New aquarium kit - must haves?

[Wills]

I am finally setting up my Aquascaper 1200 next weekend! It is official I have clearance from the family, I will be devoid of any other responsibilities!

In doing so I want to create a new 'kit' which will be for maintenance and water changes etc, I'll put my list below but wondered if anyone else had any top tips or key items they would include in here? I have a full maintenance kit in my office room which is in an old stable block to our house - I want to keep this one separate though as I'd quite like to avoid duck weed contamination!

My kit so far would include

• Python change kit (I like the JBL one because its black rather than green)
• Pond pump (for a big tank like this I use it for water changes after I've cleaned the sand - I can never get a long distance syphon going)
• Buckets (I like the big 40 litre builders buckets with the handles but also get some smaller ones, I got some Bribanta (posh bins in the UK) on clearance that are 10 litres and 17 litres that are really useful in my office building)
• Aquascaping kit (I like the Vorestic one because its a full kit, quite cheap and comes in a cool case)
• Bamboo toothbrushes
• Welding detailing kit - sounds random but comes with a stainless steel and nylon toothbrush, stainless steel pick and plastic pics - great for scrubbing algae and kit and the picks are good for getting hair and brush/beard algae off
• Algae scrubber (thinking of the Oase one but does anyone have any recommendations?)
• Set of measuring jugs (preferably set of 3 large, medium, small)
• Net - big fan of the extendable ones that are available these days, this tank will have cichlids in that can get to 5 inches so will go for a 9-10 inch one.
• Towels - big and small
• Chemicals and test kits - API tap safe, API master test kit, hardness test kit and maybe a tds meter as I might use cichlid salts but not 100% yet.

Have I missed anything obvious? What would you add?

Wills

 

[sharkweek178]

Although a regular turkey baster works too, I find one of these invaluable.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Sounds like you've got it covered Wills

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I think you may decide down the road that "an algae scrubber" is nowhere near enough in terms of dealing with algae. I have 20 tanks and used to have 13 planted. now it is only 7. Here is a list of all the things I have for dealing with algae:

- Small hand held pads.

- Hand held blade holder which can use either a stainless steel, a plastic blade or a fabric coated blade.
- A long handled algae holder which can use those same 3 blades.

- A longed handled, large headed heavy duty algae scrubber.

- A large pack of single edged razor blades.
- Small, medium & large magnetic scrubbers for dif. thickness glass- a pad inside a tank, a hand holder outside, magnetism joins them.

- A couple of inexpensive toothbrushes.
- Bleach, for dipping plants or decor removed for a bleach dip, a rinse and then a dechlor dip and back into the tank.

Also, get a set of stainless steel measuring spoons usually used in a kitchen- 1/4, 1/2 and 1 teaspoons and a 1 tablespoon set of 4. Some sets are 5 spoons and include a 1/8.

A quick note--> I only own a few Python hoses. I vac. tanks into a bucket and empty it into a toilet. I mostly empty and refill tanks with pumps and hoses. (If I had only one or two tanks I would likely use a complete Python set-up.) I have a private well and do not need or use dechlor except when away from home or after doing bleach dips.

I empty tanks your size using and old Eheim Hobby pump rated for a max. 260 gph (284 lph). I can reach a nearby window. I refill all tanks using much bigger pumps (I have 2 as I have tanks in 2 buildings). I use drinking water safe hose for refilling and Python hoses for emptying. I also have a bigger pump for emptying large tanks into the toilet when out a window is not possible. As many of my hoses and pumps as possible use garden hose size connections. Bear in mind that to raise water about 6 feet (1.8 meters) you need a much bigger pump than to empty the same height tank. One way gravity is your enemy and the other it is your friend

I vac. until a bucket and dump it into a toilet plus I rinse media in a bucket of tank water which also gets flushed. After that I pump any more water that must be removed either out a window or into a toilet.

 

[TNG]

I'd add a syringe or 2 to the list, to take water samples for testing.

 

[Colin_T]

My kit so far would include

• Python change kit (I like the JBL one because its black rather than green)
• Pond pump (for a big tank like this I use it for water changes after I've cleaned the sand - I can never get a long distance syphon going)
• Buckets (I like the big 40 litre builders buckets with the handles but also get some smaller ones, I got some Bribanta (posh bins in the UK) on clearance that are 10 litres and 17 litres that are really useful in my office building)
• Aquascaping kit (I like the Vorestic one because its a full kit, quite cheap and comes in a cool case)
• Bamboo toothbrushes
• Welding detailing kit - sounds random but comes with a stainless steel and nylon toothbrush, stainless steel pick and plastic pics - great for scrubbing algae and kit and the picks are good for getting hair and brush/beard algae off
• Algae scrubber (thinking of the Oase one but does anyone have any recommendations?)
• Set of measuring jugs (preferably set of 3 large, medium, small)
• Net - big fan of the extendable ones that are available these days, this tank will have cichlids in that can get to 5 inches so will go for a 9-10 inch one.
• Towels - big and small
• Chemicals and test kits - API tap safe, API master test kit, hardness test kit and maybe a tds meter as I might use cichlid salts but not 100% yet.

Have I missed anything obvious? What would you add?

dental floss to go with the bamboo toothybrushes.

get an 8 inch and a 12 inch net

 

[Colin_T]

Although a regular turkey baster works too, I find one of these invaluable.

The doctor used one of those on me the other week. It wasn't very nice

 

[AlexT]

How about a good book, or 10, for the wife to read over the next few months

 

[Back in the fold]

The doctor used one of those on me the other week. It wasn't very nice

He liked it .

 

[Colin_T]

He liked it .

i didn't