My First Tank - Need Some Advice

[Luke_e]

25% a week is fine.. do you use a gravel vac to clean it? Also known as a syphon.

 

[FlyingFish]

A 25% water change weekly is good. I can recall someone saying, "It's like opening a window of fresh air to your fish". So yeah, go for it.

Ha Ha lol. Good saying!!

Any advice on doing it? It's my first one. Some say the water temperature should be the same, but not sure on how to heat it? Some say add some hot water, others say never do this. Some say as long as it's within 5 degrees it's ok, just add it slowly? All a bit confusing - oh, and I take it you leave the fish in?!?!?
Will this get rid of the scum too?

25% a week is fine.. do you use a gravel vac to clean it? Also known as a syphon.

No one has ever metioned a 'gravel vac'?! nor did the shop. They just said use a clean container - is that going to be ok or should I wait till I get one? Bit broke at the moment so would be another week or so till I can afford one. Can the fish wait that long? How much are they?

 

[Sheridanp]

Yeah, you can just do water changes by jug until you get syphon. But, syphon is much better and it is a must-have. It should get rid of the film after maybe a couple changes. Leave the fish in. You might want to turn your filter off. If it is off, then put the media in a bucket of tank water. Good luck!

 

[FlyingFish]

Yep, that works fantastic.

Sorry mate - Which bit works fantastic??!!

 

[Luke_e]

No one has ever metioned a 'gravel vac'?! nor did the shop. They just said use a clean container - is that going to be ok or should I wait till I get one? Bit broke at the moment so would be another week or so till I can afford one. Can the fish wait that long? How much are they?

You should be fine for a week or so.
Gravel vacs are simply a tube that you dig into the gravel (after you've got the syphon going) and it sucks out all the poop and left over food and makes the water cleaner. It also emptys your water so not only are you emptying water but you're cleaning you're gravel too.
They can be anything from £3.00 - £10.00 depending on the size of the syphon, for your tank size a small one will be fine..

 

[postingalwaysposting]

you have been given loads of great advice here flying fish I must say i agree with sheridanp a gravel vac is a must have, when you first use a gravel vac, even if it is just in a weeks time (after say the setup working for 4 weeks) you will be amazed at how much rubbish you get out of the gravel, when you buy one though please try and find one with a 'saftey nozzle' on, this will allow the fish not to be sucked up and through the vac

I know people think that it couldnt happen but it can, when i worked in a zoos aquarium (while at college) someone was 'gravel vaccuming' all the quarntine tanks, well i walked in and they were fish everywhere (on the floor) dead the person wasnt watching what they were doing and that day we lost in excess of 30 fish (including countless fry)

otherwise great tank very natural and interesting

 

[WayneVT08]

Hey when I start my 30 gallon, then later my 55 gallon, the substrate is going to be silver sand, a.k.a. play sand/kids sand, is there a special kind of vac for this, or am I better off just getting some black/gold mystery snails, or some MTS? I am going to add a few gravel patches here and there, and have a patch of shallow gravel at one end, while the other end will be a little higher, but with sand? What should I use then?

 

[Sheridanp]

Use your syphon vac, but just hover it above the surface and swirl it a bit.

 

[WayneVT08]

haha. I'm so new to this. Get those at the LFS? Basically the same thing as a gravel vac?