Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Rich_D on July 29, 2014, 10:33:06 AM

Title: New tank
Post by: Rich_D on July 29, 2014, 10:33:06 AM
So I've had my new tank for 2 weeks now and realised I'd not updated u guys with a pic of how it looks, I was given some filter media by a friend so it has seeded straight away and I've added 6 banded rainbows on Sunday here's a pic of the tank
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Rich_D on July 29, 2014, 10:34:20 AM
And here's my rainbows
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: chris213 on July 29, 2014, 11:08:36 AM
nice looking tank :)
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Rich_D on July 29, 2014, 12:04:07 PM
Thanks Chris :cheers:
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: ColinB on July 29, 2014, 01:27:05 PM
Certainly looks good.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: dbaggie on July 29, 2014, 03:18:54 PM
Rainbows are looking good. Notice you have a Boyu tank - I was considering one of these before I settled on my Juwel. How are you finding the tank?
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: gummy on July 29, 2014, 04:21:48 PM
great looking set up
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Fiona on July 29, 2014, 09:52:15 PM
Oooo nice set up, I was wondering about possibly using just a soft substrate in our next tank but curious as to how you would keep it clean. What do you do?
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Rich_D on July 30, 2014, 12:27:09 AM
Rainbows are looking good. Notice you have a Boyu tank - I was considering one of these before I settled on my Juwel. How are you finding the tank?

I bought it about a week before they took £50 off the price  :vcross: from all pond solutions! The tank is great and comes with everything I use an external filter as I wasn't keen on the hood filter it comes with. The stand is very stable and easy to put together (I did it by myself in around 2 hours) I would definitely recommend it especially as it's half the price as anything else for the same volume. It is very deep though which is perfect for me as I plan on keeping Angels.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Rich_D on July 30, 2014, 12:29:41 AM
Oooo nice set up, I was wondering about possibly using just a soft substrate in our next tank but curious as to how you would keep it clean. What do you do?

Thanks for the nice comment! I've always used sand in my tanks and find if I wave the siphon just above the sand it picks up a lot of the waste and not much substrate. My plants also seem to do better in sand than gravel.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Rich_D on July 30, 2014, 12:39:39 AM
 :cheers: thanks for the kind comments guys! Hoping to add some pencil fish this weekend as long as my testings come back ok and I can find a shop that sells them!
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: dbaggie on July 30, 2014, 09:18:46 AM
The tank is great and comes with everything I use an external filter as I wasn't keen on the hood filter it comes with. The stand is very stable and easy to put together (I did it by myself in around 2 hours) I would definitely recommend it especially as it's half the price as anything else for the same volume. It is very deep though which is perfect for me as I plan on keeping Angels.

I do like the look of the Boyu tanks but couldn't find much info on them which is why I decided to go with a Juwel (although I'm very happy with my Juwel!). I'll keep one in mind for my second tank, once I've got permission from the OH of course  ;)
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Sue on July 30, 2014, 09:19:11 AM
I prefer using a wine siphon tube on sand instead of a fish one. Narrower tube so more control over just what gets sucked up, and a rigid tube that slots onto one end making it easy to control. I leave the tap off one end and the cup off the other. This one (http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-syphon-pack/invt/0022573) has a short tube but you can get them longer or join two with a bit cut off the rigid piece. The only downside is that I have to fill it with water at the tap and carefully carry it to the tank before putting one end in the water and the other in a bucket.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: ColinB on July 31, 2014, 09:54:26 AM
The only downside is that I have to fill it with water at the tap and carefully carry it to the tank before putting one end in the water and the other in a bucket.

