Fishy Business

In the fishtank world, mine doesn't rank at the top of the list or the bottom.  It's bigger than the typical WalMart model, but not as big as some of the giant fabricated tanks I've seen here and there.  At the pet store, 135 gallons is about as big as you can get, and I've got one in the basement.  I built the stand you see here too, but that's a totally different (and much longer and frustrating) blog entry.  Today I'm talking about how to take care of the fish without taking up all of my time.

The year is 2003, and I'm a newly single guy with a big fishtank that I've never maintained by myself.  I don't want to put my friends on the hook for helping me do this every month, so I've got to come up with something.  Back then, I was more of a margarita man than a bourbon man, so a different recipe was in order.

WFM ingredients

World Famous Margaritas:

12 oz Hose Cuervo Gold

6 oz Grand Marnier (I'm not rich, just did a lot of traveling back then and hit the duty free stores)

6 oz lime juice (Real Lime is the best)

36 oz tap water

1 cup sugar

Instructions: Mix alcohol and lime juice and pour in pitcher.  Put sugar and water in blender for a couple of minutes.  Pour in pitcher.  Serve over ice.  WARNING: THESE ARE STRONGER THAN THEY TASTE.

After a couple of margaritas, I had it all figured out.  Man, this was going to be easy.  Here's what I ended up buying at Lowe's:  garden hose, faucet attachment for garden hose, wood vise, plastic tubing (5/8" ID), small clamp, giant tub (kegger size).

Note the clamp and 20' hose on the siphon

The main issue for a water change is draining and filling 50% of the water from the aquarium for every water change (>50 gallons).  With a lot of big fish, you really need to do this monthly.  The only assembly task I had for the job was removing the 6' tube from the siphon and attaching a 30' hose to the end with a clamp.

Here are the steps I now use to change the tank water:

•   Put down towels, take off lights and hoods, power down filtration

•   Pop the drain out of the basement shower (I use a small screwdriver)

Siphon hose drains down the basement shower

•   Take out rocks/decorations from half of the tank, put in kegger tub (also useful at parties)

•   Put plastic tubing from siphon down shower drain

•   Siphon out water.  Note: Make sure that the hose stays down the drain or you'll have a big fish poop mess (this really happened one time)

Siphon the water out of the tank

•   Put rocks back in.  Sometimes it's good to assemble the rocks in a different way.  The fish think they're in a new place, and they get a little less territorial.

•   Clean any other filtration gear you have on the tank.  I have 2 Fluval 404's

•   Scrub algae off the tank with a brush.  You can save time by buying a smart plecostomus (one that likes eating algae).  I've had smart and dumb ones, and unfortunately, the only way to gauge intelligence is to dump one in the tank and see if he eats algae off the glass.

•   Unscrew the aerator from the sink, and put on the garden hose adapter.  Attach hose.

Garden Hose Attachment for faucet

•   Run garden hose from faucet to tank.  Use wood vice to hold hose in tank.  Keep your eyes on this hose, too.  An error can cause a small flood in your basement.

Wood vise holds the hose to the tank

•   Mix hot and cold water together to make the new water the same temp as the existing tank water.

•   Put chemicals in the tank as the water goes in.  I have 10 gallon tick marks on the side of the tank to make this easy.

Tick marks every 10 gallons on

the right.

•   Put hoods and lights back on.  Fire everything back up

This job takes me a bit less than 2 hours every 3 months.  I've also got a few more tips from the guy who's been in the business for 20 years.

•   Use good chemicals to treat tap water.  Never skip this step or you'll have dead fish on your hands.  If you can't remember if you treated the water, take the risk of treating it twice.  Amquel and Novaqua are my favorite tank chemicals.  I buy these from http://www.bigalsonline.com/.  I put an extra teaspoon of Amquel (dechlorinator) in just for good measure.  I probably don't need to, but it makes me feel better.

•   Never change you tank when the water company is flushing pipes.  The water company flushes out pipes with chemicals about twice a year in my area.  My water smells like chlorine when they do this, but you can also call the water company and ask.

•   How often to change?  The more fish you have, the more you need to change water.  Also, the more you feed, the more you need to change.  I feed every other day, and have about 30 tiger barbs in the tank (about 1" each).  You can go all the way up to 2 inches of fish per gallon in the tank if you want to change frequently.  I change water every 3 months, and my tiger barbs are perfectly healthy.

