Getting Fed Up Now

[MermaidMel]

Sorry to have a moan, I need a bit of a nudge I think

I love my tanks and my fish, but I can't keep up with it anymore, I have purposely kept the tanks low maintenance and it's not really working

I have a sandy bottom corner tank, the flow of the water always means that the circulation doesn't take the waste around the tank and it just sits in one corner, I have 3 L numbers and they are messy, so just forever cleaning it out and end up sucking up bits of sand, I hardly have any left now. I also find that having sand in a corner tank means it ends up piled at one corner of the tank and I always have to shovel it back over to the other side. I am forever cleaning algae off the glass, even though I have stocking that should deal with it

I don't really like having such a heavy and bulky external filter (Tetratec EX1200) as lifting it and emptying it and cleaning it is pure hell for my back

My tank in the kitchen is a 80cm long and it's gravel. It's quite a clean tank, green algae isn't too bad but there is hair and black fuzz algae on my plants, despite very good oxygenated flow and flora glo tubes

This tank has a smaller external and seems to keep the water polished, it's very light and easy to change and clean and deal with, so that's not a problem

My stats are good, my stock is healthy and long standing

What can I do to get my mojo back? I feel fishkeeping is just extra housework right now, not getting much pleasure out of the corner tank at all and yet I waited ages to be able to afford to buy one!!!

 

[ny2oz]

Sorry to have a moan, I need a bit of a nudge I think

I love my tanks and my fish, but I can't keep up with it anymore, I have purposely kept the tanks low maintenance and it's not really working

I have a sandy bottom corner tank, the flow of the water always means that the circulation doesn't take the waste around the tank and it just sits in one corner, I have 3 L numbers and they are messy, so just forever cleaning it out and end up sucking up bits of sand, I hardly have any left now. I also find that having sand in a corner tank means it ends up piled at one corner of the tank and I always have to shovel it back over to the other side. I am forever cleaning algae off the glass, even though I have stocking that should deal with it

I don't really like having such a heavy and bulky external filter (Tetratec EX1200) as lifting it and emptying it and cleaning it is pure hell for my back

My tank in the kitchen is a 80cm long and it's gravel. It's quite a clean tank, green algae isn't too bad but there is hair and black fuzz algae on my plants, despite very good oxygenated flow and flora glo tubes

This tank has a smaller external and seems to keep the water polished, it's very light and easy to change and clean and deal with, so that's not a problem

My stats are good, my stock is healthy and long standing

What can I do to get my mojo back? I feel fishkeeping is just extra housework right now, not getting much pleasure out of the corner tank at all and yet I waited ages to be able to afford to buy one!!!

I felt that why a bit ago....then I got a bigger tank lol....maybe get a smaller filter for your sand tank, one that can also have a different outflow to solve your sand problem (though you will have to get more, or switch to gravel). COuld be you are over stocked, or worse, tank is in direct sunlight for a while, that caused heavy algae in my tank. May want to get new decors, or switch things around...that got me re-interested. maybe even move location of tank altogether!

 

[JustKia]

Hey Mel,
I also have a corner tank and find exactly the same problem with the sand all moving to one corner.
On advice from aaronnorth, about increasing circulation without turning my tank into a whirlpool, I bought a wavemaker (I got a resun one as they seem to have pretty good reviews and aren't expensive.
I've put this in the corner where everything builds up - aimed towards the filter intake and it seems to be helping a lot.

Hope things feel better soon *hug*

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Maybe take a break from fish for a few months? Take some time off, rework your tanks and maybe see how that goes.

 

[onebto]

I've got a Juwel Trigon 350 tank cut my teeth on the 190 model

I have sand and found I had the same problems you have mentioned. The solution I found that worked for me and kept the sand level flat was to put the internal pump on a spray bar I have it set so it sprays on the surface to agitate the water but the bar is just slightly submerged so the wholes and the water flow are heading not horizontal but at a slight angle upward.

It took a bit of work and a lot of trial and error but I got there I also had my Fluval 405 on a similar spray bar on the other side but I found that the two flows met in the front centre channelled down and disturbed the sand so I have that on its existing outlet head set just below the surface to agitate the water surface.

