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I hope I posted this in the right forum... If not please move me!

I have a 25 gallon tank that is about 24 inches deep. My arms are not; therefore, I have trouble reaching things in my tank, especially things at the bottom. This means I need some other ideas on how to reach things because I am going to be setting up a 55 gallon tank in the near future and if I do not figure out how to reach the bottom I will be in big trouble! It will be very difficult for me to plant my tank if i can't reach the substrate.

So, how do you guys get to the bottom of your tanks that are deeper than your arms are long? Any ideas would be helpful!


Christina

I do not have this problem but if I did then I would use my algae scraper, on one end it has a fork that it used to plant plants. You can just make it out in this picture...

http://www.arcatapet.com/images/222.jpg

I also use this to sift through the sand do other jobs.

Milkyboy

Easy. If you're worried about not being able to plant etc., then just use a step-stool, and remove 25% or more of the water before planting. As long as you get your shoulders above the height of the tank you should be able to reach down into it and hit the bottom, no problem.

---

Back in the saddle!

I use some "tong grabber thing". Here is a a page of different models at bigals....

http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/category.xml?pcid1=3347;category_id=3245
http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/category.xml?pcid1=3347;category_id=3245

I must have long arms as I can reach 2ft easy. Stand on a stool so that your arm pit is above the top of the tank. With your substrate you must be just a bit under 2ft anyway.

Naturally I suggest you have a sleevless top on and have some thing at hand all the time to dry your self and the front of the glass.

Also removing some of the water is a big help. I try to do planting when I do the 30% water change.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I'm short and I never had a problem reaching my 55g. A short chair or something works fine and just do half the tank at a time before moving your chair to the other side. Now the 90g is another story. I have to stand on a chair and submerge up to my shoulder to reach the bottom at the very back straight in front of me. If I want to reach over more than about 8" I have to get down and move my chair again. I have a very long net and I usually wait until water changes to actually do anything with the back. Then I gain a few inches before the side of my head goes underwater.

I was going to try getting some planting tools [link=http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2004+113218]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2004+113218" style="COLOR: #C000C0[/link] Especially since they go on sale fairly often but I decided getting a little wet wasn't that bad.

You can stand on a chair or a step stool & will reach things better.


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Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
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Go to your local department store and purchase a turkey baster and a pair of tongs or two. Bring them home and sterilize with boiling water (don't use any soap or detergent), and mark them for Aquarium use only. Mine are indispensable, and they were cheap and easy to get, too. I use the tongs to move rocks and wood or plants, and the turkey baster is great for gently acclimating fish and for cleaning the tank. I've also used it to deliver baby brine shrimp and powdered foods to very young or very timid fish. They're great tools.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

I've got one of [link=these]http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19193&category_id=3245&pcid1=3347" style="COLOR: #66FF33[/link] for planting, aquascaping, trimming, snail-picking-outing, etc... basically for anything that doesn't involve something big/heavy and that involves me not wanting to get my arms all wet whilst trying to reach the bottom of the tank

IME, it works great... it's a bit too flimsy to pick up heavy stuffs, but it works good and has a detachable/swichable head so you can basically put a pair of scissors on the end of it for trimming plants and stuff...it's great

HTH

Naturally I suggest you have a sleevless top on and have some thing at hand all the time to dry your self and the front of the glass.

Exactly what I do for my 55g...except I usually wear a short-sleeve shirt and roll the sleeves up.

I am also short and this works for me...I don't have to use a step stool or anything and I can reach the bottom easily...just get a little wet.

*Kristin*

Ok, now that I know how to hold the plant down... How would I cover the roots with gravel? Somehow I don't think I can jsut stand there and hold it until the plants decide to root themselves...

Anyway, would a cup or something like that work to scoop it onto the plant?


Christina

After I have added plants I often move the Substrate around using a very large chop stick I also use a soft plastic cup to add or remove extra substrate.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Chrissy,

I'm 6'1" and I sometimes have a little problem in moving things at the bottom of my 125G tank. I keep a step stool in the cabinet base for those times that I need to reach down. It just makes it easier...

The best way to plant stem plants, like bacopa, is to use use a tong or tweezer to insert the stem two inches deep into the substrate. However, I am too cheap to buy a tool, so I grasp the stem between my thumb and forefinger then bulldoze my forefinger down to the desired depth backfilling the little trench.

In the case of rooted plants, like cryptocorynes or echinodorus, I unpot the plant, carefully remove the rock wool and then trim the roots back to a length of 2-3 inches. I use the same procedure to insert the root mass into the substrate - the trench is deeper and wider as I use as many fingers as necessary to form the trench. The caution for planting these guys is to be sure that the substrate is firmly around the roots and that the crown of the plant is above the substrate.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

I have no problems with my 25g, sleeveless shirt and a towel work great, I place the water bucket on a stool because I like to control the flow and I don't have a fancy python or anything. For my brothers 55g I was considering a scuba suit to reach bottom but wound up creating a 4" drift at the back that I could reach and getting wet for the front where the substrate was lower. Keeping most of the plants on driftwood is looking better as I know how much I like to rearrange things in my own tank!

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

All I can say is HAHAHA

You guys and your stories are just great!

Please keep the ideas coming... Sounds like a stool is about my only option though I will have to look into one of those grabber things... Can't remember the name for them lol. My mom has a gopher j/k

Keep 'em comin'
Christina