3 weeks away from my guys - a little nervous

[William1]

I fill 3 five gallon buckets. Age the them 24 hours, the time it takes for the next change. Then I warm the water with two extra heaters before I refill. Usually I change 15-20 gallons a day in a 120G tank. I have been doing 20 gallons lately with the last five coming out of the tap with 6 drops Prime added to the bucket. Sometimes I'll skip a day, but rarely two. This system has worked well for me. Siphoning and changing 20 gallons a day is not a lot of work for what you get out of it. My buddy was adding only, 20 gallons twice a week. He let it age, so it got to room temp, tstat set at 65, so it was going in cold. He wasn't buying my theory that the water was better warm going in I guess. Can't argue with the guy, what he did was very helpful and a nice thing to do.

[Filip]

Welcome back home Will .
I'm glad that you and your wilds are in good shape .I would like to see them , so please post us some pics when you have some spare time to do so .
Take care .

[TheLankster]

Crazy to see how casually you and the other guy talk about cancer.

That must be something else to deal with. God bless. Enjoy ur fish!

[Jenene]

I fill 3 five gallon buckets. Age the them 24 hours, the time it takes for the next change. Then I warm the water with two extra heaters before I refill. Usually I change 15-20 gallons a day in a 120G tank. I have been doing 20 gallons lately with the last five coming out of the tap with 6 drops Prime added to the bucket. Sometimes I'll skip a day, but rarely two. This system has worked well for me. Siphoning and changing 20 gallons a day is not a lot of work for what you get out of it. My buddy was adding only, 20 gallons twice a week. He let it age, so it got to room temp, tstat set at 65, so it was going in cold. He wasn't buying my theory that the water was better warm going in I guess. Can't argue with the guy, what he did was very helpful and a nice thing to do.

I admire you for being able to accept help even though it was not at the level you would have done yourself. You were just simply grateful. Good for you William and it worked out. I really wish there was more of that in the world.
Looking back on my last few months would it be easier for you to get one of the smaller brute barrels and a dolly? I have a 44 gallon and a 34 gallon (I think that is what they are) and bought the wheels for them. I have some inexpensive pumps I just leave in them and some eheim heaters. I had a very bad case of pnuemonia over the holidays ( I was very ill) where my doctor forbid me to do any activity that required any muscle over my shoulders. Well, yeah, no... Sorry...I have to change my discus tank. This roller barrel and pump saved me. I literally could do a huge water change without gassing myself to exhaustion. Although to avoid being scolded I did it when my husband was at work - I got away with it. I did not miss a single water change over the worst of the illness that lasted a month.

I know you have wilds so your demand is a bit less but by lessening your burden you can have a peace of mind and keep your fish happy. I consider myself to be pretty strong and healthy but the thought of hauling 5 gallon buckets through the house and dumping them is exhausting...

I am so relieved to hear that all is well with you and you fish and hope to hear of your continuing health and happy discus! I hope you can streamline your process so even on a good day you can spend more time enjoying it to the fullest.

[Swedgin]

Glad to read everything seems to be working out for your fish, and most importantly for you. Hope you make a full recovery soon. Best wishes from a fellow Uatuma blue keeper.

[William1]

I was just laying here thinking, hey, I could get a 30 gallon barrel, it should fit in the hallway closet, with a pump and correct length hoses I should be able to remove, replace, and age my water a whole lot easier than what I have been doing. I finally thought of that closet. Duh. The front door is 16' from the tank, the closet is 14' max, and the sink to closet is maybe 10'. Gee, do ya think I can cut three pieces of hose, get a barrel and pump and make my life a lot easier. Pretty easy project. Ok, I'm in. Barrel should be food safe. Got it. Now where do I get it? Please share where I can get one. I assume Menards or HD, but why waste a trip.
That was funny, because I just figured that out in my present time half stupor and Jenene suggests the exact same thing. Thanks Jenene! It all came into focus and you sealed the deal. Your timing is impeccable.
Need a barrel!
Just did a forum search and I read I can get a 35G brute, maybe with wheels, at HD. Sounds perfect. I won't have to move it much but the wheels don't hurt. Those are nice and sturdy. Sweet! Going shopping tomorrow.

[William1]

Last post as a follow up. I finally felt strong enough to clean the tank and do a water change today. So that is 28 days or a full four weeks between changes. Now that I can see inside the tank, the fish are fine. The discus actually seem less skittish, very active, and seemingly no worse for the lapse. They are quite beautiful also. Their full colors are kicking in and really are a handsome group. So, change your water every four weeks! Just kidding. Going to get the storage barrel and pump set up. That should make a WC a piece of cake. Thanks for the nice thoughts. It means a lot.

[Jenene]

It is wonderful to hear your good news.

You beat me to it but I did purchase the Brute barrels at Home Depot. I am not sure if it is too late and you have already purchased a dolly for it but I found mine here:

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/lave...74TCDOLLY.html

I have had no issues with them, and they ship fast. Can't beat the price.

That is awesome that your discus are healthy and happy. More importantly you are on the mend, home, feeling stronger and can finally enjoy your fish.

When you get a chance post a pic for us okay?

[William1]

I have a Home Depot 5 minutes from my house. Check it out tomorrow. Got some more cleaning before any pics. Thanks Jenene. You are a sweetheart.

[Jenene]

Just checking in on you William. How are things going? Been thinking about you and I hope you are getting rested and stronger. Any luck on the barrel and dolly? It will be really nice for you to be able to just roll the water around.

Let us know how you're doing. I know you have lots of people wishing you a full, speedy (as possible) recovery!

[William1]

Hi Jenene - thank you for your concern. I'm ok - without elaborating, the last week has been kinda rough , but it's over and slowly getting better. I am almost over the hump with this phase I hope and can work on gaining my strength back. I have chemo for the next four months at least, so that should be fun. Haven't got anywhere on the barrel yet. Did a water change last Saturday and need to do another today or tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be up to it.
Thanks again. I'll be fine. Maybe we should get back to discus keeping. I know I need to. Can't wait till I can get the tank super cleaned up so my guys can show themselves in all their beauty. Take care. You are a very sweet person and it shows in your posts. Have fun with your fish!, BK

[ttan02]

Hey William, Good luck to you. I know everyone has a different situation in life but this hobby of ours keeps us going.

[JBurgo]

We want to see some pics of your fish.