Gatortailale

Beyond the upfront cost, Nathan is correct to advise you to look also at replacement cost of bulbs. Most MH bulbs are good for 9 months to 2 years depending on brand. If you get HQI, a lot of reefers report getting close to 18+ months. I get about 1 year on mogul MH bulbs. A lot of PC bulbs are 25-50 a bulb. Multiply that times 8 and ouch. 2 mh or hqi will cost ya 50 to 100 a bulb. I would go with HQI and supplement with some VHO actinic. Reefmon has used his vho actinics for about 2 years. I'm looking to buying the cords from PFO to switch my PC actinics to VHO's cause you get longer life on vho and color lasts longer too. IMO, after 6 months PC bulbs are junk, even the actinic and even the act 03 as well as the 7100 actinic bulbs. No experience with t5's. Contact johnc on the board. He has 2 250w hqi with 10k ushios on his 65 and some actinics. I think that looks good. You also are welcome to come see my 250 10k xm's and 400w xm on blueline ballasts. Best advice, ask some club members to come see their lights before you buy. where to buy - you have to shop around. I don't want to go down road of advising online vs. buying from a local store. It's always nice to support the local shops, but ... well you make the call you can afford.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-02/eb/index.htm by Eric Borneman An "Insider's" Guide to Reef Aquaria This month, I once again stray from the strict topic of corals. Some projects I had started recently, along with several posts during an extremely busy month on The Coral Forum, gave me the idea for this column. Many years ago, I wrote a pseudo-article for the old AOL Forum called "The Reef According to Eric." It was a very popular little piece, and I detailed what I felt were, at the time, aspects of a successful reef aquarium. I updated it many times over the years, but eventually it seemed unnecessary to continue offering it because the information had become so widely known. The present article will be based on the "how-to" concept, but with a different tack. I offer here some of my personal tips and tricks and suggestions for reef aquarists in 2004. What I write is certainly not to be taken as gospel, but rather as personal experience that I hope will be valuable. see article - link below http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-02/eb/index.htm

Arrived Today - 2/25/04 Rasta Leathers Toadstool Leathers Yellow Leathers Green Finger Leathers Assorted SPS, Lots Green Hammer corals Green Torch Coral Bubble Tip Anemones Clams Live Rock

Depends on if you want to keep SPS & Clams now or in the future. Also will depend on type of anenome you want to keep. In general BTA anenome will survive under vho / pc. However, it will do much better, in my opinion if you have MH lights. ALso, with the depth of a 90, you would better to get MH lights in my opinion. Others will argue they keep stuff under vho and PC's. I spent my 1st year with PC's. Most corals survived, but didn't grow much and lacked color. Then I upgraded to 250 w mh and now and have some killer colored corals and growth is awesome, corals poking out of the water. Getter better bang for buck and I like the way mh lights make the water shimmer. my .0000002 of an opinion. Craig PS: welcome to the boards.

20% OFF ALL CLEARANCE ITEMS We need to clear out and make more room for new products! Take an additional 20% off all clearance items. To get this special discount for list members, enter "20% OFF CLEARANCE" in the comment section when you check out. The 20% discount will be taken off your invoice. Champion Lighting & Supply http://www.championlighting.com 800-673-7822

Anyone have to do any service work to their regulator? Been having problem the last week plus with needle wheel and regulator. I get a nice stream of bubbles going; come back 6 hours later and nothing. I have the pressure up to 20 or more and tank shows it has lots of pressure. Do I need to clean anything on the needle valve?

I have been paying around 22 or a little more for the past year at the Roberts in Sterling off 28. Never been asked for grade. I have a 5 lb tank. (15lb is too tall for stand and they don't have 10 lb ones :[ )

We have discussed it among the officers - hosting one. Our goal is to see if we can successfully host the Spring symposium. If we get help from the members in hosting the spring thing, perhaps we can put macna on our radar. Please contact one of the officers if you want to help with the symposium. Craig WAMAS Membership Director

Got any pics ???

