Short Cuts and Alternate Uses

It seems like some people have a few really innovative uses for items which aren't typically used in the Aquaria Hobby.

Here is a good place to help fellow hobbyists with your great idea's!

These are mine:

For Fragging:

1. use an ice cube tray to isolate zoa heads.
2. in a pinch - cheap netting can be found at your local dollar store in the form of nylon ankle stockings - they pull over an ice cube tray nicely!

FEEDING Sun Coral and other target feeding - I use a flavor injector (used to inject juices into meat)

UV - buying from an aquarium store can be EXPENSIVE for a little bit of nothing!

Lowes Home Improvement stores sell pond UV's for about 100 bucks.
the benefit is that they are large so water is exposed a LOT more than the little ones in the hobby.

THE [STRIKE]- END -[/STRIKE] ... or do you have some? ​

 

great ideas mate!!

 

Tooth brush: scrubs rocks and so forth
Turkey baster: Cleaning
Water pick: Got this from a Mag at RAP; clean rocks, remove dieing, damaged and dead tissue from corals
credit card: algae scraper
Water trough: Sump, refuge
Shop light: fuge light

 

Toilet brush for algae on glass-
Pasta spoon- plastic with the slots in it- for stirring the sand during water change-
(I think I sound like "Tips from Heloise"!)
Gooseneck desk light for my sump- with a clip!

 

algae on glass:
Bar-B-QUE Grill scraper and ice scraper for those in snow country!

I like the pasta spoon idea

 

MY favorite tool is a one gallon open top plastic pitcher purchased from the dollar store. I do everything with this from water changes to hauling and cleaning. Also, you can purchase from Lowe various sized hard and soft plastic tubing for your plumbings and do it yourself projects.

 

GOOD POINT!

Need to move water out of a tank FAST?

Lowes has 1 and a quarter inch hose

I got 22 foot of it and it is fast and EASY to siphon water out - with 22 foot you can reach some drain or door and NO MOUTHFUL of Caca water either

 

For the spoon idea -


I have a 20g and have read on here that you aren't supposed to "clean" your sand because it will raise all of your nitrate levels, etc, and cause the bacteria to fill into the water?


am i mistaken?

 

I'm not sure...

the smallest tank I ever owned was and is the 90 gallon with about a 10 gallon sump.

I have heard that it is a LOT easier to do bigger tanks because of less fluctuation in water quality.

from what I understand - you still need to keep it turned so the bacteria can be flushed out.

It may very well be ... there are times when I wish mine was like yours.

Yesterday I finally got a good light for my 210 gal.

... to think I could have sold it at a discount and paid for a new convertible top on my Deville makes me a bit ill :-X

 

Stirring the sand depends on a few things. How deep is the sand? How large is the grain?

I would venture to say NEVER stir the sand. It wrecks it's natural ability to do what it's supposed to. Instead get some good sand cleaners to do the job for you. Nassarius snails work great.

I don't really have any cheap items to add to the list...

How about the rubbermaid wet dry/sump/fuge combo??? can be bought about anywhere and at odd times of the night. (wally world) Cheap as well...