Aquarist - the Regulator
My Own Home Petshop
Written by Tuesday, 14 August 2001 01:00
Some weeks ago I was checking to see if I have any silicon tubing for the CO2 delivery system (to replace the old one) when I realized that I had almost filled a room with equipment, foods and medications. At that time I thought that I had every kind of crap stored in house and it was about time to get rid of the useless things. I was surprised to see that there was nothing I could throw away. Simply put all these things were first class items and I would definitely need them in the future. Still the amount of items stocked near, under or over my tanks was amazing. I decided to make a list and see what are the items a hobbyist stocks (or should stock) in order to be able to deal with emergency situations. All these items were bought at one time or another just to solve an emergency situation or to make me (and my fish) feel safer.
One of the most useful things that we should always have in stock is internal filters. What you see in this picture is my stock of internal filters each rated at 950 l/h. Ideal when you have to set up an emergency (usually hospital) tank. They have the option of aeration which is exceptionally useful in the case of antibiotics which need it. I always keep 2-3 of them running so I can set up a cycled tank in no time. These filters are cheap, easy to install and run - in my opinion, indispensable.
Speaking of medicationsI always keep far more than the basics. The stuff I have can be further divided into two categories. Products which are made by "aquatic" companies, meant for specific use in aquariums and products that are meant for human use. Among the "aquatic" products I always keep some general remedies (formaldehyde, methylene blue, melafix, copper) and some specialized ones. Among the human drugs are metronidazole, rifampicin, minocycline, oxytetracycline, isoniazide etc. The reason for keeping them in good quantities is to be able to start a treatment whenever I want to - no need to wait for the pharmacy to open. The quantities kept are sufficient to start a treatment for the 1300 liter tank (at the highest recommended dosage) or for 3 days (if applicable). On top of that, when you have such a quantity and variety you are able to select the right one (or the most appropriate one) and not the only one available.
Testing the water parameters is always a must. Some hobbyists may think that an ammonia test is all they need. Nothing can be further from the truth. Ammonia is only one of the factors that may go wrong. I always have fresh tests for Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites, Copper, KH and GH. Temperature and pH are electronically tested, too. The combination of KH and pH lets you calculate the actual carbon dioxide content in your water. I also have "multi sticks" which give me a quick reference. If something is wrong then the normal tests are performed. This way you will always be sure that the symptoms you are observing are due to a disease and not because of your water - which is the case most often. Always check your kits for the expire date. Some will work perfectly well for months after they have expired while others may produce erratic results. Checking all water parameters once every month is a good habit.
Then come the chemicals. Chemicals to ensure that the correct water parameters are created and kept stable while some other additives are used for the fish (and plants) we keep. Some may think that this is too much. I say, it depends on what you regard as "too much". To me, fish keeping is just one very simple thing "keep my fish happy and healthy". If I can't supply them with the best then there is no reason to keep them. I understand that this is a bit further than just a "hobby" - perhaps it is closer to "passion". Well, either way, any hobbyist can read this article and decide which steps he is willing to take. I can only say one thing. No material shown in these pages is useless. All of them have proven their efficacy at one time or another.
This is the "bulk" chemicals department.You can see that sky is the limit. I use sea salt (bottom right), a small quantity of crushed coral (bottom left) in the filter compartment and of course the regulars which are used in really big quantities. Just next to the crushed coral you can see the 5 Kg bags of sodium bicarbonate (I get them at 50 Kg bags and then distribute them in double nylon bags in 5 Kg portions). In the top left corner you can see the magnesium sulfate bags. I buy them at 10 Kg bags and use them in every water change. The carton next to it contains potassium chloride (50 Kg bags). You may be impressed by the quantities but I ensure you they do not last longer than one year. Large and regular water changes consume a lot of chemicals.
You can see the "working" cans of chemicals. Next to the sodium chloride can you may see the bottle with one of the buffers I make to calibrate my pH meters. It costs me roughly 1/20th of the price they charge for it and it is very stable. For your information I use a 7.01 buffer (at 25oC) for the 1st point and a 10.0 buffer for the second one. Since I referred to this matter, a piece of advice. Most companies, when selling you a pH monitor they will send you the pH=7 and pH=4 calibrators. Always ask for the pH=10 calibrator. If you use the pH=7 and pH=4 calibrators you can be sure that you can take precise measurements in that range. However, with Rift lake cichlids you need to calibrate the 7-10 range. And yes, it does matter!!
Other stuff that is used at irregular intervals are vitamins, trace element supplements and plant fertilizers. It is true that tap water has very few trace elements and we can't replicate the water of any Rift Lake just by adding some carbonates in there. The addition of sodium chloride (a common mistake by many hobbyists) is not the right thing to do. Actually there is very little sodium in Lake Malawi. At this point I would recommend that you get a book or search the internet and find the analysis of the water of the Lake that interests you. Trace elements and vitamins are essential for the well being of your fish. They are responsible for many functions among them the vivid colors, the reproduction system and the defense against infections. It is far better to spend a bit on these elements than spend a fortune on medications - and still lose your fish. Always keep in mind that a fish in prime shape will not be infected under most circumstances. Pathogens are always present on our tanks. However, only the weakened fish get infected. Plant fertilizers are also essential for those of you who keep planted tanks. The plants need three elements to thrive "light - nutrition - carbon sources". No matter how much light or carbon dioxide you add in your tank, the absence of any given nutrient will immediately show. Adding a fertilizer (preferably phosphates and nitrates free) will give your plants the look you see in the books.
This is the "others" section. Sponge sheets (both wide and narrow openings), more chemicals, light ballasts and starters, extra pH meters, more water pumps, a couple of strong air pumps (especially useful for treating with some antibiotics), more internal filters, lots of heaters and so on. I also have a "set" of small glass tanks (5, 5.5 and 6 gallons in capacity) for emergencies. An emergency, by definition, is something unexpected that can happen any time. You may see your fish being bullied at midnight or even later. It has happened to me before and I like to learn from my mistakes. I can setup a fully functional tank with a cycled filter, heater, lights etc. in less than 10 minutes. This has already saved the life of some of my fish and will surely help you to save some of yours. It might be an expensive new acquisition or an old friend, to me they matter the same. I simply don't like to use them. Even if I do lose them eventually, I feel much better knowing I did whatever was possible in the best possible way.
Well, that was all I found. I will agree with you on one thing. These are too many things. In fact I calculated that it would take my fish at least 8 months to consume all the foodstuff I have - provided I stopped feeding them frozen foods and I fed them every day instead of every other day. On the other hands, when I have to deal with an emergency (bad wound or sudden disease outbreak) I don't have to worry about the time or the closest working pharmacy (or petshop).
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