Aquarium supplies and equipment: How long do they last?

[BrianJR]

I'm coming up on the one year anniversary of my tank, and while there have been a few bumps along the way, I think I finally have a very stable and happy tank. Plus I seem to be getting more and more enjoyment out of it each and every day.

On to my question. Since my tank is a year old now, are there any supplies and/or equipment I should consider replacing? From reading the forums, I think I should at least get some fresh flake food and a new fluorescent bulb. How about my filter media (sponge and ceramic pellets)? I'm also using Seachem Prime and Flourish...do these products have expiry dates? Finally, how long do heaters and Aquaclear filter motors last? Should I just wait for them to fail, or is it better to do some preventative maintenance and replace them after a certain length of time?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I'd get new food, but the rest of the equipment, I would wait until it breaks. Keep an extra bulb, sponge, ceramic rings, heater, and filter on hand. We just wait until they fail until replacing. Right now we have two filters and two heaters on stand-by in case one of them breaks. We always have extra ceramic rings in case I accidently spill one of the baskets on the floor. I buy all of our equipment from Big Al's and keep it stored so we don't have to go out and spend twice as much at the lfs.

 

[fish 'n' fries]

I'd agree with fishyfanatic--food, maybe lights depending what kind... replace. (The lights really only matter if you're growing plants). As for filters--my aquaclear is probably pushing 10 years old. The motor still works. Just need to clean it out occasionally. The media you'll need to replace as it falls apart. For heaters it is nice to have a spare...because it's guaranteed to die on the coldest day!

 

[Zagz]

I also agree, keep a spare of the bulbs etc. My fish food doesn't last a year LOL.

 

[tropicfishman]

I keep a couple battery operated air pumps around for power loss's and moving fish around

 

[severum mama]

I agree, replacing the food is a good idea. With a small tank such as yours, you can just buy a small container of food; that way, you may be able to use it all before it expires. Seachem's Prime shouldn't expire, as far as I know, and I'm not too sure about Flourish. IMO the most important extras that you can have on hand is a replacement heater and filter, should you have problems with yours. You shouldn't have to replace the ceramic rings; you can just rinse them out as needed in old tankwater. You won't need to replace the sponge very often either, just squeeze it out in a bucket of tankwater as needed.