Scott_LM

Was it the smaller or larger of the 2? The larger is the female and smaller male. They change sex from male to female (female always dominant fish). So as long as you don't add a female to a female you already have you can add another. Find someone that has a group for sale and get the smallest they have. This is most likely a male or juvenile. They will work out the rest themselves. What type of clowns are they?

If you can find a copy of Joyce Wilkerson's book "Clownfishes: A guide to their captive care...." http://www.amazon.com/Clownfishes-Captive-Breeding-Natural-History/dp/1890087041 All you ever need or wanted to know about breeding clownfish. Once you get set up it is actually easier than you think. They have a short larval period (8-10 days) and some grow relatively quickly. There is also a good book about raising peppermint shrimp that has a different approach: http://www.amazon.com/Raise-Train-Your-Peppermint-Shrimp/dp/0966778448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384913544&sr=1-1&keywords=peppermint+shrimp+book good luck. The marine breeders initiative is also a good site. Lots of experience!

It is possible that your outlet is wired to the load side of the other GFI, but the only way to tell is to check it. You can simply plug sometihng into the outlet in question and test the GFI. If whatever you plugged in turns off then in all likely hood that outlet is protected by the GFI. Either that or just really bad timing . If a GFI outlet is part of a circuit it is possible to wire it so that all outlets down the line are protected or not. Only way to tell is to test it.

It nipped quite a bit and I literally would see tissue lost in some of the places on an acro that is really liked. In the end it wasn't worth it to see who would win. She decided she liked a coral beauty so we tried that and it worked. Other than a bit aggressive with the clowns it hasn't nipped at all. I did a bit of research and the Eibli is "known" to be one of the riskier pygmy Angels.

I tried one because the wife really liked the colors. It didn't last long. I saw no nipping at zoas but it definitely had a taste for acros and birdsnests.

Do you have any cleaner shrimp or peppermint shrimp in the tank?

Rubber soled shoes aren't going to cut it in all circumstances. More like install a GFI and ground probe to save your life! Rubber soled shoes are optional

I have 2 yellow assessors from ORA in my tank now. They are very interesting fish, although mine prefer to hang out against the back wall and overflow as opposed to the many caves I created for them. One thing I was disappointed with in mine was the coloration. When young they are a very drab yellow. Only within the last couple months have they become more of a brighter yellow with the red in the dorsal fin. These look like nice fish and if not too expensive I might look at getting a couple. It says they are from Japan, can they tolerate reef temps?

Even with the one way valve find some way to have the airline stand straight up or as a last resort tape it to the collection cup. You don't want the end of that line to be below the water line on the outside of the tank. This is asking for some wet carpet and angry wife.

Really, what about? DSBs? I don't think Dr Shimek is wrong regarding the article. It seems to be based on Science and It poses some interesting facts/thoughts. I agree with his conclusion and it ultimately answers the question referenced in this thread. The optimal temperature is based upon the livestock present in the aquarium. The problem here is unless you are going for a specific biotope, there may not be an optimal temperature for all life in the tank. Rather simple concept; we may put a wide range of animals in our tank that come from all over the world. Some may do better in warmer tanks, some may do better in cooler tanks. Same goes for salinity and potentially other chemistry. So the answer is it Depends! There was a trend years ago to try and maintain specific biotopes. I don't see too many threads any more regarding trying to mimic a lagoon in fiji or the reef crest in the Solomons. So unless you are doing this and only gathering species that thrive in this habitat then the best you can do is go for averages. The problem with averages is the outliers are often forgotten. Or in this case the outliers are not going to do as well as others. In my experience ( I am not a marine biologist, so take this with a grain of salt) over the last 13 years is you have to find what works for you and your tank. Higher temp = higher metabolic rate = normally greater growth = Often less room for error if something goes wroing Lower temp = lower metabolic rate = slower growth = more room for error until reaching the lower extremes of temp range Given that I like growth but am not the best with maintenance/routines I keep my tank at 80 degrees. I feel this gives the best of both worlds. -Scott

Don't worry about it unless the larger pins the smaller in a corner. The larger (female) is asserting her dominance, this is perfectly normal. Mating ritual will look slightly different. You will see lots of "cleaning" of the nest sight when they begin to mate.

If you want to culture phyto it is suggested that you have more than one going at once. It is inevitable that a culture will crash at some point.

If you want a tang, get a tang! As fast as they sell on this forum you should have no problem rehoming it when it gets to big... if you have to!

Rent a car and take an extra day to head up to Baltimore to go to the Nat'l Aquarium. It should be well worth the trip and expense. You may be able to take a train as well. It is only about an hour northeast of DC.

Clownfish a hermaphrodites, but only in the order of juvie-->male-->female. I think they call this sequential hermaphrodites. So, given this tidbit clownfish pairing and bonding is relatively easy. Any two small fish should eventually work it out themselves. The dominant fish will become the female and the less male. I have always heard any others will stay juvenile until they get their shot. 9/10 this will work, but sometimes it doesn't! Getting them to breed is often more difficult. There are some tricks (not currently working for me) if you are interested. Most stores stopped selling "pairs" or "mated pairs" and chose to go with the phrase "bonded". I assume someone ordered and pair that didn't breed and made a big stink, but I don't know. LA - Divers Den changed their naming convention about a year ago. -Scott

If you follow the directions on the can and seat the PVC all the way in the fittings, after priming and putting on a liberal amount of glue all around the fitting, you won't have leaks. Gluing PVC together is pretty simple. Make sure after you press the 2 fittings together you give it a twist (compensate for 90s and what not) and hold the two together for ~30 seconds. You'll never get it apart and it won't leak. Don't over think it. I use the ratcheting PVC cutter now, but a hack saw works as well (clean the fitting after to remove the burrs).

The clear tubing will eventually grow algae in it reducing the flow ( although dark PVC eventually grows things as well, tubeworms etc). It also breaks down over time when exposed to UV. With PVC everything can be welded together ensuring no leaks and it is dirt cheap. The clear tubing gives you flexibility (pun intended). They sell SPA flex, which is the best of both worlds. It meets PVC sizing standards so regular pvc fittings can be used and is white so no algae. I was just looking for some tonight at lowes. They only had 1.5 " here in Stafford and the lady told me they no longer sell 1". I am going to check around though.

No problem. You can feed rotifers V8 (strained ) if you get in a pinch. I have heard of sustaining them on just yeast. Lots of options although none of these will work to fortify them for your larvae. I have some phyto but can't vouch for its quality. I can bring you a small cup of that too if you'd like.

Dave, I am going to be in Tysons on Thursday picking up my Evergrow lights from Marco in the evening (~7). I can bring a jar with me then if you can come to the meeting location. -Scott