The holidays are just around the corner and we at ReefBuilders thought we would help you out with some great ideas for inexpensive, yet really useful gifts. Sure we all probably add a new controller, lights or skimmer to our wishlist but sometimes it’s the little gifts that can make as much of a punch. If your better half or kids are looking for some smaller-budget gifts, steer them to this article. Have a reefing buddy or club party to go to and want to take a gift for someone? These are all useful items every reefer should have. For the most part these are items that we have, so we can attest to their utility in our systems. We encourage you to add to the list in the comments and tell us all about your ideas of reefy “Stocking Stuffers.†The items should be low cost, of use to most hobbyists and readily available. Enjoy the great ideas after the break.
Doberman Water Alarm ($14.99 at Home Depot) –Paul had the great idea to start this post and brought this handy little item to the table. The Doberman Water Alarm detects the presence of water at the terminals of a small round probe that is on a cord. Should the probe contact water, or vise versa, the alarm sounds and emits a really loud (110 db) alert siren. The unit requires 3 AAA batteries (not included) and is ideal to hang on the side of water barrels or sumps or even the back of tanks, to alert you that a potential disaster is in the making. Thanks Paul!
Sonic Scrubber Pro Detailer ($14.99 at Wal Mart) – Something I got for Father’s Day and a handy tool I use all the time. The battery operated Sonic Scrubber Pro Detailer is a must-have tool for scrubbing things inside or outside your tank. Use it to clean algae off the glass, powerheads or rocks and is much easier than a toothbrush. The Sonic Scrubber has oscillating brushes and sports a waterproof design allowing you to us it inside the tank or around running water without risking electrocution. Uses four AA batteries which are included! You can sometimes find these under $10 in the automotive section.
Sonic Scrubber Pro Detailer Brushes 4-Pack ($9.99 at Wal Mart) – Now that you have your Sonic Scrubber, why not get some extra cleaning heads in unique shapes for specific duties: a soft brush for delicate items, a come for tough crevices, and two larger brushes that can make getting rid of tough algae on the glass or rocks much easier.
Kevin Kohen Photography T-Shirts ($20.99 to $35.99 at CafePress) – LiveQuaria’s Kevin Kohen is a pretty darn good photographer to boot and you can get a custom Kevin Kohen design on a shirt from CafePress. A small selection online now but maybe Kevin could release a few new designs in time for the holidays! Thanks Jake!
Glass Squeegee (under $10, available everywhere) – This product is a great gift. You’ll get water on your aquarium all the time and instead of wiping it off with an old-school towel, which just smears the glass, a squeegee is the smarter route to go. Squeegees don’t need to be washed and can be used again and again. Just spray some RO water and use the squeegee and you’ll be all set. Best of all, the squeegee is a low $8. Plus you can always make some extra frag money on a busy intersection cleaning car windows (bum outfit not included!). Thanks Ryan!
Silent Air Battery Operated Air Pump by Penn Plax ($17.99 at Petsmart) – An inexpensive insurance policy in case your power goes out giving you some coral and fish saving oxygen. Connects to an AC outlet and turns on when the power goes out. When the power comes back on, the unit shuts off. Thanks Rich!
Plastic Kitchen Utensils and Tongs (under $20 available at most major stores) – We got this one from Paul’s wife Lynn who wrote in saying, “When he told me his idea of blogging good stocking stuffers for reef hobbyists I immediately thought of all of my kitchen tools he constantly keeps stealing. I can never find my spatulas, salad tongs and ladles. They have been stolen and lost to his fish world. So here is my suggestion, a cheap set of tools or a pair of tongs from Target. I like these since they look nothing like the ones we use in our kitchen and, maybe for once you will not have to use two forks to drain the pasta because your kitchen tools are MIA in a tank somewhere.†Great idea’s Lynn!
Keep it safe! Goggles and gloves (Under $15 at hardware stores and online) – Christine Williams has some great ideas for general safety when fragging or working around corals. You don’t need to make a trip to the hospital with a shard of rock or toxic coral “juice†in your eyes so get some inexpensive but invaluable goggles and disposable gloves. The AO Antifog Safety glasses run around $6 at Amazon.com and are well worth saving your vision to enjoy your tank! For your hands to prevent stinging when working around your cnidarians friends, these powder-free, purple nitrile gloves are textured for better grip in wet applications and can run you just under $15 for 100. Thanks Christine!
Fragging tools (under $10 at hardware/houseware stores and online) – Another great round of ideas from Christine! We do our parts to try and prevent alleliopathy inside our tanks, how about outside? Get a set of color coded kitchen cutting mats to save your workspace and corals when you are fragging. Use one color for a certain type of coral to help prevent inadvertent chemical warfare and stress when fragging. We all know saltwater doesn’t play well with metal so now is the time to get an inexpensive set of tools like chisels to dedicate just for fragging. Put away that gnarly old screwdriver you’ve used in the past, Stanley makes a great set of three chisels to give you choices next time your are fragging. Another great pick Christine!
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