MARINE AQUARIUM COUNCIL International Certification for the Quality and Sustainability of Marine Aquarium Organisms from Reef to Retail MAC News 4th Quarter 2003 Directors Note MAC Certification starts at the reef. It is only natural, therefore, that our single largest operational focus by far involves building the capacity of collectors and their communities to achieve certification in relation to resource management and use. In doing so, we increase the amount of MAC Certified supply and achieve the associated results of coral reef management and conservation. Working with the collectors and their communities requires patience and understanding, as the process is complex and time-consuming. Community interaction to develop management plans must be facilitated. The training and skills development of fishers in net collecting and post-harvest handling must be ensured. While it is frustrating that a large supply of MAC Certified marine ornamentals is not immediately available, this supply will grow rapidly. MAC spent much of 2003 locating the resources for improving and expanding MAC supply side activities. As we report below, these preparatory efforts are paying off. Significant new supply is available, and major new MAC Certified supply development projects have been launched. Supply of MAC Certified Organisms Boosted with First MAC Certification in the Pacific In December 2003 Walt Smith International (WSI) in Fiji was successfully assessed against all three MAC Core Standards: Ecosystem and Fishery Management (EFM); Collection, Fishing and Holding (CFH); and Handling, Husbandry and Transport (HHT). WSI is the first MAC Certification in the Pacific. The companys certification includes four collection areas managed under a traditional custodial ownership structure. This type of reef management is common in Fiji and substantial parts of the Pacific. The collectors operating in these areas have been certified, as has the export facility. The certification of WSI collection areas, collectors and facilities increases dramatically the availability and diversity of MAC Certified supply. Many of the fish species, invertebrates and corals will be available with MAC Certified status for the first time. Progress towards More MAC Certified Supply from the Pacific Companies in a number of Pacific Island countries are increasingly interested in becoming MAC Certified. A second company in Fiji and one in Vanuatu are preparing to be assessed for certification during the first quarter of 2004. In Kiribati, MAC was a key participant in a major workshop on sustainable marine aquarium fisheries for Christmas Island that involved all the islands collection and export operations, as well as government officials and international experts. MAC efforts are also continuing or beginning in the Solomon Islands and Tonga. Work Underway in 21 Villages to Prepare North Bali, Indonesia, for MAC Certification MAC and its non-government organization (NGO) partners are working in 21 villages to develop collection area management plans (CAMPs) in two sub-districts in north Bali, Indonesia. Resort owners who were previously opposed to the ongoing collection of fish for the aquarium trade near their resorts now also want to play an active role in CAMP development by supporting the establishment of resource management plans. Several exporters and importers visited the fishermen working in these areas and expressed interest in buying fish from them when the fisheries can verify that they are responsible and well managed. Post-harvest training will be conducted with support from the exporters, starting in mid February. MACs NGO partners are facilitating the establishment of two fishermens associations in the area. These two groups of fishermen are interested in adopting the MAC Standards and working with MAC and its NGO partners to achieve certification. MAC Philippines to Prepare Multiple Areas and Collectors Groups for Certification in 2004 and Beyond with USAID Support MACs efforts to build the capacity of collectors and their communities in the Philippines to prepare for MAC Certification received a major boost with the recent awarding of a three-year grant from the Global Development Alliance program of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Key outputs will be an increase in not only supply of MAC