Non fishy fish things - show your inventive side

[Flumpweesel]

Been thinking as there are a lot of resourceful and creative types on here what items have you repurposed for aquarium use. 

What items that you can't buy in a lfs are in your tanks and toolkits that make your fishlife easier.

So from plant pots to plastic canvas show us your hacks.

[Guppysnail]

I don’t have pictures of everything but here are some

rubbermaid single serve for airtight fish food storage

rubbermaid small square to skim film from water surface 

cheese grater for frozen foods to large for juvenile fishe

rubbermaid pitchers for quick top offs

a plastic measure cup with holes drilled in to baffle water being replaced in tank

nail polish racks for organizing fish food

turkey baster for removal of yuck

light cover egg crate to replace plastic on glass lids and support pothos growing

Oak furniture instead of tank stands

ziploc freezer gallon bags for fish transport

terra cotta pots as planters and caves and to provide shaded areas and a playground for fishes

plastic baskets caddies with handles and holes to carry about wet tools. 
monkey hooks to hang well everything 🤣

a pot rack bar on the wall with hooks to hang items

rubbermaid totes for quarantine sitting canister filters inside in the event of small leaks storing wet water hoses

refrigerator soda bottle organizer to lay wet handled algae scrubbers and other wet tools to dry

super thin pure melamine scrub erasers bought bulk for interior glass wiping and algae removal in areas the awesome coop pads don’t fit into 

the list is longer than this but these are the bulk. 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Guppysnail
Typo

[Streetwise]

We had another cool thread like this when the forum started.

I will add hair picks and combs for duckweed removal.

Bucket sifters for sorting substrate, and even filtering water changes to save shrimp fry. 

[Flumpweesel]

On 11/1/2021 at 8:58 PM, Streetwise said:

We had another cool thread like this when the forum started

Darn that's what I do get from coming late to the party.

[Streetwise]

This is an evergreen topic! Please continue.

[Flumpweesel]

I use plastic canvas to hold plants and I'm in the process of using it as frozen food holder .

The background in my tank is three glass serving platters (which ok I made but still repurposed)

Beginning to think I need a turkey baster but I've never used one to cook so is that repurposing 🤔

[Atitagain]

Spawning box made from egg create and mesh liner

Carry totes

movable planter pots made from small plastic pots and plastic canvas sewed together with fishing line

 

hanger for Anubias plants made from suction cups and a chop stick 

 

hanging pots to get plants closer to light made from large suction cup, stick hangers, yarn, and a movable pot

 

gravel sifter made from doubled up plastic canvas 

 

water bottle for storing substrate 

[Tanked]

Egg crate light diffuser used as fish fencing allows me to separate the plants from the plant eaters.

On the plus side: the small fish can swim through and chill for a while with the plants.  On the negative side: they will eventually collect algae and require cleaning.

[Odd Duck]

Along with many other previously mentioned:

Egg crate diffuser as a divider to prevent my Jack Dempseys from breeding until I found a tank temperature that prevented it while still keeping them healthy.

A lazy susan cabinet organizer to hold fertilizers and Repashy.

Sponge caddies to hold plants for emerse growth and brace the tops of tall lucky bamboo.

Assorted containers for growing plants.

A shelf organizer to hold plants closer to the light.

Twinwall polycarbonate greenhouse sheeting as lids.

Magnetic knife strip to hold some aquascaping tools (depending on their metal content).

Pegboard sections and various hooks and bins to hold other tools, fish food, super glue gel.

Robe hook to hold a towel inside the aquarium stand.

Super glue gel.

Worn out surgical instruments as aquascaping tools, to pick up white worms and Grindal worms, other assorted gripping tasks.

Petri dishes as feeding dishes.

Assorted storage bins as worm culture bins, various storage tasks.

Cinder blocks and cedar fence boards for a cheap, yet sturdy aquarium stand with shelves.

Battery UPS.

Sturdy file cabinets for small tank stands and storage.

I’m sure there’s plenty more that I use and don’t even think twice about.

[Atitagain]

@Guppysnail and @Odd Duck although I have copy and pasted both of you entire list into my notes to form a to get list. Theres one thing I’m very excited about and it’s another thing I can’t believe I didn’t think of because of my profession.

On 11/2/2021 at 10:38 AM, Odd Duck said:

A lazy susan cabinet organizer to hold fertilizers and Repashy

Not sure if your talking about a table top version but at my old job there is or atleast was an old lazy Susan cabinet that was kept for parts and if I can get my hands on it I have a perfect spot in my fishroom where it should work. Thank you

[Odd Duck]

On 11/2/2021 at 10:13 AM, Atitagain said:

@Guppysnail and @Odd Duck although I have copy and pasted both of you entire list into my notes to form a to get list. Theres one thing I’m very excited about and it’s another thing I can’t believe I didn’t think of because of my profession.

Not sure if your talking about a table top version but at my old job there is or atleast was an old lazy Susan cabinet that was kept for parts and if I can get my hands on it I have a perfect spot in my fishroom where it should work. Thank you

I bought one from Amazon that could be either.  It isn’t that pretty (nice enough, functional, just not a decorative one) but it is a double layer and adjustable height for the top shelf with deeper trays to hold stuff and minimize stuff falling off the shelves.

