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Struggling With My Aquarium: Has Anyone Else Felt This Way?

professorjimjam said:
What color of sand would be good? do you have any recommendation about sand?
Appreciate your help.
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I had a specialty African cichlid sand in a Cyphotilapia tank for 20 some years, then converted the tank for geos and changed it out for pool filter sand, same as I use everywhere else. It's always been a naturally off white to light tan color when I've gotten it, not as light weight as play sand (stirs up into the water too easily), reasonably cost effective, and (important to me) much like you'd find in sandy bottom SA habitats (not the only SA habitat type). It does not make fish look washed out at all with a dark background, lights not overly bright, and driftwood and other natural looking decor in the tank.

 
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A quickie photo, not the best staging and quality, but washed out? Light sand, LED lights on a lower/medium brightness setting, sunlight-- Geophagus sveni and a Wild Brazil Heros in his dark mode going after freeze dried blood worms.

rudy....jpeg
 
For what is worth, I also don’t carry buckets (only occasionally for single tanks in special circumstances), and use a python-like approach but not a python per se. I use pump and hose to take water from tanks, together with hand held siphon for hovering/vacuuming above the sand. I do not use python and fosset-generated vacuum which is very wasteful. For refilling I also use pump and hose, with a u-tube ending which allows hanging the hose on the tank. All used water (500-600 gal weekly) is used for gardening, or at least to outside, thus not wasting it or taxing house plumbing.
Light stocking, lots of plants, weekly water changes, and sand substratum help a lot. Finally, I only feed 4 days per week (except for fry).
 
Love this.
It is very much down to what you find enjoyable and what you don’t. I’m 54 now, been keeping fish the whole of my life since I was 9. Got my first fish house at 14 and have had multiple tanks ever since.
Currently running 13 containing just under 2000gal having shut 8 down and I do all my water changes by bucket (other than the large 1200gal tank) and 200g of that water to change is buckets up a flight of stairs. The water out is by bucket, the water in is by hose. I do it cos it’s a workout too and it makes me feel like I’ve achieved something each week when it’s all done.

What I also have in some of those tanks though is fish that I am breeding. That too keeps the interest for me even though by now my list of kept and bred fish is extensive, it’s all about finding what ticks the boxes for you, we are all different.
 
Wow, then I am not alone, others also use buckets to change water. I don’t know how long more I can continue doing it. Sometimes when I have my coffe I feel energetic and sometimes the buckets become too heavy for me. 😊
 
FJB said:
I do not use python and fosset-generated vacuum which is very wasteful.
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If you run the water the entire time to create a suction to drain the tank into the sink, it is indeed a terrific waste of water...somewhat reminiscent, to me at least, of all those aquarists who run RO units in an effort to create "special" water for "special" fish instead of keeping some of the many fish that would live just fine in their tap water. How many gallons of water goes to waste for every gallon created by RO? 🤨

But if you attach a hose to the outlet of the Python and run it into a toilet or bathtub or out a window and close to the ground...you don't need to run the water in the tap other than to start the siphon. Once the artificially-generated suction gets the water flowing out of the tank, all the air is exhausted from the hose and the tap can be shut off while the siphon action continues to run.

I remember how silly I felt when this was first pointed out to me after I had been wasting water for...a long time. Hopefully you will get to enjoy the same sensation. :)
 
I had plumbing done to my tanks where there is a bulkhead & valve to open for water to drain from tank to outside my home, and a valve to open to refill the tank with new water. If there was someone local who was capable of setting up a drip system on my tanks I would surely do that. But for now it's a world easier than using a python/pump to empty/refill my tanks, which I did for years.

As I get older I enjoy the manual work of water changes/tank maintenance less and less. Now I can enjoy my setups & fish a little more at feeding and viewing times.
 
I use the same method as FJB for my saltwater water changes. I just use an electric pump and vinyl tubing. If I did it again, I'd use one of those collapsible RV drinking water hoses because they are more convenient to get out and store.

I'd personally just rather put the energy towards longer dog walks or tennis or something else.
 
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