Common Advice that needs to be updated

[nabokovfan87]

Hey everyone,

I'm curious if anyone has anything here that fits along the theme. 

There is one particular bit of advice that I've recently changed my tune on. Not only does it make the job easier, but it does also prevent waste, microplastics, etc.

The next time you go to take off a prefilter, sponge filter, or bit of something from a tank that will result in a lot of mulm, use a large fine mesh net instead of a plastic bag to catch all of the much.

I take my 7" fine mesh net and I set it below the prefilter sponge. I put the sponge into the net and everything goes into the bucket to be cleaned.

Easy. No plastic waste, and it's something I've used for my maintenance routine for several cleanings now to success.

What else do you got?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 6/1/2023 at 5:35 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

large fine mesh

Those laundry bags used for washing delicates would work great for this purpose.

Speaking of mesh, if you ever want to scoop sand or substrate out of a tank, you can use a fish net.

[Janoš Bećar Pecaroš]

Wouldn’t the mash net allow for gunk to escape back to the aquarium?
Plastic bag is reusable, you don’t have to get a new one every time you clean your filter. Grocery bags are free too and I get a few every week

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 6/1/2023 at 12:44 PM, Janoš Bećar Pecaroš said:

Wouldn’t the mash net allow for gunk to escape back to the aquarium?

Not if you get the fine mesh. It's more closely woven than a standard fish net.

Edited June 1, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/1/2023 at 6:43 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Speaking of mesh, if you ever want to scoop sand or substrate out of a tank, you can use a fish net.

100%

I use a old marina big blue net that I got for $2.

On 6/1/2023 at 9:44 AM, Janoš Bećar Pecaroš said:

Wouldn’t the mash net allow for gunk to escape back to the aquarium?
Plastic bag is reusable, you don’t have to get a new one every time you clean your filter. Grocery bags are free too and I get a few every week

Definitely doesn't. A standard 5-7" wide fine mesh net does wonders. I like the long handled seachem ones. A lot of the nets sold are normal or corse nets to reduce drag in the water. Fine mesh let's you be a little more delicate with certain species and it does help for other uses.

[Janoš Bećar Pecaroš]

On 6/1/2023 at 12:48 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

100%

I use a old marina big blue net that I got for $2.

Definitely doesn't. A standard 5-7" wide fine mesh net does wonders. I like the long handled seachem ones. A lot of the nets sold are normal or corse nets to reduce drag in the water. Fine mesh let's you be a little more delicate with certain species and it does help for other uses.

Thanks for the clarification, I’ll have to find me a fine mesh net to try this out.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 6/1/2023 at 12:44 PM, Janoš Bećar Pecaroš said:

Grocery bags are free too and I get a few every week

I wouldn’t chance those as they could have contaminants. Like residues or fragrances from laundry or dish soaps, etc. as well as have been exposed to bacterias in raw meat, yeasts from breads, etc. Then they get set in dirty trunks, on the kitchen floor perhaps, etc 

Edited June 2, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Janoš Bećar Pecaroš]

On 6/2/2023 at 4:46 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I wouldn’t chance those as they could have contaminants. Like residues or fragrances from laundry or dish soaps, etc. as well as have been exposed to bacterias in raw meat, yeasts from breads, etc. Then they get set in dirty trunks, on the kitchen floor perhaps, etc 

I’m pretty sure that you wash everything first before you put in the tank, right? So why not the plastic bag? And you don’t have to use the bag that the soap spilt into. 😝 

I’m alway trying to save money. If I can reuse something, I will do that before I buy a new thing. This way I save a bit of money and save earth from one extra piece of trash.

[beastie]

On 6/2/2023 at 2:20 PM, Janoš Bećar Pecaroš said:

I’m alway trying to save money. If I can reuse something, I will do that before I buy a new thing. This way I save a bit of money and save earth from one extra piece of trash.

In that aspect I would have to ask, how are you even getting plastic grocery bags then.

 

BTW you guys made me think, I sort of put the filter out...no bag or nothing, and then just siphon underneath it and return it back, run the filter on full power for a while, and be done with it. I will try a mesh something to see if there is any difference 🙂 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 6/2/2023 at 8:20 AM, Janoš Bećar Pecaroš said:

I’m pretty sure that you wash everything first before you put in the tank, right? So why not the plastic bag? And you don’t have to use the bag that the soap spilt into

I don't have a good separation system going on for safe-to-use grocery bags and non-safe grocery bags (ok well, tbh, I don't have ANY grocery bag separation system).  LOL  Plus I don't trust the ink on them.  I practice reusing and recycling, I'm just careful what to put/use in my tank.  I usually use a gallon ziplock to bag my PFS or sponge filter because I know it is food safe and it is protected within the box it is sold in. Cory does the same in his video here:

I think I will use the mesh now because it traps mulm but allows water to drain out.

