Your Favorite Reef Tank Hacks

[Joe.D]

Hi Everyone! I’m still a noob, tank has only been up for about 8 months. I’m currently battling bubble algae and while doing a manual removal of scraping and siphoning into a filter sock I was dripping water everywhere. After I was done scraping, it was time to clean the glass and black stand of my Red Sea Reefer 350. The glass cleaning is always easy enough, but the matte black finish of the stand is always streaked. I then decided to give our Oxo Shower Squeegee a try - wiped down the doors with a cloth dampened with RODI and then the squeegee and vila! The doors never looked better!

I know this is a pretty minor hack, but what have you discovered along the way that would be worth sharing with everyone?

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I like to cut table shrimp up to feed to the inverts in my tank but the shrimp often floats away and I can't see when or if it gets eaten. Lately I've started putting the shrimp on a BBQ skewer and dropping that in.

 

[JTP424]

Bought those on/off step buttons that they sell for christmas tree lights, have those hooked up to my pumps/wavemakers/uv. Simple way to stop the pumps for feeding times.

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

Bought those on/off step buttons that they sell for christmas tree lights, have those hooked up to my pumps/wavemakers/uv. Simple way to stop the pumps for feeding times.

Can you post a link to what you have? I'm not sure I'm familiar with these.

 

[MuffinMonster]

I like to cut table shrimp up to feed to the inverts in my tank but the shrimp often floats away and I can't see when or if it gets eaten. Lately I've started putting the shrimp on a BBQ skewer and dropping that in.

I read this as "Lately ive started putting shrimp on the BBQ and dropping that in"....

Nothing like a BBQ shrimp to feed the reef.

 

[cdw79]

I've heard that several people hate putting together the Red Sea screen tops, specifically the part where you have to use the roller to get the net to stay in place. I've heard it is often a two person job and even then can still be a nightmare. I ended up just using zip ties every 3 or 4 inches to hold the net taut and in place- just string a zip tie through a square of the mesh near the frame, loop the zip tie around the frame and tighten. The result is very low profile with no real discernible tell that zip ties were used, but a lottt less of a headache. I was able to secure the mesh within maybe 10 minutes compares to multiple hours, and it's held up great a year and a half in!

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I read this as "Lately ive started putting shrimp on the BBQ and dropping that in"....

Nothing like a BBQ shrimp to feed the reef.

Shrimp kabobs for my cannibal shrimp! I bring the kabobs, they bring the beers.

 

[JTP424]

Can you post a link to what you have? I'm not sure I'm familiar with these.

Basically one of these!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I read this as "Lately ive started putting shrimp on the BBQ and dropping that in"....

Nothing like a BBQ shrimp to feed the reef.

I definitely read it as a shrimp BBQ. BBQ the shrimp, then feed the reef

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I definitely read it as a shrimp BBQ. BBQ the shrimp, then feed the reef

Hey, we like to party.

 

[Hilltop Aquariums]

Here’s a little reef hack for flipper users. The little notches on the wet side of the scraper work really well for moving snails out of the way while scraping the glass. Scrape around them 1st then move them out of the way so you don’t miss any spots. They don’t fall off the glass and tip over

this way

 

[AlexandraDreadlocksPanda]

Bought those on/off step buttons that they sell for christmas tree lights, have those hooked up to my pumps/wavemakers/uv. Simple way to stop the pumps for feeding times.

A more modern approach is with wifi plugs, which you can then not only programme but switch off from smartphone app, so no more scrabbling around in the cabinet for it, plus in an emergency I can safely switch them off with wet hands…

 

[KK's Reef]

Chopsticks. For picking up stuff and moving things around in the tank.

 

[Joe.D]

Bought those on/off step buttons that they sell for christmas tree lights, have those hooked up to my pumps/wavemakers/uv. Simple way to stop the pumps for feeding times.

I used this hack for water changes. Fill 5 gallon bucket with new saltwater - use pump to put it into tank. Way easier with the foot switch To turn pump on/off.