Tired of fish poo in my mouth!!

No matter how many times a day I do water changes on the baby tanks, I always end up with a mouth full of rotifer/greenwater/fish poo/saltwater in my mouth

Seriously, how are the rest of you not getting all this in your mouth??

I have one of those fancy siphons that gets things moving without me having to suck at the end of the tube (blech!). It's niiiiiiiice ^_^

Ok I'm sold, where do I get it

I got mine at my LFS, but I've also seen them at Petsmart and Petco. It's an Aqueon Siphon Vacuum:

Aqueon Siphon Vacuum Aquarium Gravel Cleaner at PETCO

I use a long tube lol. or my aqualifter.

Thanks for the link, but that might be too big for the baby tank? What is a aqualifter?

Nevermind hubby says we have one

TA-AQUALIFTERPUMP Premium Aquatics - TA-AQUALIFTERPUMP Aquarium Supplies

CPR Aqualifter Siphon Overflo Pump

Small tubes you can use a syringe from a test kit, larger tubes just submerge the entire hose in water, put your thumb on the end coming out of the water and then lower it into the bucket.

I use a 35' clear hose and siphon it off my balcony so I can see the water coming a long way off.

The first time getting it going is always poo free, but after the end has been sitting in the water in the bucket, there just isn't a time when I don't taste tank water.

Rinse your equipment when you are done lol.

Originally Posted by spinycheek

The first time getting it going is always poo free, but after the end has been sitting in the water in the bucket, there just isn't a time when I don't taste tank water.

I know the feeling

We use a small siphon hose and stop sucking before the water gets to us. I know what you mean though because no matter how hard you try it gona get you some times.

It is a good idea to clean hoses and other maintenance stuff every once and a while. Ill fill up the sink with water and a little bleach and throw stuff in there. If your doing hoses you got to get the bleachy water inside too. Rinse well and air dry and its ready to go.

Originally Posted by chris&barb

... Ill fill up the sink with water and a little bleach and throw stuff in there. If your doing hoses you got to get the bleachy water inside too. Rinse well and air dry and its ready to go.

I was always told bleach and any kind of soap is a no-no, and you should use vinegar to clean your tank stuff instead? If this info is false, I'd much rather use bleach. Vinegar stinks to high heaven!!!

Thanks for the idea....I have been bleaching tools but not the hoses.

you can use bleach as long as it's not scented. Just be sure to rinse till the smell is gone.

Originally Posted by spinycheek

The first time getting it going is always poo free, but after the end has been sitting in the water in the bucket, there just isn't a time when I don't taste tank water.

That's a crappy thing to have happen.

Originally Posted by LadyOfIreland

I was always told bleach and any kind of soap is a no-no, and you should use vinegar to clean your tank stuff instead? If this info is false, I'd much rather use bleach. Vinegar stinks to high heaven!!!

Vinegar can raise your PH depending on tank size, and the bleach will evaporate so once dry it's safe to use.

Originally Posted by LadyOfIreland

I was always told bleach and any kind of soap is a no-no, and you should use vinegar to clean your tank stuff instead? If this info is false, I'd much rather use bleach. Vinegar stinks to high heaven!!!

You dont want to use soaps at all but bleach and vinegar are great for cleaning.

Use bleach for disinfecting stuff like hoses, larval tanks/equipment in between batches. If you have a piece of live rock with HA, aiptasia or anything else you dont want on it bleach will kill it along with anything else on/in the rock. When your done rinse it really well in RO and then air dry fully. Before you use it again smell it and if you smell bleach you didnt rinse it enough. Also to be on the safe side with thing like live rock that are porous, when you rinse it add some dechlorinator like ClorAm-x and then still air dry.

Vinegar can be sued to clean almost anything around the tank. Got coralline are calcium build up on equipment? Put it in a bucket of 100% vinegar and watch it melt away.

Originally Posted by Kimberlee

Vinegar can raise your PH depending on tank size, and the bleach will evaporate so once dry it's safe to use.

Originally Posted by chris&barb

You dont want to use soaps at all but bleach and vinegar are great for cleaning.

Use bleach for disinfecting stuff like hoses, larval tanks/equipment in between batches. If you have a piece of live rock with HA, aiptasia or anything else you dont want on it bleach will kill it along with anything else on/in the rock. When your done rinse it really well in RO and then air dry fully. Before you use it again smell it and if you smell bleach you didnt rinse it enough. Also to be on the safe side with thing like live rock that are porous, when you rinse it add some dechlorinator like ClorAm-x and then still air dry.

Vinegar can be sued to clean almost anything around the tank. Got coralline are calcium build up on equipment? Put it in a bucket of 100% vinegar and watch it melt away.

Well this makes me super happy!!! I never used it and would stick to using really hot water and elbow grease to clean my stuff, just because I was afraid to use anything else for fear of killing my tank. Now that I know I can use bleach and just make sure I can't smell it on anything after, first thing I'm doing this weekend is cleaning equipment Thanks guys!!