RE:Aquarium-Related Injuries

["Mary Alice Kropp" <mak at thirtytwopaws_com>]

I've been reading this thread with sympathy for those who have gotten hurt
by their aquarium or inhabitants thereof (and with not a few chuckles along
the way, as well), but enough is enough!

My reason?

Well, today was "clean the 90 gallon tank day," a task which usually takes
about 40 minutes or so. Today, however, once I got everything cleaned,
siphoned, changed, etc (and rescued the rusty cichlid who, and how I have no
idea, had gotten himself trapped in one of the hoses of the Fluval!),
*neither* of the two filters on the tank would restart.  I'm used to that
with the Fluval- I seem to have problems with that one regularly. I finally
got that one going, and the Emperor wouldn't go! I fiddled and banged and
readjusted, and finally decided I was going to have to take it off the tank
and apart to see if there was something inside that was causing the problems
(another rusty? :) ).  Now this is no simple task- the tank is against the
wall, on a solid oak stand and you can't get behind it. Not the best
arrangement, but the only option available here.  So, I crawled underneath
the stand, unplugged it, fed the cord out of the stand and untangled it,
pulled the filter off and very carefully, carried it to the sink, trying not
to spill TOO much water. Started taking it apart and managed to slice open
my thumb somewhere along the line.  Nothing inside, but I cleaned it up and
put it back together. Carried it back to the tank, reversed the process for
getting it out, filled it with water again- flipped the switch. Nothing- the
water flows thru till it gets below the level of the spillover and then the
impeller just grinds away.  I fill it again- still nothing.  Ok, I'm getting
frustrated.  Hubby comes in, looks at it, puts the flow regulator thingy in
the opposite position I had it in, pours in a cup of water- eureka! Working
like a charm! Argh!

So, here I am- took twice as long as usual to clean the tank, my thumb is
bleeding, and it takes the non-fish person in the house to start up what has
always been the most reliable filter in the whole bunch!

Enough talk of injuries and troubles! For my sanity.... :) :) :)

-Mak
In chilly, rainy, sleety, sorta snowy NH
http://www.thirtytwopaws.com/mak/

And if I claim to be a wise man/ It surely means that I don't know
      -Kansas, Carry On Wayward Son

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