Unexpectedly greatest aquarium tool ever???

[lakwriter]

In reading threads here and using things around my house for the tank, I thought I'd start a thread about all those household items that were never designed with aquaria in mind and yet they turn out to be some of the best tank tools ever. I'm hoping that this will inspire or help other reefers.

I'll start...my greatest non-tank aquarium tool is an 18" stainless steel shish-ka-bob skewer. It has one pointy end and one end with a loop on it. It has come in handy for all sorts of tasks and keeps my hands out of the tank for things like:

removing dead snails (using looped end)
flipping over fallen Astrea snails
knocking hermits of things they shouldn't be on
removing and replacing the filter sponge from the intake on my AQ 50 (using the pointy end)
stirring up sand
moving chaeto around
and combined with a small plastic cup with 2 holes poked in it, it makes a great scooper for sand, shells, and algae-infested rock rubble

I also like quart-sized recyclable containers with lids for draining and holding skimmate from the collection cup.

Ok, your turn...

 

[Fish Filet]

Turkey baster

 

[Pea-brain]

I second turkey baster, add razor blade and plastic cable ties.

Dan

 

[seapug]

my hand.

 

[Ronan021]

:spin3:

how about a plastic 'pitcher'
(like ones used for orange juice or kool aid kept in the fridge etc)


i keep one of these under each of my tanks
to keep wet stuff in that i am working on (wet rags etc used when cleaning tank) rather then dragging them across the living room floor etc... basically a 'mini' clean up bin to throw wet things in while working on tank etc... usually store my turkey blaster in it or any other lil misc things kept around or under the aquarium... pick out hair algae etc throw it in there until can dump it out... moving small LR pieces around from tank to tank... applications are numerous!



regards

 

[ledford1]

wedding veil for securing frags

 

[2crazyreefers]

Dust pan makes a great substrate scoop when removing from tank.

 

[SDguy]

Plastic mixing spoon. Great for jabbing, er, fragging monti caps I can't reach. Cooking tongs....great for picking up frags I can't reach through that little triangle shaped open end. Toothbrush... numerous uses. Oven mit: Great for moving my MH pendants around. Vinegar...no explanation needed. I'm sure there are more...

 

[Fish Filet]

Well, I don't know if this counts, but on a 24 gallon AP I had, I once used my blow dryer to bring up the temperature.

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10655770#post10655770 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fish Filet
Well, I don't know if this counts, but on a 24 gallon AP I had, I once used my blow dryer to bring up the temperature.

Isn't there a ghetto tank thread for that :lol:

 

[Reefing102]

a bar soap holder, great for holding frags close to the surface or pretty much were ever and suctions to the glass

 

[Fish Filet]

Don't think my wife would appreciate her blow dryer being mentioned anywhere near a ghetto thread

 

[mg426]

Magnifying glass

 

[Fish Filet]

ah and flash lights with red lenses

 

[jmait769]

Wooden Skewers! My wife gets these at <a href="http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=320220" target="_blank">Sam’s</a>. I made a tong with some green painters tape. I recently used two of them to hold my fan shroud in place on my Pan World pump while I screwed in the third screw and they are good jabbers too!!

 

[stevenw56]

My wifes dish towels to dry my arm after I pull it out of the tank. She hates that.

 

[purplereef]

I have a pair on Stainless Steal surgical scissors that fell apart a long time ago. I still use them to scrape macro off of my live rock.

 

[blface]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10656464#post10656464 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevenw56
My wifes dish towels to dry my arm after I pull it out of the tank. She hates that.

I've been getting yelled at for this same thing for 20+ years.

Turkey baster is definite #1.

 

[uscharalph]

Turkey Baster, Wooden Chopsticks and the Wooden Spatula that I use to prop open my canopy lid.

 

[rachelcb80]

Fiberglass rods that came from a kite. I use them to prop my canopy top open while I'm working in the tank. My next tank will have a canopy with front access doors.