lanman

My 24-gallon tank has reached what I would call 'stability'. The water is always clear, the numbers are always good on tests, everything is growing and happy, nothing is growing that shouldn't be, and coraline is busting out all over. There have been days when I did nothing to it but enjoy it. 2.5 months. I would say it has 'reached its maturity' - i.e., the equivalent of a 21-year-old. Lots of growing to do, but an adult nonetheless. My 45-gallon tank, on the other hand, is in its early teens... rambunctious, rebellious, capable of taking care of itself for short periods of time, but not yet ready to drive on its own. Capable of holding down a job - such as growing a few corals, but not yet ready for anything complex or demanding. A little brown algae, a little hair algae, some young frags and a couple of more mature corals that probably wish they didn't have to deal with it, but can handle it. I have a feeling this rather rebellious youngster won't turn 21 for quite a while, yet. It takes a village - the WAMAS village has been very helpful to me in raising this one, but I think I still have some rough times ahead. Definitely not mature. bob

And my anemone has decided he can't move fast enough on his own... I laughed at your post last night, and this evening, I came home to this: It's an epidemic! bob

Two orange polyps on eBay for $142 plus shipping - bidding ends in a couple of hours bob

I have been feeding mysis late evenings for one feeding - she does seem to do better, although the other two still get a lot more of it... The other feedings are Dainichi Marine Veggie FX and Reef FX- with Cyclopeeze baby sinking pellets. bob

I got three lyretail anthias about a week ago. One of them is really BAD at finding and eating food. She knows there is food in the water - she makes all the right moves, but almost never actually gets any food. Even when it almost bounces off her nose. I find myself feeding them twice as much as I probably should - just to be sure she gets some food. The snails are busy... Any suggestions? bob

You're sure it isn't a tubastrea? Either way - I want one! bob

Ah - that I was wondering about; if they really have any effect on the animals. Apparently not. So I won't worry about it. It doesn't replace actinics. bob

Sorry to hear that... I got a group of three just a few days ago; so far they all 'flock together', and they all eat quite well (pigs!). Hope I don't have similar problems. bob

Awesome! you should have let the snail get into a better 'pose' with the xenia on top. bob

Coraline I have (mostly RED) - worms I don't: (Bemmer made me dangerous now - taught me how to post pictures!) bob

Hooray!! Thanks!! bob

Not so sure about the 24; I think I killed most everything with that hard cycle... Ah... now if I could just find a fellow reefer with good live sand in Manassas... bob

Okay - I have a pink worm digging around in the sand in my 45-gallon tank. Fire worm, aka bristleworm? I have NONE in my 24-gallon tank; should I import some? I know a LFS that has thousands of them in a frag tank - I'm sure she would let me have some of her sand. Are they important to tank health? What else should I have in the sand? I have a few little starfish with long arms (white and black). Thanks, bob

Okay - I built it! And let's see if I can figure out how to get these pictures in here. Here is a link that might work: http://public.fotki.com/lanman/refugium/refugium I think I got it! (Thanks to some help from Rebecca) New tank arrives Cutting acrylic with the radial arm saw: Cutting slots with the router: All glued up: Added sand, live rock, snails, hermits, chaeto and heater: Pump in the sump - and no major flooding... yet! Finished product (with temporary light): bob

I got three Lyretail anthias - they add a lot of color, and so far they seem quite satisfied with my tank and my inexperienced care. I'm supposed to feed them several times a day. I have two kinds of Dainichi pellets - but seems like for every 5 I drop in the tank, they actually only find/catch/eat one. How much should I feed them at a time? They LOVE mysis shrimp by the way - I feed that one time a day in the evening. That they chase down and catch, no matter where I drop it in - it sinks more slowly. bob

I think it would look good in my 24-gallon aquapod!! Truthfully - that's special enough, it should be auctioned at Christie's or something... like a Picasso. bob

Sorry - I was in a hurry and didn't proof my post - yes, current sunpod - LED's not lights... LED's... 6 little white ones and 6 little blue ones, with a MH in the middle. Original post edited. bob

I have, on my 24-gallon tank, a Metal Halide light fixture, with 6 blue lights (LED), and 6 white lights (LED). When I purchased it - and was BRAND new to the hobby - I was told to run the blue lights for an hour or two, then run the halide for about 9 hours, then the blue lights (LED's) for an hour or two, then nothing. Which is more or less what I have been doing. And my tank is doing great. But enter the white lights (LED's)... when should I have those on? Are those 'moonlights'?? Should I run them all night, except when there's a new moon?? And was I told correctly on the blue lights (LED's)?? Or do they have any effect at all, other than to make the ricordia glow in the dark? bob

Well pull your pants back up before the neighbors notice! bob

In the 'Propagation and Breeding' forum, it claims there are 57 topics. I can only see 4. Is there some way to read the other 53?? bob

Post time: 02:51 AM ... You might try SLEEP - it's been known to improve people's health! Oh... I forgot - you have a saltwater aquarium; you were probably up all night attending the birth of a new polyp on one of your zoanthids. I think this hobby has made ME sick - in the head. I've started counting polyps on some of my zoanthid colonies, to see how fast they are growing. And my red monti has grown .27 inches in the last month on the left side - only .18 inches before it touches the rock next to it! (doing mental calculations on how many milligrams of calcium will be required....) bob

Just to follow up - the radial arm saw worked great! But those little pieces of hot plastic flying around are almost hot enough to burn you. But not quite - just kind of ooh, ahhh, oww... I recommend safety goggles, a glove for the hand holding the plastic, and no spectators within 5 feet. I also used a router to cut little slots in the plastic - that didnt' seem to produce as much hot residue, probably because the pieces were smaller. bob

Cool! I have several old computers laying around with perfectly good power supplies. Now I just have to find some packages of LED's that run at the right voltage. The article obviously wasn't written by an electronics engineer "SPDT - Single Pull Double Throw" The switch shown is actually a SPST - Single POLE, Single Throw. But he's right about some older power supplies not having an on/off switch - I just looked at two of mine, and neither has a switch. If the power supply you want to use has a switch, you can just jumper those two pins on the plug, and use the switch on the power supply, instead of wiring in a switch. Sounds like a little single-pole push-button switch would work just fine instead of the SPST - and I'll bet you could find one of those on an old computer, too Good find! bob

How's the shipping on your 10% water changes?? bob