•   Over filter.  I have enough biological filtration for roughly twice the size of my tank.  Canisters are much better for the fish than undergravel.  Fluval 404's are my favorite brand, and they do mechanical, biological, and charcoal filtration.

•   Prime canister filters.  To prime the Fluvals after cleaning, hold the exit hose out of the water when you fill them with water.  That way, a big air bubble doesn't form.

•   Oxygenate water.  Use bubble wands with an air pump to help oxygenate the water.  Bubbles keep the top of the water agitated and allows oxygen to be absorbed into the water.  Bubbles also make your tank look cool.

•   No electricity?  Outdoor stores sell an aerator for use with minnow buckets, so your bait will last all day off a D battery.  When we have power outages, I have a BC plan (Business Continuity).  My fish are happy about this one (they've already survived one ice storm this way). 

•   Sick fish?  If your fish get sick, have your water tested at the local pet store.  Most of the time, fish get sick because you're not taking care of them.  Yes, I said it's your fault.  The best way to avoid sickness is keeping the level of toxic chemicals in the water down (change water enough) and having enough biological filtration.

•   New tank?  On a newly commissioned tank, add fish slowly.  Better yet, start out the nitrogen cycle with some feeder goldfish.  I put about 10 of these guys in a new tank to get it started.  They usually all die before the cycle gets started.  Any survivors can go in your buddy's goldfish pond.

I really enjoy having the fish tank.  With a good maintenance plan, the fish stay happy, and you don't spend all your time keeping them that way.

Read this article to see how our outdoor goldfish make it through the winter.

Crap, It's The Toilet Again

Thomas Crapper (baptised 28 September 1836; died 27 January 1910) was a plumber who founded Thomas Crapper & Co in London. Contrary to widespread misconceptions, Crapper did not invent the flush toilet. He did, however, do much to increase the popularity of the toilet, and developed some important related inventions, such as the ballcock.  (source: www.wikipedia.org)

I look at the clock.  It's 12:05 AM, and I hear the sound of water running.  I wonder if my son has gotten up in the middle of the night to pee, but then I go back to sleep.  At 3:20, I hear the sound again, and I'm doubting that my son is the cause.  My toilet is leaking.  This goes on for a couple of weeks, and the issue steadily gets worse.  The sound is also waking me up, so I've got to do something about it.

Next comes a trip to my favorite home improvement store.  I stare at the aisle of toilet parts for a few minutes.  Toilets must be big business.  I look at the various kits, but settle on a flapper kit (about $3).  Why replace all the parts when all you need to do is fix the part that's busted?  I might adjust this plan if I just moved into an old house or knew the toilet has not been rebuilt for 10 years or something like that.  I put new kits in all our toilets shortly after we moved in, so I'm pretty sure the rest of the parts are good.  I take the flapper to the leaking toilet and don't even need to take any tools.

Install is easy:

• Shut off water supply
• Flush
• Unclip old flapper, take chain off handle, and remove
• Clip in new flapper
• Hook chain on handle (Note: chain should have enough slack to allow the flapper to close completely, but not overly loose)
• Turn water supply back on
• Optional: use of the facilities
• Test flush (if the water stops, you're in good shape)

New Flapper

The whole thing takes 10 minutes, and I'm pouring the bourbon in record time.  Think I'm done?  Nope.  A few nights later, I hear a different toilet run for about 10 seconds and then stop.  Crap...  Am I the only person this happens to?  We have 4 toilets on 3 floors, and I have only repaired one of them.  The next day, I'm at Lowe's buying more parts.  I'm in the toilet aisle for 10 seconds before I come to the conclusion that they have all decided to die at the same time.  I'm not above killing ants with baseball bats, so I purchase 3 more flappers.  I also throw in a handle for the basement unit (action is starting to get sloppy).  Within 20 minutes, all flappers are replaced.  The basement handle is fairly simple to install, and soon it's flushing like it never has before.



