tbittner
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Posts posted by tbittner
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Low and behold, I figured it out! The molex connectors coming out of a PC power supply (the four pin connector that has yellow, black, black, red) are exactly what is coming out of the Solaris power supply. I hooked one of my spare pc power supplies up to the cable going to the Solaris and the two dark panels LIT UP!
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Because I still have five other working power supplies, I'll be able to figure out the power output on the four pins that come out of the power supply. It will be a simple matter to modify a PC power supply to replace the bad one. Where I'm concerned is with flaky bulbs. I guess I can figure out who they bought the LEDs from and solder in replacements. At least least figure out the wattage and type of the LEDs and get replacements.
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Hi Allen! Hopefully things are going well with your new tank.
Hey James. Well, the LEDs are great, the corals have exploded in the last few months, BUT PFO is out of business. So much for saving money in the long run by saving electric, no bulb replacements, etc. One of the power supplies died on my 72" solaris so two of the panels are dark. I tried for over an hour to get ahold of them this afternoon so while I was looping within their answering machine, I started to do some google searches. Apparently they were violating a patent which was filed by Orbitec and Orbitec sued them and the court has ordered PFO to stop selling the solaris until the case is settled. Now I'm stuck! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm looking around for many bulbed T5 fixtures now. My 48" Solaris is still solid so it's staying. The 72" one is garbage though.
I'll try to get some pics of the tanks this weekend. We've had some fish changes in the predator tank. Big surpise there, eh? lol
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Everything is looking great!
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That rabbit hardware is really cool stuff! It looks like you can do just about everything with it.
The hardware I'm using has their own OS running on each module. They give the purchaser all the source code for the OS and examples of how to modify and compile it. I haven't had a need to do that yet though. They also sell modules that run Windows CE and now that I've discovered that, I wish I would have bought those modules instead. Then I could put all my programs directly on the modules and my pc would only collect the results, occasionally. Oh well, what I have works great so I'm not messing with it.
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I'm going to drill a hole in a pvc cap, big enough for the black sensor to fit through, then silicone it shut. The cap will be attached to a T over the tank so it's suspended over the water. That should keep it safe and dry. Time will tell though.
The wires will run through the pvc and come out close to my acquisition hardware.
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How much did it cost? Well..... Um.....
Unfortunately we didn't take any pics. Patti and I were both really busy the whole afternoon.
I've been agonizing over a solid ATO for our system. The problem with magnetic float switches is the water level in the 150g sump tub. The water level in that tub fluctuates as much as 10" when I turn off the pumps to feed. They keep getting wet and stop working. Anyway, I've been researching other alternatives to the magnetic float switches. I've ordered in a few of these and I'm going to give them a try. I can very easily hook these into my controller hardware and read the water level in the sump from brimming full, to empty. If everything works like I think it will, I can use it to control automatic WC's too by detecting when the drain pump has drained the sump down to a certain level. This sensor can detect differences down to 1/2". That should be accurate enough for all sorts of functions. I'll also mount one over the 150g mixing tub so I'll know when it's close to empty too.
http://www.maxbotix.com/Performance_Data.html
We got the ultrasonic hooked up and mounted. Here is a sample of the readings from it with the aquarium water running normally. These distance readings are the measurement from the sensor to the surface of the water. Later during a WC, you can see the water level rising because the distance from the sensor to the water gets closer.
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 9.49328125 inches
Distance reading: 9.4746875 inches
Distance reading: 9.4746875 inches
Distance reading: 9.558359375 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.465390625 inches
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.4746875 inches
Distance reading: 9.483984375 inches
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
I did a water change starting about here. I turn off both return pumps and the water level in the sump rises a couple of inches until the water stops draining from the aquariums and the drain pump finally catches up and drains the sump. That is reflected in the readings.
