Dean’s Fishroom Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 What is that one task, job, or chore that you avoid, put off (sometimes until too late), or just don't like to do in your fishroom, or with your fish tank or tanks? For me the answer is pretty easy. I love breeding the fish, working on systems to make caring for them easier, feeding time, don't even mind separating the baby brine shrimp or cleaning the glass. But if there is one thing that is easier to put off or avoid it is cleaning the sponge or matten filters or gravel vacuuming if there happens to be gravel in the tanks. This chore I find the easiest to put off for another day or two or week or so. I would gladly have a filter cleaning person come by once a week, just like a housekeeper (I don't have one of them either), I'd trade for all the fish keeping/breeding experience. What is your one task??? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenP2003 Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 Easy one -- popping open that fluval fx6 canister and rinsing all the media. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted August 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted August 11, 2020 For me I think it's algae scraping. This is why I moved to way more ponds. Feeding, trimming plants, changing water, sponge filters, all fine. I think I'm still traumatized from like 10 years of hundreds of tanks at least once a week in a fish store setting 😛 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 Putting off unti it's too late 😬 testing the Nitrates in my high tech planted tank. Is there anything behind this wall of green glass?? 😅 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meow Aquatics Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 Cleaning underneath my aquarium lids. I'm the worst. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 For me it is usually related to live food cultures. My white worms are in a mini fridge in the garage and I always put off feeding them or making a new culture in a timely manner. I haven't killed them yet, but the cultures are sometime declining before I get my act together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 (edited) I procrastinate on removing Duckweed from two of my small shrimp tanks. I have to check for fry, pull some snails for loach snacks, and then save the Duckweed to bring to my LFS for their Koi Pond. Edited August 12, 2020 by Streetwise Photo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errk25 Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 When I do my regular maintenance and think I‘m done and get everything cleaned up, there is always that random clump of algae to get or plant I needed to trim but missed. I just can’t let it go until next time and have to get it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 Putting away my tools. It looks like the aquarium co-op warehouse exploded in here sometimes, I trail from tank to tank, dripping water all over the place, leaving a bottle of prime here, a shrimp net there, a pair of planting forceps hooked on the edge of a shelf next to an abandoned test tube rack...And then I am interrupted by a family or work "emergency" that requires me to handle it, and there it all stays. I need to devise a caddy of some kind. A 5g bucket on wheels, with tool holders around the rim! I bet @Bill Smith has already designed one. 6 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devlin Mc Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 im awful at putting things away, i used to store everything i would need during a day in a dresser across the room and i would just leave bottles of test fluid,airline tubing nets etc.etc. on top of all the tanks, i just set myself up an old maid-cart for my daily activitys on the plus side i put a 32 gallon trash bin on the front so i can have a mobile basin for water changes. im hoping the cart always being right there next to me ill stop setting things on top of the tanks now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 7 hours ago, Brandy said: I need to devise a caddy of some kind. A 5g bucket on wheels, with tool holders around the rim! I bet Bill Smith has already designed one. I like to hang a large size Lees Specimen Container on a bucket to hold tools and stuff. This seems like a good cheap premade option. It won't interfere with anything inside the bucket and the pockets are mesh too which would allow tools to dry and not drip on the floor. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-5-Gal-Bucket-Caddy-Bucket-and-Tools-Not-Included-394240-1003/206399030 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 3 hours ago, MickS77 said: This seems like a good cheap premade option. It won't interfere with anything inside the bucket and the pockets are mesh too which would allow tools to dry and not drip on the floor. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-5-Gal-Bucket-Caddy-Bucket-and-Tools-Not-Included-394240-1003/206399030 Perfect! I Knew those things existed!! I just couldn't figure out where I had seen them! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChefConfit Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 30 minutes ago, Brandy said: Perfect! I Knew those things existed!! I just couldn't figure out where I had seen them! Thank you! Also check out this one at harbor freight. I keep meaning to pick it up for the same purpose 52 Pocket Bucket Organizer WWW.HARBORFREIGHT.COM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestJenn Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 14 hours ago, Brandy said: Putting away my tools. It looks like the aquarium co-op warehouse exploded in here sometimes, I trail from tank to tank, dripping water all over the place, leaving a bottle of prime here, a shrimp net there, a pair of planting forceps hooked on the edge of a shelf next to an abandoned test tube rack... While not my most dreaded task, this sounds so familiar! Especially since the 11 year old is worse than I am! He just randomly sets things down around the house and I know that I'm going to go insane if I have to go looking for water conditioner during a water change again. And he leaves all the food in front of his aquarium