jnguyen4007

Rebecca, Are you referring to Chris, aka phisiqs79? If you are, I do have his address and phone number. James

The hair algae I have isn't really a whole lot. Just a bit here and there. I just want to do what I can to control it before it does become a problem. I took Bob's advice and rinse the mysis shrimp before I feed them to cut down on the nitrate that is in the food. I don't think nitrate is a problem because my nitrate reading is .5. I haven't been feeding the clowns with dry food except for couple of times where I used the ora sample that we got from the meeting so I also don't think phosphate is a problem unless something else is causing it. I can't cut back on the lighting too much because I do have some corals in it. Right now, I have MH running for 8 hours and blue arctinic running for 10. I'm thinking of cutting the MH from 8 to 6 hours unless someone thinks I can cut back more. I'm also be stopping by BRK this weekend and pick up a few more blue hermit crabs and some turbo snails. Hopefully that will do the trick. James

me three as well....

I've been feeding the clowns with mysis shrimps. Didn't realize they were so high in nitrates, so I will definitely have to rinse them out from now on. As far as the lighting goes, do I need to cut back on them as well? James

My tank been up and running for about a month now, and starting about 2 weeks ago, it was then that I had the MH lights on for 8 hours a day and the blue arctinic lights on for 10 hours a day. Since then, I notice a slow rise in green hair algae in my tank. Is this a cause for concerns right now or is it part of the cycling process? If it's a cause for concern, what can I do? James

I forgot what kind it was that i use on mine. i won couple of gel glue tube from BRK couple of weeks back. John (Copps) showed me the trick with gluing frag to the rock inside the tank by putting a small amount on the frag, dip it in the water for a few seconds, repeat for couple more times then mount the frag at that point and hold it for about a minute. I did that and it works. It's easier if you can take the rock out of the tank and glue the frag then. My problem is that when I try to put the rock back in the tank, it's not quite in the same location as I want it to be. James

Thanks Chris.

Raf, Do you add the baking soda directly to the water or do you pre-mix it in RO/DI water then add one tsp every 2 days? James

I have his kalk stirrer. But before I put it to use, I'll bring my alk tester to Bob (YBeNormal) on Thurs and test his water and compare with the older alk test kit and see if the results are the same or not.

Assuming that the reading I got is correct and that my alk is low, what's my next step to bring it up? Use the two part method? James

Hung, The best way to tell if your RO/DI unit is set up correctly is to measure the TDS, total disolve solid. I bought one for something like $30 when I bought my RO/DI unit and attached it to my RO/DI so I know the tds measurement of the water before it runs through the filter and the tds measurement afterward. You can also get a handheld one for cheap or possibly borrow one from one of the members. TDS meter is definitely a worthwhile thing to have because you know for sure when it's time to change your RO/DI filters. James

Hung, Did you buy this new? If you did, it should come with a clear instruction on how to hook it up. Otherwise, you might try the manufacturer website to see if they have the instruction or perhaps even call them directly. James

I took my KH/Alk reading for the first time using the Salifert test kit and I have a question on it. At the end of the instruction, it said to find the measurement for KH and Alk as followed: KH=value on the syringe x 16. Alk=value on the syringe x 5.71. My syringe reading was .42 so that equals to 6.72 and 2.3982 respectively. Here's where my question lies, the chart to the right of the instruction showed for .42 reading, the KH=9.3 and Alk=3.31 respectively. What reading should I use? The one on the chart or the one that I got based on their equation? The rest of the reading on my tank are as using Salifert test kits: Ph = 8 Ammonia = <.25 Nitrite = .1 Nitrate = .5 Temp = 79.4 Salinity 1.025 James

I'm definitely not close to there but can make the trip if needed. James

It'll be fairer if we split it if you get it. HINT HINT HINT HEHEHEHE

I have a new tank with next to nothing in it. Can use a few colorful items so my wife doesn't think that it's just a tank with rock and water in it. Where do you live and when can we stop by? James

Carla, I am so sorry to hear about your mishaps. Though I just started on mine with very few items in my tank. Even so, I can only imagine how devastated I would be if I was in your shoes. Hang in there and know that you have friends here who are more than willing to give a helping hand. James

the Lowes in Chantilly is down the street from where I work so I can easily stop by there during my lunch break. Thanks for the tip. James

JP, when you have time, can you take a picture of the parts you have and their description? This would help me greatly when I go to Lowes or Home depot with the pictured items in hand to look for them. Thanks. James

Hung, The drill bits are sold separately, sometime in packs. I think for that size bit, you will need to buy the bits by themselves. As for the drill, a corded one is really cheap nowaday so you can grab one easily. James

I have a whirlpool model that our aunt gave us. It has a dialed setting that we can turn all the way to the dryest seting from which it runs continuously, and a fan setting for low and hi. I haven't been running it for more than a few hours at a time for me to notice whether it turns off when the humidity is low. Right now I have it on in a corner about 1.5 feet away from the sump with a setting about 40%. Should I move it somewhere else or does it matter where it's placed? James

Khanh, Thanks so much for the assurances. I have a little soon to be 2 year daughter who likes to play around down stairs where the reef and tropical fish tanks are. The thought of her getting exposed to molds is enough to frighten me. Do you leave yours on all day or just a few hous a day? James

I figured that my 20 gal sump evaporated about 8 to 10 cups of water a day based on the number of times I had to refill it daily. I worried about the possibility of mold forming from the excess moisture getting into the wall and such. Is it better to run the dehumidifier for 2 to 3 hours a day while the AC is on, or is it better to turn off the AC and open the window for a couple of hours. Unfortunately I don't have the skills to run one of those air vent to pull air outside so I won't even consider playing with that idea. James

My wife and 2 year old daughter loves the mated pair false percola that I got from Jake. She still likes the black and while percs. When you get them in next time, I will have to get a pair and hopefully they all will get along. James

Can we send it down the drain? James