Certified marine ornamentals but also coral reef areas under management and zoned for conservation. To get the project underway, the MAC Philippines office convened a workshop in late 2003 in Manila to review and plan MACs efforts. Reef Check, which assists in the resource and fishery assessment and monitoring of collection sites, participated in the discussions. A work plan for 2004 and an overall implementation plan for MAC activities in the Philippines were developed. To further meet the objectives of the USAID-supported program, MAC hired Vince Adajar to fill the critical position of MAC Supply Development Manager (SDM) in an acting capacity. A veteran field operations practitioner, Vince has more than 12 years experience in community-based coastal resource management. His primary responsibilities are to identify, select and develop new sources of MAC Certified marine ornamentals. Hawaii Collectors Commit to Becoming MAC Certified In November and December 2003, MAC and the marine ornamentals collectors and wholesalers in Kailua-Kona held discussions on the island of Hawaii. Mark Schreffler of The Reef Shop (MAC Certified retailer) attended one of the sessions and gave a presentation on his experience in preparing for MAC Certification. Interest in becoming MAC Certified has grown strongly in 2003 among the collectors and wholesalers, and a number of them have submitted Statements of Commitment signaling their intent to pursue MAC Certification. New Certification Update Service for MAC Certified Companies to Be Launched in March 2004 A new quarterly newsletter will be launched in March 2004 for those that are MAC Certified (i.e., certified companies, collectors groups and those responsible for the EFM certification, such as Collection Area Management Plan committees) and for MAC Accredited certifiers. The MAC Certification Update will communicate adjustments and interpretations to the MAC Standards, feature requirements of certification and explain them in detail, and post projected increases in the supply of MAC Certified organisms and industry participants to facilitate the effective implementation of MAC Certification across the chain of custody. There will also be a Q&A section. Those who are MAC Certified are encouraged to email suggestions for the first issue to update@aquariumcouncil.org MAC Public Awareness Campaign Successful Around the Globe What do the US television program The Ellen Degeneres Show, the international travel magazine Condé Nast, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the US Embassy in Tokyo have in common? They were among the many outlets that raised public awareness about MAC as the Disney-Pixar film Finding Nemo opened in theatres worldwide and was released on DVD. The MAC public awareness campaigns success was due in part to MAC partnerships with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and its World Conservation Monitoring Centre as well as with the young actor Alexander Gould (the voice of Nemo). Alexander has been promoting MAC during media interviews since he and his family became aware of MAC at the Hollywood premiere of the film in May 2003. MAC press releases were customized and translated for Dutch, French and German audiences as the film opened in Europe. During November, Alexander continued his support of MAC by narrating a public service announcement (PSA) that promotes MAC Certification. Director Dirk Hagen volunteered his services during the videotaping of the PSA in Honolulu. More MAC Outreach and Education MAC Director of Americas and the Pacific David Vosseler staffed the MAC exhibit booth at the 37th Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show, Oct. 10-12, 2003, in Chicago, Illinois (USA). Thirty-five retailers signed up for the MAC News. Most of them expressed interest in becoming MAC Certified. MAC Certification Systems Director Peter Scott, MAC Board Members John Dawes and Lolita Ty and MAC European Liaison Director Svein Fossa attended Aquarama 2003, in Singapore, Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 2003.Peter responded to significant interest in MAC from many of the visitors to the show and conference, which featured 199 display booths from 23 countries. MAC Director of Americas and the Pacific David Vosseler gave a presentation on MAC followed by a question and answer