So, What other secrets are you all hiding from me???

[DeathWish302]

Well, i'll start the book then. Here goes for uses of 5 gallon pickle/salt buckets:
1) water changes
2) mixing water for water chaanges
3) mixing kalk
4) large kalk dripper
5) holding tank for new specimens
6) holding tank when exporting algae
7) stool to reach into tank
8) seat when working on sump
9) bio-ball chamber of a trickle filter (or a past use for most of us)
10) stand for kalk dripper
11) LR curing vat (small batches)
12) LS cycling container


There's a few, so keep listing guys.........

DW302

 

[Turtlesteve]

laser pointers can hurt your eyes, right? wouldn't you risk frying fragile corals?

on the other hand, you could use them to fry aptasia...

 

[Bocaswim]

One more thing

One more thing

Aout those magnets, mine doubles as a food clip. I was sick of finding those suction cup food clips all over the bottom and tucked under rocks in the darndest places, so I started using the algae magnet. Works great, and I can move the nori, seaweed, broccoli, or whatever anywhere around the tank.

 

[nanoreefboy]

When catching a fish out of a tank use a rose vase. One of the big one's, for dozen roses, that has a large opening curves down for the neck, and then open back up. Put in a piece of food and set the vase on the side at the bottom of the tank. The curve in the neck will stop the food from floating out. Once the fish is in put your hand over the opening and pull it out. Most fish swim away from your hand so even if you are not fast enough to cover it they will probably stay in.

mini m&m's containers are the perfect size for bringing in a h2o sample to the lfs for testing.

Dog toothbrushes are a reefers best friend. The kind with a large and small end are the best, 2 in 1.

In the craft section of wal-mart they carry a black plastic grid stuff, the only way to describe it. This stuff has had a whole lot of uses for me. Especially covering the top of the standpipe to prevent snails from wandering too far.


Even though they are expensive anti-siphon valves are worth it.

 

[hiddendragonet]

Get some cleaner shrimp, and stick your hands in the tank. Free manicure!

 

[NHfishguy]

Heres my list.

Specimen cups like fish stores use when bagging fish are REALLY useful. The rectangular ones with a lip to hang on the tank. When aclimating fish I hang it inside the 5 gallon bucket between dips, the water droplets that fall off it land in the bucket not on the floor. Mix reef builder in them. Get enough water for all your tests so you dont have to use nasty test kit chemicals near your tank. When not in use keep it hanging off the back of your tank to hold toothbrush, scrub pad, fish food can etc.

At any hardware store you can get cup hooks. screw one or two behind your tank stand and hang a towel from it. Then its always handy to wipe your arm after being in the tank or to pick up the inevitable little spills and water trails on the glass.

Do your floor a favor. Buy a runner carpet for in front of your tank to catch those little drips from tongs, feeding sticks, arms etc. Home depot sells them by the foot for hallways and stairs. If you look around you can find ones that are premade the right size for your tank, they look better because the pattern isnt cut at the ends.

I feed my brittle stars and shrimp with sinking pellets using 3/8th inch diameter ridgid tubing. when not in use it sits in a cup thats on the floor behind the tank. This catches the dripping water as the tubing dries. This tube is also great for turning over snails and stirring up the top layer of your live sand to feed softies.

Use your algae magnet every day weither the tank needs it or not. It cuts down on coraline growth thats harder to scrub off once it gets a foot hold.


Good luck!
Tom

 

[OJsreef]

If you feed your tank frozen Mysis shrimp you really don't have to worry about hand feeding your larger inverts . In my tank everybody gets some,pagoda cup and hydinopora eat ALOT ! And my star is THE PREDITTER!
THANKS:OJsreef

 

[nigel]

The life of wooden air diffusers can be extended by heating them up in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. So when its time to change the diffuser pop it in the microwave and you'll be able to use it again.
Try it!!

