'Ric

Consider it a challange!

The toothpick held it for about a week, but it never stuck on it's own. It just eventually worked the pick through it's bottom. The superglue worked for a few days, then it got loose from that too, breaking off a new SPS frag in the process. Are there other ideas for getting this guy to stick?! I don't think plumbers' putty will work with a softie, will it? 'Ric

I participated in the March 12 Group Buy, and as Alok indicated, they didn't go out of their way to accomodate us. I was one of two of us who ordered a green ricordea. So even though Alok had told them they were for two seperate people, the send a couple small polyps on one rock to fill the order for two seperate ricordeas. I also ordred a 10-pack of Zebra Hermit Crabs. I received 8 live ones, one that looked dead for quite some time, and a completely empty shell. I did not save the dead Zebra hermit pieces, but I did save the shell and the empty shell that was missing a hermit. It's not worth spare change in credit to deal with sending back tiny little hermit parts, and an empty shell wouldn't 'prove' anything to them. The requirement to send dead stuff back is just plain bizarre. My overall impression is that the employee who filled our order did not care enough to even look to see that the ten shells he/she grabbed out of the tank were in fact living hemit crabs. Putting multiple orders into the same bag, or especially on the same rock, also suggests a lack of concerm about the needs of the customer. I would just get the word out not do business with them anymore. If you did business with them, it appears that they respond to Better Business Bureau complaints. They've had 20+, but many say they were resolved. 'Ric

Thanks! You are truely a marriage-saver!

Thanks, but nope - my tank is only 20" wide and I have used more than every inch of it along the back. I modified my AquaC Remora skimmer so the input hose wraps over the side of the tank with only the outlet handing over the back. I'm thinking about revisiting my original macro algae in-tank-refugium-screen-along-the-back-of-the-tank idea. Maybe if I put a light behind the tank under my HOB filter to provide the algae a direct light source it will work. That's of course assuming that my big algae die-back was a result of too little light. I wonder if a 18" LED bar would provide enough light? Thoughts? 'Ric PS If anyone can find out more about whether Nitrate Coil Reactors work or don't work, please forward me the links. I understand that the process is supposed to be anaerobic just like a traditional septic tank drain field. What are the pitfalls?

My algae are still dying back or something, and my Nitrates are up to 40! I built a DIY Anaerobic Nitrate Coil Reactor and fired it up a couple weeks ago, but it will be a long time before it is "cured" and working. Is there anything that will quickly reduce Nitrates short of another 20% water change? Does fresh carbon help? 'Ric

I like the Helfrich! Once he got settled in he had no problem hanging out in the open - until yeserday. I was looking at the tank and he came up close to the front expecting to be fed. While he was looking at me, the McCosker's Flasher Wrasse 'snuck' up behind him and either nipped him or just startled the bejeebees out of him. The shot like a rocket aournd to the back of the tank and hid. He's come out to a modestly open area in the back corner a couple times, then hides again - I suspect when he see's the wrasse, but I'm not sure. Carpet surfing might be a sign of non-compatibility in that the "surfer" is probably jumping out of the water in desperation to get away from someone coming after him. 'Ric PS If anyone ever visits, please refer to my Helfrich as a P FF when in front of my wife! :wink:

You almost always see just their heads bobbing up and down in their holes watching you. They only completely dissapear for a few seconds (except when they go to sleep for the night.) If their not actively building, they mostly have their poking out of the holes "people watching" or hover near them. Feeding time the pop out, grap a few nearby bites, then lightling-bolt back into their hole. If a crab or snail wanders around the mouth of their hole, they'll grab them with their mouth and 'relocate them' further away. They are really fun to watch. My only problem with them is that when I set up my tank I put the substrate in first, then rocks and such. They undermine the rocks to the extent they sink or fall over, so I had to try to wedge rocks under and prop them up. I should have built legs under my rocks of other rocks and then added the substrate so if they dug out under something it would still stay up. All-in-all they are truely entertaining to watch. 'Ric Mostly. I have no sump, so I made a "fence" out of long reddish plastic plants along the back and tucked varius sorts of macro algae behind them. The plastic plants keep the marco from blowing around the tank (mostly, anyway.) It seemed to work for a few months, but now I had a whole bunch of Red Gracillia back there, but it's almost all gone now. Not sure why - maybe lack of light?

