Blackouts! (Also cleaning and oveheating...)

[Laughncat]

Hi.

I just set up my first freshwater tank about three weeks ago. I purchased an Eclipse 12 and set it up the day I got it. The very next day, I started the cycling process using two guppies ( I wish I had known about the no fish cycling method back then...the guppies are pretty, but not quite what I want in my tank ). At that time I also bought a cabomba plant and a pennywort (?) plant, as well as a large castle (eh heh heh, the castle turned out to be larger then I thought - almost to large in fact, but I can't decide whether I want to replace it our not ) Anyway, to make a long story, within a couple of days I say my ammonia levels decline, then I saw my nitrites spike and decline, and then well...unfortuantely the testing kit I bought gave me testing material for everything BUT nitrates

Recently I added two blue gourami (both males..I think) and a spotted cory cat (he's so cute, I want to get him a friend to play with in a couple fo weeks ). They seem to be doing well so far and I haven't had any noticible spikes on anything.

Now here are my questions:

1.) What can I expect when the power goes out and what can I do to minimize the damage. My ex-girlfriend bought a book about freshwater tanks ( A simple guide to Freshwater Tanks) which I have refrenced heavily when I had questions about most basic stuff, but it only talked briefly about this problem. It mostly only gave the grim advice of "if your power is out for more then an hour, expect a high death toll" or something like that. It indicated that this is because the water isn't being moved around. Is this true? If so, what can I do to reduce fish death if the power goes out? I realize that in extreme cases of power outtages (like one I experianced last year when an ice storm hit us bad) that last for several days, there's just nothing a I can do. Whatout blackouts that last for half a day, though? Am I still out of luck?

2.) My next question concerns cleaning my tank. When I do a weekly change, I usually vacuum the gravel the best I can. I try to get under my huge chunk of castle, but I don't really know if I need to bother with getting underneath it since the fish can't get in there to crap. My big problem though is that when I vacuum, my lovely little plants (which are growing quite well) get completely disarranged and have to be replanted. Is there ways I can avoid this problem? I really hate having to sink the plants into the gravel everytime I clean, because just when I think it looks perfect, it's time to vacuum again. Do I really need to clean the gravel EVERY week?

3.) How do I keep the temperature of the tank from getting too high? And when it does, what's the best way to cool it down again and keep it cool? I've noticed during the day when the light is on in my tank (Elipse twelve) that the the temperature goes from about 78 degrees to about 81-82. Is this okay? Of even more concern to though is a new (to me anyway) tank that I recieved from a friend. It's an older model five gallon hexagon tank and I'm having alot of trouble with it. One of the problems is that when I turn the light on, the temp goes up to about 84-85 degress. I'm fairly certain that this is NOT and acceptable temperature for most fish : . What can I do to make things better. I tried to find a smaller bulb, but so far the smallest bulb I have found that is a grow light for plants, and fits the socket, is 15 watts (which also just happens to be the max recommended for that tank :grr).

I hope I can get some good answers. Thank you!

 

[MAM]

in answer to your power outage question, there are battery operated air pumps out there, i've seen them online, usually between $10 and $20, depending on size. would work in the event of a temporary blackout, trick is to be home when the power goes out so you can change out the pump...................

 

[Alien Anna]

Recently I added two blue gourami (both males..I think) and a spotted cory cat (he's so cute, I want to get him a friend to play with in a couple fo weeks ). They seem to be doing well so far and I haven't had any noticible spikes on anything.

Is an Eclipse 12 a 12 gallon tank? In which case, you haven't really got enough space for two male gouramis. Personally, I'd never have two male gouramis in a tank the size of a swimming pool (bitter experience). Unless you are planning another, bigger tank soon, I'm afraid you may well run into problems.

Also, corys are schooling fish so if you possibly can, despite what I said about over-stocking, he needs some friends. You can't fit a complete school in there (that's 6-8 fish) but you definitely need a couple more of the same species.

1.) What can I expect when the power goes out and what can I do to minimize the damage.

