Oftentimes simple household items make great aquarium toolsVisit your local fish store, and you’ll see shelf after shelf of equipment, implements, doodads, and thingamabobs specifically designed to make the maintenance of marine aquariums more manageable. But when you really think about it, a lot of the handy tools and materials we hobbyists use on a daily basis come not from the LFS, but from hardware stores, housewares departments, supermarkets, or other retail venues not even remotely related to the aquarium hobby. Here, in no particular order, are six such items that I can’t live without: 1) Single-edged razor blades I’m never without at least one cartridge of these little wonders. No aquarium scraper seems to get algae (especially coralline) off the glass panes of my aquariums with as much ease. I also use a razor blade to carefully dislodge pulsing Xenia corals from the rear pane of my reef tank so I can then rubber band them to rocks or rubble and, once the corals have attached completely, trade them with Mark, Susan, and Nikki at Coral Reef for store credit. I’m always careful to rinse the blade in fresh water and dry it thoroughly after each use. Also, be aware that razor blades cannot be used on acrylic tanks, as doing so will cause severe scratches. 2) Plastic milk jugs A well-rinsed one-gallon plastic milk jug (juice jug, punch jug, etc.) has long been my go-to container for holding the fresh water I use for top-offs. You can also use one of these ubiquitous vessels to construct a basic DIY kalkwasser doser if you’re so inclined. To do so, simply drill a small hole in the side of the jug about 3 inches up from the bottom, insert one end of an appropriately sized length of airline tubing into the hole so it protrudes inside the jug slightly, seal around it with aquarium-safe silicone, and then attach an adjustable clamp or valve to the opposite end of the tubing. More: My Top 6 Simple Accessories Repurposed for Marine Aquariums… More:
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