They are a mated pair of Pearly Jawfish (a.k.a. Yellowheaded Jawfish) I love 'em, even though the undermine everything in my tank, bury stuff, and cause sink-holes. They have great personallities though! I started uploading some video clips on Photobucket... http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/Bictures/Saltwater40/ ://http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/.../Saltwater40/ 'Ric

I heard firefish will fight with their own genus, but then I've also heard they can be kept in pairs. Does that mean "mated pairs" only? I have a Helfrich's Firefish and was thinking about getting a Purple Firefish if a pair is ok. My tank is 40 gallons, so it's probably not big enough for two territories. 'Ric

Why no clams? I'm curious because I have had high nitrates and just got a "cleaner clam" to help. I put it in the tank and it was gone the next day. I assume it buried itself. I also assume it's still alive, unless there's a reason i shouldn't?? I also *had* a bunch of macro algae in my tank along the back, but it's been disappearing over the past couple weeks. I though my light level might be too low, so I added a 50/50 fl. light. Now I have some green algae patches showing up, and my macro still isn't coming back. 'Ric

Is the Red Mithrix in there yet? How is she doing?

I bought a new Helfrichi Firefish and wanted to get some clips of him after I released him into the tank. A Blue Neon Goby was happy to meet him and gave him a big hug. The Firefish didn't seem phased by it at all. Click the link or frame below to play the clip...

Here's 'Ric... (a while ago) (I have more grey than this now, too.)

I have a normal four tube 48" T12 Fl. fixture. Is there any problem replacing the bulbs with T8's or even T5's? Will all of the above fit in the same endcaps? 'Ric

ahhhhhhhhmmm.... There might be something to that. I initially had it just rubberbanded to a pebble sitting on top of a large chunk of jadite. Then later I moved it down and buried the pebble in the sand at the base of the jadite. The lighting is probably the same, but the current at the lower altitude may be significantly less there. I'll have to think about this and figure out how to "plant" it up higher again. Thanks, 'Ric PS Let me know if you ever frag that purple blade! It sounds great.

Warning: silly noob issues follow: After the initial post at the top, the Red Gorgonian seemd to do pretty well, being covered in white polyps at times. Then, two things happened: First, I accidently dropped a glob of salt into the tank which cascaded straght to the bottom on it. Shortly thereafter my two Jawfish decided to build a condominium complex and completely burried it except for the outer inch or so of the taller branches. I pulled away the sand and pebbles from the front side of the Gorgonian, but an afraid that if I remove it or disturb the sand behind it, the Jawfish habitat will cave in (again.) The "skin" on the branches seems a little thinner, and I haven't seen ANY polyps out since all this. If it's dead or dying, how can I tell? Is it ok to leave it in there dead to hold up the Jawfish lair, or will it rot and pollute the water? 'Ric :(

Sounds great! If she is pregnant, where can I find Euplotes and/or Brachionus plankton? I assume living plankton would be best. 'Ric

Sorry for the bad pic, but is it good enough to tell if my Blue Neon Cleaner Goby is sick, pregnant, or fat?? its tummy actually looks like it might be slighlt lumpy, unless it's just the lighting. I have a mated pair, and they get along well. They are the fastest fish in the tank, so I think they can eat as much food as they want to as I try to feed the jawfish, etc. Are there any telltail signs? A special behavoir to look for? Should I put it in a breeder net, or the eggs after she lays, or try to scoop up fry? 'Ric

I rememeber a sign on the door at Wally's Aquarium that they have it. I think it said $0.75/gallon or something like that.

I just noticed something like this in my tank just last night as well. I looked at them with a magnifying glass and many have more than five appendages, so I think that might rule out stars. Some kind of filter-feeder maybe? 'Ric

White Claw / Polkadotted Hermit (Phimochirus operculatus) - It has a polkadot red and white enlarged right claw, and blue eyes. This is probably the most active of the small hermits. Also eats algae and sifts through the substrate. Grows to about one inch. I bought mine here: http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/product_info...b27edc9934de34d My tank is very crab-heavy at the moment, so I would be interested in trading this guy, and/or a ruby or emerald crab for something else if you have any thing you want to part with. lmk- 'Ric

Not to be critical, but shouldn't this be posted in "WAMAS Forums > Announcements > Tank Tours" ?