AquariaUSA

Not sure if everyone has seen the CBS Early Show or heard about Carol Huntley Weber's remarks from Tetra on "how easy it is" to keep marine fish in a 5 gallon mini-bowfront tank...But here is the link. Sad thing is she added 1 blue tang, 2 clownfish, 2 seahorses, and 1 brittle star to a 5 gallon tank without any mention of salt, proper diet, water volume, acclimation and species selection, etc. Here is the link, please post on ReefCentral and send Tetra and CBS a letter or email in response. Thanks for helping to keep the hobby alive and environmentally responsible! http://reefcentral.com/forums....umber=1

Hi John, If the algae is slimy, I am betting you are dealing with derbesia, especially since you mentioned it used to be everywhere. What nutrients are you adding to the system besides calcium and alkalinity buffers (or reactors)? We are not a store, although are in the final stages of re-launching a new website, that will enable e-commerce on higher end products for mainly clients, and others depending on demand. Java Ferns (I used to call them Java weeds:O). Most hermits will find snails a delicacy, but I have used more hermits than snails over the past 10 or so years, due to snails being pickier than most when it comes to undesirable algaes. I do use the queen & fighting conchs however, for it seems they can take on even the most aggressive hermits. I think a sally lightfoot will do well, just keep an eye on it around xenia's and briarum, for I have seen them pick during the twilight hours.

d*mn! Sorry to hear about the loss. How long do you estimate the power was out? By any chance was there a voltage surge from the pump? (wondering if a certain brand of pump:O), which may have tripped your GFI? Was the tank temperature irregular when you first found the disaster? I generally use the airpumps on the above thread, they are pretty cheap, but have found they do not always work (contacts corrode pretty fast near battery in high humidity rooms/enclosures) if they are not kept clean. As for UPS-APCs, I talked at length a while back with a lead tech at APC, and the higher priced units are the only ones that can really help in a short outage (one small circ pump, heater, standard output light) <3 hours if you are lucky. Hope things turn around for ya! Wish you the best of luck.

Hi John, What herbivores do you have in the system? Tangs? Although blue-legged hermits can be a pain sometimes, a few won't hurt, just keep an eye on them. Although phosphates (free phosphorous) can aid in various un-desirable algae growths (derbesia, cladaphora, bryopsis, etc.) they are not always the direct (or only) cause. RO/DIs can limit most free PO4, NO3, and Si, in your makeup water, but are not always needed (depending on the municipal water supply you are on). I think you know of someone in the Baltimore area, who for years has never used RO/DI and has maintained/replicated several sps systems, and for the past 5 years a retail outlet (all on Baltimore County water). I have a TDS meter if you are close to Columbia, or would like to take a water sample to either of the two Baltimore stores (not sure where you live) and I can pick it up possibly same day.One thing I wanted to ask, the algae that you are having issues with... is it only on the sand bed (aragonite?) or does it also appear on the rock? Slimy or rough texture? Branchlike or clumping? (Hard for me to tell on pic). The recommendation for the Sally Lightfoot is a great one, and they usually take care of most undesirables along with keeping a higher alkalinity, limiting nutrient import (all purpose additives), etc. Feel free to email me if you have any other things you can add or want to get me a sample of the water (tap, and tank). Rich p.s. What is the store link on your website? Are you looking at e-commerce, or are you a service provider? :O)

Hi everyone! The 14" are the smaller reflectors (comparable to the 19"). Diamond had used two fabricators over the past 6-9 months, and what I have heard is that there were slight variations. I used a combination of the larger and smaller reflectors on a large system a few months back, and if I remember correctly the smaller reflector measured 14x14x8. I would not recommend putting them in canopies smaller than 12" in height due to heat issues (if you do not use several fans, etc.). There was a model that had airflow piping through it, but I am not sure if they are still available anywhere.

