What "extra" Fish equipment do you keep on hand?

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xxBarneyxx

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So was answering another thread and got to thinking about some of the "spare" kit I have picked up over the years. Some of it is obvious, spare filters, etc.

Some isn't as obvious though so thought it might be interesting to see what "emergency" non-obvious kit people keep to hand or use regularly.

Some of my "essentials":
At least 1 working airpump an airstone and some airline. I don't tend to use them in my normal tanks but they can be useful for emergency situations to oxygenate water and create surface movement. Its also fairly easy to knock together a airstone powered sponge filter if you need to quickly quarantine something.

Ladies Tights - Good for covering filter inputs or holding various types of filter media. In a pinch can be used to make a small in tank isolation/fry holding area.

A spare heater - I have had multiple heaters fail so always have a spare now. Also useful if you need to set up a quarantine tank.

A couple of buckets - At least one I consider "clean" that has had no chemicals used in it. Can be used as an emergency quarantine/hospital tank.

A couple of small pumps and powerheads - Sometimes you need more water movement, sometimes a filter might fail and you need to bodge something. I have quite a few now (they seem to multiple by themselves over time) but I would always keep at least one 400lph submersible pump to hand.

Spare biological filter media somewhere in an existing tank - I always try and put some extra filter media in an existing tank. Then you can grab it in an emergency to set up a quick hospital tank. Normally I have the tanks way over filtered anyway so there is plenty of spare media in the canisters.

A "Python" water change system - Easily the most useful bit of kit if you have a large tank (or lots of tanks). Makes water changes so much quicker and less messy.
 
Some of my "essentials":
At least 1 working airpump an airstone and some airline. I don't tend to use them in my normal tanks but they can be useful for emergency situations to oxygenate water and create surface movement. Its also fairly easy to knock together a airstone powered sponge filter if you need to quickly quarantine something.

Ladies Tights - Good for covering filter inputs or holding various types of filter media. In a pinch can be used to make a small in tank isolation/fry holding area.

A spare heater - I have had multiple heaters fail so always have a spare now. Also useful if you need to set up a quarantine tank.

A couple of buckets - At least one I consider "clean" that has had no chemicals used in it. Can be used as an emergency quarantine/hospital tank.

A couple of small pumps and powerheads - Sometimes you need more water movement, sometimes a filter might fail and you need to bodge something. I have quite a few now (they seem to multiple by themselves over time) but I would always keep at least one 400lph submersible pump to hand.

Spare biological filter media somewhere in an existing tank
All of the above, although I now have two spare air pumps, with plenty of tubing and a plethora of various connectors, flow-regulating valves and one-way valves.
Two spare heaters.
Two completely new and shiny filters and powerheads, plus a couple of cheaper sponge-type filters.
A floatable 'fry' box.
A completely empty tank in the shed, 18 x 18 x 24, with lid.
Plastic plants.
 
My nets are constantly getting chewed up by my dog because my cats will knock them down. I keep multiple battery-powered aquarium bubblers for when the power goes out. I still do water changes by 5 gallon bucket. I can’t afford a python, and water changes arent really that bad. I have an extra intake tube, algae scrapers Biomedia, and more.
 
Plastic Storage box (QT tank/hospital)
Heaters
Airstones
Filter
Air pump
Python
Bits of household plumbing bits - for QT tank
 
Spare filter impeller shaft. My filter has a ceramic shaft which is very easy to break.
Spare 25 litre tanks (3 of them)
Heater

And all sorts of stuff accumulated over the years I can't bring myself to throw away.
 
I have 1 or 2 extra of EVERYTHING!! Tanks, HOB filters, canister filters, heaters, nets, tubing, airstones, buckets of substrate, lighting, timers, powerstrip, powerheads, skimmer, intake tubes, outputs, breeder boxes, you name it........
 
I have 1 or 2 extra of EVERYTHING!! Tanks, HOB filters, canister filters, heaters, nets, tubing, airstones, buckets of substrate, lighting, timers, powerstrip, powerheads, skimmer, intake tubes, outputs, breeder boxes, you name it........
Lol it is one of them hobbies that the longer you are doing it the more stuff seems to multiple by itself.
 
Hey there,
In a systematic way, all that serves aquarium and fishes is in double + a ready quarantine/hospital tank + fry net nursery tank + Mont-Roucous bottled-water in case ROsystem breaks down.
 
Welp - a spare heater, "medicines" which aid in fish recovery (such as Melafix) but my fish don't usually get sick. A few nets, a spare aquarium or two.

I live in a big city with 2 LFS within 10 minutes of my house + there is always Amazon. I don't like to keep too many spares because of storage space and practicality of being able to go buy it in a pinch.
 
My nets are constantly getting chewed up by my dog because my cats will knock them down. I keep multiple battery-powered aquarium bubblers for when the power goes out. I still do water changes by 5 gallon bucket. I can’t afford a python, and water changes arent really that bad. I have an extra intake tube, algae scrapers Biomedia, and more.
I would look into another brand of syphon! I got a 25 ft Aqueon one off amazon for $25 and we got the piece to make it fit the sink for cheap too.


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I keep a heater, filter, fake plants, and a fish bowl. Plus a sock, to scrub the glass.
 
Initially I had spare filters, lights and heaters since I usually buy the "all in" kits, then substitute the heaters, filters and lights for my own personal choice and keep the others as spares.

However....as with MTS...the fish and their bits and pieces have now taken over 2 kitchen cupboards and half a cupboard in the hallway with spares, filter parts/media supplies, air pumps, nets etc

The fish and their excess baggage are slowly but surely taking over my entire flat.....for such small creatures, they come with a B747's worth of excess baggage ;)

But they are still loveable.....most of the time....apart from when I get fish poo in the eye or they dismantle the nicely planned scape and make it look like a scruffy teenager's bedroom ;)
 
I have a couple of boxes of stuff, most probably enough to setup half a dozen tanks. I don't have a tank running at the moment but I have a 6' a 4' a 3' and 4 smaller tanks in the garage. I use this gear to help other people out, when their tanks spring a leak or they want to breed something. The tanks seem to move in and out of the shed on a regular basis.
 
I have extra sets of almost everything from filters to tanks....

Some basic medications are a must especially if you are buying new fish,,,,

But thankfully, I have a fish shop nearby that operates 24 hours....
 

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