Some Concerns....

[Fintastic!]

I was just wondering about a couple of things. Like, if the power goes out what do I do re my filter and heater? Also, when I feed my corys sinking pellets at night I'm worried the rainbows are getting to it first. Lastly (for now), I'm hankering after a Jewel 180 but reading about the filter in the booklet it seems various parts need changing weekly others monthly etc. I'm worried about upkeep and cost. Is this nesessary or marketing? Thanks guys!

 

[KittyKat]

Like, if the power goes out what do I do re my filter and heater?

For heat, wrap blankets around the tank, although in the summer the tank should be fine without anything. If things start getting really bad, float bottles full of hot water in the tank, assuming you have water heated by something which does not rely on you having electricity.
As long as the filter media is covered in water, it should be fine for at least 24 hours.
If your tanks are heavily stocked or you expect to have regular and long (over 6-12 hour) power cuts, you should invest in a battery powered air pump as you will need at least one airstone in the tank and one under the filter media, to keep water circulating through it.

Also, when I feed my corys sinking pellets at night I'm worried the rainbows are getting to it first.

That's why you're feeding at night, after lights out, so that Corys have a better chance of getting the pellets. It might help to wait half an hour or so after lights out, before adding the pellets.

Lastly (for now), I'm hankering after a Jewel 180 but reading about the filter in the booklet it seems various parts need changing weekly others monthly etc. I'm worried about upkeep and cost. Is this nesessary or marketing?

Almost every filter manual says that. It doesn't matter which brand of filter you have, the maintenance in the same: don't replace media unless it is falling apart (with the exception of polishing sponges, which can be replaced whenever, if there is enough other media) and clean only in dechlorinated (normally old tank) water.

Edit: I am assuming you already know to not use "chemical" media, like carbon, on a regular basis

 

[ZoddyZod]

if the power goes out there is very little you can do, unless you have your own generator. Just hope that the power doesn't stay off for too long. A few hours should cause you no issues.

Yes, the stuff about replacing media every few weeks or months is rubbish. All media & sponges provide residence for bacteria, changing them removes the bacteria, the media just needs a good rinse in tank water every so often to stop it from clogging.

I've ran then exact same sponges and media in both my filters for 2+ years. Never changed a thing.

 

[ron4sum1]

I don't think you can do anything with your filter nor heater ! If the temperature where you live in is really hot, you can drop some ice in. If it's cold, read what Kitty said ! These animals should be able to tolerate some fluctuation in water temp or chemistry. In the wild, there's never a constant temperature. What sort of filter do you need? Is it the one where you have to replace a cartridge every time? If it's that, you might have to use a biological filter which is a lot cheaper in the long run since you wont rely on stones to get rid of your harmful chemicals. Instead, you grow bacteria colony which does the job for you, and it's free! It's true that some companies wanted to sell these kinds of filters because they make more more out of them! I would suggest getting a Fluval U4 from ebay since it's a lot cheaper there in comparison to most pet stores. Also, read on fishless cycle on the beginner's section I think ! On the other hand, if it's already biological, you don't need to replace anything except they start falling apart. Sponges last long. Just squeeze it once a month on the water that you've removed during water change. Don't wash it using the tap water, as you'll kill the bacteria living in it. Water contains chlorine, chlorine kills bacteria !

You can perhaps use the fish net to drag the food down?

Good luck!

 

[L_Plates]

Im not sure about the filter as it is all down to how long the power is off. When people lose power i hear of them wrapping the tank up with quilts to keep in the heat.

If you feel the corys are not getting anything try adding a few more pellets when the lights go off to allow them to pass by the rainbows and down to the corys.

The parts they will say to replace is the sponges if im thinking correctly ? I have a 240 and the filter will be a bioflow if im correct ? Ignore the replacing sponges and media as they say on the box, this is for them to continue earning money but not needed. All i do is rinse the sponges once a month in old tank water and place them back in the filter. No need to replace the sponges unless they are falling apart.

LP

Wow when i started to type my reply no one had commented, i must type sooooo slow

LP

 

[ron4sum1]

-Ignore this-

 

[CrazyCichlaMomma]

for emergencies, and for added mechanical and bio-filtration i keep foam/sponge filters in all of my tanks, there are 4 in the 180 and 3 in the 210. i run 2 off of an air pump, and the others off of powerheads. the sponge filters that i like are Hydro V Pro they are very inexpensive, i buy them from american aquarium products in Oregon, they ship all over.

i also have battery powered air pumps that run about 20 hours on 2 D-cell batteries, you can buy these pumps at any LFS. i think i paid $12 each for mine. not a lot of air pressure but any water movement is better than none at all.

as for the heat thing, the water temp doesn't change quickly, the blanket thing and the floating hot water bottles will do the trick nicely. just be careful not to get the tank too hot.

 

[Fintastic!]

Thanks for that guys. I don't know where I (or my fish!) would be without the help of you pro's!