Tools / Ideas / Personal Methods to make fish-keeping, Easier ​​🧐​

[DaveSamsell]

What tools, ideas or personal methods do you use in fish-keeping that makes your overall hobby experience easier & more enjoyable?

I like to use pipettes when dosing fertilizer to some of my smaller aquariums.  Also, they are great for sampling aquarium water for testing or adding meds.    

 

[FlyingFishKeeper]

For me it's using the "Calendar" app on my device, it helps me keep track of everything, and is great for scheduling re-dosing meds, water changes, landmarks in the treatment of fish (ex. "Begin second treatment of Paracleanse" is on my calendar for April 17th so I don't have to keep track) etc then it has a notification when the day comes to remind me. Personally I find it really useful, but with a lot of tanks it could probably get annoying for several popups every few days.  

Edited April 6, 2021 by FlyingFishKeeper

[Kirsten]

I'll second a calendar, but for me it's a literal wall calendar! One of the only things I use it for other than looking pretty on a wall.

Some of the other things I'm surprisingly using a lot:

Random, cheap old clear plastic containers like gladware, etc. Surprisingly useful for scooping up small fish, small amounts of water, mixing concentrated formulas.

Peacock feathers, which I bought for entertaining the cat, but which serve double duty for helping out an upended nerite snail or freeing a platy that somehow got stuck between a sword plant and some java moss.

[Struggle]

I seem to use my long tweezers every time I go in the fish room.

[Betsy]

I like a turkey baster - it's great for sucking up uneaten food...algae...fish poop...scooting things around the tank...etc.!

[Tetra Guy]

I use a toothbrush to remove hair algae, just swish it around among the plant stems and leaves, or press loose moss against the glass and brush it carefully. Very satisfying. 😌

[Andy's Fish Den]

15 hours ago, Kirsten said:

Random, cheap old clear plastic containers like gladware, etc. Surprisingly useful for scooping up small fish, small amounts of water, mixing concentrated formulas.

 

I have sop many old tupperware and similar plastic containers in my fish room. I use them to thaw frozen foods, put plants and fish in to move between tanks, float on surface of tank I'm working in to throw the stems and leaves I cut off plants.

[RickHunter]

Something huge for me that I found out about a week ago.

So we've all tried freeze dried foods and they take forever to sink etc. Now, you can sink them by pressing them against the glass etc but that doesnt always work and with cube stuff once someone takes a few bite it knocks loose and goes right to the surface. So here's the super cool trick I heard about, solves it with science 😄

Picked up some large syringes meant for horses from tractor supply (without needles)

1. Pull out the plunger in the syringe and put some freeze dried food in.
2. Replace the plunger and pull a little bit of tank water into the syringe
3. Push plunger until water is reaching the tip but not coming out
4. Cover the opening and pull back on the plunger

This creates a pressure difference that squeezes the air out of the freeze dried food and causes them to be instantly saturated by the water inside without squishing the food into a clump etc

5. Once the food inside the syringe is sinking in the water inside you can remove the plunger a dump it into the tank where it will sink. Or if the syringe opening it big enough you can squeeze the food out of the syringe into the tank.

[Anita]

6 hours ago, RickHunter said:

Something huge for me that I found out about a week ago.

So we've all tried freeze dried foods and they take forever to sink etc. Now, you can sink them by pressing them against the glass etc but that doesnt always work and with cube stuff once someone takes a few bite it knocks loose and goes right to the surface. So here's the super cool trick I heard about, solves it with science 😄

Picked up some large syringes meant for horses from tractor supply (without needles)

1. Pull out the plunger in the syringe and put some freeze dried food in.
2. Replace the plunger and pull a little bit of tank water into the syringe
3. Push plunger until water is reaching the tip but not coming out
4. Cover the opening and pull back on the plunger

This creates a pressure difference that squeezes the air out of the freeze dried food and causes them to be instantly saturated by the water inside without squishing the food into a clump etc

5. Once the food inside the syringe is sinking in the water inside you can remove the plunger a dump it into the tank where it will sink. Or if the syringe opening it big enough you can squeeze the food out of the syringe into the tank.

Excellent solution! 💯 

[DaveSamsell]

@FlyingFishKeeper, @Kirsten, @Struggle, @Betsy, @Tetra Guy, @Andy's Fish Den, @RickHunter.

Thank you for your wonderful suggestions. 👍

[Anita]

 

[DaveSamsell]

2 hours ago, Anita said:

 

Thanks @Anita.  Looks like you have everything covered.  Particularly, I really like the magnifier.  🔎  It's amazing what a different perspective you see the tank inhabitants, by using this tool.