.....along with removing the fish from the tank in order to do water changes?
Cloudy/Dusty water bad for fish?
- Thread starter TERTELKeng
- Start date
Hello; back in 1958-59 I was around 11 or 12 years old. We had only a guy at a local flower shop who kept some fish for sale. He either did not know any better or perhaps no one did. I was told to just add water to my tank.
After around a year of this the tank would get a lot of mulm/detritus built up. I had not found WC as a practice yet. I would catch all the fish out into a bucket and clean the tank and gravel.
I was also using UGF's so perhaps you can imagine how nasty the gravel and the space under the filter go. it was rank. I would give the gravel a good rinse, put it back and set up the tank. I was always pleased at how the fish seemed more lively in the days after a good cleaning. This was the procedure with the few I knew at the time for a few years.
I do not recall how the concept of the WC came my way. However it happened I took to it right away.
The next big advance for me was the fairly simple siphon. The kind with a large diameter tube and a longer small diameter hose. I had used simple clear small diameter tubing for a long time and this was much better. I could get into the gravel nice a nd deep to siphon out the detritus but it will leave the heavier gravel behind.
Now that my 70 year old back complains I also would like to find some way to avoid the trusty WC, but it ain't gonna happen. Some things are fundamental to running a tank. Regular WC of decent volume being perhaps the most basic.
I joined a pacu forum years ago. One of the moderators gave out stellar advice such as, "You can tell when to change the water in your tank by the smell." Her two-year-old pacu died suddenly in its 75 gallon tank. The forum was defunct shortly after that in early 2006.
Hello; I still smell the tanks from time to time. I now know that water can be out of a good range and not smell too bad. However even if I am fooling myself the smell and look of a tank is something I check. Old habits I guess.
hello; back around 1959 to 1963 I had tanks with metal rims. The nicer tanks had stainless rims but I could only afford the angle iron type. The were painted black with white streaks. The frames eventually rusted away. I still have one 20 long that was kept going when tubes of silicone came along.
here is the only picture I have of it.
here is the only picture I have of it.
I saw one that looked exactly like that not long ago on the new jersey craigslist, it was a small tank I think a 10 gallon. Same black with white line paint scheme. I just looked for it now and couldn't find it, probably sold. That's pretty cool, I was thinking it was somebody's custom paint job.