 

[Nek]

For all you hang on overflow users, wrap the j or u tube in black electrical tape, leaving the curve exposed to see any air bubbles forming. This greatly reduces the growth of algae, which impedes the flow.

Buy a cheap package of single balde disposable razors. With a pair of needlenose pliers, carefully break of the plastic piece around the blade, therefore exposing the blade(But the blade is still held in the razor). Break off the long plastic part of a plastic clothes hanger and stick the razor on the end. It fits perfectly, no tape or glue needed. Now you have a great corraline scraper. The bend of the razor makes a perfect angle to scrape corraline off GLASS. Put plastic protector back on blade when done, and dont forget to dry after every use. My pack of razors lasted over four years. Just be careful when working around the blade, obviously.

 

[Craig]

For vacuuming the bottom of the tank I stick my tubing into a length of PVC. With that I can direct the vacuum precisely and by pushing the end of the tube out the bottom of the PVC you can get around corners because the tube. It keeps my hands dry and seems to scare the fish a lot less.
Craig

 

[Craig]

For vacuuming the bottom of the tank I stick my tubing into a length of PVC. With that I can direct the vacuum precisely and by pushing the end of the tube out the bottom of the PVC you can get around corners because the tube tends to coil. It keeps my hands dry and seems to scare the fish a lot less.
Craig

 

[MitchellB]

^

 

[Jeff Hood]

I use Baby food jars to soak food and prepare food for the tanks babysitter.

Jeff

 

[Reef Maniac]

I dont have any cool tips. unless you want to bend some wood...
I just wanted to post, so I could get e-mailed whenever a new tip or trick comes up!
I've already used a few of them! Great ideas guys! And nice post newreeflady!

 

[Reef Maniac]

Oh wait a second....

Take the pump off of your calcium reactor, you don't need it!
(the one that feeds the water into the reactor, not the recirculating pump)

 

[Toutouche]

Reefmaniac, have any tips to stop small bubbles retuning to your tank? HEH, HEH ( sorry, couldn't resist!!)

 

[Reef Maniac]

That's not even funny.

 

[Agu]

Since the original idea was so basic;

Use timers on all your lighting, get the heavy duty variety with the grounded plugs.

A digital timer with a half dozen on/off settings works as a wavemaker for smaller tanks.

btw, be sure to use drip loops on all plug connections.

You can make spraybars out of pvc instead of buying return nozzels.

Lights Of America outdoor floods are 6500k pc's and work great for refugiums. Pick up a spare one and wire it to a switch to light your sump, it's easier to work there when you can see what you're doing.

A plastic gas can with a spout makes it easier to add topoff water in awkward locations.

Use two thermometers on your tank. The digital ones from Radio Shack are great, but get an el cheapo "stick on" one too, if they don't agree you may have problems.

Save all the disposable plastic containers you get, eventually you'll find a reef use for them .

If you know the employees at the LFS and they're reefers, bring them a frag or two once in a while for their own tanks.

Buy a bag of the crud on the bottom of the LFS rock tank to get critters to populate your rock and sand. They'll probably think you're crazy and give it to you. (esp if you've been giving them frags).

When you get really good service from a LFS or small MO place take five minutes to send the owner/manager a note telling him so, and mention the employee by name. A lot of people work in those places because they love the hobby (it sure isn't the money), and they deserve the recognition.

Finally, and this has been said before, keep a journal !! It doesn't have to be fancy or completely detailed, but one needs to record actions, observations, and perceived results. Water changes, livestock additions (or losses), bulb changes, etc, this things are forgotten and overlooked until something comes up, and then it's too late.

Agu

 

[mgk65]

When I have someone babysit my tank, I set up a clipboard with a feeding schedule and a critical point check list (water level, temp, etc.)

I premeasure the food into pill boxes. The week long kind. Each day, one feeding.

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Tie a string to your feeding clip or get one that floats.

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mgk

 

[apt220]

I just want to get an email for every response too. Great thread!