Coop product hacks

[Sliceofnature]

Well… not really hacks but maybe alternate uses? Im sure some of you have done similar things but I thought these were worth sharing even tho they are very simple because theyve worked out for me.

If you have a tip or just an unconventional use for a product thats working for you feel free to share here. 

Like many of you i keep floating plants and they can really make feeding a pain. I picked up one of these Coop Worm Feeder Cones for $2.99 and found that if you pop the cone out it makes the perfect plant free feeding ring. You could make a floating ring for pretty cheap but this one stays in place thanks to the suction cup and is hardly noticeable. As an added bonus it doubles as an actual worm feeder cone. 

The second tip is you can turn your coop EZ Planter into a Kuhli Loach Motel or Fry hideout by just adding some holes. Because theyre hollow you can easily drill holes all around and give tiny critters or in my case my kuhli loaches more access. My kuhlis love the planter and i get to watch them popping in and out of the planter holes all day.

[Odd Duck]

Not specifically the ACO product but the ACO ring could be used this way, too, but I got similar suction cup floating rings, cut them apart and used just the small piece attached to the hinged suction cup and glued them to silicone tubing (double diameter of airline tubing at 3/8” so they float higher than airline tubing) made into rings of the size I want and I use them to either corral, or exclude, my floating plants.  You can see one corralling the red root floaters in my “6G Volcano” tank pic.

The prefilters can also be slit and slid onto the outflow of an HOB to baffle the flow.

Does it count if I put some ground krill flakes into my snello?  😆 

[Torrey]

I repurpose betta (and plant) cups by drilling a hole and inserting sponge (like Dean uses sponge) to make zebra danio fry holders. I can suspend 5 cups in a 10 gallon tank, to "corral" the fry until they no longer look like swimming eyelashes, 10 - 20 fry per cup.

 

This makes water changes after every meal infinitely much easier (I am still manual😅), and reduces the amount of energy fry have to expend to locate food, uses less food/wastes less food, and maintains better water parameters. 

The cups semi float, so move up and down with the water changes.

As fry get too big for the cups, they are released into the 10 gallon for stage 2 growing out. They are already acclimated to the water.

[Ariel S]

On 7/19/2021 at 9:22 PM, Odd Duck said:

Not specifically the ACO product but the ACO ring could be used this way, too, but I got similar suction cup floating rings, cut them apart and used just the small piece attached to the hinged suction cup and glued them to silicone tubing (double diameter of airline tubing at 3/8” so they float higher than airline tubing) made into rings of the size I want and I use them to either corral, or exclude, my floating plants.  You can see one corralling the red root floaters in my “6G Volcano” tank pic.

The prefilters can also be slit and slid onto the outflow of an HOB to baffle the flow.

Does it count if I put some ground krill flakes into my snello?  😆 

What’s that cool looking plant on the bottom right? I kinda love it! 

[Streetwise]

This goes well with another theme:

 

[Guppysnail]

Fine filter pads work wonders for cleaning algae.  I also cut a v shape in the center of the medium prefilters so my centerpiece is not the large prefilter🤣 i broke a sponge filter top(stepped on it) used the base with the green plastic screen grate to grow a plant in my tank.  

Edited July 20, 2021 by Guppysnail
Added word

[Odd Duck]

@Ariel S  The low plant at right front is Pogostemon helferi (AKA downeii).  I really like that great, almost neon green color that contrasts really well with darker colored plants and substrate.

Edited July 20, 2021 by Odd Duck
Fix typos.

[Sliceofnature]

On 7/19/2021 at 9:03 PM, Ariel S said:

What’s that cool looking plant on the bottom right? I kinda love it! 

I didnt notice it at first but i agree, great looking plant