Maintenance

1. Carry out water changes regularly - 25% per month should probably be considered a MINIMUM for an average community tank, and more often depending on size and number of livestock. (A&A)

2. Vacuum the gravel every time you do a water change to keep it clean. Contrary to a popular myth, this will not remove all the beneficial bacteria, which adhere tightly to surfaces. (A&A)

3. Don't forget to clean the underside of the cover/hood every so often. Algae and gunk will grow on the underside, especially the light window, blocking the light so badly needed by plants. ("klewis61" FT)

4. Test your tanks regularly. Nitrate at the absolute least. If you see readings higher than 40ppm, you may need to change the water more frequently. Ammonia and nitrite too if you have the tests. You may catch a problem before any fish start looking sick that way. - Seeker

5. Don’t forget to vacuum under the tank ornaments and other decorations once and a while. You’ll probably find quite a bit of gunk up under them. - Seeker

6. If you don’t have a python or a ‘pump start’ gravel vacuum, use a turkey baster to start the siphoning action. Squeeze the turkey baster, insert it into the end of the outlet hose and release. Fold the hose over like you would to stop a garden hose to keep the suction. Remove the turkey baster, squeeze it, re-insert it and release. Repeat until the water starts flowing. NEVER start a siphon for a tank with your mouth. A number of aquarium chemicals are poisonous and sucking in the bacteria filled water can make you sick. - Seeker

7. Use Kay’s MiniVac (see the gadgets section) to clean areas that the gravel vac won’t fit, like near ugf uplift tubes or in corners. ("klewis61" FT) (192)

>Pythons

1. A Python is a gravel vacuum with a long piece of hose (25 feet) that attaches to a ‘water bed pump’ connected to a faucet. With the ‘pump’ open it starts a siphon by turning on the faucet. With the faucet running it adds to the suction on the vacuum. Great for those low to the ground tanks. With the ‘pump’ closed it fills your tank. Python gravel vacuums are one of the best items a fish keeper can buy. Makes water changes, especially with multiple tanks, tons easier. No more lugging water or trouble with starting a siphon. No more worrying over whether the water’s the right temperature since you can use a thermometer and the hot and cold water together to get the proper temperature. - Seeker

2. If you can’t find a python where you live, make your own. For details see the do-it-yourself section. (coming soon) - Seeker

3. Try adding a snap-on ‘dishwasher’ connector (<$10 at w-mart) to the python pump and the faucet. Makes setting up the python a, well, snap. Leave the pump connected to the hose and snap it on the faucet when you are ready to use it. Snap it off when you’re done. - Seeker

4. To clean your python, fill a 5g bucket and add 1 - 2 cups bleach. Suck the bucket dry and drain the hose completely. Run some water out of the python and then use it to fill the 5g bucket again. Add enough dechlorinator for 20g to the bucket and suck it dry again, again being sure to drain the hose completely. That should get rid of any bleach residue, but to be sure run some tap water out of the python. Will clean mildew out of the python hose and disinfect it if it was used on an infected tank. - Seeker

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>Dealing with Water

1. Use a flower watering can to add water to your tanks. This aerates the water a great deal and stresses the fish less (it's like natural rain) and it doesn't disturb the decor as much. ("lazerbeen" FT)

2. Garbage cans on wheels. Put the can on a roll-around similar to the kind you buy for large house plants. If you are handy you can make one. One can with prepared aged water and one empty can for dirty water. Use a pond pump, a fountain pump or a drill pump with flexible hose to pump the water. ("klewis61" &"bhlaws" FT) Works well with plastic 55g barrels too. - Seeker

3. Large plastic container set on a luggage carrier. Careful here, you have to tip the luggage carrier to roll it. ("klewis61" FT)

4. A child's little red wagon. They come in various sizes. Yes it's OK to take it away from your child. After all it's for "YOUR FISH". ("klewis61" FT)

5. Ice cream tubs make great buckets. Large ones are 11 liters and small are 2 liters. Fill them in the bathtub. The best part of this tip is first eat the ice cream. ("coolpetowner" FT)

6. Plastic 8 Pack Holder. I use 2-liter eight pack holders that they deliver Pepsi or Coca-Cola in. I hold my betta jars in them. They stack on top of one another and you dont have to run 2-bottles at a time when water changes are due. You can get the holders at local stores. Many are just taking up space and if you ask the store owner if you can have them, they usually are glad to give them to you. ("bettabeginnings" FT)

7. In the morning before I go to work I prepare water in 5 gallon jugs, sit them on my water bed and cover them with blankets. When I come home from work in the evening they are just the right temperature. I have had the misfortune of adding cold water and killing my fish instantly. I tried a heater in the jug but without circulation it did not warm evenly. ("tigergenesis" FT)

8. Measuring Jugs and Buckets. Using a permanent marker, mark 1qt, 2qt and 3qt lines on some of your milk jugs. Use a measuring cup to add a quart at a time. Or even add a half a quart at a time and mark those levels too. On buckets, mark the 1g, 2g, 3g, 4g, and 5g levels by adding a gallon at a time from a milk jug. Makes adding jug mixed meds and doing small water changes easier and more precise. - Seeker

9. Juckets. Cut one gallon jugs to make handy buckets. Using scissors, cut the jug along the two corners nearest the handle going down the slope and stopping where the sides are flat. Cut across the two sides of the jug opposite the handle and then cut off the neck of the jug. This leaves you a nice little bucket with a handle. These are great for all sorts of things. They are great for catch buckets when pouring a fish out of a bag and into a net. They are also good as a specimen box to hold fish as you catch them before moving them or bagging them. They make great net holders/soakers too as they will fit almost any net. I also use them to clean sponges in. - Seeker

10.  Test your tap water.  I was unfortunate enough to have tap water with 8ppm ammonia in it.  Try to test it monthly.  Logging your test results can help you find seasonal changes in your tap water.  - Chris

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>Water Conservation

1. Bucket Filter. Filter your aquarium water from water changes by making a filter. This filter will remove nitrates making the water reusable. See the do-it-yourself section for details. (coming soon) - Seeker

2. After cleaning your tanks or doing a water change, use the dirty aquarium water to water your house plants. Has lots of good nutrients the house plants can use. Good in the garden too. (Larnaslimkin FT).

3. Use a snap-on connector with your python and once the siphon is established (water from the tank is flowing through the entire hose) snap the pump off the faucet and put it in the tub. Cuts down on water use by not having the faucet running during vacuuming/tank draining. This also cuts the power of the vacuum some and may not work on tanks that are low to the ground. - Seeker (209)

4. Hook your python up through a window or door to an outside faucet. Unscrew the hose or if using a snap-on connector, unsnap the pump from the faucet and lay it in the garden to water the plants. Works best with two people. One to clean the tank and one to water the garden. - Chris

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Links to the other Tips & Tricks pages:

Intro, Tools & Gadgets

Tanks, Used Tanks, Buying Used Tanks, Cleaning Used Tanks, Tank Set Up

Tank Set Up cont'd: Dividers & Barracks, Heaters & Air Pumps, Substrates, Backgrounds, Decor

Decor cont'd: Caves, Live Plants, Fake Plants, Fasteners, Filters, Filter Media

Cycling, Fish Wrangling: New Fish, Transporting or Shipping, Acclimating, Netting

Feeding, BBS & other live foods, Fish Health, Chemicals, Medicines & Treatment, Salt

Spawning & Fry Care, Snails, Algae & other pests, Power Outages

>> Maintanence, Water, Water Conservation << you are here