Guide to an Accessible Aquarium Lighting, Filtration & Tools

[Aqua Nut]

Guide to an Accessible Aquarium Lighting, Filtration & Tools

Today we look at ways to make lighting and filtration easier to operate, maintain and access for everyone interested in the hobby. Mike demonstrates how it's possible to do some maintenance on the aquarium from a wheel chair and shows some of the extra challenges faced with limited mobility.

We look for ways to make the aquarium more accessible by first trying to have 3 sides clear around the tank to allow for better access and reach for maintenance. Having room around the tank makes it much easier to maneuver around it and perform chores.

We are still trying to find a solution to make operating the water changing system (Python) a bit easier from a sitting position. It is a bit challenging to reach towards the back of the tank and may not be safe for everyone without having a homemade tool to allow for better reach. We would love to hear suggestions in the comments and appreciate the feedback so far.

When it comes to filtration, HOB filters are a bit challenging to manage at times where a canister or internal filter seems a bit easier to access for maintenance provided you have a hand truck dolly or someone to help move larger canisters. Sumps may also be a solution but we don't have any experience using them ourselves. There is tons of information available on sumps for those that are interested in further researching it.

We also look at lighting. We do not discuss PAR or types of lights to use but we do look at how to make whatever lights you are using easier to manage,without the need to physically access them to turn them on and off. We look at different timer options for lights like simple household timers, to digital timers and we even discuss lights with built in timers. We also look at few different timer systems that use remotes which are also very convenient. Many of these solutions make it easier to manage the operation of any type of aquarium lighting you choose to use.

We look forward to finding new ways to make it easier to manage and access our own fish room and will continue making updates.


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[Grinch]

I think this would be a very interesting idea to explore more. In briefly skipping through your video, it seems like many of the issues you were encountering were due to the height of the tank. I would therefore suggest a simpler approach, at least initially, would be to drop the tank down 4-6 inches, or use a shorter tank. There is a lower limit on this idea of course, as you would still like to sit back in your chair etc. and see your fish!

 

[Aqua Nut]

I think this would be a very interesting idea to explore more. In briefly skipping through your video, it seems like many of the issues you were encountering were due to the height of the tank. I would therefore suggest a simpler approach, at least initially, would be to drop the tank down 4-6 inches, or use a shorter tank. There is a lower limit on this idea of course, as you would still like to sit back in your chair etc. and see your fish!

Yes we are going to be releasing a video later this week where a subscriber of ours built a custom stand fully accessible. Lowered like you are suggesting also some really cool features like slide out power bar as well as slide out for the canister filter to really make it easier. Without giving too much away i think he came up with some brilliant ideas.

 

[Grinch]

I like the slide-out idea... I think it's really about the stand more than anything else in terms of easing maintenance.

However, I think the biggest hurdle for someone with disabilities to get into fish tanks is the initial setup. A few years back I had a wheel-chair bound co-worker that lived alone and was really into fish tanks. He was able to stand enough that he could reach into his tanks and maintain them, but he couldn't transport fish tanks home or set them up himself. When I moved out of the area he was rocking 5 fish tanks, but all of them were brought to him and setup by others. I believe that those tanks really brightened up his life, especially the planted tank, which allowed him the engage in the zen of gardening from his chair.

Props for exploring this area of the hobby... you don't see much about this.

 

[Aqua Nut]

I like the slide-out idea... I think it's really about the stand more than anything else in terms of easing maintenance.

However, I think the biggest hurdle for someone with disabilities to get into fish tanks is the initial setup. A few years back I had a wheel-chair bound co-worker that lived alone and was really into fish tanks. He was able to stand enough that he could reach into his tanks and maintain them, but he couldn't transport fish tanks home or set them up himself. When I moved out of the area he was rocking 5 fish tanks, but all of them were brought to him and setup by others. I believe that those tanks really brightened up his life, especially the planted tank, which allowed him the engage in the zen of gardening from his chair.

Props for exploring this area of the hobby... you don't see much about this.

Thanks you. I totally agree having a proper stand makes all the difference in the world. We are just looking to help give people back their independence. There are still a few things that need to be worked out but i think we will get there. Setting up the tank is one of those things that everyone has challenges with, depending on the tank size but a lot of these tanks are not maneuvered easily by just one person. I have been in and out of a chair for the last 10 years so i know the struggle, and with 7 tanks its a lot of work. I wont be walking forever so i think its time to get some of these issues solved now while i still have my mobility and can really make these changes to my fish room.

 

[Grinch]

Thanks you. I totally agree having a proper stand makes all the difference in the world. We are just looking to help give people back their independence. There are still a few things that need to be worked out but i think we will get there. Setting up the tank is one of those things that everyone has challenges with, depending on the tank size but a lot of these tanks are not maneuvered easily by just one person. I have been in and out of a chair for the last 10 years so i know the struggle, and with 7 tanks its a lot of work. I wont be walking forever so i think its time to get some of these issues solved now while i still have my mobility and can really make these changes to my fish room.

This is a noble endeavor. Some more thoughts:

My fellow coworker would put a good deal of force onto his tank rim holding on while standing. As such, I'd suggest rimless tank are a bad idea and developing methods of wall-anchoring might be important for safety reasons.

 

[Aqua Nut]

This is a noble endeavor. Some more thoughts:

My fellow coworker would be a good deal of force onto his tank rim holding on while standing. As such, I'd suggest rimless tank are a bad idea and developing methods of wall-anchoring might be important for safety reasons.

That is a solid idea as well I never thought of that one. I really do want to thank you for your input on this one, it's greatly appreciated. We will be adding these ideas to our next video on the subject.