra biological filtration, too. Win-win.

 

[Autumnsky]

Looks like tank maintenance tomorrow.

In a twist of irony, I was able to find a home for a bunch of fish and withing the 24 hour period, got an email from someone I shared some medicated flake food with close to a year ago and we discussed Clown Loaches and this person is moving out of state and asked if I could take them.

Since I have been looking for some to round out my group, I said yes. They maybe arriving tomorrow.

 

[TronSam]

Cleaned and did 15% water change on 5 tanks - swapped fish from one tank to another, monthly major clean on HOB and general tidy up.

 

[D-Fish]

Got the 125 cleaned out and wiped down. Now I got to do a little re-sealing. The previous owner had damaged the bottom seals on the sides.

 

[Autumnsky]

That looks gorgeous D-Fish! And very clean

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Cleaned up around the place today getting ready to set up the new to me 80G marine tank. Like base boards behind the tanks and all the misc. that seems to fall behind tank stands and cabinets (at my house anyway).

Then when it got to the fish stuff, I can't make up my mind on which will look better.

I have 2 different 4 foot tanks and a 12'~6inch space to fit them and anything else, (like a 3rd tank - nano or matching 72G I do not own at this time). One way wouldn't be balanced and might (will) look weird.

Bit of advice I got was - decide where you want that Marine tank since it is big and heavy. From an owner of the IM same style tank but 60G model, I didn't buy which was only 3 feet long, this one is 4'. It has little rubbery/sticky nubs underneath so it won't shift around.

Now I am stuck trying to decide which way to set it up and don't want to be wrong or need to switch it.

Also was out of Prime - thought I had another reserve bottle but apparently not. I filled evap with RO on the tanks, and did one PWC on the Wine Glass tank with Replenish and RO. Started to get the old shrimp tank set up but stopped until I can decide where things are going to end up.

Slid the full 46G to the end of the wall, moved out a cabinet and the macroalgae 6.6G on the stand to a temporary spot. Re-routed air pumps and other plugs and found one air bubbler not really functioning, so had to fix that problem.

So I sit here with stands, boxes and cords, lights, equipment, saltwater rocks hahaha, everywhere but NO new tank set up

 

[TMaier]

Tank maintenance all the way around this weekend. PWC, Canister clean, root tabs added. I think I finally figured out why people do not clean their canister that often. I always feel compelled to say a little prayer when reassembling that it won’t leak. Lol. Never know when that O ring will throw a monkey wrench in things.

 

[King Fisher]

Tank maintenance all the way around this weekend. PWC, Canister clean, root tabs added. I think I finally figured out why people do not clean their canister that often. I always feel compelled to say a little prayer when reassembling that it won’t leak. Lol. Never know when that O ring will throw a monkey wrench in things.

What brand is your canister?

 

[V227]

I'm with you TM. Got the same worries. I'm sticking with the A.C. 110's.

 

[TMaier]

I have 2 different Sunsun’s on 2 different tanks. I gave up on HOB’s. They would just *stop*. I’d touch it and right back on. Even right after cleaning. Drove me nuts. And I was cleaning them a few times a few trying to see if it improved the performance. I’ll. Never go back to HOB’s.

 

[D-Fish]

I have canisters and HOBs. Both have their pros and cons. Day to day I like a canister better but come maintenance day HOBs look like a lot better option lol

 

[Tacit Blues]

Give up the HOBs and canisters! Sump Master Race!

 

[D-Fish]

Now that is something that truly terrifies me lol

Give up the HOBs and canisters! Sump Master Race!

 

[Tacit Blues]

Sumps are a lot easier to do maintenance on! Everything's right out there in the open to mess with