fishmaven
08-07-2006, 12:37 PM
The following is a
list of things I feel a fish keeper should have on hand for various emergencies. This is general in
scope and not to be considered a complete list of everything you need. This sort of list could go
on forever, so I tried to limit it to 10 items. If you feel I’ve omitted something you feel is of
major importance, please feel free to e-mail me at dan@fishmaven.net so I can consider adding your suggestion to
my list. I've pinned this. I've also made a topic in this section for your replies.
Remember, when treating a tank or adding conditioners, you're treating the volume of
water, NOT the capacity of the tank. A 100 gallon tank with gravel, rocks and decorations no longer
holds 100 gallons of water. If you have tanks that are never filled to the top determine the water
volume and write it on the tank somewhere. (volume = cubic inches divided by 231)
You
should have these on hand somewhere, ready for use:
1. An unopened bottle of your favorite
water conditioner. When you have occasion to use it, replace it with another unopened bottle. I use
Sea Chem’s Prime. I know, it smells awful, but you’re not drinking it, you’re making fish water.
Carolyn Estes turned me on to it. One of the many things I thank her for.
2. A carton of
Aquarium Pharmaceutical’s aquarium salt. Don’t open it. Don’t use it. Keep it to refresh your
memory of the directions for it’s use.
3. A bag of rock salt, placed in a plastic bag.
When you need to use salt in your aquarium and you’ve run out of the stuff stored under your
stands, use this. Use a plastic bag, you want to be able to use small quantities as required, not a
large brick. Follow the directions on the Aquarium Pharm carton. Replace it.
4. At least
3 bottles of hydrogen peroxide. Why 3? Because you won’t replace it when you steal one from this
stash. Why not 2? Because I KNOW you won’t replace it and you may need an extra. Come on, they’re
less than a dollar a bottle. When the power goes out OR when you feel a fish may be having an
oxygen problem use 1t (small t= teaspoon) for each 10 gallons of volume of the tank in question.
Using as I've directed usually lasts about 2 hours depending on the quantity of fish, and
raises the dissolved oxygen level about 4mg per liter. BTW, 1T (T= tablespoon= 3t, 3 Ts= 1 ounce)
• If you live in an area prone to storms, lose power either frequently or for long
periods, consider a case.
5. A bottle of iodine. Used for topical application on fish
wounds from net damage, fighting, or for when you need it for yourself for treating a cut from
handling broken aquarium fixtures. Clean your cuts with peroxide followed by soap and water THEN
the iodine. You may want to follow that with a shot of something.
6. A flashlight with
fresh batteries. This is one of the items that must be placed back immediately after use. If you
don’t do this religiously you’ll be unable to find it. When you buy new batteries for the house
they go HERE. Take the batteries from this stash and use them for your project. That way the
freshest batteries are always here.
7. Q-tips- take a handful from your normal supply
and place them in a ziplock bag.
8. Several of each of the plastic bags you use AND
some rubberbands.
9. Enough of your favorite antibiotic to treat your largest tank. It’s
preferred to treat an isolated fish, away from your display tank. Sometimes you can’t for whatever
reason.
I feel I need 2 different products:
1. Aquatronic’s Ampicilex when there’s NO
hemorrhaging involved.
2. Aquatronic’s Spectrogram is my preference when hemorrhaging IS
present.
So, why ampicillin in one case and kanacyn combined with a nitrofurazone in the
other? Kanacyn is TOO strong to use indiscriminately. I choose to use it when hemorrhaging is
involved because there’s more immediacy needed when there’s an open wound of some kind.
10. An unopened bottle of your favorite ich control. I prefer something using formalin and zinc
free malachite green. I normally reach for Aquarium Product’s Quick Cure. Oh yeah, don’t wear a
white shirt when you handle this stuff. Choose a dark colored shirt, it hides the stains.