Think I'm done?  No, my crappy luck continues for one more stretch.  The kit I installed in the master bath about 2 years ago has a feature to control leaking.  A small arm with a sharp end comes down and locks the float in the up position when it hits the top.  A separate chain pulls the arm up when you hit the flusher.  That way, a leaky flapper doesn't drain your local water tower.  The arm has started sticking at least 50% the time, which results in a very low volume flush.  This isn't good when you have a heavy doody.  I thought the kit had a defective part when I installed it, but I didn't feel like undoing the hour of work I put into the job.  I just fiddled with it until it worked. 

Another run down the toilet aisle at Lowe's, and I've got a new fill valve (about $10). 

I've had good luck with Fluidmaster

Again, install is fairly simple:

•   Shut off water supply

•   Flush

•   Empty toilet (I used a small plastic cup to drain residual water)

•   Undo the the nut that holds the feed hose in place

•   Undo chains

•   Unclip bowl fill hose

•   Undo the nut that holds the fill valve in place and remove

•   Set height on new fill valve and install seal (this may be a scientific process, but I just set it the same as the last one)

•   Install new fill valve with float at 5 o'clock position

•   Clip new bowl fill hose on stalk (new one has a water saver feature, but don't have the patience to figure out how to install it)

•   Put nuts back on (not too tight, porcelain will crack if you use Incredible Hulk strength)

•   Set chains to the same spec as the flapper install

•   Turn on water supply

•   Make sure tank doesn't leak at the fill valve

•   Test flush and leak guard function

 

New Fill Valve.  Note the tension on the chains

Now, she's flushing with authority.  I'd list the TTR (time to repair), but my 4 year old son was helping out with this one.  He easily doubles the TTR, but I truly enjoy having him help.  He learns about how things work, does part of the repair work, and gets tons of praise during the project. 

Summary:

• You need to think about toilet maintenance about every 5 years
• Only put in the parts you need
• If you're thinking about repairing one, think about the rest of them
• Water leaks usually start slow and get steadily worse
• If the kit is old or seals look questionable, put in the entire kit
• This is easy stuff, don't be scared of a toilet rebuild  

Click here for another bathroom article about faucets with scald guard.
Want to read a humorous story about our half bath?  Click here.



Rabbit Stew

Rabbit stew.  That's what I want for supper.  Not really.  I've had rabbit, but don't really like it.  I'm talking about those pests in my back yard that are ruining my garden.  I typically grow a garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce.  My wife likes to add broccoli and squash, but in reality our garden is pretty small, about 8' x 16'.  I built the garden with landscape timbers and imported dirt (not from France, from the landscaping shop).  Building the garden was a lot of fun.  My son helped out, and we hammered, sawed, and shoveled to our hearts content.  This is the garden in the new house, and it went straight down the tubes on the maiden voyage.  It started out the same as always.  I noticed that the lettuce didn't turn out so well, but didn't understand why.  It just didn't grow.  Then, one morning I looked out the window, and all my tomato plants had vanished...  into thin air.  I've never seen rabbits eat tomato plants before, but that's the only thing I could come up with.  I planted them again, and they vanished again.  I've got to protect these guys some how.  What to do?  Read on.

My first try was a big mistake and time/cost are not included in the summary metrics.  I didn't do my usual bourbon/Google meditation to come up with the idea.  I just went straight to Lowe's.  I reasoned that building a cage around the tomatoes would protect them.  Long story short, I built a circular cage around every tomato plant with wire fence and used some old stakes from behind the shed to secure them to the ground.  I replanted the tomatoes for the third time.  Do you think this worked?  Almost, but not 100%.  I was angered when I looked out the window and saw a rabbit eating a tomato plant through the wire of the cage.  Grrrrrrrr.  I started throwing anything I could find at the rabbit, and actually hit it once.  He wasn't happy, but was otherwise unscathed.  Lesson: don't skip the bourbon.

At this point I have 3 options:

1. Give up and have no fresh tomatoes
2. Hire a hit man to sit in a lawn chair all summer and kill rabbits in my back yard
3. Bourbon meditation and come up with a better idea

You know which one I picked.  The hit man idea sounds cool, but too expensive and probably more dangerous to my neighbors than the rabbits.  I didn't use Google this time, just bourbon and wits.  I theorized that a large fence around the entire garden would be the safest protection for my poor garden and headed to Lowe's again.

