The first Wednesday of the month has abruptly come again. This is the day that I do all of the maintenance on my fish aquariums. There are 5 in all, and most people believe that it is a large chore to take care of that many. I honestly believe that it's not all that bad, and with a properly planned schedule, anyone can easily care for an aquarium; fresh or saltwater.
I start out directly after school by changing into some jeans or shorts so that I don't get my nice clothes all wet. I then head to the closet to get my supplies which are: four buckets, two different sized hoses, a water pump, my water testing kit, and a box of different chemicals. After I have everything set out in the dining room, I walk around to each of the aquariums and lift off the wooden canopies and glass coverings so that I can access the water easier.
English: Water fountain found in a small Swiss vil...
English: Mid 19th Century glass freshwater aquariu...
A shot of our 10 Gallon tank. Hopefully being used...It is now time to take out the water from the first tank.
I always begin with the largest of my tanks, which is a 100 gallon show tank. Making sure not to disturb the fish too much, I slide the siphon hose into the water to fill it up. I plug the other end with my thumb to make sure I stop the water from spilling out. I then lift the hose that is in the water back into the air making sure I captured a large amount of water. I lower the unfilled part of the tube down and raise the filled part up, making the water travel from one end to the other. I then set the newly emptied end of the hose back down into the water, the suction is made and the water begins...