Old Methods

[greenmaji]

"A trip down memory lane"

python, what's this python you speek of? I have this hose with a 2" plastic tube at the end that I suck the muck out of the gravel with.
Power filter? How does that differ from my undergravel plates and corner filter?
My airpump? What do you mean I dont need it, how would my filters work?

Cycling.. well we start off with our 5 gallon buckets. I like to have at least 2 now fill the tank up with water and wait for a week. Get a freshwater testkit, now we get about a feeder guppy per 5 gallons or so. After seven backaches a week now its time for more water changes. yea.. this can go on for months. If your not carfull once your cycled though it can start all over.. more waterchanges my freind. But you'll be better for it, what doesnt break us makes us stronger.

good times.. :P

[Jchillin]

LOL...nice.

How about emptying the entire tank, placing the fish in a bucket and then cleaning everything in the tank, refilling and returning the fish. This usually took an entire day (or at least part of it) and that was after filling buckets and leaving them out overnight to release gases and chlorine (no such thing as chloramine back then).

Dechlor??? Test kits??? What are these things you speak of? ROFL!!

[greenmaji]

Only overnight!!!!
Oh noes!

:P

remember the week rule.. :P

[GouramiFanatic]

When I told my father that I was getting a 75 gallon tank for home he tried to teach me how to properly care for fish and the tank itself. According to him, I don't need to cycle my tank before putting fish in. That 'new tank syndrome' is a thing of the imagination and it's completely untrue. Also, it's very important to empty the tank every month or so and to take out all of the decor to give it a good scrubbing to make sure that the fish don't get sick. LOL

All I have to say is that I'm so thankful that this site exists because without it, I probably would've followed his advice and ended up killing my fish.

[Devilishturtles]

When I was a small lil kid, my parents got us a 10 gallon tank for these like....4 goldfish. They lasted forever. Years and years....and years. We used to pick a day a week when we'd put each goldfish in his own little bowl, take the tank outside in the grass and hose it down. We'd scrub it out and clean the rocks, then fill with new water and put the fish back in. As anazingly dirty as I'm sure this tank was, the fish lived long heathy lives. Well...about 8 years atleast, before they all died.

[Zagz]

The best one I heard is use the UGF's because when the nitrates get higher it keeps the fish from getting too hyper. They need this once in a while to keep them from growing too fast. Courtesy of my uncle, an aquarist for 45 years! 8O

[greenmaji]

Originally Posted by Zagz

The best one I heard is use the UGF's because when the nitrates get higher it keeps the fish from getting too hyper. They need this once in a while to keep them from growing too fast. Courtesy of my uncle, an aquarist for 45 years! 8O

Oh sure, how else are you going to get your KH to drop without that expensive RO/DI?
Old Tank Syndrom WHAT?!?!?!?

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Wow, my first 10 Gal. You added rocks, then the fish, waited 1 minute, then added the water so they'ld appreciate what they got..

This is 20 years ago, and I was never told about "cycling", "test kits".. you cleaned the filter when it got dirty, you changed some water when the cat drank most of it.. And the surprising thing was, Neon's used to be "hardy"..

[greenmaji]

Originally Posted by Wizzard~Of~Ozz

Wow, my first 10 Gal. You added rocks, then the fish, waited 1 minute, then added the water so they'ld appreciate what they got..

Wow.. it sounds like I might have gotten some advanced training.. LOL

The fill the tank up with water and wait a week.. :P

[Zagz]

My uncle currently houses piranha in a 75 gal with a UGF only. Imagine how those fish feel?

[tropicfishman]

JCHILLIN I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN LOL

[greenmaji]

Originally Posted by Zagz

My uncle currently houses piranha in a 75 gal with a UGF only. Imagine how those fish feel?

Ive actually seen this done correctly (albet MANY years ago) but somehow I doubt your uncle is doing the nessisary maintance on this tank.

[Jchillin]

I can't believe no one has mentioned that awful smell, not to mention that the gravel stuck to the tank in several places and had to be removed with a sandblaster. ROFL!!!

[greenmaji]

Awful smell? Ahhhh thats just fishy goodness..

always refer to the last statement of my original post.

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Originally Posted by greenmaji

Wow.. it sounds like I might have gotten some advanced training.. LOL

The fill the tank up with water and wait a week.. :P

(I was kidding around)

But When I had my first tank I wasn't told about any of this stuff, I also had angels w/ Neons and no heater, the fish lived for quite some time too. interesting how things have changed.

[greenmaji]

there have been some good publications that have been around for fifty years.. I still dont understand why the information seemed to be so elusive.

granted the information was dated (compared to todays standards) but I did have access to the current information when I started out in the hobby.. :P

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Pet store at a mall, no internet.. while the information may be accessible, the information wasn't needed, I had 1 bout with ich over the course of 3 years and it was fully stocked from day 1.

[greenmaji]

:P.. I was refering to some magazines..
A mall petsore still is unlikely to cary them
A good bookstore in the mall on the other hand just might. :P

[greenmaji]

Ahhhhh filter Floss.. and its the only mechanical filtartion you need.. other then your gravel

Ok.. just reminising agian