Believe it or not I also have 2 hagon nano power heads positioned at half depth to cover the dead spots as the 350 is quite deep, again the flow is directed just a fraction up from the horizontal.

As for the disappearing sand yep every vac I loose some I just keep some spare every couple of months I clean some up the put it in a jug put my hand over the top lower the jug down to the bottom and poor it in the area required

 

[Forestpisces]

We all feel it at some point, i've just come out of a 2month break. Work was piling up and i just didn't have time for my 4 tanks that were running and i had the 20g just sat filled with water and sand, then i went into the LFS to cover for someone who was away and it got me wanting the 20g up and running. So i came back to the forums and started stakeing out some fish at the shop and now it's all up and ready for fish.
I think a re-shuffle of stock or a new scape could well help as well as a few trips to your LFS

 

[ny2oz]

We all feel it at some point, i've just come out of a 2month break. Work was piling up and i just didn't have time for my 4 tanks that were running and i had the 20g just sat filled with water and sand, then i went into the LFS to cover for someone who was away and it got me wanting the 20g up and running. So i came back to the forums and started stakeing out some fish at the shop and now it's all up and ready for fish.
I think a re-shuffle of stock or a new scape could well help as well as a few trips to your LFS

What do you guys do if you need to restock?

 

[Liam50]

We all feel it at some point, i've just come out of a 2month break. Work was piling up and i just didn't have time for my 4 tanks that were running and i had the 20g just sat filled with water and sand, then i went into the LFS to cover for someone who was away and it got me wanting the 20g up and running. So i came back to the forums and started stakeing out some fish at the shop and now it's all up and ready for fish.
I think a re-shuffle of stock or a new scape could well help as well as a few trips to your LFS

What do you guys do if you need to restock?

either advertise the fish or if your lucky your lfs will take them back (at a much reduced value) for store credit.


also i feel to get your self interested back in fish keeping change your stock, i got bored of my semi community so i just have a SA cichlid community much better... also get an oddball

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Sorry you feel this way! What will you do with your fish? Will a LFS take them in?

Edited: Do you have something similar to craig's list in the UK? Often I see fish for sale/free on there. I guess that is an option for you.

 

[MermaidMel]

Thanks for advice and replies

It's taken me 8 years to finally have stocking I enjoy and could afford (L numbers especially but have a superb shoal of adult congo tetras) so I don't want to get rid of the stock

I agree a rescape or a new tank could work for me

I have been growing an anubias centrepiece of over 2 years that is very big now, to take that out or do away with it would be a heartbreaking, but I could rearrange it as it's not planted into the substrate

One thing that really hacks me off, is that I have a backdrop of onion plants that grow to over 2 foot long and is far too long, so on the advice of the sellers and people here I have been trimming them back, but they are not regrowing, they are dying off at the point of the cut, going brown and sludgy so that looks absolutely awful on its own

I have to wonder if the corner tank is worth the hassle mind you, even though it's only a few month old it's definitely a total hassle, especially considering it doesn't even have proper holes in the top for the external flow, should have bought a fluval corner tank, it's made to take the external it comes with. I find tank maintenance a proper to-do with the juwel because I've had to cut the lid around the external pipes and it's not a perfect cut and gets caught on the edges of the pipe, which then moves the spray bar out of place and it's all so much grief!! Need simpler set up to make me enjoy the maintenance!!

 

[shelaghfishface]

aww Mel,sorry to hear you feel like that, but i know the feeling well,and got rid of all my tanks.. except the oscar ,and got 2 reef setups... i enjoy them more than i ever enjoyed freshwater,and yes they are hard graft, but it dosent feel like it at all.... spose you just have to find what suits you.. either that or let the tank run for a wee while without you worrying about it ( is that possible) ive never had a corner tank they just didnt appeal to me for some reason, but yours is stunning and i totally agree about juwels being a pain in the rear for external pipe work, but Fluval i wouldnt go for, they look nice but i know you have good taste in furnishings and the stand wouldnt live up to that for you( where as i have no taste and it looked cheap to me).. why not just take your time have a browse on ebay etc and see if anything appeals to you, but in the meantime i suspect you will look at some on there and look at yours and think yours is the one you want afterall
there are methods that will keep the tank low maintenece but aarron would know more about them than me.maybe worth a shot

anyway how are you? been ages since i saw you about on here- tho i did take a break to concentrate on marines,hope you and the family are all well, and dont let this get you down,at the end of the day you have the tank that most of use dream of, just need to make it easier to run

your children are not old enough to bribe into helping with WC,filter cleaning yet are they? and yes i do!!
lots a love
shelagh xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[JustKia]

