The Joy and Misery of this Hobby

[jonclark96]

Sometimes the fishkeeping hobby just tears me apart. Today is a prime example.

I got home from work and went through my usual routine of turning on the lights and checking fish in my fish room. To my surprise, I saw that two of the thorichthys meeki in my 55 were all colored up and ferociously defending a small pot in the middle of the tank. I had picked up these fish to be targets for my coatepeques about a year ago, and low and behold they went a spawned! The pot was full of wigglers. I proceeded to go to my box of supplies to get some air line to siphon out the wigglers. I keep the box in the stand under my 75. As I opened the cabinet doors, I smelled the now all too familiar smell of wet wood. Apparently, the Eheim 2026 I have on my 75 had developed a small leak (at least that's what I think is leaking). There is a puddle of water in the bottom of the cabinet. I finished up siphoning out the fry into a hang on breeder box and went to the clean up. Nothing like the instantaneous highs and lows of the hobby.

It's only a matter of time before my wife tells me no more fish tanks on the 2nd floor of the house if things keep leaking and smelling...

 

[festaedan]

My dad once yelled at me and threatened to take away all of my tanks when my canister filter got clogged with sand.

 

[AquaStudent]

Congrats on the fry and that you caught the leak before any major damage was done!

I think that's a win.

 

[toddnbecka]

My tanks are all in the basement since we moved. Went down to feed and turn off the lights the other night and found the 220 and 125 dead and dark, with water on the floor. When I prepped the basement for the tanks I has multiple new outlets installed, and a GFI on each of the 3 main circuits. I quickly found the problem, the sponges in an AC 110 were so loaded with muck that they had pushed up and overflowed a trickle of water from the corner of the filter case. A little water dripped down the cords behind the tank to the outlet and tripped the breaker. No harm done, they were only off for a short time.
In your case, I'd recommend setting the eheim inside a plastic tote or something similar to catch the next leak. Was it the main seal gasket?

 

[jonclark96]

It looked like a small leak from the head seal on the Eheim. I broke down the filter and gave it a good cleaning and set it back up inside a small tub like you suggested. No leaks overnight.

The frustrating part is this is in the same room that I cracked a 10G last year and ended up having to replace the flooring in the room. I've got a line on a new stand, but have to figure out logistics for picking it up and getting the old one out.

 

[hollyfish2000]

I have water damage on wood floors on two levels. Gggrrrr I have all filters in shallow tubs. Won't hold a major leak but can handle something small.

 

[Becca]

I have water damage on wood floors on two levels. Gggrrrr I have all filters in shallow tubs. Won't hold a major leak but can handle something small.

Yeah, I often recommend placing canisters in cat litter pans, though I rarely do this myself (d'oh).

I once had one stream of a spray bar make it out of the 150 when we lived in a 2nd story condo. The next morning we woke up and our floor was bone dry, but that one stream had hit the wall behind the tank and trickled down to the ceiling of the guy below us all night long. Thank goodness for renters' insurance.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Thats one of the reasons I no longer have tanks on the upper levels.
Too many spills over the years. Bad enough when they happen in basement.

My home owners used to say it covered "any accidental discharge of water" but if they came in and saw 50 tanks they might change their minds. LOL

 

[jonclark96]

All this is pointing towards my master plan of building a fish house in the back yard. Now, all I need to do is start playing the lotto to be able to pay for it. Either that or convince the kids that college is overrated.

 

[chriscoli]

I know what you mean about the joy and misery, though.......found my recently acquired male Nannacara anomala male dead yesterday, but then found that my Apisto panduro pair are out shepherding a bunch of fry! I kind of feel bipolar around my tanks sometimes....often alternating between WTF and OMG!

 

[ddavila06]

I know what you mean about the joy and misery, though.......found my recently acquired male Nannacara anomala male dead yesterday, but then found that my Apisto panduro pair are out shepherding a bunch of fry! I kind of feel bipolar around my tanks sometimes....often alternating between WTF and OMG!

way to go on ur panduro!

i failed w mine everytime..the eggs/wigglers disappeared everytime!

sorry about the anomala. i had them before, gorgeous fish!

 

[chriscoli]

Thanks! This is the second go for the panduro....fry disappeared last time, but I have my fingers crossed.

 

[Localzoo]

All this is pointing towards my master plan of building a fish house in the back yard. Now, all I need to do is start playing the lotto to be able to pay for it. Either that or convince the kids that college is overrated.

Or have a rented property just for fish.
But would be better if it would be in the backyard or next door...


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[Tony]

Bummer on the leak, Jon. I believe I have a metal stand for a 55 in my shed if you are interested.

You can have it for a 12 pack. (But you'll have to stick around and drink it with me)