Short People with Big Tanks -- Maintenance Question

Salty Lemon · Jan 5, 2019

Hi gang,
I have a 210 gallon and I'm 5'5". Any suggestions or tips to place corals or do general maintenance without submerging myself? Even with my ladder/step-stool, I cannot reach the bottom. My grabbers don't work all that well. I honestly have a snorkel waiting in my Amazon cart, and before I buy it, I thought there may be some suggestions from the veterans out there.

Tonya

tripdad · Jan 5, 2019

Look at terrarium tools in stainless steel. There is also a guy who shows up the bigger reef shows that sells some tools also.

Salty Lemon · Jan 5, 2019

tripdad said:
Look at terrarium tools in stainless steel. There is also a guy who shows up the bigger reef shows that sells some tools also.

Great idea! Thank you.

Scurvy · Jan 5, 2019

Could get something like this to pull out whenever you need to get in the tank. The extra height coould help extend your reach.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-100662616-_-305590237-_-N

andrewkw · Jan 5, 2019

You would need a new stand but this is the best idea I've ever seen.

redfishbluefish · Jan 5, 2019

Date/Marry a very tall person!

tripdad said:
Look at terrarium tools in stainless steel. There is also a guy who shows up the bigger reef shows that sells some tools also.

I know exactly who you're talking about. He travels from show to show....all over the place....and has a ton of equipment; typically a couple booths.

Salty Lemon · Jan 5, 2019

andrewkw said:
You would need a new stand but this is the best idea I've ever seen.

OMG! This is brilliant! I'm sending this link to my husband. He is handy and builds lots of things around the house. Wow! Thanks Andrew!

Salty Lemon · Jan 5, 2019

redfishbluefish said:
Date/Marry a very tall person!

I know exactly who you're talking about. He travels from show to show....all over the place....and has a ton of equipment; typically a couple booths.

I'm going to print off his photo the next time I go to a reef show. Thanks RedfishBluefish!

Salty Lemon · Jan 5, 2019

Scurvy said:
Could get something like this to pull out whenever you need to get in the tank. The extra height coould help extend your reach.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-100662616-_-305590237-_-N[/QOTE]

I never thought of a platform stepladder. I need to start shopping to see if they have one at least 30" high. Thanks Scurvy!

redfishbluefish · Jan 5, 2019

These suggests from @Scurvy and @andrewkw are also great suggestions (melev is a genius with a number of his solutions)....why didn't I think of that? I'm six foot tall and my tank is only 20 inches deep and I have this stool in my fishroom when I need to go deep.

Here are plans....note, I didn't angle the legs.

Salty Lemon · Jan 5, 2019

redfishbluefish said:
These suggests from @Scurvy and @andrewkw are also great suggestions (melev is a genius with a number of his solutions)....why didn't I think of that? I'm six foot tall and my tank is only 20 inches deep and I have this stool in my fishroom when I need to go deep.

Here are plans....note, I didn't angle the legs.

Very nice! Love the diagrams. On a side note... I'm envious of your height.

garbled · Jan 6, 2019

On my in-wall I built a 12" platform that just goes all the way around the perimeter so I can get at it from all sides without needing a ladder. I used massive L brackets and lag bolts directly into the stand.

lapin · Jan 6, 2019

A platform plank is the ideal solution. My tank is 36" deep and about 36" off the ground. My platform is about 4 foot tall. Allows me to reach into the tank but cant touch bottom. For that I have some tools. Tongs, snake stick, pinchers, giant size long turkey baster, baby bottle brush on a fiberglass rod ect...

Salty Lemon · Jan 6, 2019

garbled said:
On my in-wall I built a 12" platform that just goes all the way around the perimeter so I can get at it from all sides without needing a ladder. I used massive L brackets and lag bolts directly into the stand.

That must be impressive to see. Do you have a pic on your build thread?

Salty Lemon · Jan 6, 2019

lapin said:
A platform plank is the ideal solution. My tank is 36" deep and about 36" off the ground. My platform is about 4 foot tall. Allows me to reach into the tank but cant touch bottom. For that I have some tools. Tongs, snake stick, pinchers, giant size long turkey baster, baby bottle brush on a fiberglass rod ect...

@tripdad suggested terrarium tools. I ordered some yesterday and I'm discussing platforms with my handy husband. This is going to be much easier after all the help I received. Thanks!

LovesDogs_CatsRokay · Jan 6, 2019

Salty Lemon said:
@tripdad suggested terrarium tools. I ordered some yesterday and I'm discussing platforms with my handy husband. This is going to be much easier after all the help I received. Thanks!

Which tools did you order? I also can’t reach the bottom of my tank.

Victoria M · Jan 6, 2019

I have to beg my tall husband and kids to help me. My tank is 30” deep so it is impossible to work in the bottom of it. Snorkeling in my tank is not something I am ready to do just yet.

Salty Lemon · Jan 6, 2019

LovesDogs_CatsRokay said:
Which tools did you order? I also can’t reach the bottom of my tank.

I ordered these off of Amazon -- but I'm still going to need some sort of plank to stand on. However, placing corals will be much easier thanks to @tripdad 's recommendation. This is the link for the ones I purchased, but they have all sorts of stainless steel tools. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IR6WPY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Salty Lemon · Jan 6, 2019

Victoria M said:
I have to beg my tall husband and kids to help me. My tank is 30” deep so it is impossible to work in the bottom of it. Snorkeling in my tank is not something I am ready to do just yet.

LOL! That's why I started this thread. I actually put a snorkel and mask in my Amazon cart to occasionally submerge myself and thought...there has to be a better way than this.

aquaman99 · Jan 6, 2019

I just put my 26" tall tank on my 32" custom stand(it was the shortest stand I could have with a sump) and I am about 5ft so.... my 62" is not much taller than 58" of stand and tank. So I am in the same boat as you. I have no idea how I plan to do maintenance or anything on the sand bed by myself. Let alone my arm has to be about 28" from wrist to arm pit just to be able to reach the bottom once I am tall enough.