The fence section is foreign territory for me.  I haven't had the best of luck with fences or fence guys.  The pictures below were taken before the second fence guy built the fence.  I settled on a spool of 4' tall wire fence and bought 7 metal posts.  First, I hammered the posts into the ground.  I had some extra wood behind the shed and built a gate.  I found an old brass latch in my garage junk box that I installed on the gate.  Heavy duty staples hold the fence to the landscape timbers and also hold the fence to the gate (staple guns are a must for jobs like this).  Zip ties hold the fence to the posts. 



Garden in back yard



Garden, side shot with tiller

I decided to bet on the battle scarred tomatoes from the third planting.  I just didn't have time for a fourth set to grow.  I got 6 tomatoes in September from the rabbit-damaged plants.  Don't even try the math.  For what I'd invested, I probably could have flown to Japan and purchased a bucket of very nice tomatoes.  (If you've never been to Japan, the fresh fruit and vegetables are out of this world.) 

An unexpected thing happened after September.  We had 90 degree weather throughout October (2010), and the tomatoes started producing!!!  We had fresh tomatoes almost every day in October and even into the first part of November.  I didn't even see rabbits in the yard the rest of the year.  I heard they moved to an unprotected garden down the road.

Cost:  $75 for the fence and posts (already had the other parts)

Time:  3 hours

Special Note: metrics only include the solution that worked

Result: Rabbits are gone

 

  

Current Year Garden (2012)
Lettuce and Broccoli are already up

 

Faucet Install and Scope Creep

Scope Creep in project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered a negative occurrence, and therefore should be avoided.  (Wikipedia)That's exactly what happened to me on the latest project.

 

Old Delta Faucet

See the faucet over here on the left?  It started leaking right after I had the crazy notion that I could someday run out of content for the blog.  My home assured me that the blog will be running strong for years to come.  No problem, I've handled leaky faucets before.  Time to head to Lowe's for a Delta seal kit. 



I've got a great tip for all you Lowe's shoppers out there.  Get a Lowe's credit card and save 5% on all your Lowe's purchases.  Application is right here.  I'm figuring that I'll save enough money in a year to restock the old bourbon supply a few times.  At Lowe's, I head straight to my nemesis, the plumbing aisle.  I pick up a seal kit, whip out the new credit card, and head back home for an easy fix.

 

Tools:  Channel locks, flathead & phillips screwdrivers, washcloth

Part:  Delta Seal Kit $10 (or $9.50 with a Lowe's credit card)

Bourbon:  None

I pull the faucet apart and try to unscrew the piece that holds the ball valve in place.  A combination of He-Man torque and Gorilla Glue seem to be preventing this piece from coming off.  I wrap the part with a washcloth and pull with the channel locks. It doesn't budge.  A little Googling shows that lime deposits can lock up parts of a faucet.  I pour vinegar (as directed) on the faucet, and it still won't budge.  I try a little He-Man strength of my own, and I start to get worried that I'm going to ruin the sink before this piece comes off.  What follows is a few explicit words and a sudden urge to put my channel locks through the other side of the mirror.  Calm down, and think about the options:

1. Call a plumber and spend $100 to put in a $10 seal.
2. Install a new faucet for $60 (or $57 with a Lowe's credit card).



New Delta Faucet

I've got a minor in math, but my 4 year old can figure ths one out.  Another trip to Lowes, and I've got the new faucet (and my first bit of scope creep).

Tools: Large crescent wrench, small crescent wrench, phillips screwdriver, allen wrench, towell, flashlight

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 1 hour

 

Install is simple:

1. Shut off water valves
2. Loosen the bolt that holds the drain stopper and pull it out
3. Undo fittings that hold feed hoses to water valves (big crescent wrench)
4. Undo nuts that hold the faucet to the sink (small crescent wrench)
5. Pull out old faucet
6. Use allen wrench and screwdriver to install the proper handle on the faucet.  This particular faucet has a clear plastic handle as well as a metal one. The clear plastic on goes on.
7. Clean up sink and put new seal on the bottom of the faucet
8. Install is reverse of steps 1-5
9. The kit comes with a new drain kit.  I don't put it on, because it looks over my head.  My drain isn't having issues anyway.  I put the spare parts in my box marked "plumbing" in the garage.