Well, if you're not happy with how big the backdrop plants grow and how they take pruning, there's a start for you - get rid of them and find something that is better suited - that wy you'll enjoy looking at the tank some more.

My corner tank is a Juwel too but the internal filter has been removed. I had my hubby cut some holes in the rear lid panel but had him cut them too big and then lined the gap with some black foam so that it fits nice upto the pipework but doesn't catch or cause problems.

Have you got regular play sand or a special kind of sand? If it's regular sand, maybe as suggested above replenish it every so often, or maybe rinse and add say 1/2 pint when you do water changes?

 

[MermaidMel]

Hiya Shelagh, I haven't been on here in ages, I tend not to come here when I'm feeling low about having tanks, because I end up getting everyone else down with it. We are all doing ok here though, how's your family? Mine are too young to help! They do feed, but OMG the mess would be appalling, I make enough of that by myself lol

Have you got any seahorses then Shelagh?

I am very fickle, the number of tanks I've bought and sold and bought and sold, the same with the fish, in and out of bettas etc. I can't make up my mind, I think fishkeepers are like that in general, the die hard ones anyway

I think I could like my tank again but I do need to find a way of making it mel-friendly

The one in the kitchen I 99% love, only the way the pipe won't sit flat on the 3D background gets on my nerves and the black algae does my head in but I could deal with that by removing the plants if I want I suppose

Kia I agree about removing the plants in the corner tank, they are quite rubbish and the bulbs are exposed because the sand level is going down and it's all very messy and in reality, I don't hardly see my L numbers, I could sell them and the amount of cleaning would go down, then I could up the shoal of congos and it would be so beautiful in there but plants annoy me, they are extra hard work, maybe a backdrop of java fern would be better

I find having the pipework going into the back flap a pain though because I can't easily lift the flap up and down, I need a decent DIY job on it, can I see a photo of what your hubby did if poss please hun?

 

[ALW]

Mel not seen you in a while. How is the back? Sorry to hear about the way you feel. Dont give up hang in there. Maybe sell a few fish/tank and cut down a little am sure it will help. Anyway you cant leave we need our Weirdo Detective back

 

[MoneyMitch]

Sorry to have a moan, I need a bit of a nudge I think

I love my tanks and my fish, but I can't keep up with it anymore, I have purposely kept the tanks low maintenance and it's not really working

I have a sandy bottom corner tank, the flow of the water always means that the circulation doesn't take the waste around the tank and it just sits in one corner, I have 3 L numbers and they are messy, so just forever cleaning it out and end up sucking up bits of sand, I hardly have any left now. I also find that having sand in a corner tank means it ends up piled at one corner of the tank and I always have to shovel it back over to the other side. I am forever cleaning algae off the glass, even though I have stocking that should deal with it

I don't really like having such a heavy and bulky external filter (Tetratec EX1200) as lifting it and emptying it and cleaning it is pure hell for my back

My tank in the kitchen is a 80cm long and it's gravel. It's quite a clean tank, green algae isn't too bad but there is hair and black fuzz algae on my plants, despite very good oxygenated flow and flora glo tubes

This tank has a smaller external and seems to keep the water polished, it's very light and easy to change and clean and deal with, so that's not a problem

My stats are good, my stock is healthy and long standing

What can I do to get my mojo back? I feel fishkeeping is just extra housework right now, not getting much pleasure out of the corner tank at all and yet I waited ages to be able to afford to buy one!!!

Well the algae is definitely a problem but since you are ranting about how much you dont want to take care of your tank i wont spend the time~