Huge water change?

[Skylar]

I have a ten gallon tank with six neon tetras and a striped rapheal catfish. I don't have a siphon or anything like that to do a water change with. If I drained part of my tank and just scooped out the gravel and rinsed it bit by bit, would that be okay for the bacteria?

The food just seems to collect on the bottom of the tank but every one in a while my catfish will eat some of it. Im worried that the leftover food will start to mold. My betta also died (not in the tank) but wouldnt the water be affected by the sick betta?

I was thinking of doing a 100 % or 95% water change and then rinsing off the plants and the decorations. I could jar the fish while its happening in half gallon jars.

Will this be okay?

 

[dirtydogg]

100% Water change I would not do. As for corys picking up gravel I believe that is really common as they eat left over food, algea and other things that stick to rocks. IMO I wouldn't worry about that.

If there is a lot of food collecting on the bottom, check how much food you are feeding.

 

[Skylar]

Problem is, I dont feed alot. My filter just pushes it to the bottom and my tetras dive for it. They even scavenge along the bottom for food some days when they are bored but the sight of disgusting dried up flakes and freeze-dried bloodworms grosses me out.

 

[yvez9]

You should just get a vacuum
gravel vacs are pretty cheap, especially a small one for a 10 gallon.

It makes water changes a lot easier than taking water out with cups and bowls and it cleans pretty thouroughly too if you want.

 

[Skylar]

I have hardly any fish stores available to me, only one that i doubt stocks vacuums.

 

[blue_ram]

I have hardly any fish stores available to me, only one that i doubt stocks vacuums.

Not even walmart? Pretty much every store with pet department has them. I think I've even seen one in a supermarket! Ask for a gravel vacuum at your LFS. They are only about $5-$8. Any LFS that doesn't sell a gravel vac shouldn't be selling fish! Gravel vac will make your life whole lot easier.

BTW, you need to get rid of your striped raphael. They grow to about 12 inches, and neons will soon become his/her lunch. You need to replace the catfish with either Corydoras, or shrimps. They will eat the food at the bottom of the tank, so you don't have to constantly worry about decomposing food.

EDIT: sorry, wrong catfish. striped raphael grows to only 8 inches. But still big enough to eat neons.

 

[handsomeboy]

just make one out of pvc and tubing from home depot. You will be happy so however you get it, get it.

 

[dirtydogg]

vac is a must, One thing I do in my 10G is I turn my filter off while feeding, Keeps waste down. Ammonia and such.

 

[Skylar]

I did research on my rapheal and many sites have said that it won't eat my tetras. the catfish doesnt even bother the tetras.

 

[Phantom Thief]

Either way, it will still be too big for a 10g tank, i'm afraid to say.

If you want to make a syphon, i can give you the DIY for how i made mine, if you want it.

P.T.

 

[sylvia]

Any chance you could tell me how you did that as well?

BTW, if you can't get a gravel vac. you can do the following:

First off, feed less, none of the sunken food should be left in the tank and I can assure you your fish wont starve.

Keep the layer of gravel/sand/substrate very thin. Provided you don't have plants, all you need to do is stirr it up once in a while and your filter and an immediate water change will remove most of the particles.

Just use a length of airline tubing, 2 buckets and gravity for a water change...

I did all my water changes like this before I got a gravel vac. However, you need to keep feeding to a minnimum or your water quality will deteriorate. A gravel vac. is a good investment.

Never do a 100% water change and make sure any gravel-washing is done using old tank water and NEVER tap water. Also never wash all of it at once.

 

[Phantom Thief]

Well, to make a gravel vac, you need a few things:

1) a plastic bottle (your choice in size)
2) plastic tubing (as long as necessary, from tank to pail)

Then what you do is you cut the bottom half of the bottle off. You then make a hole in the bottle cap. To do this, i used a metal rod and melted a hole through it. Then, simply insert the tube and seal it with silicon. Voila, a gravel vac

P.T.

 

[sylvia]

Great idea! I'll try that...

 

[Skylar]

how exactly does it vaccuum? -doesnt really want to suck on the end of the tubing and accidently consume fish waste- o_0


according to planet catfish, my rapheal cat will only get to about 6.5 inches.

 

[gale]

how exactly does it vaccuum? -doesnt really want to suck on the end of the tubing and accidently consume fish waste- o_0

Hold your thumb over the small end. Dip the big end into the water and fill it up. Hold it higher than the small end until the water goes to the bottom where your thumb is. You'll have to take off your thumb a little to let out the air. Repeat until the small tube is full. Then put the big end in the water again, making sure that it is full of water, with no air. Aim the thumb end into your waste bucket and take your thumb off-it should start flowing. Be sure to keep the thumb end lower than the water level of the tank. It's easiest if the tubing is short enough that there are no loops in it.

I got a gravel vac at walmart which is self starting. I just move it up and down in the water and the tubing fills (usually. sometimes I have to cuss and help it along).