 

Need to add to my list, assorted cups, including the one I cut so it fits over my faucet on a hose to extend the reach.  And the plastic folder I repurposed to act as a food guide under autofeeders and substrate scoop.  Plus pieces to put on top of the Grindal worm culture to feed under since the plastic mesh doesn’t work for them like it does for whiteworms.  Whiteworms will crawl on top of the mesh when fed on top of the mesh.  Grindal worms will too, but they’re too small to grab, I have to wipe them off the smooth plastic pieces.

Edited November 2, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Griznatch]

The small, cheap breeder boxes used as HOB filter output, to keep floaters from getting sucked under.
High density foam cut in to blocks, to raise the light up off of the glass lid.
Black construction paper folded over to shield those raised up lights so the LEDS don't burn holes in your retinas 🙂
That same paper used as cheap aquarium backgrounds.

Edited November 10, 2021 by Griznatch

[Odd Duck]

On 11/2/2021 at 10:32 AM, Griznatch said:

The small, cheap breeder boxes used as HOB filter output, to keep floaters from getting sucked under.
High density foam cut in to blocks, to raise the light up off of the glass lid.
Black construction paper folded over to shield those raised up lights so the LEDS don't burn holes in your retinas 🙂
That same paper used and cheap aquarium backgrounds.

I almost forgot but your black paper reminded me:  black window film as tank background and I also use strips of it as light shielding on the fronts of some lights.  I also have wide strips of it on the front of my tank rack above the tanks on the 2 upper rows as light shields, too.  I don’t need it on the bottom row of culture tanks.

[JettsPapa]

• Desk, file cabinet, and two chest of drawers for tank stands.
• Bus tub from a restaurant supply store that sits on a shelf under my 65 gallon tank, for storing wet stuff.
• Black Diamond sandblasting sand from Tractor Supply and pool filter sand from pool supply stores for substrate.
• A measuring cup that I drilled holes in and hang on the side of the tanks when doing water changes to diffuse the stream and not disturb the substrate.

[Guppysnail]

On 11/2/2021 at 11:13 AM, Atitagain said:

@Guppysnail and @Odd Duck although I have copy and pasted both of you entire list into my notes to form a to get list. Theres one thing I’m very excited about and it’s another thing I can’t believe I didn’t think of because of my profession.

Not sure if your talking about a table top version but at my old job there is or atleast was an old lazy Susan cabinet that was kept for parts and if I can get my hands on it I have a perfect spot in my fishroom where it should work. Thank you

I got the caddy idea from you 🤣 the measuring cup from @JettsPapa and the hooks from @Hobbit I’m here to steal I mean borrow awesome ideas 🤣

[Tanked]

I took a small pump apart to see if I could salvage it.  I couldn't save the pump but I realized I now had the plant shelf.

What I hope is the ghost of my Java Fern.👻tended to drift around the tank and this shelf was the right size for the ten gallon.

[Sal]

Does my tank stand count?

I technically did not build it, but, I did scout it, refinish it, seal it, completely reinforce the insides, and carve out some internal drawers to make room for my filter.  🙂.   We're about 9 months in with it, and it's holding up great, no bowing, no water issues, and only a couple scuff marks on the paint...

 

 

[Flumpweesel]

On 11/10/2021 at 1:42 PM, Sal said:

Does my tank stand count?

yes because its gorgeous and super functional  

[Ragnarok12]

On 11/10/2021 at 8:42 AM, Sal said:

Does my tank stand count?

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL wow that DIY project really turned out spectacular!!! That plant shelf above the tank really ties it all together, amazing work!

[Sal]

Thanks @Flumpweesel and @Ragnarok12

It's right at the entry of my house, so I needed it to look nice.  My friends and family make fun of me that I am a dentist office or a chinese food restaurant but it makes me happy, LOL!

 

 

[JettsPapa]

On 11/10/2021 at 8:38 AM, Sal said:

Thanks @Flumpweesel and @Ragnarok12

It's right at the entry of my house, so I needed it to look nice.  My friends and family make fun of me that I am a dentist office or a chinese food restaurant but it makes me happy, LOL!

 

 

They're just jealous.

[Flumpweesel]

I suppose I should class my fireplace as non fishy fish thing as it my tank stand

[Streetwise]

@Flumpweesel, I have a dream of setting up an aquarium in my folks’ fieldstone fireplace, using the ash dump to route stuff to the basement. Your setup looks cool!

On another note, I tried something different when adding water after a tank move. I just covered all the substrate and existing plants (not a lot), with paper towels. I didn’t stir anything up when pouring.

Aquarium Co-Op plant bags can also be reused as media bags. If you have one laying around, run water through it under the faucet, and you will be amazed at the water flow it allows.

[Scotch Zukington]

Wow.. I'm going to use/steal a lot of these ideas.. I love DIY...

My contribution is :

I love plants, so I make simple Pothos holders out of foam & that plastic like foam. Cut into circles, make a slice into the center (see pic below) and slide the pothos into it, wrap w/ rubber band and I use a clip to connect the the aquarium side.. Lots of roots for the fish to swim in and makes it look kinda cool..

 

[JettsPapa]

It doesn't involve using non-fish related stuff, but I have a trick others might find useful.  I'm a big fan of the little USB air pumps to drive sponge filters, and on most of my tanks I've taken a plant weight, bent it into an S-hook, and used it to hang the filter from the back of the tank near the sponge filter.  By doing that you only need a short piece of air line, the pump is out of the way, and it's high enough that you don't need a check valve to stop backflow in case of a power outage.

Hopefully I explained this adequately, but if not I'll try to remember to post a picture this evening when I get home.