How to not make a mess

[chopper320]

How do you guys work in your tank without making a mess? For instance when fragging corals how do you avoid getting water all over your floor? Same thing with water changes?

I always have a towel handy and try to be careful but it seems like just dipping my arms in the tank and pulling them out gets water everywhere.

Silly question I know but I just can't get down a good system to avoid making a mess.

 

[buffalo123]

Towels, for water changes use a long syphon hose

 

[aandfsoccr04]

I sure can't help ya there. I get water all over my damn floor everytime I do a water change. That's why I do them 1/2 as much as I should.

 

[Fly77]

I don't know if it's possible NOT to make a mess..., same thing here! Always with one towel in the left shoulder (I'm right-handed) and an extra one nearby.

 

[MARINECRITTERS]

I wear shoulder gloves so water does not pour out of them when I take my arms out, I also purchase large sheets of black plastic to put around tanks that are on carpet and any other surfaces that aren't concrete.

Luckily the only tank I have running is in my basement, so the water only splashes on the concrete.

 

[bpcardona]

The best way to avoid the water from getting all over the floor and getting in trouble for soaking it with your wife's good towel is too............get out of the hobby! :spin3:

 

[chopper320]

The best way to avoid the water from getting all over the floor and getting in trouble for soaking it with your wife's good towel is too............get out of the hobby! :spin3:

Lol yeah this is the problem. My tank is in our living room which is carpeted and no matter how hard I try to be careful I still make a mess and get in trouble with the wife!

 

[bpcardona]

We all feel your pain. Just remember no water changes tomorrow, you know since it's v-day

 

[borg]

when i changed my aquascape the other day in order to catch a cheeky six line i lined the floor directly under the tank with 2 towels .. then on top of the towels i have a old laminated poster thats large enough to cover the towels .... rocks and coral etc site on the plastic and then once done any worms , breakaway pieces of rock , and water goes into the sump ... dt always gets splashes on the front tho

 

[EasyEd77]

I use a shop mat when I mess with my tank. It looks like an area rug that you would see at a gas station and has a rubber bottom so if I spill it does not go through. When I am done I roll it up and stash it away. You can probably purchase one from a local grainger or online somewhere.

 

[larac]

I use disposable plastic gloves. They come in different thickness and lengths, and you can buy them online at farm supply stores. They aren't completely waterproof, but are OK unless you snag them on rock or coral.

Painter's plastic for the floor when doing anything messy.

 

[chopper320]

Painters plastic or shop mats are a good idea. I may do one of those. I think part of my problem is I have my hands in my tank too much too. I always have a reason to adjust something it seems like.

 

[whodeydan76]

Lol I always have my hands in my tank for something! I also blow off my rocks daily with a reef turkey baster too.. another old secret from a friend while cycling and establishing a tank..do this to prevent algae growth. Until u can get a cuc in the tank safely.

 

[bambam918]

I stopped having water spillage when I purchased a 55 gallon rubbeaid trash can on wheels. I have this in the garage and mix my water in it. I have a mag5 pump inside along with a power head. I then went to ace hardware and purchased long enough Vinyl tubing to siphon the water out of the tank to the back yArd. I then pump my WC water from the trash can to the DT. no buckets no spilling. The only thing I have to worry about is water dripping from my hands when pulled from the tank.

 

[ACBlinky]

If I'm fragging, adding new corals, changing out the filter sock, cleaning pumps, or doing anything else where my hands may be in and out of the tank several times, I put down a large Rubbermaid bin lid. It's about 30" long, and has a 3" lip. I can put things down on it, hold my dripping hands over it, and no water gets on the floor. When I'm done I just rinse it off and put it back in the closet.

If I just need to do something small, say, mag-float the glass and then take the wet magnet out of the tank, I keep a small towel or some paper towels close by to catch drips and wipe my arm off before I move it away from the top of the tank.

That said... I rarely finish without getting a few drips (or a lot of drips) on the carpet. If we had nice carpet (we don't, it's industrial yuck-style, we live in a rented apartment), I'd put down some plastic sheeting.

 

[Cstaricansrfer1]

Back-siphons can be deadly. I was refilling my tank the other day from a 5 gallon bucket and when I turned the pump off, I got carried away with something else while my bucket was rapidly filling back up and then eventually overflowed all over the kitchen.
And I thought I was being careful lol.
There's always something that will unexpectedly make a mess.

 

[barjam]

My tank is in wall and the fish room is in the unfinished part. I slosh water everywhere and don't care. The floor can be soaked and I just walk away.