I check out my handiwork, make sure there's no leaks, and toss the old faucet in the dumpster.  As I'm sitting in my recliner having a celebration bourbon, two thoughts comes to my mind.  First, after 15 years, Delta has changed styles on their faucets a bit.  I've got 2 sinks in the master bath, and now they don't match exactly.  Also, the new faucet has a new feature known as "scald guard". 

 

Scald guard is a tiny switch in the faucet that stops the handle halfway between hot and cold.  This would be the perfect feature for the kids!  A new plan is starting to form as well as the next phase of scope creep.  I could move the faucet that I just installed to the kid bathroom, install another new one in the hall bathroom, and move an old one that matches back to the master bath.  How many bourbons did I have? Only one, it was not alcohol induced scope creep.

The next weekend, I get the other faucet at my favorite store and get to work.  I start by reversing the hour of work I've already discussed.  Next, I take out the old faucets and pop in the new ones with scald guard activated.  No more hot water getting on little fingers.  I also opt for the chrome handles that are easier for the little buddies to pull up and down.  I'm rocking through this in record time.



New Faucet in Half Bath

New Faucet in Kid Bathroom

Now I'm on the last step.  Install one of the old faucets in the master bath.  Halfway into the install, my wife comes in and says that I'm installing the one that has been used the most into the master bath.  She wants me to put in the other one.  I offer to install the new seal kit in this one, and we're both happy.  No problem (but more scope creep).  Install is pretty straightforward, but very messy.  Due to black rubber residue all over my fingers, I've got no pictures.  Install is literally 15 minutes if you've already got the faucet torn down.

1. Unscrew the cap.
2. Pull out ball valve and clean off deposits.
3. Pull out springs and seals
4. The kit also has seal that sits on top of the ball valve.  There's 2 in there, but you only need the one that works with your particular model. I also don't use the o-ring that's only for kitchen faucets.
5. Put in new springs and seals
6. Put a little petroleum jelly on the ball, so it rolls smoothly
7. Drop in the ball valve, new seal, and screw the top back on.  You don't need to put much torque on it.  I have firsthand knowledge that if you do, it'll never come back off.

After I get the faucet back in, it's time to attach the supply hoses.  I look at the distance and get worried.  Neither of the old supply hoses are long enough.  My supply hoses from the old faucet are at the dump by  now.  Crap.  Another trip to Lowe's is in order for new ones.  To get the length I need, I have to hook 2 together to make the distance (so I bought 4). Another $20 invested.

  

 

 One word of caution in plumbing.  If you've got a fitting that has metal threads going onto metal threads, don't forget the teflon tape.  Use 2-3 wraps of tape on each part of the threads.  I've got to meditate and get my mind in a happy place before using teflon tape.  It never goes where I want it to, and I throw away at least twice as much as I use.  One more tip (or maybe two).  People say "don't overtighten the metal fittings" all the time.  Don't listen  My philosophy is to grab the biggest wrench in the garage and pull until the veins are popping out of my head.  They always leak if I don't.  Check the fittings for leaks after install, then a few hours later, then before you go to bed, and then the next morning.  If you get 24 hours without a tear of water coming out, you're probably good.

 

To summarize:

• New Parts: Seal kit in old faucet, 2 new faucets, 4 new supply hoses
• Trips to Lowes: 3 (a record for a job this small)
• Cost: Roughly $145
• Difficulty: Easy to Medium (teflon tape always gets a higher ranking)
• Time: 4 1/2 - 5 hours
• Results: No leaky faucet, no more scalding water on little buddy hands
• Scope Creep: High

 

 Click here for another bathroom article about replacing fill valves and flappers. 

