Jump to content

Aquarium / Fishkeeping Life Hacks


Ben_RF
 Share

Recommended Posts

I thought it might be fun to have a thread where we share little aquarium / fishkeeping life hacks.  Hopefully we don't have a thread on this already, I didn't see one when I did a search.

So to start us off, a little life hack that has made my life significantly easier for water changes is attaching a catalytic carbon garden hose filter with a garden hose sprayer head to my python when it comes time to put the water back in the tanks.   What does this do?  We have a fair amount of chloramine in our water where I live.  Catalytic carbon is one of the few things out there that can filter chloramine. 

So by running the water through the catalytic carbon garden hose filter, it filters the chloramine out of the water for me when refilling the tank.   Typically you want to replace the filter every year or to the gallon capacity it recommends (most are 10,000 gallons).  Some of these filters will recommend up to two years and some will recommend every three months.  In my own personal experience, in testing my water using one of these filters to filter out chloramine, I was able to go one year with no levels of chloramine being detected in the water.  I went ahead at the one year mark and replaced the filter.  Typically you can find these filters for anywhere between $20 - $50.

Why do I use a garden hose sprayer head?  I like to be able to contro l the water when its coming into the tank and how it comes in.  If I am concerned about stressing the fish, I will often use the mist feature to gently add water.  If the fish are fairly normal, I'll just use the shower feature to add water gently to the tank.  Or if I want to walk away for a moment, I'll flip the lever on it that allows for it to keep spraying without holding down the handle.

So y'all, what are some of your favorite hacks for aquariums / fish keeping?


Note:  Not all garden hose filters are catalytic carbon.  You will need to specifically look for that when searching for a filter. 
Note.  If your water is using chlorine, not chloramine, you could use instead an  activated carbon water hose filter which is cheaper.

IMG_20201016_195547.jpg

Edited by Ben_RF
  • Like 4
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another trick that I first learned from @Ireneoff of her amazing channel was to keep your fish food in the fridge and date it!  I'll be perfectly honest, this never dawned on me until I watched her video.  I do ziplock the a small amount of food that I will be using quickly, then keep the rest sealed in the container.  Why ziplock bag and refridgerate your fish food?  It helps to make sure your fish continue to get fresh and high quality food.    

Thank you @Irene for putting me on the right path!  I have kept fish for 20+ years but never started doing this until I watched your betta video back when you first came out with it.  

Here are two great videos about feeding by @Irene:  
What Is the Best Food for Betta Fish? : 

 

How Do I Know if I'm Feeding My Fish Enough?:

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live in an apartment and could not for the life of me figure out a way to get my python to screw on normally, couldn’t find any sort of piece to unscrew on my faucet or anything, so in the spirit of not having to pay for a Brocken faucet, I got a piece of black python tubing cut for me at my LFS and use that to attach it to the sink. It’s effective, but definitely something you need to be careful with, I can’t close the python valve for more than a few seconds without the sink end popping off from the pressure. Other than that tho I have no complaints. Use with caution.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Wisnasky-tank said:

Idk if it’s a hack or discovered yet but I bought a battery operated gas Psypher  attached its hose to python hose and out the water goes automatically made my water changes time cut in half  same concepts with outlet hose on canister filter in big tanks 

Could you clarify? I'd like to try this because I hate wasting so much water when sraining with the python and sink, but I think "gas Psypher" is a typo and I'm not sure what the intended words were.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there any risk of fish getting sucked into the powerhead? I'm guessing you could easily cover the intake with pantyhose or something, but I haven't used one before so just wanted to check.

Btw, how cool would it be to use the wifi plug with this and just voice command, "alexa, turn off the water pump," from the couch?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Marineland version of the Cobalt comes with an intake tube that stops fish from getting too curious. I'd be shocked if the Cobalt didn't. I've been using this system, my next upgrade is to get the hose and a bigger, nastier pump that can pull / push water 50 ft across my basement so I won't be hauling buckets anymore. I plan on using a 30 Gallon trash can for clean water so I can treat it first. That would cover a 50% water change in my biggest tank. As for adding voice command, I'd think any alexa enabled smart switch would work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Kat_Rigel said:

Btw, how cool would it be to use the wifi plug with this and just voice command, "alexa, turn off the water pump," from the couch?

Smart plugs are my favorite fishkeeping life hack. I use them for filters and heaters in combination with IFTTT commands, so I can tell my google home or echo to "Start [tank name] water change" and it'll turn off whatever I need to turn off for large water changes. Then follow up with "[tank name] water change complete" to turn the stuff back on. Then I have a universal "Idiot check" command that will trigger them all to turn on in case I forgot on water change day.

I want a mechanical life hack for quickly removing and reconnecting a recessed faucet aerator when using the python. I have to use one of those round aerator wrenches with the teeth, and it's tedious. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...