does anybody else keep fish,i had the lovely job earlier of cleaning the tank,4ft and bah eck can they produce some sh@t

used to keep tropical and cold water fish - not in the same tank though. One of the ballon mollies got a bit ill once and was floating upside down before it died.

I think changing the water too often did more harm than good.

i do it once every 3/4 weeks in my tropical,usually 4 cos i cant be arsed ;D

Yes, get a good filter system, and they need very little maintainance.


Keep the water, the fish keep themselves  :y (bar food obviously)

Jimbob wrote on 20. Dec 2009 at 15:06:

Yes, get a good filter system, and they need very little maintainance. Keep the water, the fish keep themselves  :y (bar food obviously)

I agree with JB.  I used to have an external filter on mine.

If your tank wont stay clean it's generally due to over feeding, the more food the more poop.

ive got a fluval 4 plus and 3 bottom feeders  help keep it clean but my plec does mansize turds

My dad kept tropical fish in the late 70s-early 80s. He had a Red Belly Piranha in a 6' tank of it's own. He would feed it live Goldfish, i had great fun watching it as a teenanger. I used to think "i bet that Goldfish is thinking - Uhm it's nice & warm in here". Then Jaws would stalk his prey. I've never seen a fish so big move so fast. It didn't eat it all at once, he would bite it in half & come back for rest later & the front half of the Goldfish would still be swimming about ;D ;D ;D

I have a big external filter, and external UV filter.  Keeps the water spotless.  Clean the filter 2-3 times a year, 1/3rd water change 6 times a year.

Internal ones just do not cut the mustard imho

Pete. wrote on 20. Dec 2009 at 16:36:

My dad kept tropical fish in the late 70s-early 80s. He had a Red Belly Piranha in a 6' tank of it's own. He would feed it live Goldfish, i had great fun watching it as a teenanger. I used to think "i bet that Goldfish is thinking - Uhm it's nice & warm in here". Then Jaws would stalk his prey. I've never seen a fish so big move so fast. It didn't eat it all at once, he would bite it in half & come back for rest later & the front half of the Goldfish would still be swimming about ;D ;D ;D

My father once planned to stock the pond in the back garden with Piranhas & let the neighbourhood cats try to catch them with their paws (He hated cats because they dug up his seed beds) :D

A job I no longer have to do,  :) thank heaven,  :) since my daughter moved out and took her bl**dy aquarium with her.

Only proper use for fish is bouillabaisse or similar. :) :)

Pitchfork wrote on 20. Dec 2009 at 17:06:

Pete. wrote on 20. Dec 2009 at 16:36: My dad kept tropical fish in the late 70s-early 80s. He had a Red Belly Piranha in a 6' tank of it's own. He would feed it live Goldfish, i had great fun watching it as a teenanger. I used to think "i bet that Goldfish is thinking - Uhm it's nice & warm in here". Then Jaws would stalk his prey. I've never seen a fish so big move so fast. It didn't eat it all at once, he would bite it in half & come back for rest later & the front half of the Goldfish would still be swimming about ;D ;D ;D My father once planned to stock the pond in the back garden with Piranhas & let the neighbourhood cats try to catch them with their paws (He hated cats because they dug up his seed beds) :D

What a good idea. I hate cats too >:( >:( >:( >:(

The bloke across the road from me has three & they crap on my lawn. It's ok, because he gets it back ;)

Pete. wrote on 20. Dec 2009 at 18:53:

Pitchfork wrote on 20. Dec 2009 at 17:06: Pete. wrote on 20. Dec 2009 at 16:36: My dad kept tropical fish in the late 70s-early 80s. He had a Red Belly Piranha in a 6' tank of it's own. He would feed it live Goldfish, i had great fun watching it as a teenanger. I used to think "i bet that Goldfish is thinking - Uhm it's nice & warm in here". Then Jaws would stalk his prey. I've never seen a fish so big move so fast. It didn't eat it all at once, he would bite it in half & come back for rest later & the front half of the Goldfish would still be swimming about ;D ;D ;D My father once planned to stock the pond in the back garden with Piranhas & let the neighbourhood cats try to catch them with their paws (He hated cats because they dug up his seed beds) :D What a good idea. I hate cats too >:( >:( >:( >:( The bloke across the road from me has three & they crap on my lawn. It's ok, because he gets it back ;)

Not through the letterbox I hope. ;D