period at a joint Cleveland Aquarium Society (CSA) and Cleveland Society of Enthusiastic Aquarists (C-SEA) meeting on Nov. 14, 2003. About 50 members were in attendance. MAC Executive Director Paul Holthus was an invited participant at the China Recreational Fisheries and Aquarium Congress, Nov. 19-23, 2003, in Shenzhen, China. Paul gave a presentation entitled Progress in Implementing MAC Certification for the Global Marine Aquarium Trade. Representatives of Chinas marine aquarium industry responded with substantial interest in the MAC Standards and Certification. The organization Support to Regional Aquatic Resources Management (STREAM) held a weeklong Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis, Nov. 24-28, 2003, in Iloilo City, Philippines. MAC Philippines Program Officer Isabelle Cruz and MAC Community Organizer Monica Piquero attended the workshop, at the invitation of STREAM Director Graham Haylor. Organized by the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the workshop is an activity within a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)funded Technical Cooperation Program (TCP). Upcoming Events March 2-4: Marine Ornamentals 2004 (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA) with plenary presentations by MAC Board Members Marshall Meyers and John Brandt and MAC Executive Director Paul Holthus; informal review of first draft working paper of the MAC Standard for the aquaculture of marine ornamentals; session on MAC Certification; and MAC exhibit booth. http://www.hawaiiaquaculture.org/marineornamentals04.html March 17-19: America Pet Product Manufacturers Association 46th Annual Pet Products Trade Show (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA) with MAC Americas and the Pacific Director David Vosseler at the MAC exhibit booth. http://www.appma.org/trade_show/trade_show_overview.asp April 16-18, 2004: 16th Annual Pet Industry Spring Trade Show (Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA) with presentation on MAC Certification by MAC Americas and the Pacific Director David Vosseler and MAC Certified retailer Patrick Donston and the MAC exhibit booth. http://www.hhbacker.com/ May 13-16: InterZoo 2004 (Nurnberg, Germany) http://www.wwpsa.com/i4a/calendar/details.cfm?id=147 June 4-6:Second International Marine Aquarium Conference (Chicago, Illinois, USA) http://www.theimac.org/ July 18-22: National Marine Educators Association 2004 Conference (St. Petersburg, Florida, USA) http://www.floridamarine.org/education/category_main.asp?id=2088 Sept. 9-12: China International Recreation Fisheries and Aquaria 2004 Conference (Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Center, Beijing, China) Email: csfish@agri.gov.cn Sept. 10-12: Marine Aquarium Conference of North America XVI (Boston, Massachusetts, USA) http://www.macnaboston.com/ Sept. 22-23: SuperZoo (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) http://www.wwpsacom/i4a/forms/form.cfm?id=41 Oct. 8-10: Backers 37th Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show and Educational Conference (Chicago, Illinois, USA) http://www.hhbacker.com/ Dec. 5-10: Sixth International Aquarium Congress (Monterey, California, USA) http://ww.iac2004.org/ MAC in Publications and the News Wood, Elizabeth and Nick Dakin. 2003. The Responsible Marine Aquarist. Ross-on-Rye, UK: Marine Conservation Society. http://www.mcsuk.org/ Coral Reef Conservation in the Indo-Pacific, by Sylvia Spalding et al. Dream Marine. pp 20-21. In Tropical Fish Hobbyist. December 2003. Dutch Company is First in Europe to Receive MAC Certification. PETS International Magazine. December 2003. p 7. Media Review: From Ocean to Aquarium, by Doug Robbins. Advanced Aquarists Online Magazine. December 2003. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/ Segrest Farms, Retailers Earn MAC Status. Pet Product News. December 2003. p 7. Stunning Nemo, by Byron Wertz. Vice, vol. 10, no. 11. http://www.viceland.com/ To Conserve and Protect, by Jennifer Martin. PET AGE. December 2003. pp 16, 18-20. United Nations Sees Sustainable Marine Harvesting, by Maryann Mott. Pet Product News. December 2003. p 12. Zertifikate für einen zuverlässigen, ethisch vertretbaren Handel mit Tieren für das Meerwasseraquarium, by Paul Holthus and Svein A. Fosså. BNA-aktuell. 