Another Use For Rhs

[Fisher]

Yesterday afternoon I heard that familiar rattling sound from my canister impeller.

What was it? :well:

Well, we've been getting the odd brownout the last few days. But I didn't jot down when I last cleaned my canister. So I wasn't sure if it was the canister stop/starting or cavitation. Since I was pulling my canister apart to investigate anyways, it was maintenance time.

I lifted the pump head and what did I find? Scores of tiny RHS inside the canister!

Some clinging to the pump head, sitting under the media basket and in the media too. I also found a few MTS and one apple snail. There was about a tbsp of grit in the bottom of the canister housing; after pressing it between my fingers, realized it was empty RHS shells. Fascinating!

Maybe it would be worth while replacing that middle layer of balls that look like Cocoa Pebbles, with RHS.

Or maybe canister filters should be marketed as a viable means of snail control.

Either way, add "one more use" to both.

:beer:

Edited May 15, 2012 by Fisher

[Crystal]

I dump the filter gunk and snails (live and dead ones) into the flower bed and garden. It makes excellent fertilizer.

The bed that gets fish gunk has one type of flower that grows 8 feet tall; in another bed with the exact same conditions (minus the fish stuff) the same flower only grows 4-5 feet tall.

It also keeps the neighborhood kids from stealing the garden produce once you tell them what you put in the dirt. (You would be amazed how green some of the kids turned when I told them!)

I have also seen sparrows stealing the ramshorn shells for calcium.

[Fisher]

Wah! Brilliant! Thanks for the tip Crystal!

[rompergoddess]

I empty my water changes into the flower beds, and it works great!!! Walking the filter canister out the door, priceless!!! Will be doing that from now on!