Aquarium?

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Wow…appreciate the candid info. A filter draining a tank on to the floor? How is that even possible? I’d have hoped that by 2023 there would be technology to prevent that! Yes, I can imagine a certain disaster potential but assume very low risk. Had never had such an event in my younger days FWIW.

Because we’re in a coastal area we do have a large propane powered generator. After a life of relentless travel, that’s not a retirement priority for us, so the occasional 1 week vacation would be about it. Euthanize fish? Isn’t that what the toilet is for (kidding…couldn’t resist)? Lastly, we have a useless garden tub about 20 feet away that is earmarked for water change duty.

Look, if you’re in it for the right reasons it’s great. If you just want ambience, use YouTube nature videos or Apple TVs screensavers. This hobby can be very stressful because you’re responsible for keeping these animals healthy. The level of suffering for both the fish and human can be high. Eventually everything runs smooth. But then stuff happens….even if my electricity flutters for a fraction of a second in a wind storm, the majority of my filters stop and do not restart even thought they should. The motor runs but the impeller is stuck, they get very hot,,,,,I have to clear them. Etc on and on…

How can a filter drain your tank? Simple. Biggest culprit is hang on back filters. If there should develop a blockage so that water stops flowing over the lip into the tank and instead flows over the back of the filter onto floor missing the tank….the filter doesn’t know. It’s just keeps pumping. If the intake pipe is low, the water will continue to leave the aquarium until it reaches that level. If on your main floor, even a few gallons can be very bad and very expensive.

Canister filters can spring a leak and just keep pumping. Had a really nice Hydor do that 2 years ago but was home and caught it but only after there was 10 gallons of water on the floor. Luckily I had moved this hobby to the basement by then.

I would encourage you to avoiding stones as substrate. Use aquarium sand. Think ahead. Have rules and follow them consistently. Have back ups. Feed once a day, no more. Fast once per week. Them, not you.

[ramonesfreak]

Garden tub?

Here’s the thing….after a few times of that you will be pissed. How will you get the water back in? Pour in with bucket? Ben there done that. The issues caused by this method to humans and fish are serious and many. Don’t do it.

You need to be able to hook up a python cleaning hose to a faucet so the tank water goes directly to the drain and then you fill by reversing back to tank. You put a filter sock on nozzle end and let it do its thing. If you can’t accommodate this setup, but will resort to buckets, tubs, mouth-on-siphons etc….I wouldnt jump into this. Seriously

[Scott Douglas]

My son has a tank. He enjoys it and the kids get a kick out of watching the fish too.
Not sure if his is fresh or brakish.

[ramonesfreak]

The easier you make things for yourself by planning and thinking ahead and creating efficient system the less you will regret this, maybe

[ramonesfreak]

There are so many amazing YouTube aquarium channels you could spend a year learning. I really got into it and getting to 9 tanks was easy. If I didn’t stop, I could easily have 20 now. It’s addictive to create the ecosystems….each thank is different.


Lots of great stuff here

https://www.youtube.com/@AquariumCoop/featured

[Chocaholic]

Yes, when I referred to the garden tub I was planning on a python. Even had one in the old days. Just flip the switch and empty becomes fill. Stopped by PetSmart just for a look. They have a “Marineland” 75 that seems about the right size for the spot. Read reviews on line and out of about 120 reviews, a dozen folks had leaks on brand new tanks. Not encouraging!

[McLovin]

Now here’s a fish tank

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-home-21-feet-long-concrete-aquarium.776014/

[Chocaholic]

That’s a pool!

[cstreit]

The biggest advancements you will find are in quality of lighting and filtration systems. Do lots of homework.

[jyl]

My son put together this small one (12 gal). Built the “mountain” and “caves” from plastic and lava rock, the water is pulled in from the bottom and spills out the top), planted it, its more of a plant aquarium than a fish aquarium. We have cherry (tiny, like 1 cm) shrimp, clown EDIT they are kuhli loaches, snails - lot of bottom feeders to keep things clean. Only fish are a few tetras and guppies. The goal was a self-sustaining tank that doesn’t need much feeding or maintenance. It doesn’t have a filter that needs to be serviced. The floating duckweed is apparently good fish food. Gro LEDs above the tank so the plants have light.

