Make Your Under Gravel Filter Work Better
To make your under gravel filter work a lot more efficiently, get some filter floss and completely cover the filter grates with it, about an inch thick, then add the normal layer of gravel over that. This will increase the available area for the 'good" bacteria to grow. This really works well. And while you're at it, take a look in the crafts section of any local department store, they should have some large bags of "quilt batting" which is exactly the same thing as filter floss, but at only about a tenth of the cost.
Stop Gravel Digging Fish
To save your under gravel filter, or to just keep large fish from digging up the gravel.Get a plastic webbing type material from the crafts section of just about any department store. This stuff is inert so it will not affect water quality. To use the webbing, cut it (with scissors) to the appropriate size and shape. Then place it on top of the gravel and add some more gravel to hide to hide it. No more fishy aquascaping now! This material also makes a great spawning grate for fish such as zebra danios and tetras.
Cheap Substitute For Charcoal
Pick up a 10 pound bag of "Lava Rocks" from your local Home Depot. Crush it up to use as a substitute for charcoal or use it like "Live Rock" for a freshwater aquarium. This rock has an abundance of surface area for colonization by the "Good Guy" bacteria. Doesn't look too bad either.
Cheap Airline
Sometimes you might need to make an airline longer. To make quick and easy airline connecters, just get a length of rigid airline tubing and cut it into pieces about an inch long, or use the little plastic handles that come with the ice cream treat called "Fred Flintstone's Push Ups".
Yabba Dabba Doooo!
The Best Fish Food
The best fish food available is the common earthworm. Although they are supposedly the most nutritious when fed live, I prefer to freeze them first and then chop them up for feeding to the fish. You might be able to dig some up in your yard but its much easier to just buy them from a bait store. The method I use with earthworms is to separate them from the dirt etc, which usually involves rinsing a few times in a large mesh net, I then put the live worms into a sandwich/freezer bag ( I think this is a humane or painless way to kill them). Then I break off a piece of frozen worms add a little water with the worms in a disposable cup and use scissors to snip , snip , snip until I have mostly bite size chunks. I then use a turkey baster to feed them to the individual tanks. This is the absolute best spawning conditioning food available for any aquarium fish!
Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil has a couple of uses for the aquarist. Crinkle it up and then staighten it up again to make a textured background for the tank. Just tape it to the back of the aquarium. Another use, line the inside of the reflector to make your lights brighter. Aluminum foil is also useful for covering parts of the hood that are left empty (for filter, heater, etc.)
Quieten That Noisy Air Pump
There's 2 ways to make air pumps quieter.
1. Place the pump on a pad of foam rubber.
2. Put the whole air pump into the sock portion of a piece of pantyhose and suspend it from a nail or screw in the back of the aquarium stand.
Really Cheap Plastic Plants
Though I prefer live plants; I once saw a tank "planted" with pieces of green trash bags cut to resemble plants. It might sound goofy, but the result was impressive. The plastic naturally floats so you have to glue or attach the plastic to a rock or some other heavy object. But the weightlessness of the "plant" makes it move with the flow of the water and gives a nice upright stance and surprisingly lifelike appearance. Try it, you've nothing to lose but a trash bag.
Plastic Plant Anchors
Soft drink bottle caps, rocks or pebbles, silicone. Super easy.
Baby Fish Saver
I have a tip for tanks with baby fish or very small fish/inverts. Put a piece of nylon sock over the intake tube and keep it held in place by a rubber band. This keeps these kinds of fish from getting stuck in your filter. Also helps if you have a tank with sand in the bottom while using a power filter with a magnet impeller assembly. And it keeps the sand from getting into your filter. It also serves as a good pre-filter. It keeps plants and other residue out of your filter. You also don't have to change the mechanical media as often.
Feeder Fish Tip
People often don't think about or realize that feeder fish bought from a store can carry many diseases into your tank when you feed them to your fish. You can easily start your own tank of guppies, mollies or other live bearing fish and use their fry as feeder fish. These fish would come from your own tank so you would know that they are healthy and in the long run you would probably save a lot of money.
Quarantine Tank Tip
You can use a large Rubbermaid tub as a quarantine tank. The fish should only be in there for a maximum of two weeks so you shouldn't have any ammonia problems. Be sure to keep an eye on the ammonia just to be safe. An aerator can be useful in ensuring there is enough oxygen in your water.
If you have a nocturnal fish you may want to place a decoration in there for them to hide under. If you plan to keep the lid on it, be sure to poke plenty of holes in it to let air in.
Green Water Tip
If your wake up and your tank water is green, you can rest assured it is harmless tiny algae floating around. It looks gross so you want to get rid of it right? Just cover your tank with a sleeping bag or several layers of newspaper for 3 days. The algae will not get enough light to live and will die.
Just feed your fish at night when the lights are dim. Your regular aquarium plants will be ok. The water should be clear afterwards. Vacuum well afterwards to suck up the dead algae.
Flake Food Tip
When you buy a new can of flake food, it usually contains flakes too large to be consumed by the fish. You can take the flakes from the can and place them in a zip lock type bag.
Get all the air out and crush them in the bag, then return them to the can and it will be much easier to feed to your fish.
Buying Livebearers
If buying livebearers make sure the females aren't heavily pregnant. These fish will become very stressed when being moved and can often die as a result. Instead look for medium sized females that don't have a big round bump.
New Plant Tip
Many new plants may carry unwanted diseases, snails and algae. You can disinfect your plant to help reduce the risk of carrying these things on your new plants. It is possible to damage your plants when disinfecting. Try one of these methods: -Potassium permanganate, this can be found in dilute form from jungle products called "clear water" give a 10 minute soak. Good for killing bacteria. -1 table spoon per gallon of alum will provide a good way to get rid of snails. Give a 2 day soak.
Quick Tips
- Use a timer for your aquarium lights, and you won't have to worry about them.
- Mix several different types of flakes and freeze dried foods into one large container, it wil give your fish a good mix of food at every feeding.
- If your aquarium water sometimes has that thin film on the surface you can get it out by laying a paper towel on the surface, wait a few seconds and lift it out.
- Join a local Aquarium Society, or if there's not one near you join a national organization that covers the fish that interest you the most.
- Swap aquarium books with a local Aquarist friend.
- Look for slightly damaged merchandise at your LFS (local fish store) ask for a discount and you can probably get a deal on it.
- Most fish will jump out of uncovered aquariums, always use a cover.
- Acidic water loving fish will love a few dried oak leaves in their tank, it will slightly tint the water and release tannins that make these fish feel at home.
- Clay flower pots and/or boiled coconut shells make good caves for shy fish or spawning some cichlids.
- Try to let the fish adapt to your water instead of changing your water with chemicals. Fish are very adaptable to most water as long as it's unpolluted and the parameters are consistent.
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