What did you do with your tank(s) today?
- Thread starter DMD123
- Start date
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
Gravel vac on the 120g. Fed fish. I have Sera O-nip tabs that work really well for feeding fry. They can be stuck to the side of the aquarium where the fry can pick at them. The tabs also disintegrate slowly sluffing food particles into the water column.
I don't generally post about routine maintenance in my fishroom, but today I was finally able to do some overdue water changes. My Tropheus tanks have the largest bioloads, and were overdue, so I did 50% water changes on a few of them today. Towards the end my submersible pump, which has been cranky for a while, finally died, at least for the moment. It's 8 years old, and new ones are cheap enough, so a replacement will arrive from Amazon tomorrow. I have relied heavily on Amazon for my fishroom needs ever since the pandemic started. 
With my new water heater slated for install on December 3rd Ive been looking at a lot of things in the garage and think there is one other area for improvement... the utility sink. I was happy we installed on but it is too small. I picked an 18" model never thinking it would be use as heavily it for fish tank in the garage. So Im thinking about a one piece unit in stainless to replace the current one and the cabinet.
Looking for something like this instead
Also not being right up against the washer would be nice too.
Looking for something like this instead
Also not being right up against the washer would be nice too.
Long story short: I set up a 20gallon tank in my classroom for goldfish.
long story long: a few of my advanced placement English students are doing a science project in another class ( basically creating a roller coaster ) and they chose to do an aquarium theme complete with two small goldfish in a bowl. The grading of the project is next Monday and they brought in the fish ( in a small little bowl) on Tuesday and I could see the fish were in distress. So I set up my extra 20 gallon tank and switched the filters from my shellie tank with the new one…. Anyways, as expected, both died, I felt bad, and I bought them four new ones…. These ones were the next size up and I had picked them for health and looks.
I’m going to teach the kids how to care for them over the year and then I plan to give them the goldfish and tank setup…..with prior parent approval first.
long story long: a few of my advanced placement English students are doing a science project in another class ( basically creating a roller coaster ) and they chose to do an aquarium theme complete with two small goldfish in a bowl. The grading of the project is next Monday and they brought in the fish ( in a small little bowl) on Tuesday and I could see the fish were in distress. So I set up my extra 20 gallon tank and switched the filters from my shellie tank with the new one…. Anyways, as expected, both died, I felt bad, and I bought them four new ones…. These ones were the next size up and I had picked them for health and looks.
I’m going to teach the kids how to care for them over the year and then I plan to give them the goldfish and tank setup…..with prior parent approval first.
That was my start… as a kid they seemed impossible to keep alive. But winning a near dead, unhealthy, stressed fish and then throwing it in tap water in a tiny bowl didnt help either.Goldfish are the preeminent recruiters for our hobby, as so many of us started out with that one free/prize goldfish!
The other fish that gets tons of abuse and many start with are betta. @lloyd378, this might be a good project fish too. Requires less space than the goldfish…
John58Ford
Well-Known Member
Betta are a great project fish, I have a local location where I can swipe them at $4/8 each, female/male, plakat or halfmoon, he mostly has blue/reds but the color patterns vary seasonally with breeding stock, sold through one of my smaller LFS at that price too. Makes any goldfish seem a bit "expensive" by comparison lol.
Today I'm working on the stacked 55 (and the 45 corner) project as it seems nature really doesn't want me stealing anymore of it's delicious crab or salmonid, I just won't take the boys out in wind like this. The beginning of "fish tank season" is finally upon us. Today's goals are scraping, cutting and resealing 3 tanks, and setting up the dado jig for the stand. I milled the lumber square more than a month ago so I think it's time to get vertical progress. Maybe this project deserves a thread, shall see, since threads take time lol.
Yes, start a thread! It's fun, and if you don't have time for a narrative, a few pics will do!
John58Ford
Well-Known Member
My wife and I always talk about this one but the result is the same, my tanks just don't observe daylight savings time. The Twilight lighting happens an hour "earlier" in the evening in our human minds but it helps us have a brighter breakfast on the weekends, no one's home to notice the difference on most weekdays. Besides; Does anybody really know what time it is?Had to reset all the timers on my tank lights this morning. Don't forget!
Last night I got the 3 tanks all scraped and cleaned up but didn't actually have enough silicone (estimated) as I had borrowed from the fish room stock to finish a misestimated boat project. Today I'll be doing the actual re-seal and making the dining room smell genuinely awful. Can't have that stench in my fish room area and the garage is too cold. Probably do some water changing on the normal tanks too, can't forget the living while we plan for the future can we?
I need to do that still… I did water changes this morning and thought about it but immediately forgot as I got into the cleaning and refill.Had to reset all the timers on my tank lights this morning. Don't forget!
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
Hondas always last longer.
cjag
Well-Known Member
Met up with what seems like the only other fish keeper in the Yakima valley and bought some huge Red flame swords from him. He threw in a few other Crypt species I've never kept before too. I tried to recruit him for the fish box but he didn't seem interested in having an online presence in the fish world. Other than that, I did some cleaning in the office/fishroom and am still trying to decide on livestock for the living room display tank. I'm thinking a cichlid species tank. Something compatible with plants. Maybe something from CA? Thoughts on that?
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
Rainbow cichlids do well with plants
Damn it, forgot lol. Tomorrow projectHad to reset all the timers on my tank lights this morning. Don't forget!