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.56765625 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 5.002890625 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.49328125 inches
Distance reading: 9.558359375 inches
Distance reading: 9.483984375 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.5490625 inches
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 9.465390625 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.558359375 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 9.4746875 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 9.911640625 inches
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.558359375 inches
Distance reading: 9.4746875 inches
Distance reading: 9.539765625 inches
Distance reading: 9.49328125 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 8.6565625 inches
Distance reading: 8.63796875 inches
Distance reading: 8.665859375 inches
Distance reading: 8.63796875 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.684453125 inches
Distance reading: 8.619375 inches
Distance reading: 8.665859375 inches
Distance reading: 9.483984375 inches
Distance reading: 8.684453125 inches
Distance reading: 7.847734375 inches
Distance reading: 7.78265625 inches
Distance reading: 7.80125 inches
Distance reading: 7.81984375 inches
Distance reading: 7.791953125 inches
Distance reading: 8.1359375 inches
Distance reading: 7.80125 inches
Distance reading: 9.660625 inches
Distance reading: 7.773359375 inches
Distance reading: 6.4996875 inches
Distance reading: 7.791953125 inches
Distance reading: 7.810546875 inches
Distance reading: 7.7640625 inches
Distance reading: 7.78265625 inches
Distance reading: 7.754765625 inches
Distance reading: 7.791953125 inches
Distance reading: 7.791953125 inches
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Distance reading: 7.80125 inches
Distance reading: 7.810546875 inches
Distance reading: 7.791953125 inches
Distance reading: 7.773359375 inches
Distance reading: 7.810546875 inches
Distance reading: 7.81984375 inches
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Distance reading: 7.8384375 inches
Distance reading: 7.78265625 inches
Distance reading: 7.7640625 inches
Distance reading: 7.754765625 inches
Distance reading: 7.810546875 inches
Distance reading: 7.791953125 inches
Distance reading: 7.78265625 inches
Distance reading: 7.791953125 inches
Distance reading: 7.810546875 inches
Distance reading: 7.7640625 inches
Distance reading: 7.847734375 inches
Distance reading: 7.7640625 inches
Distance reading: 7.80125 inches
Distance reading: 7.93140625 inches
Distance reading: 8.6565625 inches
Distance reading: 7.810546875 inches
Distance reading: 7.78265625 inches
Distance reading: 7.81984375 inches
Distance reading: 8.665859375 inches
Distance reading: 8.665859375 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.619375 inches
Distance reading: 8.619375 inches
Distance reading: 8.6565625 inches
Distance reading: 8.6565625 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.647265625 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.6565625 inches
Distance reading: 8.63796875 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.591484375 inches
Distance reading: 8.647265625 inches
Distance reading: 8.619375 inches
Distance reading: 8.63796875 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.60078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.619375 inches
Distance reading: 8.647265625 inches
Distance reading: 9.49328125 inches
Distance reading: 9.483984375 inches
Distance reading: 8.71234375 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.539765625 inches
Distance reading: 9.4746875 inches
Distance reading: 9.483984375 inches
Distance reading: 9.483984375 inches
Distance reading: 9.558359375 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.595546875 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.49328125 inches
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 9.521171875 inches
Distance reading: 9.511875 inches
Distance reading: 9.5490625 inches
Distance reading: 9.53046875 inches
Distance reading: 9.5490625 inches
Distance reading: 10.3671875 inches
Distance reading: 10.34859375 inches
Distance reading: 10.3671875 inches
Distance reading: 10.339296875 inches
Distance reading: 10.34859375 inches
Distance reading: 10.339296875 inches
Distance reading: 10.34859375 inches
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Distance reading: 10.3671875 inches
Distance reading: 10.34859375 inches
