"Honey, where did the ---- go?" Shhhhh....

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Household items... the kind your partner probably thinks shouldn't be multi-purposed... so which of them have you, or do you still, use to support your reefing addiction (I mean hobby) without telling them? Whether you've permanently liberated these items or just borrow them and put them back, when no one is looking. Of course I’m not talking about why we all go through 3 times as many paper towels as any other household. More substantial stuff. Stuff we “borrow” cuz it just makes sense.

I’ll go first. Measuring cups, dishes, turkey baster (before I bought my own), knives, forks, spoons, shot glasses, bamboo shish-kabob skewers, tea towels, glitter nail polish (to label my “mix” and “drain” pails, of course), bath towels (had a little mishap using a shop vac in my sump... definitely did not tell her about that), spray bottle (for vinegar and water... “honey, have you seen that spray bottle I was going to use?”), some space in the back of our wine fridge. That feels like a short list. I’m sure there’s more that I just can’t think of, or haven't gotten around to yet.

What about you? I bet there's some pretty novel ideas. Nobody will tell. It’ll be our secret.

Drain cleaner with ingredients of lye aka sodium hydroxide without aluminum chips. To clean or disenfect

 

[gabrieltackitt]

I never even had a chance, she caught me going for the measuring cups and i was promptly escorted to the store under supervision

my fiancé recently made me make a list of everything I kept “borrowing” from her and then promptly went out and bought me all new, that’s nicer than hers are

 

[Suesea]

I've used all these things and more. But the worst was I used the stainless spaghetti strainer for rinsing rock ruble and my fiance used it for his mac n cheese before I had a chance to stop him. I did tell him. Good thing I wasn't mad at him that day. ;Bored

 

[markfmvl]

you know there is the Dollar Store. It is a good place to buy reef tank utensils . I bought a pitcher there for my tanks, multiple uses. never thought about dog toenail clippers for frags, nice....may have to appropriate that one.....

 

[Karen00]

This thread is way too funny!! I have pretty much used it all!!

 

[JCTReefer]

Well, I’ve used and “borrowed” pretty much all of the above. I’ve found my wife’s canning funnel works great for loading DI resin without making a mess. And then one of my kids sippy cups works great for packing it. Shallow Pyrex dishes work great to put sand in for quarantining wrasses also!!!! I snuck that one back in the cabinet. On the other hand, If she ever needs super glue, she knows I have a good supply. And she always has access to a good supply of vinegar. Hilarious thread.

 

[AllanPritchard]

I'm lucky that my partner is an Ambulance Officer so i have IV drip sets for fish acclimatization, IV lines for my dosing lines and oxygen tubing for inside the red sea bottles. Plus hospital towels, scissors, syringes for testing and large gauge needles for doing acrylic cement injection

 

[Bfragale]

Super funny guys lol

my best was this salad spinner thingy. (Not sure?)
Was a clear bowl with a white strainer fit inside, and a push knob in the middle you push to spin it.
Saw it sitting deep in the cabinet for a LONG time.

long story short: it’s now a coral dipper... had to lose the push and spin part so just clear bowl with a fitted strainer.

still not sure if anyone noticed...

 

[KWT]

I am lucky, if I need something the wife finds it for me. She may not bring me her best stuff, but what ever it is it always works. And if we don’t have it she tells me “I guess you need to get it”

 

[Hans-Werner]

I use a ceramic hob scraper and stainless steel sponges (pads of stainless steel wool) to remove coralline algae from the windows. Do not use abrasive pot scrubs with silicate in the plastic fiber pad. They will ruin your glass.

 

[jesspal]

“Honey where did my big plastic bowls go that I just purchased”. I also get “where is the receipt for that?” All of the time but fortunately all my items have miraculously been won in raffles and door prizes.

 

[mkwarner77]

I know nothing.......NOTHING.

 

[DJMCB35]

I'm lucky that my partner is an Ambulance Officer so i have IV drip sets for fish acclimatization, IV lines for my dosing lines and oxygen tubing for inside the red sea bottles. Plus hospital towels, scissors, syringes for testing and large gauge needles for doing acrylic cement injection

I’m thinking this may start a serious relationship run on ambulance attendants / EMT’s.

 

[richarddeweerd]

I always "borrow" the new dish washing sponges and brushes before my girlfriend used them for actual dishes. I borrow them for indefinite time And of course, i use the bowls, cups, towels and so on.

 

[kevin318]

A serving tray for testing items, measuring spoon, Tupperware, and a small plastic cutting board. Good news is that once anything from the tank touches it, she no longer wants it back in the kitchen. The transfer of ownership is immediate and permanent. LOL

 

[whotzler]

Anyone use their wife's hair pick to rake the sand bed? I haven't either.

 

[ACReefer]

i use so much kitchen stuff but my wife knows and isn't always happy!

 

[najer]

*Single bloke lives alone!*
If it is plastic it is for the tank, glass or metal it is for me!

 

[dbowman5]

BW (before widowed) i had trouble having bait in the fridge, now all my frozen food and failed fish friends are in the freezer, thawed food is in the reefer door with the nightcrawler carton. I also have Jif jars of mice and voles in the garage deep freeze; anything i need from the house is available for use but i buy dedicated-for-tank equipment to keep from soap contamination.

 

[Biglew11]

i haven't borrowed too many non reef stuff but i'm always on the look out when shopping, and find alot of non reef stuff thats handy for reefing. plastic mesh for an a.t.s. handheld blender to make larger fish food smaller. flashlights