Takes about 10-15min to vacuum the gravel, another 5-10 to take care of the filter, another 5 to get all 4 sides for algae, and another 5-10minutes for misc stuff like scrubbing the algae on the glass tops, rinsing decor, etc. Very rarely does this all get done in one day.
Takes me about 2 hours to do two tanks, and 35 hex and a 20.
Use a Python and do gravel cleaning with each water change (50% or more once week.) As I change water I wipe anything off the insides of the glass with a scrubbie.
Yell at toddler to leave Python alone.
Check filter media, rinse or replace if needed. Trim plants and just tidy up the tank a bit. Try to keep toddler from the bucket of plant trimmings.
Refill with water, Fight with toddler to keep the Python IN the tanks. Add Prime and ferts for the plants.
Skim the surface of the water with a brine shrimp net to catch floaties. Wipe of the outside of the tank off.
Reset the timers for my lights because toddler messed with them.
Soak up all the water on the floor from toddler "helping" mommy.
Chase down toddler to get the net/plant trimmings/bottle of Prime/filter media from garbage he is running around with. Roll up Phython and I'm done!
I do try to do my mantience when my little boy is asleep, but lately it just hasn't worked out that way!
Takes me about 2 hours to do two tanks, and 35 hex and a 20.
Use a Python and do gravel cleaning with each water change (50% or more once week.) As I change water I wipe anything off the insides of the glass with a scrubbie.
Yell at toddler to leave Python alone.
Check filter media, rinse or replace if needed. Trim plants and just tidy up the tank a bit. Try to keep toddler from the bucket of plant trimmings.
Refill with water, Fight with toddler to keep the Python IN the tanks. Add Prime and ferts for the plants.
Skim the surface of the water with a brine shrimp net to catch floaties. Wipe of the outside of the tank off.
Reset the timers for my lights because toddler messed with them.
Soak up all the water on the floor from toddler "helping" mommy.
Chase down toddler to get the net/plant trimmings/bottle of Prime/filter media from garbage he is running around with. Roll up Phython and I'm done!
I do try to do my mantience when my little boy is asleep, but lately it just hasn't worked out that way!
D and Beblondie - how come it takes you only a few minutes to clean your filters?
Maybe i move slow and my sink is smaller (LOL) but it takes me 15-20 + minutes to clean out my canisters ...
well. . I take my mechanical media to the front yard and blast it clean with the jet nozzle attachment, and my mechanical media is one of those super durable fine pore pond filter pads. the pre filter pad is more coarse though.
Normally doesn't take me too long, just lately the water pressure has been down for some reason so it takes longer for the python to drain the tankz. No biggy though. I normally change my three tankz in about an hour to an hour and a half. Thats cleanin the filters, glass, fillin them back up...everything. Not to shabby I guess. I do water changes at least three times a week, 25% for two of them and 35% for the last one.
Takes me about 2 and a half hours to wash about 5 or 6 tanks.. but half of them are small ones. I just change the filter sponges and prune the plants then change about 50% to 80% of the water in each tank depending on size. Most of the time is spent waiting for pipe to fill up the water.