in his room. If I can't find the flake or sinking pellets, I have to hunt them down because he fed his fish. Once we have used up containers, he's going to get his own containers and won't touch mine on pain of losing computer privileges. (A fate worse than death if you're 11, apparently.) I think my most dreaded chore is water changes in the 29 gallon. The Python won't reach it and it's just large enough that lifting buckets gets heavy unless I want to make a bunch of trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 9 minutes ago, ForestJenn said: I think my most dreaded chore is water changes in the 29 gallon. The Python won't reach it and it's just large enough that lifting buckets gets heavy unless I want to make a bunch of trips. They do make extension hoses for Pythons, if you didn't know 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestJenn Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 3 minutes ago, MickS77 said: They do make extension hoses for Pythons, if you didn't know Yeah, I know. The 50ft hose I have reaches the kitchen from my main tank but won't reach all the way back to my son's bedroom. The bathroom sink won't work with a python. I thought about a longer hose, but managing a longer hose gets to be as onerous as the buckets. Thanks though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 3 minutes ago, ForestJenn said: Yeah, I know. The 50ft hose I have reaches the kitchen from my main tank but won't reach all the way back to my son's bedroom. The bathroom sink won't work with a python. I thought about a longer hose, but managing a longer hose gets to be as onerous as the buckets. Thanks though! But even a 100 ft Python doesn't have to be hard to manage if you use quick connects. That 100 ft hose is just four 25 ft hoses connected momentarily. As soon as I am done, I pop the hoses apart and they go back to being easy to manage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestJenn Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 (edited) That's a really good point and I may break down and implement a system like that. Storage is my other big problem. 50 feet barely fits under my tank and for various reasons the closets in the house, the utility room, spare bath or garage don't really work. I think I'm starting to sound whiny. I appreciate the suggestions though! Edited August 12, 2020 by ForestJenn Didn't mean to imply that my spare bath and garage were the same space. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 My clothes don't always make it into the laundry hamper, and sometimes I just throw the siphon hoses on the ground (as you can see). How are other people storing their siphon hose(s)? First thing that comes to mind is something like this: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 7 hours ago, Daniel said: My clothes don't always make it into the laundry hamper, and sometimes I just throw the siphon hoses on the ground (as you can see). How are other people storing their siphon hose(s)? First thing that comes to mind is something like this: I don't have that exact type but my son did put a hose hanger on the wall in the laundry room and it works great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Smith Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 (edited) On 8/11/2020 at 8:49 PM, Brandy said: I need to devise a caddy of some kind. A 5g bucket on wheels, with tool holders around the rim! I bet @Bill Smith has already designed one. LOL I'm flattered, thanks! I'd get right on it, but it looks like @MickS77 and @ChefConfit found an awesome solution. I'm picking one up straightaway! Edited August 13, 2020 by Bill Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nataku Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 @DanielI store my python on a J-hook next to the slop sink in the garage. Its a 50ft hose so its pretty long and the husband isn't a huge fan of me connecting it to other sinks in the house, so keeping it next to the slop sink it is. 50 ft from the slop sink is enough to just reach all the tanks around the house. I disconnect it after use and wrap it back up on the hook since the boys are still active in the garage and they still use that slop sink as, well, a slop sink. It gets messy. I tend to leave the end that connects to the faucet hanging in the sink so any residual water can drop in there instead of the floor. To the left is the R/O system and the storage tanks, the extra little faucet on the left side of the slop sink is RO water, although I have a line (the blue one) connected to the tanks that I attach the python directly to when I want RO to put in the aquariums. The boys primarily use the RO faucet when they want that water for their drinks (I personally don't like the taste of the RO but, whatever floats your boat) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 21 hours ago, Daniel said: My clothes don't always make it into the laundry hamper, and sometimes I just throw the siphon hoses on the ground (as you can see). How are other people storing their siphon hose(s)? First thing that comes to mind is something like this: I have a big hook I made in a blacksmithing class that I put on the wall in my fishroom that my python hose hangs on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 8 minutes ago, Andy's Fish Den said: I have a big hook I made in a blacksmithing class that I put on the wall in my fishroom that my python hose hangs on. Wow, if I did that (forged it myself) I could justify using my Python for draining and refilling the 1930s Historically Accurate Planted Aquarium. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedrofisk Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 (edited) For me it's the 55g in our living room that for whatever reason evaporates like crazy summer and winter. It's the most difficult to set up for water changes so sometimes I just let it get way to low. By the time I get the three little kids to bed I'm usually just too tired. Always easy to put off for another day until you say to yourself, wow I should have taken care of this 3 days ago. Edited August 13, 2020 by pedrofisk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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