Are than any patent lawyers in the club? I heard about Diamond switching suppliers/fabricators due to some legal issues, but I wonder if the LumenArcIIIs are even patented? I know some of the earlier lumenarcs were, but if anyone knows more, please chime in. Any sheet metal fabricators? :O)

I have located a distributor that is willing to sell me the last of their LumenArc3 14" reflector inventory at (unfortunately $10 higher than we used to sell them) $85 a piece + ground freight (which is like $7-8 per fixture). At this moment, I am able to order up to 20 of them. I will need to know asap if anyone is interested. Once funds are collected I will put in the order on Friday. Email me or call to reserve. This may be the last opportunity to get any for I have been through everyone I usually purchased from besides Diamond in the past. Thanks, Rich watson@aquariausa.com 704-904-2022 443-310-7095

I got another call from a supplier I use when Diamond ran out of the smaller reflectors...he did confirm they filled for bankruptcy, so if they are the like most of the airlines, maybe they will be back? I bet the CEO is not hurting for cash these days :O) Unless they got sued..hehe

Wow! No wonder my Diamond rep left a nasty message on his voicemail last week! I know they have had several issues with metal fabricators, and I had heard another company bought them out 3 months ago, but I guess they decided to sell everything off. Time to look into their patents! hehe

From who did you hear they were going out of business? I know Diamond Lights has been changing tons of things, and have not heard that yet, other than from suppliers who no longer carried their products. oh well!

If you guys are willing to do the DIY on a Sunday, I would love to help out and build something like a new reactor. I have built over a 100 or so cabinets the past 12 years, but am now really interested in working with all types of acrylics. I have lots of stuff, but sounds like someone has a garage out there to build all this stuff? I don't have a garage, and the Mastiffs like jumping on visitors, so I think it would be best not to offer to host, although it would be fun to watch everyone running from the puppies! Saturdays are really tough to make, although if they were free I would be in VA!

The tank they have in the window is the old perfecto 265 gallon, which should be back up in a month or so. They have added so many new tanks (they ordered an entire AGA truckload), and plan on stocking all four of the 180 gallon systems with SPS only, in addition to their large invert section. I have not seen retailers on the east coast go this route in a long time, and it should really be impressive when they get the stock levels up. I think they have 5-6 large rubbermaid tubs for live rock in the back as well. And those ceilings make the store look gigantic!

There was a nice Conspiculatus Angel at Exotic Aquatics, and someone was going to buy it, but not sure if they ever sold it. Will look for it this week! Last I checked it was $1500. hehe

Over the past six months, I have seen them at several area retailers (Baltimore-Virginia). They were all turbinarias. Not sure if they meant to order them, or if they were subbed by the supplier. I am getting a shipment in tomorrow that has a few cups on it, and I hope I never get subbed with that color crap! Can't wait for the tangs to start coming in dyed "blueberry" like the freshwater oscars and dempseys! How do people come up with dyeing animals to sell? dios mio! hehe

Although selection can be slim in the winter-spring months, I have heard from three different suppliers already that CITES is being done again in Indonesia...slowing coral orders that are not captive-bred or farmed. Got an email today which makes four... "Well, it's that time of year. Indonesia is renewing their CITES permits. We are currently completely out, and that means NO hard corals. Most of you probably have more hard corals in your tanks than I do in mine right now! In addition to putting the squeeze on hard corals, the other animals (mushrooms, polyps, soft corals) are also psuedo-CITES animals because they are listed as Scleractinia due to the pieces of rock they live on. To make a long, frustrating story short, our availability is pretty pathetic right now. I didn't even bother updating the in stock list. If there's something you want, let me know and I'll try to get it." (Mary Middlebrook) Any local retailers getting the same thing, or have you switched to mainly captive? I have been to a few stores...

I have used 10K Ushios on prop tanks in the past, along with the 6500Ks, and even PCs. It has been a while since I had some prop/frag tanks running, so this week I am setting up a new rack with six 33 long tanks (12" tall). On one I will use 2 x 10K 175 Ushios, on another 2 x 6500K Iwasakis, on another 2 x 96 watt pcs. Still think what to put on the other three, but can't wait to hear what Sanjay says at this weeks meeting, which will be my first! If anyone is interested in selling small, medium, or large frags, I am looking to buy! If you would like, you can even contact me prior to make arrangements at watson@aquariausa.com Thanks for the motivation to set up another prop rack! I did get 35 frags last week for one system, and all but the capricornus (2 of 5 doa) are open and growing already!