Grav

nice fish room

I'm thinking about the same tank from the same people for the same reasons. Heard good things too, keep us posted.

Increase flow, use of RO/DI water and a good skimmer for the Cyno. Never had a problem with emeralds eating coral.

IMHO the industry pushes us to do more water changes than we need. But I agree, open the box. I change about 15% every month.

I had one and after a little time, it would flip over swim upside-down to the top of the tank and take floating flake. He ate everything one-day turning to the firefish causing great trama to my wife, then I got stung, and he went back to the LFS

We gotta get that recipe for rock that ends up with the right PH 18 hours after it is cast.

ahhhh, sorry FWIW, 44 drops per min was too much, cut it back to 38. It's tough to do this, already starting to want for a dosing pump.

Jamie, Not saying a powerhead for dosing.... was saying to use it to stir the calk. Gotta use a dose pump, right?

I saw the 200 gal bucket at a shop in Fairfax for $24.99. Yep 200 gallon mix for under $25. Only thing is, I cant remember where i was. It's driving me crazy.

Jimmy, You joined a while ago, but I dunno if you ever got a proper hello. I've fragged a lot of stuff since I joined but have yet to take a $ for anything and I'm 100% sure that I have gotten more back in return than I could have if I was selling stuff. Many of us just trade stuff. Sometimes you get a good deal, sometimes you make someone else happy. Nothing against those that sell frags, I think that is far better to do that than to hurt the reef. Those guys put $ into a coral farm, and they shoud get a few $ back to cover it. I just take clippings from my 33g tank, and look for a little something back... whenever. Last BTA went for a nice big hunk of LR at the last meeting. A trade with Tree, and I wonder how it is doing.?.?!? The one prior went to Lee "Killer" Sterns on a good size hunk of rock. Lee gave me a chunk of rock, a pretty green candy and a tossed in a toad stool that he needed to unload. Lee killed the H-E-double-hockey-sticks out of that BTA... ground it up real good with a powerhead... but no big deal. I'll make it up to him some day, perhaps when he comes over to help me lift my new tank onto it's stand.

Jake, That is $80 for just the dose pump.... note the conversation on dose v. float switch. The next big cost is the magnetic stirring contraption. The need for which, I don't understand. First of all, woudn't the gentle flow of water in (especally if directed toward the bottom of the chamber) be enough to disolve the lime? Second, if the smallest of powerheads is what, $8 why do we need something that goes for $100? Just to save the need to ever clean a powerhead? Don't we do that all the time anyway? So, all this talk got me motivated. I'll be away for a week for the 4th. With the upgraded lighting, and then the fan that was added to keep temps down, I need to make up a lot of evap in my little 33g.... so.... Pause for drama, I rigged up a $5 Kalk reactor, no it doesn't "look good" or "fancy" or even "kinda nice" and it is totally gravity (Grav) powered. I don't know how well it will work as far as adding Kalk goes, but it should keep my salinity levels close. So here is what I did. 5 Gal water jug filled with water and on a shelf above tank level. A hard line keeps the intake at the bottom of the jug, connected to a regular airline to a valve then another airline tube feeds into 2 liter bottle. Lines going in and and out of this "chamber" via holes drilled in the cap (sealed with silicone.) This "chamber" will be "twisted" once a day or so when I am around... if for no other reason, to make me feel as valuable as that ridiculious stirring contraption. Coming out of the 2L bottle is more air line tubing, and another valve, which drips right into the tank into the water return from the HOB filter. Most of drip rate control will be done on the 1st valve between the 5gal jug and the 2L bottle. The theory is that since this is clean RODI it will be less likley to clog, the 2nd valve is used to fine tune the drip rate, and is just about wide open. I had it at about 44 drops / min about an hour ago, which I think may be too much but the water level hasn't gone up yet, and I have a pretty good way of tracking the water level. Should have time to fine tune it before leaving on Friday. Updates later. Still wanna build a real one. Phil

Just missed it. Traded one at the last meeting. Given the recent history, check back with me in about 6 weeks

I saw a dose pump in a national aquarium catalog put out by a couple of quacks for about $80. No disrespect to the quacks.

Well of course it would be okay with me, however I'll be out of town all next week on some vacation time. Perhaps the following week? If you still need the help.

If you get a tank at glass cages, wait till the next area show they do... avoid shipping. I think that is about 2 or 3 months away. Don't take this the wrong way, I mean it as a complement, but how does a guy in highschool get the $ to buy a 240g fish tank? I never had money for gass. Good for you!!

Mercury is a liquid at room temp, I don't think that is what you have. FWIW, rusting wouldn't be the issue, it would disolve into the water and then end up in the fish and other critters... in the long run causing cancer and other growth oddities. I dunno what the heck those beads are, but if they are solid, they can't be mercury.

I love it. I would be in to build for sure. Nilson if I have to choose, both if possible. With no experiance building them, unless someone steps up and claims to have a solid design, my only thought is to go to one of the big national forums and DIY planning areas and get someone elses opinion. Phil

Can't help with the scratches, but would be happy to grab some sand, and help with the LR. Planning a 150 soon, so always looking to check out a big setup. I'm in fairfax, where are you? Would a week night next week be good?

That is ecactly the tank I was thinking of getting. Wanna make 2?

:( nobody wants my BTA grav = sad

Mike, I have a BTA that split and I don't have room for two so one needs a new home. It's listed in the for-sale section. I NEARLY lost her (before the split) to a HOB- filter intake, thought she was dead for sure for a while there. KINDA know how you feel. Make me an offer. Phil

White vinigar works about as well and is less tricky (IE getting it thick, but not plugging the needle.) Inject it if you can, otherwise just get as close as you can, again, small amounts.

LoveReef, What has worked best for me in the past is a pair of wire clippers. Cut as low as you can on the stalk, you will find the dead coral crushes very easy. When I frag candycanes (yours is nice and I think closer to 80 polyps than 40) I usually try to get at 3 or 4 to a frag. This way you have several to give / trade but the reefer on the other end still gets something good nuff to look at.

soak and/or run that non sweaper in vinigar and try taking it apart (yep just pry it apart) I have one and it requires some attention every few months, whenever a tiny little critter gets into in and jammes the gears.... but it has been running for years.

Lee, stop kidding, he is right, remember? We hate everyone with a plenum. The Reef Tank is in Fairfax. Not a very large show room, but fair prices. Roozens gets bashed a bit, they are not very good at hiding things like dead fish, and as they are often the entry point for fish and coral so the livestock hasn't been in quarenteen for 2 weeks. Like most things they have positives and negatives. Every mention of them starts a debate, some love em and some hate em... and some of us try to stay out of it. ALL are welcome