What does a spoon a hose and a rubber band have in common with reefing?

Have you ever used a spoon, hose and rubber band together to remove algae?

  • YES

    Votes: 31 6.7%
  • NO

    Votes: 230 49.6%
  • What the heck? (see the thread)

    Votes: 203 43.8%

  • Total voters
    464

DaddyFish

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I made a scraper from a 24" acrylic towel bar, glued a flat acrylic blade to one end and a barb fitting to the other. It's too long to get a good closeup pic. Picked up an Amazon out-of-the-box special on a Chinese canister filter that I use as the Aqua ShopVac attachment. Here's the towel bar... just pop the spring loaded ends out and you have cheap acrylic tube.

1603397407338.png


Here's the"business end" of the tool. Small hole in the end cap for flow velocity.

IMG_20201022_161201040.jpg
 
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alimac122

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What does a spoon a hose and a rubber band have in common with reefing?

IT'S THE GREATEST ALGAE FIGHTING TOOL IN THE HISTORY OF ALGAE FIGHTING!

Ok maybe not but you got to admit that it's pretty ingenious! I ran across a story where a reefer was talking about this contraption he made where he would scrape algae off the rock, with a spoon, while sucking it out all at the same time. I thought it was a pretty cool idea so I made one.

**This is not for your glass but for areas of the rock where algae embeds itself**

1. What are some "outside the box" types of tools that you use to fight algae or for any other use in reefing?

2. Have you ever used a spoon, hose and rubber band to suck out algae and if not will you try it now?



sppon algae.png
I kinda do the same method only I use tweezers. I dont rubber band the tweezers but that may just make things too easy!
 

Rubymoon286

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I had my friend 3d print me a spoon shaped scraper that I've rubber banded to my siphon hose - one edge is smooth but thin, and the other has teeth but a slightly thicker edge (If I remember when I get home I'll take a photo of it.) The toothed edge is great for turf algae and bryopsis (which is what birthed this tool idea) while the smooth edge is a v2 design, and I've had a lot of really great luck with it for film algae and looser hair algae.
 

Bleigh

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What does a spoon a hose and a rubber band have in common with reefing?

IT'S THE GREATEST ALGAE FIGHTING TOOL IN THE HISTORY OF ALGAE FIGHTING!

Ok maybe not but you got to admit that it's pretty ingenious! I ran across a story where a reefer was talking about this contraption he made where he would scrape algae off the rock, with a spoon, while sucking it out all at the same time. I thought it was a pretty cool idea so I made one.

**This is not for your glass but for areas of the rock where algae embeds itself**

1. What are some "outside the box" types of tools that you use to fight algae or for any other use in reefing?

2. Have you ever used a spoon, hose and rubber band to suck out algae and if not will you try it now?



sppon algae.png


I'll be honest, If I was a DEA officer, I'd have some questions if I found this on someone. ;Hilarious Pretty brilliant though!
 

CPReef

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I have used a plastic chopstick and a rubber hose to scrape bubble algae of some rocks while the hose sucked it out. I answered no...but I guess I kind of have.
 

Klaas

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What does a spoon a hose and a rubber band have in common with reefing?

IT'S THE GREATEST ALGAE FIGHTING TOOL IN THE HISTORY OF ALGAE FIGHTING!

Ok maybe not but you got to admit that it's pretty ingenious! I ran across a story where a reefer was talking about this contraption he made where he would scrape algae off the rock, with a spoon, while sucking it out all at the same time. I thought it was a pretty cool idea so I made one.

**This is not for your glass but for areas of the rock where algae embeds itself**

1. What are some "outside the box" types of tools that you use to fight algae or for any other use in reefing?

2. Have you ever used a spoon, hose and rubber band to suck out algae and if not will you try it now?



sppon algae.png
I use a bamboo/rattan stick with a toothbrush at the end. Very effective and good for hard to reach corners, stones and crevices.
image.jpg
 

Brewtoszek

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I was playing around with this concept, it needs some improvements on the jaws but i think i can get it there eventually. Also thinking it would be cool to have the lever tied to a valve inside to limit flow when jaws are closed. I had a lot of sucsess using a brush recently, so have been thinking about getting a stiff bristle brush around a tube.
IMG-1055.jpg

IMG-1056.jpg
 

oldbob50

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I made mine from parts from a computer vacuum accessory kit. I can change the small brush with the large flat one when needed. This is more rigid than plastic hose and I can change the angle on the parts to reach behind rocks. I usually siphon to the filter sock just before a water change so I can work slowly and carefully.
 

Paulie069

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What does a spoon a hose and a rubber band have in common with reefing?

IT'S THE GREATEST ALGAE FIGHTING TOOL IN THE HISTORY OF ALGAE FIGHTING!

Ok maybe not but you got to admit that it's pretty ingenious! I ran across a story where a reefer was talking about this contraption he made where he would scrape algae off the rock, with a spoon, while sucking it out all at the same time. I thought it was a pretty cool idea so I made one.

**This is not for your glass but for areas of the rock where algae embeds itself**

1. What are some "outside the box" types of tools that you use to fight algae or for any other use in reefing?

2. Have you ever used a spoon, hose and rubber band to suck out algae and if not will you try it now?



sppon algae.png
I once made a similar gimmick but not for rocks but for the substrate. I took an extendable wooden BACKSCRATCHER and taped it to my Syphon hose so I could comb thru the sand bottom and stir up deed detritus without clogging up the hose with sand. Wish I had a pic of it,, that one is gone and I need to make another one. It works great and extends your reach
 

CMMorgan

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That is neat, I use this for cleaning my rocks and other stuff I want to get into and give a good cleaning. It is just the small detail brush from a shop vac kit on a hose. I then run the hose through a filter sock and pump the water back into the tank so I can go at it for however long I need to without needing to add water. I do AWC so this is my once a quarter maintenance task.

20201022_115602.jpg
So what do you use to create the siphon? Is there a bulb in the hose to suck or are you actually sucking it to get going. (BLECH)
 

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