
Environmental Gear and Gadgets for Freshwater Fish Environments
Examples include heaters, hides, lighting, and anything else I’ve found useful in the environment of freshwater fish.
This page will get bigger and bigger as I think of things that have impacted (favorably) my medication and management of fish.
I really like the heaters and heating gear on this page. The sponge filters and chemicals on this page are also in use at my home and fish room all the time.
Handling Gear and Quarantine | |
Where to Put The Koi | |
This is the $99 offering and I think you pay for what you get. Meaning, you're not paying for a "Pearls of Paradise" scrimmed vinyl tank at this $99 price but it is probably JUST OKAY for holding some fish for a week. | |
You can use a rubbermaid or other hard plastic tank. They're "good" but they can be hard on snubbing noses and if they're not round, the fish dart back and forth instead of around, and it can hurt them. | |
You need a net cover to keep the fish from jumping out. In winter it might even be good to put a blanket over the top to keep some heat in? When I use netting like the stuff at left, I use the plastic wood clamps they sell at home depot. | |
Filtration | |
Keeping track of the PH and the nitrogen levels is crucial especially among fish that have been recently stressed and in a small facility that may not have much support for pH. | |
Dechlorinate the Q-Tank Water | |
These air pumps are a bit loud. You can run their lines from outside the house or under some furniture but the output for the money is excessive. They will push a lot of air. For under $40. They last longer than Vivosun, and EcoAir. | |
Air Tubing Matters | |
I've heated Q-tanks and hospitals two ways. I've used paint bucket warmers on a thermostat - which works VERY well but may electrocute you if it falls into the tank. So I do that, you shouldn't. Paint bucket warmers should be made of stainless steel and they won't corrode. The one at left is the only one I buy and all of mine are still running up to six years later. From my Amazon Account: | |
Here's the thermostat I use. I just plug the paint bucket warmer into this and it turns the warmer on whenever the temperature drops below a certain point. | |
Safer Heat | |
Catching the fish is via a 'bowl net' (pan). They maneuver quickly through the water and they're pretty safe for fish. Plus, you're never tempted to carry fish in the net, which is a BIG bad thing. Never carry a fish in a net. Unless it's a Koi Sock. | |
This at right, is a Koi Sock which is a sheer, smooth, soft "tube" of "net" that a fish can be carried in. They're basically reclining and their back isn't kinked. Avoid the temptation to carry a lot of fish in any net, the concussive force of the net-mates can bak backs. The Koi back isn't made for bearing their "out of water" weight. |