 

[Janoš Bećar Pecaroš]

On 6/2/2023 at 7:50 AM, beastie said:

In that aspect I would have to ask, how are you even getting plastic grocery bags then.

 

BTW you guys made me think, I sort of put the filter out...no bag or nothing, and then just siphon underneath it and return it back, run the filter on full power for a while, and be done with it. I will try a mesh something to see if there is any difference 🙂 

I go to a grocery store and when I buy groceries they put them in a free bag so I can carry it out.
How do you carry groceries out of the store?

 

 

On 6/2/2023 at 8:23 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I don't have a good separation system going on for safe-to-use grocery bags and non-safe grocery bags (ok well, tbh, I don't have ANY grocery bag separation system).  LOL  Plus I don't trust the ink on them.  I practice reusing and recycling, I'm just careful what to put/use in my tank.  I usually use a gallon ziplock to bag my PFS or sponge filter because I know it is food safe and it is protected within the box it is sold in. Cory does the same in his video here:

I think I will use the mesh now because it traps mulm but allows water to drain out.

 

Separation system. LOL. I have CT scanner like at the airport I send the bags thru and it sorts out the bags for me. Clean, dirty, whole, torn…JK.

And the grocery bags are FDA approved, so…

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 6/1/2023 at 5:35 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

What else do you got?

I like to use the little brine shrimp net for catching all the floating plant leaves.

The aquascaping tongs are great for feeding food that I like to drop under the waterline so it sinks.  I don't have to get my hand wet 🙂  I feed the betta with tongs also because he is a slower eater and he doesn't notice when food falls down to the substrate. For the community tank, I grab a frozen brine shrimp cube with the tongs and i swish it around underwater, and all the fish frenzy.  I do that until I have half a cube left, because they don't eat a whole cube. I place the other half of the cube into the snail dish with the tongs.

The aquascaping hoe is good for pushing plant roots down into the substrate.

Irrigation syringes are handy for pulling out water all in one go to fill a water test vial.  

Turkey baster to pull uneaten food or for just spot cleaning detritus. I also use it to clean waste out of my snail feeding dish each day so they have a clean eating surface.

Candy molds to make fun snellos and Repashy! The snails notice when they get cute food, and they like it.

Tank refiller 9000 so as not to disrupt the sand.

Filter baffle to reduce current and surface agitation, while still maintaining a good, strong filtration.

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[beastie]

On 6/2/2023 at 4:00 PM, Janoš Bećar Pecaroš said:

How do you carry groceries out of the store?

I have this reusable bag made out of some sort plastic that feels like what you have on umbrella. It can be folded to the size of a baby fist and i have one in my purse and one in my car at all times. Also they don't give us plastic bags here anymore, paper or the thick plastic bags. I don't even put vegetables or anything in plastic, given i wash it anyway before eating right, so no need for extra bag. Though i have some fruit / vegetable bags somewhere specifically for those purchases, but the somewhere is never close to where i am shopping. I don't buy bread/rolls/buns so no need for a bag there either. Though the amount of plastic everything is wrapped in is insane anyways. 

I even had to buy some bags (like ziplock) to have a way to freeze some things, lacking the stupid plastic bags, what an irony right? 🙂

 

btw i envy you guys turkey basters. I have yet to find one here..best i can do is a pipette from some chemistry store but they are like few ml. Fine for small amount feeding but infuriating for larger or water change.

Edited June 2, 2023 by beastie

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I use these. I even take them into non-grocery stores to use them.

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:14 AM, beastie said:

btw i envy you guys turkey basters. I have yet to find one here..best i can do is a pipette from some chemistry store but they are like few ml. Fine for small amount feeding but infuriating for larger or water change.

Had to order mine. 😂

[tolstoy21]

On 6/1/2023 at 5:35 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

The next time you go to take off a prefilter, sponge filter, or bit of something from a tank that will result in a lot of mulm, use a large fine mesh net instead of a plastic bag to catch all of the much.

I use 1 qt. plastic deli cups, the kind you get your take-out wonton soup in.

They work real easy . . . put in tank, place sponge filter into it, lift out. Perfectly fits the coop medium sponger filter.

[redfish]

On 6/3/2023 at 8:47 AM, tolstoy21 said:

I use 1 qt. plastic deli cups, the kind you get your take-out wonton soup in.

They work real easy . . . put in tank, place sponge filter into it, lift out. Perfectly fits the coop medium sponger filter.

Shut the front door.  I use these containers too!  We have a bunch from take-out wonton soup 🤣. Medium and smaller coop filter fits great for cleaning!   I use them for all sorts of stuff.  Growing out floating plants, rooting vegetables for planting, etc.  I have two pineapples rooting right now in the containers.