Today we discovered that our fish tank was leaking. Just a slow leak, thank goodness, but enough to leave a small puddle on the floor.
We’ve had that tank for at least 20 years, probably more like 25, and it has been used to house multiple rodents when it wasn’t being used to house assorted fish, so I decided it would probably be better in the long run if we bought a new tank rather than trying to fix the old one.
Want to know how to change from an old leaky tank to a new one?
- Pull the plug on all the electric stuff and remove the lid from the tank.
- Take the hoses off the power filter and put them in a bucket.
- Chase calico cat out from behind tank.
- Carry tank lid, heater, filter hoses and filter to kitchen sink.
- Chase calico cat out from behind tank.
- Siphon out a full bucket of water and set the bucket close to the tank.
- Net out each fish and put it in the bucket.
- Chase calico cat away from bucket full of fish.
- Siphon most of the rest of the water out of the tank, one bucket at a time, pouring the water in the kitchen sink and chasing away calico cat as necessary. When tank is mostly empty, remove plastic plants.
- Scoop all the rocks out of the bottom of the tank, one handful at a time, and put them in a bucket.
- Pick up the tank with the last few ounces of sludge filled water and move it to the kitchen.
- Pick up the tank stand and put it outside to dry.
- Wipe up water and loosened paint from the floor inside the fake fireplace. Put small fan from bathroom in there to blow the area dry.
- Sit down to relax and read a magazine, with calico cat on lap. Periodically remind cat that she does NOT want to get into that bucket of fish.
- When everything is mostly dry, reassemble stand and replace new tank. Put all electric stuff back. Put rocks in tank, carefully. Put plastic plants back.
- Carry water from kitchen, one bucket at a time, till tank is mostly full. After second bucket, put calico cat in bedroom and shut door.
- Turn on filter, air stone and tank heater.
- Catch fish in bucket with net and replace in tank. Pour water from bucket into tank until tank is full.
- Feed fish, stand back and admire tank.
- Release cat. Tell her “tough noogies.”
(the following is the calico cat in front of the old fish tank–new alignment looks the same)