PLEASE POST SUGGESTIONS AND RESPONSES ON THE THREAD I'VE CREATED, NOT HERE. THANKS, DAN
list of things I feel a fish keeper should have on hand for various emergencies. This is general in
scope and not to be considered a complete list of everything you need. This sort of list could go
on forever, so I tried to limit it to 10 items. If you feel I’ve omitted something you feel is of
major importance, please feel free to e-mail me at dan@fishmaven.net so I can consider adding your suggestion to
my list. I've pinned this. I've also made a topic in this section for your replies.
Remember, when treating a tank or adding conditioners, you're treating the volume of
water, NOT the capacity of the tank. A 100 gallon tank with gravel, rocks and decorations no longer
holds 100 gallons of water. If you have tanks that are never filled to the top determine the water
volume and write it on the tank somewhere. (volume = cubic inches divided by 231)
You
should have these on hand somewhere, ready for use:
1. An unopened bottle of your favorite
water conditioner. When you have occasion to use it, replace it with another unopened bottle. I use
Sea Chem’s Prime. I know, it smells awful, but you’re not drinking it, you’re making fish water.
Carolyn Estes turned me on to it. One of the many things I thank her for.
2. A carton of
Aquarium Pharmaceutical’s aquarium salt. Don’t open it. Don’t use it. Keep it to refresh your
memory of the directions for it’s use.
3. A bag of rock salt, placed in a plastic bag.
When you need to use salt in your aquarium and you’ve run out of the stuff stored under your
stands, use this. Use a plastic bag, you want to be able to use small quantities as required, not a
large brick. Follow the directions on the Aquarium Pharm carton. Replace it.
4. At least
3 bottles of hydrogen peroxide. Why 3? Because you won’t replace it when you steal one from this
stash. Why not 2? Because I KNOW you won’t replace it and you may need an extra. Come on, they’re
less than a dollar a bottle. When the power goes out OR when you feel a fish may be having an
oxygen problem use 1t (small t= teaspoon) for each 10 gallons of volume of the tank in question.
Using as I've directed usually lasts about 2 hours depending on the quantity of fish, and
raises the dissolved oxygen level about 4mg per liter. BTW, 1T (T= tablespoon= 3t, 3 Ts= 1 ounce)
• If you live in an area prone to storms, lose power either frequently or for long
periods, consider a case.
5. A bottle of iodine. Used for topical application on fish
wounds from net damage, fighting, or for when you need it for yourself for treating a cut from
handling broken aquarium fixtures. Clean your cuts with peroxide followed by soap and water THEN
the iodine. You may want to follow that with a shot of something.
6. A flashlight with
fresh batteries. This is one of the items that must be placed back immediately after use. If you
don’t do this religiously you’ll be unable to find it. When you buy new batteries for the house
they go HERE. Take the batteries from this stash and use them for your project. That way the
freshest batteries are always here.
7. Q-tips- take a handful from your normal supply
and place them in a ziplock bag.
8. Several of each of the plastic bags you use AND
some rubberbands.
9. Enough of your favorite antibiotic to treat your largest tank. It’s
preferred to treat an isolated fish, away from your display tank. Sometimes you can’t for whatever
reason.
I feel I need 2 different products:
1. Aquatronic’s Ampicilex when there’s NO
hemorrhaging involved.
2. Aquatronic’s Spectrogram is my preference when hemorrhaging IS
present.
So, why ampicillin in one case and kanacyn combined with a nitrofurazone in the
other? Kanacyn is TOO strong to use indiscriminately. I choose to use it when hemorrhaging is
involved because there’s more immediacy needed when there’s an open wound of some kind.
10. An unopened bottle of your favorite ich control. I prefer something using formalin and zinc
free malachite green. I normally reach for Aquarium Product’s Quick Cure. Oh yeah, don’t wear a
white shirt when you handle this stuff. Choose a dark colored shirt, it hides the stains.
PLEASE POST SUGGESTIONS AND RESPONSES ON THE THREAD I'VE CREATED, NOT HERE. THANKS, DAN