Lets Help Newcomers!

[Timmy_Bee]

a little trick i have been mastering is when doing a water change, i pour the new water on to the supporting brace of the tank (goes across the middle of mine) - if i get it right, it displaces the water nicely in to a sheet of water that doesnt muck up my plants. If i get it wrong, i get wet!

 

[the biffster]

a little trick i have been mastering is when doing a water change, i pour the new water on to the supporting brace of the tank (goes across the middle of mine) - if i get it right, it displaces the water nicely in to a sheet of water that doesnt muck up my plants. If i get it wrong, i get wet!

i like that one i used to
use a colander pour the water in
to it instant rain

 

[Timmy_Bee]

thats not bad, but i can see myself knocking over the colander... and getting wet.

Some things are inevitable

 

[the biffster]

place colander on tank brace
and pour water into it esay
as that

 

[fluttermoth]

And to continue the theme; get a towel out and put it somewhere handy before you start your water change (one day I will learn this lesson myself instead of having to wander off and find one half way through!)

 

[roadmaster]

I love the smell of Prime in the morning!

 

[Timmy_Bee]

smells like victory!

 

[waterdrop]

And to continue the theme; get a towel out and put it somewhere handy before you start your water change (one day I will learn this lesson myself instead of having to wander off and find one half way through!)

Yeah, my towels are all part of my maintenance ritual. There's a big old worn beach towel that comes down out of the storage spot along with a box of supplies and a roll of paper towels. The big towel goes on the floor around the tank. Then I have two medium small shoulder towels - I have two because often one gets left in the sink room and the other one might be back in the tank room or on my shoulder. WD

 

[Timmy_Bee]

that all sounds very organised....
On a similar (ish) topic - do you clean the glass with window cleaner (the outside....) or with something else?

 

[Harlequins]

Don't always assume that your filter is at fault or too powerful if you have dead fish stuck to the inlets,,,

Its quite possible that there could be a problem with the water quality and its best to check the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate etc.

All too often i read peeps saying the only fish they lost was because the filter was too strong & killed the fish etc only to later asking how to get rid of ammonia &/or nitrite.

 

[the_lock_man]

And to continue the theme; get a towel out and put it somewhere handy before you start your water change (one day I will learn this lesson myself instead of having to wander off and find one half way through!)

Yeah, my towels are all part of my maintenance ritual. There's a big old worn beach towel that comes down out of the storage spot along with a box of supplies and a roll of paper towels. The big towel goes on the floor around the tank. Then I have two medium small shoulder towels - I have two because often one gets left in the sink room and the other one might be back in the tank room or on my shoulder. WD

I have a couple of Pampers Care Mats left over from when the kids were younger, which I use instead of towels - the absorpency is much better, especially when my 12yo wants to help, and tips the jug over the floor instead of into the tank......

 

[zophie]

And to continue the theme; get a towel out and put it somewhere handy before you start your water change (one day I will learn this lesson myself instead of having to wander off and find one half way through!)

Yeah, my towels are all part of my maintenance ritual. There's a big old worn beach towel that comes down out of the storage spot along with a box of supplies and a roll of paper towels. The big towel goes on the floor around the tank. Then I have two medium small shoulder towels - I have two because often one gets left in the sink room and the other one might be back in the tank room or on my shoulder. WD

I have a couple of Pampers Care Mats left over from when the kids were younger, which I use instead of towels - the absorpency is much better, especially when my 12yo wants to help, and tips the jug over the floor instead of into the tank......

I usually just use wet towles...

When I first got a shoal of Silver-Tip Tetras, I didn't have an algae magnet, so I had to stick my hand in the tank to clean... lets just say that the SIlver-Tips loved the taste of my hand

 

[Carlovel1]

Another very silly and common mistake comitted by newbies is, Dont add marine fish into freshwater crying out loud
I remember not too long ago, a boy and his parents purchased a Clownfish (like Nemo) and the shop assistant said they would be ok in FW!
Don't add marine fish into freshwater aquariums!

 

[zophie]

Another very silly and common mistake comitted by newbies is, Dont add marine fish into freshwater crying out loud
I remember not too long ago, a boy and his parents purchased a Clownfish (like Nemo) and the shop assistant said they would be ok in FW!
Don't add marine fish into freshwater aquariums!

The things LFS people will say...

This isn't really advice, but the other day I went to a new LFS and they had- TWO 12 INCH COMMEN PLECO IN A 5 GALLON FLUVAL EDGE TANK!

 

[Carlovel1]

How can a 12" fish even fit into a Fluval edge?