 

Overwintering Goldfish

TOTAL INVESTMENT:    $30 (every couple of years)
TIME:                                 2 hours
DIFFICULTY                     Easy
NET RESULT                     Fish survive the winter

I happened upon this blog subject by chance.  I'm a fish kind of guy, but I've always had "inside" fish.  Not "outside" fish.  I've got experience with outside dogs and cats, but never goldfish or koi.  When I met my wife, she had a giant fish pond in her back yard, and I had a giant fishtank in my house (well, maybe 2 or 3).  We sold our homes and bought a new house.  Long story short, we now have a pond in the front and back yards, and now I take care of them in the winter.  I'll leave out the part where a giant frog ate $50 worth of Koi in the front yard, a Blue Heron enjoyed a $50 dinner in the back yard, and also the part where the pump did a rather effective job of distributing 100 gallons of water into our back yard (make sure your pump sits at least 8 inches above the bottom of the pond).  Those are all good stories, but you're probably here to see how our fish survive the winter.  Can they really do that?  They sure can.  Read on.



Net

The typical year in Kentucky has about 6 weeks of bitter cold weather, but goldfish and Koi are pretty tough.  The process usually starts around Thanksgiving.  First, you need to stop feeding them.  Cold blooded dudes can't process food under about 60 degrees.  If you feed them, they can die.  Seriously.  Don't worry, their systems really slow down in the cold weather, and they do just fine.  You also want to stop all your waterfalls and empty any filters that don't sit in the water.  I take the extra step of blowing water out of the hoses with my air compressor.  I also install a net over the pond and secure the net with heavy rocks.  Remember the Blue Heron?  He doesn't like the net. 

The next part is actually runs contrary to everything you'll find on Google if you search "overwintering goldfish".  I use air pumps to oxygenate the water.  I get the cheapest units I can find with 2 outlets at Walmart (about $10) and air stones from the same place (about $5 for a pair).  They die about every 2 years, but they work great.  Think the bubbles put O2 in the water?  Nope.  The bubbles agitate the surface, and oxygen is naturally absorbed into the water.  Your fish will die if the surface of the water sits still or freezes.  Well, with one exception.  If you have a big pond that is over 3 feet deep, it can freeze for a while, and the fish will survive.  Now for the Mythbusters part.  Everything I've read on the net says that condensation will form in the tubes from the pump to the air stone.  The condensation is supposed to freeze and stop the pump.  In my experience of 6 straight weeks of sub 20 degree weather (and 8 seasons of taking care of these guys), this has never happened.  Do the air bubbles really keep the water from freezing?  Not all the time.  What in the heck do you do?  I've got a trick.  Keep reading.

 

Air Stone

Air Pump

I've read about people installing heaters to keep ice from freezing over the pond.  Maybe you need something like that if you live on the north pole, but electricity is pretty expensive to run these things.  The main goal is to keep the pond from freezing over solid.  The fish don't need to stay warm.  They're designed to survive the cold.  A little hole in the ice will let plenty of oxygen into the water.  In most cases, you don't need a heater.  You just need a big rock.  The bubbles actually do a pretty good job of foiling mother nature's plans of freezing your pond over.  When the pond does freeze over, just break up the ice with a rock or hammer.  You'll need to take out the ice chunks and throw them in the yard.  The pond freezes quicker if you leave the ice chunks in the water.  If you throw a lot of ice into the yard, fill the pond back up with a 5 gallon bucket of tap water treated with a dechlorinator like Amquel. 

Do I really need to check my pond every day?  Definately.  I've been known spend a week in Belize during the winter, and I always assign a designee to break ice for me.  Getting somebody back home to break ice in return for a wooden bowl or t-shirt from Belize is much cheaper than replacing $100 worth of dead fish.  I know they're only fish, but I'm a little attached to them.  GFCI outlets have also been known to trip, so you need to regulary check your ponds even when the weather is above freezing.


The configuration of my front pond allows me to simply unhook the waterfall and continue to run the water pump and biological filter all winter.  They get special treatment, because I also hook up the pump and air stones just like the pond in the back yard.  In the front, I have a flat rock installed for the fish to hide under, so I don't put up a net.  The herons haven't figured this one out yet.



Pond in front yard

To summarize: 

• No waterfalls (they freeze easily and all your water pumps out into the yard)
• Cheap air pumps and air stones to agitate the water surface
• Keep out the birds (net or hiding place in the water)
• Check your pond every day and keep the ice broken

I haven't lost one fish using this method.  No bourbon needed in this story?  Nope, just a couple to write it. 

 

Interested in how we built a pond waterfall?  Click here.

Click here to read about how I keep all the landscape lighting working.

Read this article to find out about taking care of indoor fish.