You mean you don't suck-start your syphon? I thought everybody did that! ;D
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Sue on July 31, 2014, 10:04:01 AM
It's a pity we don't have a 'being sick' smiley on the forum  ;D I've seen some lovely green ones with that expression on other forums.
I know that people who do suck say a mouthful of tank water does them no harm, but I do draw the line at that *imagine green face about to throw up*



This is what I mean  ;D
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: jesnon on July 31, 2014, 10:16:14 AM
It's a pity we don't have a 'being sick' smiley on the forum  ;D I've seen some lovely green ones with that expression on other forums.
I know that people who do suck say a mouthful of tank water does them no harm, but I do draw the line at that *imagine green face about to throw up*



This is what I mean  ;D

I always have to do that... I definitely see where you're coming from it's pretty grim! Mine has never automatically started just by the movement though.  I bought a new siphon online which I keep forgetting to pick up from thedepot which has an almost pump on it that starts it up. .. hopefully no more tank water mouthfuls for me!
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Puffin on July 31, 2014, 10:46:14 AM
I normally use the shake it up and down a few times method on my 40cm deep tank and it works fine for emptying, but have to take a mouthful of dechlorinated water to fill it, as the bucket I use isn't as deep as the tank.
The other day I couldn't get the siphon to work so used suck up a mouthful method.
Had a bad tummy that evening. Coincidence??

Sorry, thread hijack!
Very nice looking tank!
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: ColinB on July 31, 2014, 11:58:53 AM
Just me then! :-\  I reckon that if I can't survive a mouthful of it then I shouldn't expect them to live in it.

OK, does anyone else use the cheese knife and board for chopping up frozen bloodworm blocks? (Thought not :) )

 
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Sue on July 31, 2014, 12:04:39 PM
How about an old tile left over from the bathroom and a cheap paring knife?
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Pawel on July 31, 2014, 01:21:53 PM
If you put one end of the hose into a (clean) bottle, then suck on a bottle, any water that comes out will flow into the bottle. You then move the hose from the bottle into the bucket and Bob's your uncle! ;D
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Puffin on July 31, 2014, 02:28:47 PM
I do use a normal chopping board and knife for bloodworm. It's certainly no worse than chopping chicken.
I don't use my cheeseboard though, it being wooden and not so easy to wash. But wood does have it's own antibacterial properties.
I'm trying to work out what you mean Pawel, think I see, might try it.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: jesnon on July 31, 2014, 05:08:57 PM
Oops Colin I actually meant that I use your method not Sue's but understood why she didn't like it!! I have a special knife for my frozen food though hehe
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: SteveS on July 31, 2014, 05:19:03 PM
Here are two simple ways of starting a syphon without getting tank water in your mouth.

Method 1
It doesn't matter whether the tube is 2m long or 200m.

Method 2
I use this one all the time for emptying my tank by (20m) hose pipe.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: dbaggie on July 31, 2014, 05:29:33 PM
I know that people who do suck say a mouthful of tank water does them no harm, but I do draw the line at that *imagine green face about to throw up*

If it's good enough for your fish then it's good enough for you!!  :rotfl:
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: dbaggie on July 31, 2014, 05:31:26 PM
OK, does anyone else use the cheese knife and board for chopping up frozen bloodworm blocks? (Thought not :) )

Yes actually, although I use the veg knife  ;D
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Fiona on August 08, 2014, 02:44:32 PM
I run the siphon tubing under a tap until it comes all the way through and then just clamp my finger over one end to stop it pouring out and hey presto..completely full siphon tubing, then I fill gravel cleaner in the tank and attach the tubing to it in the tank, keeping my finger over the other end.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Digs1923 on August 08, 2014, 06:50:09 PM
I ALWAYS start mine off by sucking it through and spitting the mouthful I get into the bucket I'm syphoning into.  The water looks so clean, I kid myself it's safe, lol.  AND I use my veg knife to chop up the frozen bloodworms on my regular chopping board.   :o  I'm of the belief that the more "dirt" you eat, the more healthy you are..... it's worked so far  :rotfl:
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Sue on August 08, 2014, 07:36:40 PM
You aren't married to my husband  :-\
I foolishly used the word bacteria several years ago and since then he insists that the tank is teeming with germs which will make me seriously ill if they don't kill me first. If I don't sterilise everything that goes anywhere near a tank to within an inch of its life, he nags me for days.
Title: Re: New tank
Post by: Fiona on August 09, 2014, 01:10:20 AM
I'm a nurse and have built up quite a good resistance to buglies over the years but no way would I suck a fish tank water into my mouth..lmao! Have you seen the poop that comes out of a good gravel cleaning session?   

I seriously hope you brush your teeth and gargle with a flippin good anti-septic mouth wash before you kiss the missus  ;)