I am thinking of adding a couple of small aquatic crabs. Will name one Harry and one Sally, so they can meet. Couple months in, the water quality stays perfect, the shrimp keep disappearing (do they eat each other? unclear) but the plants, creatures are otherwise thriving. Almost no maintenance. Just dechlorinate and add some water to replace evaporation. I do a tiny bit of feeding, mostly to see the creatures get active. Dry duckweed and grind it to small particles.

I wish there were more “land” so we could have semi-aquatic creatures, but oh well. I would also like to add a second bubbler, to move the water around more.

I had larger tanks (100 gal) when I was younger. All freshwater. They are fun, but I’m not into that much size or work now.

[ramonesfreak]

there is no such thing as a “few” guppies


it is far easier to keep a large tank healthy than a small one.

[ramonesfreak]

by replacing the evaporated water with new, you are screwing up your water hardness. bad. fish are ok now but won’t be for long

no way i could own an aquarium shop. every customer would get a “no soup for you” from me

[jyl]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

by replacing the evaporated water with new, you are screwing up your water hardness. bad. fish are ok now but won’t be for long

no way i could own an aquarium shop. every customer would get a “no soup for you” from me

What is the alternative to replacing evaporated water? Should I siphon off a larger quantity of water and replace that? Or add a lid?

[ramonesfreak]

with a tank that small, you could grab a gallon of distilled water once a month at the grocery store and use that.

for me that’s not possible. i always change my water once per week and that takes care of the problem

i would encourage you to change your water once per week as well. much more important with small tanks. i would suggest only replacing 25% on such a small tank.

[Rusty Heap]

A fun way to have a closed eco system is to take a gallon pickle jar, a zebra danio, and a couple of live plate. Screw the lid on tight, the fish poop feeds the plants, the fish eat the plants the cycle continues. 6 months + is possible.

[ramonesfreak]

oh and duck weed……i had my phase with that. easy to manage on a small tank but for me, it became a very bad situation quickly. keep an eye on it

living plants are very good for your water quality

[ramonesfreak]

jyl, i hope you are least using a sponge filter

Edit…as I looks at your son’s tank now on my iPad rather than phone, I can see the amount of live plants. Good job. To the extent your fish are alive without an actual filter, the plants are the reason why. It’s still important to at least have a sponge filter to give a good place for beneficial bacteria to reside and do their job

[jyl]

There is a sponge in the "mountain", the water is pushed through it before it flows out the top of the mighty peak.

Yes, my son is adamant that we have maxed out the "fish inches" in this tank.

Ok, I can grab some distilled water for the evaporation. We have very soft water here - my espresso machine has been going for years without significant calcification in the boiler - but why take chances.

I am starting to suspect that the cherry shrimp are getting caught in the water pump intake. When my son gets back, I'll see if he can install a screen.

When the duck weed gets too thick, I think it cuts off light to the other plants, so every now and then I remove a handful of it.

[ramonesfreak]

About your missing shrimp…..I’ve kept cherry shrimp for years. Had them in a tank with guppies and neons and pencil fish. No issues. Now I have a tank just for shrimp. I love keeping them.

I don’t think you said what kind of tetras are in there…..clown loaches will get way too big for that tank btw. If large enough now, they are eating the shrimp or the tetras are, depending on what type

Or, they are not getting enough food. The biofilm etc growing is enough for a while but I give mine some shrimp pellets every 3 days

The cherry shrimp do not eat each other

With all the live plants, are you certain there is no planaria? Because they leave a slime trail that is toxic and deadly to shrimp.
https://fishlab.com/planaria/#:~:text=White%20planaria%20are%20aggressive%20pre dators,than%20capable%20of%20killing%20them.

[ramonesfreak]

Water pump intake? Yes that could be the reason

What are you using the pump for ? It’s not necessary for this size tank

Edit….oh to pump water out of the mountain


Use a filter sock over the opening or fine mesh media bag