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| Tips & Time Savers! | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 27 2008, 08:29:31 AM (191 Views) | |
| Post #1 Sep 27 2008, 08:29:31 AM | Suzy |
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Hey, guys! I was reading Larrys post about PIA stuff we do for our tanks, and was thinking we need a brainstorm thread! Things we do to save time that work for us. Maybe things you do could help me, and visa versa. Do you have ways to save time in your maintenence technigues? I think I have cut down on time I spend for water changes. I have a large system so I have always thought water changes are super time consuming. So, I have a few things I do to make it better. Maybe not faster but better! I have a large garbage can, the biggest I can find that has wheels. I use it to make ~ 30 gallons of RO water. My system can fill this can about the same time I sleep at night, so I turn it on the night before when I tuck in my fishes for the night. The next morning, I add the salt with a pump and heater in the winter.. I measured the first few times so I know how much salt to add now. I also store the heater and pump in the can so really, all I do is plug them in. So far, I have spent maybe 3 minutes total? Maybe 4 if I get distracted cooing at the fishes. Then, when I feel like it, I have water ready. I am not sure about you, but I like this part! I do make it fun for me, so you might need to adjust a few things. I turn on our fake fireplace, light a candle, get a cool yummy beverage and turn on an Aerosmith/Nickleback/Tesla video. I love music videos but sitting and just watching them gives me ants in the pants..... Then, I start to play with the fishes! I have a long piece of large diameter tubing that goes straight to the drain, and after I start the siphon, I put the end in a filter sock. Then I don't have to worry about sucking up a bubble algae or whatever and clogging the drain. I can vaccuum the gravel, or make frags of corals or harvest algae or just super clean the glass as the water level goes to that magic marker line I marked. Or I can just watch the video! Usually, the water has drained enough during the time it takes me to pull the new water to the sump. Then, I have a piece of tubing that fits the garbage can pump, and I pump the water into the sump. I turn the return pumps back on, and Voila! Instantly new water goes to the tank! It takes maybe 30 minutes total, and I usually want to be with my fish longer anyway. Do you have any time savers? |
Seahorse Whisperer
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"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny! | |
 
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| Post #2 Sep 28 2008, 12:53:40 AM | Amie |
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Suzy, you definitely are one-up on me with the water changes. My garbage can isn't on wheels...that's awesome. And I've got to get my drain set up, that would make things so much easier. I have a 15 gallon garbage can that I have RO piped into with a top-off value. I keep saltwater in it all the time because I'm always doing water changes on the baby tanks. If it's just 1-2 gallons of water than I'm changing, I just syphon water out of the tank into a bucket and toss that water down the drain. I have kept 1-gallon orange juice containers and sterilized them. I fill those up with the new saltwater (NSW) and pour the water back into the tank. Or if I need to drip the water in, I set the gallon container above the tank and stick a drip line in it and let it drip into the tank. If it's a bigger water change, like on my reef tanks, I had them plumbed just for water changes before I ever set them up. I had a hole drilled about 4 inches from the bottom and center of the tank. I added a bulkhead and a screen on the inside of the tank. On the outside, I added pvc pipe that comes down under the tank and ends with a valve that a hose line can attach to. So to take the water out, I hook up a hoseline and either have it go to a bucket or downstairs to the drain in the floor. Then I pump water back into the tank from my 15 gallon garbage can, similar to what Suzy does. I have done a couple of 100% water changes on my two 45 gallon tanks. I wouldn't say it was easy, but it wasn't too horrible. It took us under 30 minutes to do it. It definitely fix the phosphate problems I was having. |
stormy, stormy nights
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http://www.spawar.navy.mil/sandiego/technology/mammals/interns.html Tell them Adam sent you. | |
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| Post #3 Sep 28 2008, 06:38:01 AM | Suzy |
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I need a float valve for my RO can! Thanks for sharing, Amie! Here is another tip: Duplicate stuff! I used to have one turkey baster I use to feed my corals, feed my fry, blow detritus in my reef, ect, ect. and I was always looking for them at the last place I left them. It took me a while to realize I could get a few more and keep them where I use them. (BTW, AllADollar rox). Not only a time saver, but a frustration saver! There are a lot of things we use in our fish day, like suction tubing to clean tanks or add water or whatever. I try to keep any equipment I use frequently where I use it. Tubing is cheap! |
Seahorse Whisperer
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"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny! | |
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| Post #4 Sep 28 2008, 02:43:20 PM | kathy |
