>Dividers & Barracks
1. If you are going to divide a tank or barracks it you should do it before you put anything else in the tank. Getting the measurements from an empty tank are a lot easier than trying to move gravel out of the way. - Seeker
2. Dividers. Use plastic canvass, small suction cups and monofilament to make dividers. Cut the plastic canvas to the inside measurements of the width of the tank. Dividers should go all the way up to the top of the tank to prevent fish jumping over it. You’ll usually need to cut notches on either side in the top so the divider won’t bend due to the molding. Use monofilament to tie suction cups to the plastic canvass. 4 is enough to secure most dividers. One on either side near the top and one on either side near the middle. The gravel will hold the bottom in place. If dividing a bare tank, add two more suction cups near the bottom. - "klewis61" & Seeker
3. Barracks Tank. Use plastic canvass, small suction cups and monofilament to barracks a tank. See the do-it-yourself section for details (coming soon) . - Seeker (50)
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>Heaters & Air Pumps
1. Place the heaters and the bubble curtains and run air hose before adding substrate or decorations. Can save time and makes it easier to hide the air lines. - Seeker
2. Always use a check valve in your air line between your pump and your tank. Pressure can reverse in the air lines causing water to back up if the pump is turned off or there is a power outage. Without a check valve the water can back up into your pump, damaging it, or even drain a good bit of your tank if not caught in time. - Seeker
3. Use air line clip suction cups or tie the air line to small suction cups with fishing line to hold it in place. - Seeker
4. A kitchen sponge placed under a noisy air pump may save your sanity. - Angie
5. Consider using two smaller heaters to make up the required wattage for your tank. If one fails, the other will help to ensure the temperature change is slow and allow time for the problem to be noticed. Two heaters at opposite ends of the tank will also provide more even heating and avoid "cold spots" on the side furthest from a single heater. -Riot
6. Always unplug the heater before you lower the water. They will break from the heat out of water. - Don't forget to plug it back in when you are finished. - Angie
7. Try using a heating pad to raise the temperature in small tanks/bowls. (A&A?)
8. Try using a homemade heater guard to protect your fish from getting burned on the heater or your heater from your big fish. See the do-it-yourself section for details. (coming soon) - Anne
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>Substrates
1. Sand. Playsand and pool filter sand work well in tanks. Be sure the sand you get baked to be purified and isn’t treated with pesticides. (A&A?) Corys and loaches seem to particularly like it sometimes becoming more active and playful. It helps protect the corys barbells from eroding. - Chris & Seeker
2. Coral sand should not be used in a tropical tank unless high pH is desired.
3. About 1 pound of gravel per gallon for smaller tanks and about 1 pound per 2 gallons for tanks larger than 60g. That will generally give you the right amount of gravel for a tank. 1 pound of sand per 2 gallons for smaller tanks and about 1 pound of sand per 4 gallons for tanks larger than 60g. That will generally give you the right amount of sand for a tank. - Seeker
4. You don't want to put a lot of sand in the tank. About 1" max, otherwise pockets of air can get caught in it and be dangerous to your fishes. - Chris
5. To rinse sand, put it in a 5g bucket or some other suitably large container for the amount of sand you are using. There should be at least 6 inches from the top of the sand to the top of the container. Place the bucket in the tub or outside. Using a hose or a python fill the bucket to overflowing. Most of the dirt and dust will float out of the top leaving the sand behind. Be sure to move the sand around with the hose or your hand to get any trapped dirt and to be sure all the dust-like particles are free to wash out. - Seeker
6. Disinfecting Gravel. Used gravel or gravel that may have been exposed to a disease can be disinfected by soaking in a bleach solution of 1 cup/4 or 5g. Place the gravel in a colander and lower it into the bleach solution. Let it soak for 20 minutes, periodically lifting it to let it drain and lowering it back down. Rinse thoroughly. Then place the gravel in the colander into a 5g bucket of tap water and add dechlor for 20g. Let soak for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. The dechlor soak can be repeated if desired. - Seeker
7. Avoid using coarse or large gravel with corys and some other catfish as it can erode their barbells. - Seeker (65)
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>Backgrounds
1. Use some sort of background for your tank, even if it just paper taped on the back. Fish will feel more secure if they are not 'exposed' on all sides. (A&A)
2. Fabric makes a great tank backing. - Silver Dollar Momma
3. Use velcro to secure your tank backing. Makes changing backgrounds a breeze. - Seeker
4. Wrapping paper can make a neat tank background whether it’s seasonally themed or not. - Seeker
5. Backgrounds: shelf paper can make for a cheap, and interesting background. - Chris
6. Do-it-yourself backgrounds. Print up some designs off the computer, buy the cheap plastic laminate, and voila, instant background. - Chris
7. Crystalizing glass paint. Very old school but still looks GREAT. Do not get the paint near the edges of the tank or the black molding as it could cause damage. - Seeker (72)
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Tank Decor
Choosing the right tank decorations can be as important to the health and safety of your fish as it is for your own viewing pleasure.
1. Dangerous holes. Be careful of ornaments with holes in them. Be sure they are large enough for the fish to fit through now and after they’ve grown. Holes that are just a little too small are the most dangerous as fish can get spooked into trying to get through them and get caught in them resulting in injury or even death. - Seeker
2. Cheap ornaments. Plastic resin statues and buildings and the like found at the dollar store often make great ornaments. Most are made of the exact same resins as tank ornaments, painted with the same paints, and even made in the same factories. Some will need holes drilled in them to release trapped air so they will sink. These should be tested before use. Soak them in a clear vase or in a bucket to be sure the paints won’t bleed off into the tank. You might also want to test them in a quarantine tank with just one or two fish before using them in a community tank to be sure they aren’t releasing a poison into your tank. I’ve used lots of these as ornaments and have yet to encounter a problem, but it’s always best to be cautious. - Seeker
3. Seasonal tank. Changing the decorations and background on your tank to match the seasons can be fun. (A&A?) Using velcro to hold your background onto the tank and ornaments from the dollar store can make that even more fun and a lot easier. But don’t leave the Christmas decorations in all year :-). This is best done with less skittish fish species. - Seeker
4. Do Not Boil Rocks. Some rocks will crack or even explode if boiled. Dip them in a 1:20 bleach solution for 20 minutes to clean them. For porous rocks like sandstone and lava rocks, reduce soaking time to 5 minutes to avoid them soaking up too much bleach. Rinse well and brush with a tooth brush. Soak in a triple strength dechlor solution for several hours until you can't smell any bleach any more. - Silver Dollar Momma
5. Boil Driftwood. Boil drift wood to reduce parasites and tannins released into the water. Boil several times to eliminate tannins. - Seeker (77)
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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 << You are here
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, Dealing with Snails, Algae & other pests, Power Outages
Maintanence, Water, Water Conservation