Distance reading: 10.33 inches
Distance reading: 10.357890625 inches
Distance reading: 10.34859375 inches
Distance reading: 10.34859375 inches
Distance reading: 10.376484375 inches
Distance reading: 10.31140625 inches
Distance reading: 11.231796875 inches
Distance reading: 11.231796875 inches
Distance reading: 11.20390625 inches
Distance reading: 11.24109375 inches
Distance reading: 11.31546875 inches
Distance reading: 11.20390625 inches
Distance reading: 11.2596875 inches
Distance reading: 11.24109375 inches
Distance reading: 11.231796875 inches
Distance reading: 11.24109375 inches
Distance reading: 11.231796875 inches
Distance reading: 11.194609375 inches
Distance reading: 11.250390625 inches
Distance reading: 11.231796875 inches
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Distance reading: 11.24109375 inches
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Distance reading: 11.213203125 inches
Distance reading: 11.2596875 inches
Distance reading: 11.296875 inches
Distance reading: 12.105703125 inches
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Distance reading: 12.161484375 inches
Distance reading: 12.040625 inches
Distance reading: 12.087109375 inches
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Distance reading: 12.105703125 inches
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Distance reading: 12.087109375 inches
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Distance reading: 12.115 inches
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Distance reading: 12.98890625 inches
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Distance reading: 12.998203125 inches
Distance reading: 13.016796875 inches
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Distance reading: 12.9703125 inches
Distance reading: 12.9703125 inches
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Distance reading: 12.979609375 inches
Distance reading: 13.0075 inches
Distance reading: 13.76984375 inches
Distance reading: 13.872109375 inches
Distance reading: 13.760546875 inches
Distance reading: 13.75125 inches
Distance reading: 13.8628125 inches
Distance reading: 13.779140625 inches
Distance reading: 13.760546875 inches
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Distance reading: 13.779140625 inches
Distance reading: 13.779140625 inches
Distance reading: 13.853515625 inches
Distance reading: 13.797734375 inches
Distance reading: 13.7884375 inches
Distance reading: 13.834921875 inches
Distance reading: 13.872109375 inches
Distance reading: 13.7884375 inches
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Distance reading: 13.8628125 inches
Distance reading: 13.760546875 inches
Distance reading: 14.690234375 inches
Distance reading: 14.66234375 inches
Distance reading: 14.718125 inches
Distance reading: 14.66234375 inches
Distance reading: 14.690234375 inches
Distance reading: 14.6809375 inches
Distance reading: 14.66234375 inches
Distance reading: 14.77390625 inches
Distance reading: 14.671640625 inches
Distance reading: 14.718125 inches
Distance reading: 14.764609375 inches
Distance reading: 14.77390625 inches
Distance reading: 14.69953125 inches
Distance reading: 14.727421875 inches
Distance reading: 15.489765625 inches
Distance reading: 15.526953125 inches
Distance reading: 15.526953125 inches
Distance reading: 15.4990625 inches
Distance reading: 15.53625 inches
Distance reading: 15.526953125 inches
Distance reading: 15.53625 inches
Distance reading: 15.582734375 inches
Distance reading: 15.508359375 inches
Distance reading: 15.601328125 inches
Distance reading: 15.526953125 inches
Distance reading: 15.526953125 inches
Distance reading: 15.526953125 inches
Distance reading: 15.53625 inches
Distance reading: 15.5734375 inches
Distance reading: 16.456640625 inches
Distance reading: 16.42875 inches
Distance reading: 16.4659375 inches
Distance reading: 16.438046875 inches
Distance reading: 16.41015625 inches
Distance reading: 16.41015625 inches
Distance reading: 16.400859375 inches
Distance reading: 16.382265625 inches
Distance reading: 16.44734375 inches
Distance reading: 16.503125 inches
Distance reading: 16.44734375 inches
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Distance reading: 16.4659375 inches
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Distance reading: 18.185859375 inches
Distance reading: 18.1765625 inches
Distance reading: 18.204453125 inches
Distance reading: 18.2509375 inches
I turned off the drain pump here and turned on the refill pump from the new saltwater barrel.
