Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

[Streetwise]

This is in the spirit of our hobby. How do we do better?

For example, has anyone found a reuse of the plant bags from the Co-Op? I tested running water thru them, and they don't even expand with max flow from a sink faucet. Can we use them for bio-filter media, or are there any other uses? Maybe they have some sump usage?

I have used stacked plastic planters as Duckweed scoopers.

What else can we do?

Edited October 13, 2020 by Streetwise

[Cory]

The plastic plant pots work as intake screens for overflows and such. I hadn't tried to think up anything for the plant bags yet. Soon the liners for plants will be shipping we designed them to be reusable, and when we run out of version 1, version 2 is AWESOME and will be used even more for frozen foods form the LFS, bringing fish home etc.

[Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics]

I glued Java moss to my plant pots and created hiding places for my RCS. Once they grew out they look amazing. 
 

*edited to include pic

Edited October 14, 2020 by Mitch Norton

[Dandy Pearl]

If you swap out your bio beads in your canister filters you could put them in the bottom of potted plant pots at the very bottom before adding the soil. This will promote good drainage AND, it's perpetually reusable for that purpose with a rinse during transplanting!

[Streetwise]

I saved the largest liners from my last order, and will be testing one with some carbon media in the turtle canister. I think I will be able to tie a knot in the end to close it off.

[Streetwise]

Carbon in plant bags has worked for turtle filters, and feline waterfalls.

More Co-Op products have a second life: substrate storage.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Streetwise

[Billfromtx]

Using the pot to hold some ivy. It just happens to fit perfectly in the precut hole for the heater.

[FrozenFins]

I reuse the plastic bags my fish come home in from the fish store, they are always a good thing to keep as you'll never know when you'll need them, from transporting your fish from tank to tank, from friend to friend or if you decide to breed fish and want to bring babies to the fish store. 

I am currently toying around with a plasitc plant pot to see if I can use it as a "frozen fish feeder" (idk what they are called, but you put your cube of frozen blood worms in the pot so that that cube can defrost and your fish can ALL eat them, not just the pig of tank) Dean has one is his fish room that he made. Anyways, I was thinking of getting a plastic mesh and wrapping it over the pot, will let you guys know if it works 🙂

[Sliceofnature]

Some great ideas here. My mini pond/aquaponic garden was inspired by this same idea. The pond itself is an old wine barrel. The filter was made using an empty plastic drink container as well as some extra gravel and bio rings i had with piece of coop sponge and runs on solar. The main focus tho was reusing water. The pond and aquaponic plant containers reuse all of my water change water from my tanks. In return the pond plants and aquaponic plants benefit from the nutrients in the water.

Edited July 20, 2021 by Sliceofnature

[JacobAndBri]

Glad this discussion is here! Such good ideas. 

I'm glad to see more people running on the philosophy of, if I don't have to purchase something and can make it with stuff I have, I'll do that. Especially when it comes to little connectors or plant wranglers. 

We have used the plastic bags from plant orders or fish purchases etc. to use for cleaning out filters. If we don't want to muck up the water, we put the bag in the tank, put the filter in, rinse and squeeze it in that, then replace it into the tank. Reusing to store random pieces of tubing, suction cups, etc. also helps keep your space tidy. 

Having bits of extra sponge or media around has helped me alot in the turtle tank. Needed to modify the hang on back filter so that the input wasn't so noisy, used some foam replacements that came with a matten filter to dampen the flow. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by BriAndJacob

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I keep everything- pieces of vinyl tube, spray bar, plant pots I reuse for cuttings of plants and starts, the plant bags work for substrate and to transport plants to my LFS. 
Ive diy’d a filter using used vinyl tube, a used Fritz ACCR tub, crushed coral, gravel, lava rock and used sponge pieces cut up into cubes and run an airline and airstone to the bottom of the vinyl tube. 
I just figure I’ll need something and I always try to make it myself before going to buy it.