Less Common Tips and Tricks

[srit1]

After speaking with so many experienced reefers today at the frag swap, I thought it would be nice to collect uncommon things people do that they find helpful in with their tank care:

1. Having multiple thicknesses of super glue on hand:
Thick such as https://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-super-glue-gel-68349.html
Thin such as https://www.lowes.com/pd/LOCTITE-Super-Glue-Longneck-Bottle/1002693246

2. Bucket mounted under tank (assuming you have room) for wet tools - mounted at an angle helps to have the space to move things in and out

3. Bucket with 1 gallon markings for when you need to measure or just mix up 1 gallon for some reason

4. Spare pump with good length hose attached for moving water around (I avoid carrying water as much as possible)

5. Using foam such as: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GreenGuard-GreenGuard-LG-1-2-x-4-x8-XPS-Insulation-Board/5001939677 for making lids where you do not need a perfect seal and looks do not matter

6. Having tools to reach in to your tank to keep your hands out as much as possible.
See above pic

7. Smart plugs such as https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RCNB2L3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

8. Zip ties on hand of various lengths

What are some tips you have learned over the years?

 

[Skmaiden]

Some more general advice, but hopefully still helpful:

9. Acrylic rod and putty your rocks together. It takes time to do but will result in a more stable rock structure.

10. Sit rock rock work on bottom glass, then add sand vs. installing rocks onto sand as digging critters can otherwise undermine the rock.

11. ATO ATO ATO. This is seriously one of the best bang for your buck purchases you can make - cheap out elsewhere.

12. Bamboo skewers and turkey basters are great for target feeding + basting detritus off rocks.

13. If hard plumbing your system, add a 1' section of silicone tubing at pumps to reduce noise from vibration and to allow the pump to be more easily moved in and out of sump.

 

[scavdog]

Nice thread! Now where to start?

Redundancy is good. I keep spares of the following:

Temp controller (anyone who has experienced a temp controller on the fritz knows)

Spare Pumps / WaveMaker (makes it easier to deal with cleaning when you can just swap out something and take your time cleaning it.)

 

[CaPow]

After speaking with so many experienced reefers today at the frag swap, I thought it would be nice to collect uncommon things people do that they find helpful in with their tank care:

1. Having multiple thicknesses of super glue on hand:
Thick such as https://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-super-glue-gel-68349.html
Thin such as https://www.lowes.com/pd/LOCTITE-Super-Glue-Longneck-Bottle/1002693246

2. Bucket mounted under tank (assuming you have room) for wet tools - mounted at an angle helps to have the space to move things in and out
View attachment 177615

3. Bucket with 1 gallon markings for when you need to measure or just mix up 1 gallon for some reason
View attachment 177614

4. Spare pump with good length hose attached for moving water around (I avoid carrying water as much as possible)

5. Using foam such as: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GreenGuard-GreenGuard-LG-1-2-x-4-x8-XPS-Insulation-Board/5001939677 for making lids where you do not need a perfect seal and looks do not matter
View attachment 177616

6. Having tools to reach in to your tank to keep your hands out as much as possible.
See above pic

7. Smart plugs such as https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RCNB2L3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

8. Zip ties on hand of various lengths

What are some tips you have learned over the years?

Re: #3
What do you use to mark the bucket (that won’t dissolve in saltwater)?

 

[chadfish]

After speaking with so many experienced reefers today at the frag swap, I thought it would be nice to collect uncommon things people do that they find helpful in with their tank care:

1. Having multiple thicknesses of super glue on hand:
Thick such as https://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-super-glue-gel-68349.html
Thin such as https://www.lowes.com/pd/LOCTITE-Super-Glue-Longneck-Bottle/1002693246

2. Bucket mounted under tank (assuming you have room) for wet tools - mounted at an angle helps to have the space to move things in and out
View attachment 177615

3. Bucket with 1 gallon markings for when you need to measure or just mix up 1 gallon for some reason
View attachment 177614

4. Spare pump with good length hose attached for moving water around (I avoid carrying water as much as possible)

5. Using foam such as: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GreenGuard-GreenGuard-LG-1-2-x-4-x8-XPS-Insulation-Board/5001939677 for making lids where you do not need a perfect seal and looks do not matter
View attachment 177616

6. Having tools to reach in to your tank to keep your hands out as much as possible.
See above pic

7. Smart plugs such as https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RCNB2L3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

8. Zip ties on hand of various lengths

What are some tips you have learned over the years?

+1 for smart plugs as a poor-man’s Apex. I use the Smart Life app and plugs that are compatible. Inkbird is also natively compatible. I can set up routines and use Alexa to activate. Great when hands are wet “Alexa, turn off the pumps”, “Alexa turn on the wavemakers” etc

Also +1 for extra pumps with attached hose.

Here’s a question: what’s a good tip for mounting power heads to the inside of a Brute can? The suction cups don’t stay on more than a day or so.

 

[srit1]

Re: #3
What do you use to mark the bucket (that won’t dissolve in saltwater)?

Permanent marker has held well so far, the bucket in my pic has been like that for a year or so. On one of my brutes (dark grey vs white) I just scratched it a bit.

 

[srit1]

Here’s a question: what’s a good tip for mounting power heads to the inside of a Brute can? The suction cups don’t stay on more than a day or so.

I use magnets when I need the pump mounted but mostly don't mount the pumps in mixing containers at all and just let them lay on the bottom

 

[CaPow]

I use magnets when I need the pump mounted but mostly don't mount the pumps in mixing containers at all and just let them lay on the b

+1 for smart plugs as a poor-man’s Apex. I use the Smart Life app and plugs that are compatible. Inkbird is also natively compatible. I can set up routines and use Alexa to activate. Great when hands are wet “Alexa, turn off the pumps”, “Alexa turn on the wavemakers” etc

Also +1 for extra pumps with attached hose.

Here’s a question: what’s a good tip for mounting power heads to the inside of a Brute can? The suction cups don’t stay on more than a day or so.

I don’t mount mine either. Just drop it in and I end up moving it a few times while I’m mixing saltwater when I’m checking temp and salinity.