Distance reading: 18.19515625 inches
Distance reading: 17.7303125 inches
Distance reading: 17.237578125 inches
Distance reading: 17.2840625 inches
Distance reading: 17.2840625 inches
Distance reading: 17.37703125 inches
Distance reading: 16.42875 inches
Distance reading: 16.438046875 inches
Distance reading: 16.44734375 inches
Distance reading: 15.4990625 inches
Distance reading: 16.512421875 inches
Distance reading: 16.42875 inches
Distance reading: 15.4990625 inches
Distance reading: 15.5734375 inches
Distance reading: 16.42875 inches
Distance reading: 14.718125 inches
Distance reading: 14.69953125 inches
Distance reading: 15.248046875 inches
Distance reading: 15.731484375 inches
Distance reading: 14.06734375 inches
Distance reading: 13.825625 inches
Distance reading: 13.779140625 inches
Distance reading: 13.80703125 inches
Distance reading: 13.9 inches
Distance reading: 13.797734375 inches
Distance reading: 13.834921875 inches
Distance reading: 13.797734375 inches
Distance reading: 13.890703125 inches
Distance reading: 13.825625 inches
Distance reading: 13.28640625 inches
Distance reading: 13.927890625 inches
Distance reading: 12.998203125 inches
Distance reading: 12.95171875 inches
Distance reading: 12.98890625 inches
Distance reading: 12.9703125 inches
Distance reading: 13.676875 inches
Distance reading: 13.6025 inches
Distance reading: 12.98890625 inches
Distance reading: 12.17078125 inches
Distance reading: 12.868046875 inches
Distance reading: 12.049921875 inches
Distance reading: 12.0778125 inches
Distance reading: 12.979609375 inches
Distance reading: 12.09640625 inches
Distance reading: 12.087109375 inches
Distance reading: 13.0075 inches
Distance reading: 12.115 inches
Distance reading: 12.180078125 inches
Distance reading: 12.0778125 inches
Distance reading: 11.547890625 inches
Distance reading: 11.296875 inches
Distance reading: 11.306171875 inches
Distance reading: 11.250390625 inches
Distance reading: 11.2596875 inches
Distance reading: 11.250390625 inches
Distance reading: 12.20796875 inches
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Distance reading: 11.268984375 inches
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Distance reading: 11.24109375 inches
Distance reading: 11.268984375 inches
Distance reading: 11.250390625 inches
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Distance reading: 11.24109375 inches
Distance reading: 11.296875 inches
Distance reading: 11.296875 inches
Distance reading: 11.213203125 inches
Distance reading: 10.339296875 inches
Distance reading: 10.655390625 inches
Distance reading: 10.339296875 inches
Distance reading: 10.33 inches
Distance reading: 10.320703125 inches
Distance reading: 10.357890625 inches
Distance reading: 10.33 inches
Distance reading: 9.56765625 inches
Distance reading: 9.56765625 inches
Distance reading: 9.5490625 inches
Distance reading: 9.49328125 inches
Distance reading: 9.539765625 inches
Distance reading: 9.56765625 inches
Distance reading: 9.502578125 inches
Distance reading: 9.911640625 inches
Distance reading: 8.665859375 inches
Distance reading: 8.63796875 inches
Distance reading: 8.6565625 inches
Distance reading: 8.67515625 inches
Distance reading: 8.6565625 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.69375 inches
Distance reading: 8.63796875 inches
Distance reading: 8.619375 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.63796875 inches
Distance reading: 8.628671875 inches
Distance reading: 8.610078125 inches
The sump is full and both return pumps are running at this point.
So far, this might be the best $30 I ever spent!
Here are some pics of this gem.
As you can see, it's less than an inch square.
We mounted it under a pvc cross and the pipe extends out across all four sides of the sump which is a 150g rubber maid tub.
This weekend I'm going to take it off and mount it inside an electric junction box and seal it in there with silicone to protect it. So this mount is very temporary.
I built my own controller using hardware from icp-das. I have this sensor connected to an analog data acquisition module (7018) and the sonar sensor puts out a different millivolt reading to represent the distance.
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Patti and I would like to thank everyone for coming! We had a fantastic time! It was really great meeting some of you for the first time too. I sincerely hope everyone made it home, from the country,safe and sound.