2003 (2 and 3). pp 17-21. [in German] Palawan bolsters campaign versus cyanide fishing. Inquirer News Service (Manila Time). Dec. 15, 2003. http://www.inq7.net/ How Much Is That Fishy in the Window?: How the Aquarium Trade Affects Coral Reefs, by Amy Gulick. Dive Training. November 2003. pp 93-97. Le monde de Nemo. Aquarium Magazine. November 2003. p 4. [in French] Nemo for Real, by Manuela Hoelterhoff. Condé Nast. November 2003. p 148. Le Monde de Nemo Se Meurt. La Figaro. Nov. 27, 2003. http://actu.dna.fr/031127075744.4hjzn10q.html [in French] TV 5.org. Nov. 27, 2003. http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site....10q.xml [in French] Is Your Aquarium Fish Cyanide-Caught? by Terrie B. Fucanan. The Sunday Times. Nov. 23, 2003. http://www.manilatimes.net/ The Ellen Degeneres Show. Nov. 7, 2003. Boot Portal (Boot.com) http://www4.boot.de/cipp....id,7780 Film Fans Warned Dont Flush the Fish with UK Launch of Finding Nemo. Talking Pix. http://www.talkingpix.co.uk/ReviewsFindingNemo.htm From Ocean to Aquaria: The Trade in Marine Ornamentals Worldwide, by Colette Wabnitz. OFI Journal. October 2003. pp 26-32. More Industry Members Join the Global Effort for a Sustainable Trade, by Paul Holthus. OFI Journal. October 2003. pp 10-13. Too Many Aquarius in the Houses. http://digilander.libero.it/gruppoambiente/acquari.htm [translated from Italian by Google] Trade in Aquarium Fish Becoming Sustainable Industry. US Embassy, Tokyo, Japan. http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh20031003a9.html UN Urges Balance Between Economy and Conservation in Tropical Fish Trade. UN News Centre. Wise Practices Help Save Jakarta Bay. WiCoP Forum. http://www.csiwisepractices.org/ [Adapted from an article by Kalinga Seneviratne in CyberDyaryo. July 25, 2003.] Keeping Nemo Not Childs Play. Middlesbrough Evening Gazette (UK). Oct. 20, 2003. BBC Newsround. Oct. 16, 2003. Nemo Makes Aquarium Hobby the Hot Ticket. Yahoo! Finance. Oct. 13, 2003. http://biz.yahoo.com/ BBC Radio. Oct. 10, 2003. UN Radio. Oct. 7, 2003. http://wwwun.org/av/radio/news/2003/oct/03100700.htm Losing Nemo, by Tan Cheng Li. The Star (Malaysia). Oct. 6, 2003. http://www.thestar.com.my/lifesty....eatures Scientists Turn Spotlight on Threats and Opportunities of Booming Earthvision. Oct. 3, 2003. Threats and Opportunities in the Booming Marine Aquaria Trade. People & the Planet. Oct. 3, 2003. http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2057 Dont Flush is the Warning as Nemo Goes Worldwide. Henderson Gleaner (Kentucky, USA). Oct. 1, 2003. Finding Nemo Around the U-Bend. Zap2it.com. Oct. 1, 2003. Fish Hobbyists Warned Not to Flush Pets, by Joseph B. Verrengia. Yahoo News, Oct. 1, 2003. [Also in Grand Forks Herald (ND); Belleville News-Democrat (IL); Times Picayune (LA); Centre Daily Times (PA); ABC News; CTV (Canada).] Fish Update.com. Oct. 1, 2003. Flushing Nemo. Empire Online. Oct. 1, 2003. Flushing Nemo. Practical Fishing Keeping. Oct. 1, 2003. http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=95 Flushing Nemo. Straits Times (Singapore). Oct. 1, 2003. Grabbing the Headlines. Salt Lake Tribune (UT). Oct. 1, 2003. 'Nemo' Prompts Worldwide Fish-Flushing. NBC Sandiego.com (CA). Oct. 1, 2003. [Also in WISC, WI; WBAL Channel.com, MD; NBC 11.com, CA; NBC4.TV, CA; CBC News, Canada; NBC 17.com, NC; ClickonSA.com, TX; Milwaukee Channel.com, WI; INDYchannel.com, IN; KMGH, CO; Hawaii Channel.com, HI; NewsNet5.com, OH; Local6.com, FL] Ikke Trekk ned Gullfisken, by Jan Thoresen. Oct. 1, 2003. http://www.dagbladet.no/kunnskap/2003/10/01/379856.html Scientists Turn Spotlight on Threats and Opportunities of Booming Environmental News Network (CA). Oct 1, 2003. Tropical Fish Trade Threatens Coral Reefs. PFP SeaSpan. October 2003. http://www.pewmarine.org/ Tropical Fish Trade Under Spotlight as Sales Boom. Oct. 1, 2003. http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/22421/story.htm Tropical Fish Trade Under Spotlight as Sales Boom Environmental News Network. Oct 1, 2003. http://www.enn.com/news/2003-10-01/s_8977.asp Troppi Acquari Tropicali: In Pericolo l'Ecosistema. Corriere della Sera. Oct. 1, 2003. http://www.corriere.it/Primo_P....i.shtml [in Italian] 20 Million Tropical Fish Harvested Annually, by John von Radowitz. Press Association. Oct. 1, 2003. Losing Nemo: Hunt for Tropical Fish Is Hurting Habitat. USA Today. Sept. 30, 2003

