Death?

[HCpetraitis]

Alright so I had three mickey mouse platies, one goldfish and two ivory mystery snails. Yeah I know goldfish and platies bad idea. Ok well Tuesday of last week one of my mystery snails died out of the blue! Oh and one female platy is pregnant. Then one of my boy platies got ick. I have been giving them ick clear that I bought from the store. I started the treatment three days ago. This morning sadly my favorite goldfish died out of the blue again! He was swimming last night and I have had him for about a year and a half. The snail and the fish have been flushed and I noticed that there is a white residue on the side and I am confused on what it is?? It moves when the filter water touches it. Okay now my realy question is how can I clean my ten gallon tank without moving it? I need to clean the "dead fish" water out and fresh water in. I have new filter cartidges and I could take out 25% of the water. Whatever can clean the tank. Thanks in advance!

 

[Colin_T]

you can get a gravel cleaner to clean the gravel and drain water out of the tank. You leave the fish in it and just syphon water out whilest cleaning the gravel. When you have drained 1/3 of the water you stop cleaning and refill the tank with dechlorinated water.

You can make them out of a 1-litre plastic Coke bottle. Cut the bottom off the bottle and attach a hose ot the top where the cap normally goes. Put the bottle into the water and the hose in a bucket. Suck on the end of the hose for a second and when water starts draining out of the hose, push the bottle into the gravel and lift it up. The gravel will circulate in the bottle before dropping back down. The gunk in the gravel will be sucked out with some of the water.

It's not the best to flush dead fish down the loo. They can spread the diseases into natural waterways. Dead fish are best buried, incinerated or put in the trash.

 

[HCpetraitis]

you can get a gravel cleaner to clean the gravel and drain water out of the tank. You leave the fish in it and just syphon water out whilest cleaning the gravel. When you have drained 1/3 of the water you stop cleaning and refill the tank with dechlorinated water.

You can make them out of a 1-litre plastic Coke bottle. Cut the bottom off the bottle and attach a hose ot the top where the cap normally goes. Put the bottle into the water and the hose in a bucket. Suck on the end of the hose for a second and when water starts draining out of the hose, push the bottle into the gravel and lift it up. The gravel will circulate in the bottle before dropping back down. The gunk in the gravel will be sucked out with some of the water.

It's not the best to flush dead fish down the loo. They can spread the diseases into natural waterways. Dead fish are best buried, incinerated or put in the trash.

I'll be sure to bury them next time. I'm a little confused about using the Coke bottle and the hose?

 

[Colin_T]

the hose goes onto the top of the coke bottle and is used for syphoning the water out of the tank and into a bucket. The Coke bottle or any sort of plastic cool drink bottle, is used in the tank. It gets pushed into the gravel and the gravel circulates around inside it for a moment before dropping back down. Then any gunk in the gravel gets drawn up and out with some of the water.

They are incredibly simple but work very effectively.

 

[HCpetraitis]

the hose goes onto the top of the coke bottle and is used for syphoning the water out of the tank and into a bucket. The Coke bottle or any sort of plastic cool drink bottle, is used in the tank. It gets pushed into the gravel and the gravel circulates around inside it for a moment before dropping back down. Then any gunk in the gravel gets drawn up and out with some of the water.

They are incredibly simple but work very effectively.

I understand the bottle but how does it get sucked up?

 

[Cory_Dad]

It's the same principle as siphoning gas (petrol). You stick one end of the hose into the liquid and make sure the other end of the hose is below the top of the liquid, then suck on that end of the hose so the hose fills with the liquid. Once the liquid starts coming out place that end into a bucket.

The only difference is that on the end of the hose in the liquid (water) you screw on a plastic Coke or Pepsi or Fanta or whatever bottle that has it's bottom cut off.

This allows you to insert the cut off end into the gravel to suck up the crap in the gravel without plugging the hose with the gravel.

I hope that was clear.

Cheers.

 

[TheConstantGrower]

The coke bottle and hose is essentially a DIY tank vacuum, i went and spent the $3.87 (us) to buy a proper one but you can get some pretty serious gravel cleaners / tank siphons that hook up to a tap for around 50 - 75. google the python, i have a friend who lets me borrow his from time to time. its.. well, amazing.

 

[HCpetraitis]

It's the same principle as siphoning gas (petrol). You stick one end of the hose into the liquid and make sure the other end of the hose is below the top of the liquid, then suck on that end of the hose so the hose fills with the liquid. Once the liquid starts coming out place that end into a bucket.

The only difference is that on the end of the hose in the liquid (water) you screw on a plastic Coke or Pepsi or Fanta or whatever bottle that has it's bottom cut off.

This allows you to insert the cut off end into the gravel to suck up the crap in the gravel without plugging the hose with the gravel.

I hope that was clear.

Cheers.

Ok now I understand. I can't buy a hose thing tonight and I need to clean the tank though!!! What else can I do?

 

[Cory_Dad]

It's the same principle as siphoning gas (petrol). You stick one end of the hose into the liquid and make sure the other end of the hose is below the top of the liquid, then suck on that end of the hose so the hose fills with the liquid. Once the liquid starts coming out place that end into a bucket.

The only difference is that on the end of the hose in the liquid (water) you screw on a plastic Coke or Pepsi or Fanta or whatever bottle that has it's bottom cut off.

This allows you to insert the cut off end into the gravel to suck up the crap in the gravel without plugging the hose with the gravel.

I hope that was clear.

Cheers.

Ok now I understand. I can't buy a hose thing tonight and I need to clean the tank though!!! What else can I do?

Well this is just my opinion but if you can't do the gravel cleaning properly and your gravel is REALLY filthy then don't start until you have the proper equipment and just do more water frequent water changes OR move all your fish into another tank and strip out the gravel, clean it then cycle your tank before putting the fish back in.

It's my understanding that if you just stir up the crap into the water then there is the possibility (almost a certainty) of poisoning your fish. What the Coke bottle and siphon does (along with the Python which I use and recommend) is to suck all of the crap directly into a bucket (or sink) when you push the bottle (or 3 inch diameter plastic tube) down into the gravel. Go slowly and methodically. Don't swish it around; push it into the gravel slowly, when the water starts to clear inside the tube, lift the tube out of the gravel, move it over 3 inches (or the width of the bottle) then "rinse and repeat". Watch your water level in the tank though. You probably won't get it all done in a single go. I wouldn't drain more than 50% of the water (again, just my opinion).

When you refill the tank I recommend doing it from buckets or pails of water that have been treated with dechlorinator and left standing for 24 hours. In a pinch and if you're desperate, slowly pour the water from the tap into the tank (don't stir up the gravel) then quickly pour in the dechlorinator. The latter is better than nothing.

Good luck.