Decided to build a water testing station

[InfernoST]

Hi All
I'm in my 2nd week of cycling my tank (still no signs of nitrates yet) and performing yet another water change when I looked up to see all of my water testing Stuff all over the place so I decided to build a water testing station. Here is a picture of where I'm at with it to date. I plan on adding to it and will update this post with the new additions. If anyone has any suggestions feel free to let me know and I'll try to add them. My next contemplation is adding a bracket so it can rest on the front of the tank.
My wife dubbed it The Lab.

 

[neilanh]

If you can add some robot arms and an input funnel and completely automate the whole thing (i.e. liquid in, results out) I'll buy one from you.

Looks good. Myself, I have my stuff laying everywhere. haha

 

[thatmagicguy]

Invest in a cheap microscope, they are very useful. Also get a small dissecting kit and learn to take apart deceased(dead) fish and learn how to look at each organ. It will put you miles ahead of the game. Also, always wash your tubes immediately and store them open, face down, a tube rack is a great investment. Bill

 

[FishEggs]

i assume you fill the test tubes with the syringe. i use eye droppers. it looks good and the only thing i could think of is maybe a rim around the base so nothing rolls off be it a test tube or spilled water.

 

[InfernoST]

The wife wont give the microscope back, she insists that she still needs it. All kidding aside i was performing yet another test when i took the shot that's why the three are full. The rim around is a great idea and the test tubes and rack are on order.

Thanx everyone

 

[Ruadh]

Good job.
Very clever

 

[BigMike75]

Are you doing a fishless cycle or do you have fish and that is why you are changing the water?

 

[InfernoST]

Are you doing a fishless cycle or do you have fish and that is why you are changing the water?

Yes I'm cycling the tank with fish, i have my 5 and 3 year old girls for that one, you know we couldn't just have a fish tank with out fish, anyway the little smiles and laughs are all worth it. The funny thing about this is I used to think changing diapers was a pain. I'm changing anywhere from 20 to 50% changes on a daily basis and testing all of the the water parameters twice a day. I felt i needed a little order to the chaos and decided to do something about it. I left enough room for additional testing kits for my future saltwater endeavor.

 

[BigMike75]

I see I just got done cycling my 120 and it was hard for me to look at a empty tank and I had 3 more with fish in it. I am sure 2 little girls would be like daddy where are the fishees at.

 

[FishEggs]

you can add some stem plants to help out with the water params. then it will be a silent cycle.

 

[InfernoST]

I see I just got done cycling my 120 and it was hard for me to look at a empty tank and I had 3 more with fish in it. I am sure 2 little girls would be like daddy where are the fishees at.

It's all good, the smiles that daddy gets makes it all the more worth the effort not to mention it's quite fun. Take care

 

[InfernoST]

you can add some stem plants to help out with the water params. then it will be a silent cycle.

Stem Plants? What do they look like and where can i get a couple?

 

[atomiclord]

NIce looking test kit. My stuff is all crammed in the the bottom of the stand :-j

 

[InfernoST]

NIce looking test kit. My stuff is all crammed in the the bottom of the stand :-j

atomiclord
Thanks, it's amazing what you can do with old cutting boards. Since my tank is a 44 gallon pentagon all of my stuff is literally jammed in as well so much so I can barely see my Eheim. This is my next mission after I'm done with my WTS.

Ciao

 

[FishEggs]

Stem Plants? What do they look like and where can i get a couple?

here's a link to a good plant site showing the different types of plants. i dont know what type of lighting you have but i'll assume it's the stock t8 fluorescent bulb which means low light. so look at the low light plants. you should change your light bulb to a daylight spectrum bulb too.

 

[atomiclord]

Since my tank is a 44 gallon pentagon all of my stuff is literally jammed in as well so much so I can barely see my Eheim.

Haha I can sympathise. I have a 42 gal bowfront with a QT in the stand... Rapidly running out of room now but I've labelled it 'in progress' so it's perfectly alright

 

[FishEggs]

i should label my life "in progress" so i dont have to have anything neat and organized.

 

[InfernoST]

i should label my life "in progress" so i dont have to have anything neat and organized.

I 2nd that motion.

 

[InfernoST]

Haha I can sympathise. I have a 42 gal bowfront with a QT in the stand... Rapidly running out of room now but I've labelled it 'in progress' so it's perfectly alright

Doesn't it rot. Putting shelving in is going to be an exercise in frustration, the opening is darn S M all.?$#%^

 

[InfernoST]

here's a link to a good plant site showing the different types of plants. i dont know what type of lighting you have but i'll assume it's the stock t8 fluorescent bulb which means low light. so look at the low light plants. you should change your light bulb to a daylight spectrum bulb too.

Fishegg
Thanx for the info, there is quite a selection of stem plants. Are they difficult to care for? How do you feed them?