Need To Make Things More Managable

[MewMew42]

Since I have been ill, I realised that I can't keep up with doing water changes when I need to, so I need things to be more managable

so i need to either cut down stock or add more filtration, but let me just say i have never had a water quality issue, but things in there are just a mess with a miss match of fish that i dont want to add more of but dont have the heart to give them away!

I just need some advice really, I have 2 tanks and I am moving soon [right now that are on a stand on top of each other, so will be separated soon]

I added my stock to aqadvisor and this is what I got:

Link

I only didnt add 3 fish, which are a wcmm, penguin tetra and a silver tip tetra

And the other tank
Tank 2

I cant get an external yet becuase of where the tank is, but Im happy to later on if that will help...would getting one help keep the maintenance down? the tanks are over a year old now

Im sorry if this doesnt make much sense about what im asking, Its just a sort out really, especially the second tank

so what would you do??

be nice to me please!

 

[Tolak]

There are plenty of ways to make maintenance easier, I try to avoid lugging buckets at all costs. A good long garden hose & a small pump are great for draining, the same hose hooked up to a faucet with an adapter can be used for filling. If you gravel vac into a bucket use the pump/hose setup to drain the bucket, no lugging at all!

 

[Honeythorn]

Is there anyone who can help with your water changes? Someone who is sensible and will do things as you tell them to?


Also you need to remove the clown loaches , as they will grow FAR too big for that tank and prefer to be in much larger groups than that . It's kinder to return or re-home them now rather than later.

To be honest if the tanks are becoming too much to handle if you are ill, then try to rehome as many of the larger fish if you can bear to. That will ease the strain on the filter at present and make the water much easier to keep stable. The less waste being produced, the better.

If it were me in your position I would get rid of the following in tank 1

Clown loaches
Port hoplo
Whiptail catfish

And in tank 2

At least one pair of gouramis, preferably 2 pairs.

Perhaps add an extra internal cannister filter to each tank for now if you can afford to or have spares . A Fluval 2+ or 3 + ( or similar ) should do it.

 

[MewMew42]

Ive always wondered how to do the pipe thing...could i hook a pipe up from my kitchen tap and out it straight into my tank? then declor it after? is that a python? lol sorry the kitchen is about 10 feet more away from teh bathroom, but the bathroom doesnt have a dual tap, so that would pee the fish off right? of it were too cold?

I just cant cope with lugging buckets and its putting me off maintenance

Is there anyone who can help with your water changes? Someone who is sensible and will do things as you tell them to?


Also you need to remove the clown loaches , as they will grow FAR too big for that tank and prefer to be in much larger groups than that . It's kinder to return or re-home them now rather than later.

To be honest if the tanks are becoming too much to handle if you are ill, then try to rehome as many of the larger fish if you can bear to. That will ease the strain on the filter at present and make the water much easier to keep stable. The less waste being produced, the better.

If it were me in your position I would get rid of the following in tank 1

Clown loaches
Port hoplo
Whiptail catfish

And in tank 2

At least one pair of gouramis, preferably 2 pairs.

Perhaps add an extra internal cannister filter to each tank for now if you can afford to or have spares . A Fluval 2+ or 3 + ( or similar ) should do it.

thanks =] I have 2 filters in th top tank and 1 in teh bottom, but maybe getting an external when possible..

I could try but they hate the fish pretty much and hate cleaning them =[

I think im gona give all teh fish in teh bottom tank away except maybe the neon rainbows as id like to have them

as a quick question are battery powered syphons quicker to do changes?

 

[Tolak]

Yes, just add the dechlor before, during, or after filling. Hardware stores carry faucet adapters so you can hook up a garden hose. Just match the temperature by feel & it works fine.

I used to do this when I had a 65 gallon in the living room, using the bathroom faucet. If you have any sort of outdoor plants run the drain hose to them if possible, my wife thought I was a bit crazy doing this for her flower box out front, but the flowers looked awesome.

 

[Truck]

a 20% cold water change wont do much to the fish, it may drop the temperature by 2 or so degrees, but that's about it, just the same as stimulating rainfall.

 

[MewMew42]

Yes, just add the dechlor before, during, or after filling. Hardware stores carry faucet adapters so you can hook up a garden hose. Just match the temperature by feel & it works fine.

I used to do this when I had a 65 gallon in the living room, using the bathroom faucet. If you have any sort of outdoor plants run the drain hose to them if possible, my wife thought I was a bit crazy doing this for her flower box out front, but the flowers looked awesome.

haha its a shame my computer is right undrneath the window where i would run it out, i couldnt trust myself, in teh new house im gonna look into it for definate, maybe just refilling it for now, making it half as easy I guess!

would a long piece of hose be able to be used as a syphon straight to my sink? I have a feeling it would be bad pressure though....

a 20% cold water change wont do much to the fish, it may drop the temperature by 2 or so degrees, but that's about it, just the same as stimulating rainfall.

Thanks, Ill look into doing small ones with that then

right off to google i go!

 

[Tolak]

Running it to the sink depends on the sink & tank height. It doesn't take much of a pump to get it up a few feet, pond season is just about here, pond pumps should be on sale. I ran mine into the bathtub during the colder months, no problem with a siphon there.

 

[Croftuz]

Here in the UK be careful if using the hot water tap. Many Boiler/Central Heating systems use chemicals to increase the life of radiators/immersion heaters. Even if your hot tap water is safe and free from these chemicals, the Storage Cylinder can be made from fish unfriendly metals.

I may be overcautious but i have always boiled a kettle and mixed in a bucket.

Your completely right, it is a pain in the a$$!!

 

[Bignose]

Go to the hardware store and buy a small water pump -- like something that would be used in a fountain. It won't be fast, somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 5 gallons per minute, but it will be cheap (~$20 US) and will do the job. You should also be able to buy a lot of long flexible hose for cheap. Finally, a few screw-tight hose clamps and you will be set. You'll never have to carry buckets again.

 

[MewMew42]

Go to the hardware store and buy a small water pump -- like something that would be used in a fountain. It won't be fast, somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 5 gallons per minute, but it will be cheap (~$20 US) and will do the job. You should also be able to buy a lot of long flexible hose for cheap. Finally, a few screw-tight hose clamps and you will be set. You'll never have to carry buckets again.

I cant even see how i missed this at all!!! Im an idiot haha, is it then just a simple case of getting a valve for the hose to connect to the tap to run the water back in?

ill head to b and q later this week i think, cant word what i want on the website!