We All Do It...

[interpet123]

loathe it! But it must be done

 

[Sesshis_grl]

I like it if it isn't too bad...but hate when I've let it go a full two weeks and its messy

The results are satisfying though

 

[lilfishie]

i enjoy doing it, its just hard to find the time! i find myself doing probably 2-3 1 days the rest a few days later

 

[MBOU]

Got to say i LOATH it!!

Partly the reason i no longer have tanks, i can face spending 9 hours algae scrubbing over 300 tanks, gravel cleaning and then weir cleaning and then second feed and then redecorating tanks and then..... blah....

To come home and think "great... now i have to do water changes and gravel clean and algae wipe and feed and rearrange...." much slower in my own tanks than at work!

Though since losing all my tanks in December when i broke up with my ex, i am slowly getting the bug again!!

I LOVE rearranging, planting, setting up etc.... maybe even filter cleaning as it is satisfying!! But i **hate** water changes, im clumsy to say the least! Get water everywhere!

You should have seen the 500+ liters i chucked over the floor today! Was... impressive... lol

 

[StandbySetting]

This is why I love low tech planted set ups, water changes every 6-12 months...fantastic!

 

[micko]

There's only one tank I can actually say I "love" cleaning and that would be my big tank, the oscar and two severum make it enjoyable. The minute my hand goes in the tank they're all up rubbing against my hand, swimming past me and generally getting in my way. I used to hate it but I've grown to love cleaning them as they really interact with me.
I cannot say I love doing the other tanks but I like doing it.

I love rearranging plants and rocks although I never have them the way I want. I find that I just have to leave it after half an hour otherwise I'd never be out of it.

I must add, there is something I find really satisfying about cleaning out a filter. External ones are the best.

 

[ATK!!!]

Whilst I love cleaning out the dirt and making my tank look spanking new, I HATE water changes as I can't just use a hose cos my filter media is part of the tank! It's weird cos I'm looking forwards to getting a much bigger tank even though it will need so much more maintainance. At least it'll have a normal external filter though

 

[markandhisfish]

i quite enjoy tank maintainence

 

[Geoff-]

I feel better for my fishies after I've done it, so it's more towards the "love" side than the "loathe" side.

 

[coldcazzie]

Oh, I do get a bit of a kick out of doing gravel vacs - there's something quite gratifying about seeing gunk disappearing up the tube LOL

I love that bit! There's something very, very satisfying about it

Since I "upgraded" from a bucket to a hose, I have to say that the process is far more enjoyable.

Oh, I agree 100% with that. I was getting to the stage, not of giving up my tanks, but seriously considering how much longer I could keep them going when I switched to a hose. It's not faster (I don't have a mixer tap or shower I can attch the hose to, so I trickle the water back in fairly slowly) but being able to sit down with a cup of tea while and watch the tank refill is sheer joy after 20 years of bucket lugging! I can't imagine why I didn't do it before

Agreed. As soon as I switched to a hose I could not understand why I didn't do it sooner! Also, the mulm sucking is very satisfying

This is why I love low tech planted set ups, water changes every 6-12 months...fantastic!

Yes, I'm looking forward to that too. But, on the other hand, the new tank setup needing daily changes for a few weeks might offset that joy at first I think once established, it'll be worth it. Plus, dark substrate means the mulm is less visible, therefore less annoying!

 

[Hunterprey]

Love the results, hate the process!

^This


I wonder how a Piranha tank owner will respond to this thread

 

[MBOU]

Prolly less scarey cleaning a tank of wimpy piranhas than terrifying customers when i have my hands in when im cleaning the stingrays tank LOL

I gravel clean them and they slide up the gravel vac and try to nip my hands LOL they are pigs. Im ok because so long as i dont put them in a situation where they feel threatened, i know they wont hurt me. Doesnt mean i cant terrify customers tho


Or funnier still, when im half in the tank with our silver dollars in LOL we have an old science lab skeleton in the tank and 7 big silver dollars, makes customers shriek in fear and praise me for my bravery its the bloomin cichlid i have to watch out for in there (nandopsis istlanum).

 

[marieukxx]

I actually enjoy doing it and seeing it all sparkling clean that evening.

 

[ZoddyZod]

I loathe the fact that I need to do it

I love it when I've done it

 

[coldcazzie]

Or funnier still, when im half in the tank with our silver dollars in LOL we have an old science lab skeleton in the tank and 7 big silver dollars, makes customers shriek in fear and praise me for my bravery its the bloomin cichlid i have to watch out for in there (nandopsis istlanum).

Because obviously, if you'd had a staff member die in there while cleaning it, you'd have just left the skeleton in there...

(ps, that wasn't a jab at you, it was a jab at the gullible customers! )