Money saving hacks

[Mariette]

let’s have em guys. Here are my 2

1 - melamine sponges (with no cleaning agents) used to clean inside glass. Was so sick of paying $17 a sponge at LFS

2 - hermit crab shells. I buy dollar store shells that are sold in jars as bathroom decorations. Make sure not scented or painted. I soak in saltwater, give em a good scrub, and toss em in :)

 

[Taxus812]

I a bit new for hacks yet but subscribing to learn some :)

 

[KorD]

I used an older cartridge from my RODI setup that housed DI resin, hooked up a spare small pump and hose I had laying around and made a carbon CFO..
Free to me and save me money.

I am now only running carbon in this and not the purigen.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-mini-cfo.590442/#post-5987515

 

[Aaron4890]

My greatest money saving the hack is restraining myself from getting a bigger tank .

 

[DangerDave]

My greatest money saving the hack is restraining myself from getting a bigger tank .

I’ve tried this hack a few times without success. :)

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

Curious what sponges the LFS was charging $17 for to clean the inside of glass. I'll have to try the melamine sponges. I just bought a ton for other cleaning.

Other tips/tricks:
*sew your own filter socks. I made custom extra large ones from fabric store felt. Just once filter sock and change it out once or twice a week for next to nothing compaired to buying socks.
*Driveway heat and baking soda instead of commercial 2-part
*Add some insulation to sides of the tank/sump that you can to hold in heat so heater runs less
*add reflectors where you can in your canopy to reflect any light spill back into the tank
*DIY glass sump from an old or used aquarium instead of buying an acrylic sump
*Buy coral frags from local hobbiests instead of fish stores or online. Almost always cheaper, often by alot.

 

[Mariette]

Curious what sponges the LFS was charging $17 for to clean the inside of glass. I'll have to try the melamine sponges. I just bought a ton for other cleaning.

Other tips/tricks:
*sew your own filter socks. I made custom extra large ones from fabric store felt. Just once filter sock and change it out once or twice a week for next to nothing compaired to buying socks.
*Driveway heat and baking soda instead of commercial 2-part
*Add some insulation to sides of the tank/sump that you can to hold in heat so heater runs less
*add reflectors where you can in your canopy to reflect any light spill back into the tank
*DIY glass sump from an old or used aquarium instead of buying an acrylic sump
*Buy coral frags from local hobbiests instead of fish stores or online. Almost always cheaper, often by alot.

Don’t recall the brand. It it was a fairly large sponge w a blue scrubber on one side. It was a really good sponge and lasted a good while. But still. It’s just a sponge lol. I’m also in Canada and the prices here seem to be higher than in the US too.

Great tips thanks for sharing!!!

 

[Mastiffsrule]

let’s have em guys. Here are my 2

1 - melamine sponges (with no cleaning agents) used to clean inside glass. Was so sick of paying $17 a sponge at LFS

2 - hermit crab shells. I buy dollar store shells that are sold in jars as bathroom decorations. Make sure not scented or painted. I soak in saltwater, give em a good scrub, and toss em in :)

Awesome idea on shells. I was going to order some empties online, but why pay shipping? Plus your shell idea they are nice and clean. A quick run thru a dishwasher cycle no soap and ready to go.

Thanks

 

[Mariette]

Awesome idea on shells. I was going to order some empties online, but why pay shipping? Plus your shell idea they are nice and clean. A quick run thru a dishwasher cycle no soap and ready to go.

Thanks

Tgats right! Picked this beauty up today. Check out all the sizes!!!!

 

[burnetb1]

Here are some tips I learned:

-ATO using a container and mechanical float switch. Much more affordable than a Osmolator, no electricity and hasn't ever failed in 4 years.

-built my own LED light from RapidLed. Paired this with t5 fixture that I built. This was probably the biggest savings.

-constantly watching Craigslist or similar sites for people selling crashed/dry tanks. Great way to get dry rock and spare pumps. I also cut apart old tanks and use the glass in other setups.

-Buying a 3D printer helps with those hard to find or custom parts like brackets, feeding rings, ect.

-learn to cut and drill glass so you can build your own tanks and sumps. Basically i try and DIY everything... lol

-Buy quality equipment the first time.

-biggest money saver: create backups for every system. Having problems from unsafe setups costs alot more than a safe setup in the beginning

 

[Mariette]

Here are some tips I learned:

-ATO using a container and mechanical float switch. Much more affordable than a Osmolator, no electricity and hasn't ever failed in 4 years.

-built my own LED light from RapidLed. Paired this with t5 fixture that I built. This was probably the biggest savings.

-constantly watching Craigslist or similar sites for people selling crashed/dry tanks. Great way to get dry rock and spare pumps. I also cut apart old tanks and use the glass in other setups.

-Buying a 3D printer helps with those hard to find or custom parts like brackets, feeding rings, ect.

-learn to cut and drill glass so you can build your own tanks and sumps. Basically i try and DIY everything... lol

-Buy quality equipment the first time.

-biggest money saver: create backups for every system. Having problems from unsafe setups costs alot more than a safe setup in the beginning

Great tips thx! I’m toying with the idea of drilling a 20g and converting it into a display refugium. It’s a bit intimidating but it’s an old tank, I have 2, and there’s not much to lose so...

 

[Oliver d]

Build and drill your own tank and build your own stand.
If you know how to, build your own lights.
Use Sodium bicarbonate for Alk it is cheaper than the ones made by Red Sea phish pharm or others.
Build your own ATO s by using mechanical float switches and rubbermaid drums.

 

[Homebrewer]

Not as impactful savings-wise as building your own light or stand/canopy (I have done a canopy) - but every little bit counts!

-siphon tubing (available in rolls, sometimes by the foot, at home improvement stores)
-disposable nitrile gloves for fragging (in the car/mechanics section of home improvement store)
-tea diffuser ball, bent to shape (use as small, fine strainer for thawing frozen food, found in "kitchen store")
-oral syringes and small medicine cups (for dosing, spot feeding, etc. - available at pharmacies, usually for free)
-small plastic tubs (for transporting whatever wet - $1 at dollar store)
-takeout soup containers (for frag transport - free after you eat the soup)

I'll try and think of more!

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

Not as obvious for savings and not very exciting, but if you pay the electric bill, anything that saves electricity can add up to alot of real savings. My electricity costs $0.13/KWh, so for everything I can save 100Watts on (assuming it's something that runs 24/7 like a return pump) will save me $9.36/month. Buying efficient powerheads, return pumps, LED lights, insulating tank to keep heat in...etc are all great ways to save every month. As an extreme example, the Tiger Shark 8,500 GPH return pump uses 1065W. That's $100/month just to run. Of course most of us don't run anything near that powerful, but does give an idea of electrical running costs.

I'm planning on switching over to DC pumps, and only use LED lights for the energy savings.

 

[Oliver d]

Run DC pumps already wired through a solar powered battery system charge batteries by day discharge by night system runs like pumps only still need 220v for lights and heating.

 

[Hermie]

What is a mechanical float switch? The thing that's in toilets?

 

[Oliver d]

yes just much smaller version used in cold water machines

 

[ss30]

Don't the Melamine Sponges break down?
I have used the around the house and they do a good job but as you use them they get smaller, or they did for me!

 

[dutch27]

Why use sponges on the inside of the tank, instead of a mag float that's a one time purchase?

 

[George Lopez]

Why use sponges on the inside of the tank, instead of a mag float that's a one time purchase?

Mag floats usually say not to use on acrylic tanks for fear of scratching