With a small tank you've definitely got a bigger problem with a power outage (everything's more complicated in a small tank) but even so, an hour sounds excessively pessmistic. Still, if you are worried, a little batter powered air-pump attached to an air-stone or small sponge filter would be fine. In an emergency you can pump up a bicycle tyre and attach some air-line plus an air-line valve to it, with an air-stone at the other end.

2.) My next question concerns cleaning my tank. When I do a weekly change, I usually vacuum the gravel the best I can. I try to get under my huge chunk of castle, but I don't really know if I need to bother with getting underneath it since the fish can't get in there to crap. My big problem though is that when I vacuum, my lovely little plants (which are growing quite well) get completely disarranged and have to be replanted. Is there ways I can avoid this problem?

You don't want your gravel too clean - that's where your beneficial bacteria hang out and if you uproot your plants all the time, they won't do well in the long-run. The dirt in gravel is called "mulm" and its a useful substrate for your plants to grow in.

I really hate having to sink the plants into the gravel everytime I clean, because just when I think it looks perfect, it's time to vacuum again. Do I really need to clean the gravel EVERY week?

I use a syphon gravel cleaner every time I do a water change but my gravel isn't that clean. It's not that dirty either, thanks to my golden apple snails.

3.) How do I keep the temperature of the tank from getting too high? And when it does, what's the best way to cool it down again and keep it cool?

Another major disadvantage of small tanks. Daily fluctuations of a few degrees should not be a problem. If the temperature gets too high, open the hood and turn off the lights for a couple of hours. Gouramis can cope with very high temperatures.

I tried to find a smaller bulb, but so far the smallest bulb I have found that is a grow light for plants, and fits the socket, is 15 watts (which also just happens to be the max recommended for that tank :grr).

With live plants you really want a couple of watts per gallon anyway.

I hope I can get some good answers. Thank you!

You sound like you want to get this right but it might take a few trips to the LFS and a few more mistakes before you get there, but I've no doubt you will get there. If you can see your way to getting a bigger tank, such as a 25-30 gallon I think you'd get even more out of this hobby.

 

[Laughncat]

Thank you, Anna and Many_a_Molly, for the info concerning battery powered water pumps. That is an option I will defintely look into.

I also appreciate all the info that was given concerning my other questions. I haven't had too much trouble out of the Gourami. I have noticed a bit of a dominace war going on between them, but nothing that truly worried me. Mostly it's just been quarreling over food. When this happens the lighter blue of the two just moves to another section of the tank. If I am to understand your post right though, a blue gorami wouldn't be to bothered by the wamer waters of my smaller tank(the five gallon). Even though the temps tend to be between 84 and 85 degrees? If this is true I may move one of them to the smaller tank. I checked the water levels today and the ammonia levels are reading zero for the first time. I will have to monitor things closely, but I think this is a good sign since I haven't gotten a zero ammonia reading since I set it up.

I also thank you for the advice concerning my cory. I love my spotted Cory cat, but I worry he isn't eating enough. I see him rooting around on the bottom all the time, but I wonder how much food actually makes it to the bottom because the guppies are such greedy pigs (they're like the pork of the fish world! ) I've been reading that they're nocturnal fish (I see him getting around alot during the day though) and I've tried dropping a smidgen of a pellet in after hours, but it's either still there the next day or the Gourami and guppies find it. Maybe he will eat better if I get him some friends? I was thinking about only getting one more, but if I decide to move a gourami to another tank and if I read your post right, you think maybe two more would make him/she more comfortable? I realize a school is around six or more at least, but I just can't fit that many in my twelve gallon tank I'm trying to have a particular color scheme that reminds me of my home in the southwest. I'm trying for more blues (specially turqouise colors) and red coral tones.

I do have a question about my cabomba plants. Are they normally such messy plants? The stalks are green and they are growing (like damn weeds!) but they keep shedding leaves and getting junk stuck to the strainer as well as making the carbon filter all gunky. What's a good way to fish that junk out (outside of pulling the old grravel cleaner out)?

I really am trying to get this right and I thank you for you encouragement. I would love to get a larger tank and I do have my eye a 37 gallon eclipes + a 80 dollar stand for it that I could get from pet smart for about 280 plus tax, but right now I just don't have the cash. That's something I will have to save up for. I hope to start a discus or angelfish tank when I do get it.