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Not a problem, Steve!
I think we got everything. I DO look forward to some cookies though!
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Excellent! Sounds like this is a MUCH better weekend for everyone. There are a lot more people coming this weekend then said they were coming on the prior weekend. I bought a TON of hot dogs, cheese burgers, and I'm also sauteeing up peppers and onions and I'll grill up a bunch of sausage. The tanks are also ready.
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YES!
Sunday, October 12th is the new date. Starting around 1 pm. Please let us know if you're coming and how many are coming with you so we have enough food.
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Superpets in Annandale sells all sorts of big tanks and they have them in stock too. All the way up to a 285g tank. They also stock and sell the stands. Pretty decent pricing too.
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We had a bunch of friends over this weekend and they all think our 360g tank is extremely well built. I know quite a few people who said they wouldn't ever buy another acrylic tank because of the scratches. I even read people saying the same thing about starphire. But, plain glass does have a greenish tint to it. I think that with the right lights, the greenish tint isn't noticable.
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Good point. I think that filling the tank and not giving the silicone a chance to really cure could cause a failure too. GC recommended waiting 6 weeks, we waited 8 before filling it. Had to get the plumbing done first anyway.
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WOO HOO!!!
Sounds like a jackpot!
We'll see you Saturday afternoon!
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We're very happy with our GC 360g predator tank.
It's their industrial version so it has extra bracing added everywhere. It's 96x24x36 and it sits at an angle to our 450g glass tank which is our reef. We bought the 450 used and I don't know who built it.
Scary thing is we were also considering buying it from Aquariums for You. They kept calling and offering discounts and asking for a down payment. Three weeks later they went out of business.
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We'll be in Saturday afternoon to take a look. You have quite a few things in stock that we want to check out.
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Do you still have the Pyramid?
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Patience. That's all it takes. Keep up with your WC's and the algae will go away all by itself.
It's going to be a beautiful tank, Gary! Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help.
Are you running a phosban reactor?
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I've always wondered about those in-room air conditioners. I have a window air conditioner in the basement and it keeps all 1,100 gallons at 79. It varies in a 24 hour period from 78.5 to 79.2
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Maybe he would like it better if you called it a PEARL bubble coral instead of a pink bubble coral.
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lol
Yeah, I'm planning on video taping it. I don't know how long they'll last in there but I'm hoping that they clean up the mess made by the fish in this tank.
I'm looking forward to making a nice cup of coffee, sitting on the couch, and watching Patti and the kids count them out and making sure they're all alive. lol
Thanks! We're enjoying them more and more now that all the supporting work is finally getting done.
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That bubble coral is HUGE! It looks like it's planning on taking over the left side of the tank.
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OK! A friend from NJ sent us some large macros and we also received a nice shipment from reefcleaners. We have a bunch of different macros now but it's still a bit sparse but it's getting there. The SH's definitely like the macros though.
New FTS (please ignore the dirty glass, I didn't notice how dirty it was until I saw this pic, apparently we have a little girl who likes to lean on the glass to watch the SH's):
The start of our herd:
The light should be here on Tuesday. That will help a lot. We're also getting a shipment tomorrow from reeftopia that includes 1,000 blue leg hermits. Most of them are destined for the predator tank though.
My obsession - 450g reef
in Dedicated Tank (Build) Forum
Sorry for being away for so long but we've been busy on our next project. I know, I know, it's not salt water so this is the last time I'll mention it. We built an 8,000 gallon koi pond. Here are a couple pics of it. Every ounce of energy we've had for the last 3 1/2 months has gone into this. The reef and the predator tanks are all going great too. I'll get some pics of those later.
From the side door, looking towards the water fall:
From the road side, looking towards the house:
The water fall:
Lilies and other plants:
We have babies already:
Anyway, I don't want to take up too much room here and/or bore anyone with a fresh water pond. I just thought someone might be interested.