From the Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33372-2004Jan20.html What's Killing the Coral Reefs? Maverick Unravels a Whodunit By Manuel Roig-Franzia Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, January 21, 2004; Page A25 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Getting people fired up about esoteric scientific theories is seldom easy. But Gene Shinn, the avuncular senior geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey here, is an expert in the art of persuasion. When all else fails, he pulls out the drums. They are everywhere in his creekside home: bongos and snares and kick drums, all worn from years of pounding. "He knows how to throw a party," said his friend Sarah Andrews. "It's an unusual bag of talents: He hauls everybody in, gets them schnockered and plays the drums for them. He calls it his bonding ceremony." Shinn worked for years on Andrews, a former geologist who writes scientific whodunit novels. Like most people, Andrews took some convincing when first approached by Shinn about his maverick theory that coral reefs off the Florida coast and in the Caribbean are being killed by tiny microorganisms that thrive for days inside giant dust clouds lifted out of the African desert and carried across the Atlantic Ocean by the trade winds. Fellow scientists have called Shinn's theory "outrageous," "extreme," "imaginative." But he hasn't wavered. If anything, he has grown more evangelical in the six years or so since he started talking about the theory. Over the years, he has cultivated a cadre of scientists around his cluttered office here: a coral reef biologist who used to live on a boat in the Virgin Islands, a meticulous graduate student, a microbiologist fresh out of a doctoral program. Shinn calls them "The Dustbusters." While they tinker, Shinn dreams. And his dreams are scary. He imagines terrorists tossing piles of anthrax into the air in Africa and the spores riding the windblown dust clouds before descending to wreak havoc in the United States. "I've laid awake worrying about this stuff," Shinn said in a recent interview. Shinn tried out the terrorism bit on Andrews, hoping to persuade her to write a novel based on his theory, but she wasn't going for it. That is, not until Sept. 11, 2001. Suddenly terrorism seemed more real than ever. She called Shinn at his office that afternoon. He was the only one there. "You were right," she remembered saying. The conversation led to Andrews's eighth novel, aptly named "Killer Dust." Shinn, who beams about being the model for a character in the novel, has handed out countless copies of her book to officials at the Geological Survey, hoping it will scare them into coming up with more money for research. This year, $750,000 was budgeted for the project that Shinn once called "my crazy idea." But one gets the sense that Shinn, who has a great shock of wavy, white hair and tanned forearms freckled from a lifetime in the Florida sun, would figure out a way to study his theory even if there were no money. He has always subscribed to an unorthodox brand of old-fashioned science, supplemented by old-fashioned good luck, that has drawn legions of admirers, the most enthusiastic of whom call him a "genius." "Interest-driven science isn't tolerated the way it used to be," Shinn groused. "Scientists are like herding a bunch of cats -- there's too many committees along the way. Committees never discover anything new." Shinn became interested in coral reefs in the early 1960s when he was fresh out of the University of Miami, where he had enrolled on a music scholarship before switching to biology. In those days, he was a competitive spear fisherman -- he won two national titles. He took a job with Shell Oil Co., but on weekends he would conduct experiments during breaks from his endless quest to harpoon dinner four miles off Key Largo. He snapped underwater photographs of the same coral formation every year starting in 1960 and kept taking pictures after tiring of the corporate world and going to work for the Geological Survey in 1974. His photographs, often with his wife, Patricia Shinn, swimming in the background for perspective, created a remarkable four-decade log of coral decay. What began as a plump, vibrant coral colony that resembled a human brain when Shinn was in his twenties has become a hard, lifeless lump now that he is 70. Shinn eventually realized that some of the major die-offs in coral reefs in the 1980s coincided with droughts in Africa that produced enormous dust clouds, suggesting to him there might be a connection that could provide an alternative theory to the long-held belief that pollution and human contact are primarily responsible for the death of delicate coral reefs. But he had no proof. Then he met Ginger Garrison, a National Park Service biologist. Not long after Shinn told her about his theory, she found herself sitting on a bus in Costa Rica next to Garriet Smith, a coral expert from the University of South Carolina. It was sheer coincidence, but Garrison didn't want to pass up the opportunity -- she talked Smith into comparing fungus contained in African dust that she had collected in the Caribbean with the spores that he had proven were killing coral sea fans. The very first sample she sent him showed a match. Suddenly the theory wasn't sounding so crazy. "There's been a good bit of serendipity in all this," Garrison said. Since then, the little band of Dustbusters has grown. Elizabeth Merman, a University of South Florida graduate student, spent months dissecting Caribbean coral skeletons and found particles that Shinn believes were deposited by windblown ash and dust from the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. Microbiologist Dale Griffin found Aspergillus sydowii -- a fungus commonly found in the Caribbean during African dust storms -- in dying sea fans. Shinn calls Griffin's find his "smoking gun." Every month, it seems, someone contacts them from somewhere in the world offering to help. A professor in Turkey set up an observation tower to collect dust samples; the son of an American ambassador in Africa persuaded his schoolmates to collect samples. Yet, even as they make more discoveries, Shinn is still waiting for widespread acceptance of his killer-dust theories. One recent afternoon, a smirking college professor stopped him at a sandwich shop near his office. "How's the world of dust?" the professor asked. Shinn just sighed. He left it that. After all, he was stuck there without his drums.

