[Brine shrimp - solo aquarium owner]

BBS are staple in my 5 tanks. I refuse to do perpetual batches though lol. What works really well for me sounds like it might work for you too. I make a large heaping 1TBS batch in the Ziss (the co-op eggs are far superior)...when it's ready, I sieve them into some tank water in a cup (disposing of the dirty salt water). Then I use a drip free turkey baster to fill several silicone ice cube trays (I use the little ball shaped ones). Then feed the rest live, which drives them nuts of course. This lasts me about 2 weeks...I just drop one or two balls in each tank daily with whatever else I'm feeding. 

[What is everyone's favorite hang on back filters?]

#1. Fluval AquaClear (never had the rattle)

#2. Seachem Tidal

#3. The rest of the non-cartridge HOBs

#100. Anything that takes a proprietary cartridge. 

[What Would You Improve About Your Fish Room Water Change Setup]

On 9/17/2020 at 5:07 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

You say your fish love the tap water, are you using a mix of the softened water and the water you tap off before the sprinkler? 

I think what I would do from the sound of what you have going on, depending on how many and what size tanks you have, I'd invest in a couple plastic food grade 55 gallon drums. Set them up in garage and run the water pre softener or however you mix right now into the drums, put a heater in them to bring them to temp, and use something like a mag-drive pump or one of the newer DC power pumps to pump water to the tanks. If you do some researching, especially on saltwater keeping sites, you can find some ideas you may be able to implement, as saltwater guys usually have storage for RO, and mixed saltwater and a way to pump to their tanks. Good luck!

This is great advice! Thanks! I don't mix at all, straight tap water + dechlor. Only downside to all of this is I still have to bucket water out unless I set up a pump system for removal too. Thinking about it!

[What Would You Improve About Your Fish Room Water Change Setup]

For me this is tough, I am not sure what to do. Hopefully someone out there has some ideas!

Problem 1 - My home has softened water (I use potassium). In order to get regular hard water, I had to tap the sprinkler box outside. Well, this only works for about half the year because of temps here. I think my solution will be to split my line pre-softener in the garage and have a source available in the garage at least. However, this does not give me a sink and drain, nor does it give me hard hot water (which I don't have now either). This is a segue to problem 2. 

Problem 2 - I am on the bucket brigade because I cannot use a python for the reasons stated above. I also have to use spare heaters to warm up buckets when the temps drop. In the summer the tap water from the sprinkler box is 77 degrees. I think my solution here is to put a sink in the garage, I'd have to also add a small water heater for this sink and a sump pump to get the water drained. So far this has been a worse prospect that using buckets on my 5 tanks. 

Ideas are welcome! I have no interest in using RO/DI and remineralizing, my fish love the tap water here. I do have plans to get to a fish room, I will have a water change system in there...but those are big goals that require much plumbing. 

Thanks!

[Ziss Egg Tumbler]

Thanks Dean! That's a great endorsement, considering that you're the best DIYer around. I'm going to get one when I can!