| Those are great ideas. One thing Daryl did for me that I really like is he put on off switches on the cords and I labeled them all. So if I need to turn a pump off for maintenance or the protein skimmer - I don't have to unplug it I just flip the switch. And they are labeled so no hunting for which is the right cord. Is just makes life simpler. |
juvi
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| Post #5 Sep 30 2008, 08:05:15 AM | Suzy |
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That is really a good idea. I have my pumps and stuff on seperate power cords so each tank can be switched off with a click for feeding corals and the like. That really is a great tip! Thanks! Another: Use different colored tubing for any airlines you use for cultures. Makes it visually easy to follow each one to adjust flow rates. Another: Use a syringe for starting siphons. You can use your own suction power, but then you must be very careful to drain each tube or you get a mouth full of old tank water when you start the siphon the next time. Syringes come in small and extra large sizes. I know where to get some (Cheap! Free! It's one of my benefits!) if you need any! |
Seahorse Whisperer
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"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny! | |
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| Post #6 Oct 2 2008, 03:43:26 PM | Amie |
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Great ideas here. Suzy, your idea to duplicate things next to the tanks is also a good idea if you don't want to contaminate one tank with another. I make sure I duplicate anything that is going to go in the water so I don't have to clean it in between tanks or accidentally pass something to a new tank (like rotifers or something). I never stick a hydrometer in the water anymore, I have small cups by each tank that I dip in the water and then pour into the hydrometer. Even though I have duplicated a lot of stuff (like hydrometers, sieves, ..whatever), I still have to look around for them. I have this problem of walking away with something in my hand...it drives me nuts. kathy, I'd love to see a picture of the switches you have on your cords. I've thought of that before, but wasn't sure what kind of switches to use or where to get them. This is such a great idea. I have been lucky to find a couple of those electrical boxes that has a switch on every plug, so I just have to label the switch. They usually hold 6-8 plugs. I have found 2 of them at DI for $3 bucks. Of course, this was after I bought 1 for $30. I have a huge roll of airline tubing that I need to use up, so different colors are out of the question for me. So I put a colored piece of electrical tape on both ends of the tubing and use different colors - I think I have 6-8 different colors. It's saved a lot of frustration. I do the same with anything that is plugged in (heater, powerhead, etc.), in addition to the labeling. It just speeds things up so I don't have to read all the labels. I always put red on the heaters, blue on the air supply, green on the HOB's, white on lights, etc. Since I'm consistent with the colors, I know right away with every tank which plug is for what. (most of the time, I should say) And yes, Suzy, you definitely need a top-off value on your RO. So you let yours run all night without one? That's crazy. How many accidents have you had? |
stormy, stormy nights
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http://www.spawar.navy.mil/sandiego/technology/mammals/interns.html Tell them Adam sent you. | |
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| Post #7 Oct 2 2008, 03:45:01 PM | Amie |
| I thought of a great invention the other day, but not sure how it could be made. A water alarm that calls your cell or home phone when it is activated. Wouldn't that be great. |
stormy, stormy nights
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http://www.spawar.navy.mil/sandiego/technology/mammals/interns.html Tell them Adam sent you. | |
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| Post #8 Oct 2 2008, 08:51:29 PM | kathy |
| I think they may already have these. They were going to get them for the computer room for the library when it was going to be in the basement at the library. |
juvi
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| Post #9 Oct 2 2008, 11:29:39 PM | Amie |
| Really? That would be fantastic. But do you have to have an entire alarm system setup? I'll have to poke around the internet and see if I can find anything. |
stormy, stormy nights
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http://www.spawar.navy.mil/sandiego/technology/mammals/interns.html Tell them Adam sent you. | |
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| Post #10 Oct 3 2008, 07:14:21 AM | Suzy |
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Talk to Brad at The Aquarium abut his automated reef! Although he won't tell you! In his old store, he has set up his display tank with the coolest techno set up. A computerized set up that would page him if a light went out, or if the pH changed by more than a set amount, if a heater went wacko, ect, ect, ect! It was so cool and soooo expensive! But, one Monday morning I popped into the store at opening time. The display was cloudy white and everything was dead. The guys were frantically trying to empty the tank! But, they were able to make it look great by the end of the day, so most people never knew. I am not sold one too much high tech stuff anymore! I have to go into my basement every few hours when I am home, it is my OCD personality! But, someone needs to be fed every few hours, right? So, my floods are usually not to bad. But, I have tile floor now! |
Seahorse Whisperer
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"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny! | |
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