Congratulations to: Steve Howard - President Scott Blackburn - Treasurer Positions up for eletion in 2005: Vice President Secretary Membership Diretor / PR * * With Steve taking on role of President (former PR man elected in 2003), we consolidated membership & PR in to one position and the by-laws will reflect this update. Membership Director will now be a voting member of the board. Current in office position holders: VP- Glen Rosenbluth Sec.- Tamie Dewitt Mem. D. - Craig Kuhn

125 reef w/ 25 g sump 120 reef w/ 30 g sump

Send Dr. Mac your special requests via email or call him. Remember - it's FREE Shipping when you pick it up at the meeting. Here is the latest news from his website: Latest Web Site Updates: Wednesday Jan. 14: Over 100 Acropora--all colors and sizes including unreal Tables, plus dozens of Stylophora, Montipora, crazy Lobophyllia, incredible Fungia, Bird's Nest, super Gorgonians, new inverts, bunches of nice Nanos, odd Soft corals of all sorts, Ricordea coming out of my ears--lots of really great colors, big Tunicates and Pink Sea Squirts, some very nice Mushrooms, some nice LPS including Blastomussa, even a few nice zooanthid colonies including bright Oranges and Green and a nice steel blue colony. Very late night (really well into morning actually), so please be patient---pics will be posted in a couple of days--THIS STUFF IS WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is the "special item" that you order that comes the "special algae weed" :: if you know what I mean :: :: Just kidding. I'm with marty, doesn't look like anything special to me.

We are going to set aside an area for Q&A for new to the hobby people. Several people will be there to personally field your individual questions. NOTE: doors open at 1:45

From Dr. Mac's website SPECIAL NOTICE Dr. Mac will be at the upcoming Washington Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS) meeting, Saturday Jan. 17 2-5pm in Vienna, Virginia (Washington DC area). Check out www.wamas.org for directions and details. We will be bringing tons of great livestock to sell at SPECIAL LOW DISCOUNTED PRICES for club members. THIS IS THE BEST REEF CLUB IN THE US, GREAT FOLKS, bring some frags to trade, enjoy some refreshments, and discuss reef topics with some of the most experienced reefkeepers in the country!! EVERYONE is invited and welcomed at this club! SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Ester Peters will discuss coral biology and diseases--you won't want to miss this important discussion. HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE!! Remember, Contact Mac for "must have" items and get FREE Shipping :D :D

mantis shrimp? - Sounds like you are looking often at the tank, but I have heard from people that their fish disolve rather fast in salt water once a fish dies. Outside chance this is happening, or it gets back in rock and you don't see it and then it dies & melts.

Cheers. Have a good one. See everyone at the January meeting Craig

No reef stuff for me this year - not even a book :[ Got some expensive wine, wine rack and some other cool stuff.

Mixing salt: I use either 5 gallong buckets and/or an old 20 gallon tank. I put a maxi-jet 1200 in the tank and mix my RO water with salt. Then I let it mix at least 2 days to let it stabalize. Depending on location of tank, I either pump water into 5 g buckets to pump into tank or pump from mix tank into fish tank. As for how I remove old water, I use a python hose that connects to faucet. I use this to suck the detritus out of my sump. I NEVER use it to put tap water into the tank. Little if ever mess for my buy sucking out the junk via this method. I also mark my sump so I know how much to suck out so that new replacement water does not exceed the system volume. WHY: because once the water evaporates, the salinity is left behind and I don't want increase in salinity level. HTH Craig

Insufficient lighting for a LTA. LTA's really need MH lights. BTA's might survive under PC lights - as long as you feed them. Best for animal is to provide lots of light. silversides & shrimp are good foods to feed 1 time a week. HTH Craig

Just starting topic. I'll find out Christmas day what I got - if anything.

I guss you are talking about the yellow tail damsel that is almost all black with greenish diamond on it's side and a yellow tail? I have one of these in a 29. Seems to get along with bicolor blenney and did fine with green chromis. I also have a yellow tail blue damsel in my 125 - first salt fish I bought - that never bugs anyone or anything. Royal gramma or 6 line wrasse would be fine I think. Probably a dwarf angel too.

Thanks for update. I'm trying the 250w 10 ushio on blueline ballast. Day 1 - I was thinking wow, real bright day 5 - I was thinking hmmmm, not looking so bright, maybe made mistake. day 21 - thinking, I made a good call - blue tips showing up on corals, colors coming back that were faded on old bulbs. 2 1/2 months - awesome blue tips on lots of corals; good if not better color I had in corals when 10k ushio's were new. Opinion, so far they are just as good as the ushio bulb; far superior than the AB 10k bulb. I had 3 10k ab's, all on blueline ballast, and each had a different color tone (one yellow, one on the blue side, & one crisp white) The XM's are consistent in the fact that they both look the same. I also set up a 120 and installed a 400w bulb in center of my 125. At first I tried the 2 250w xm-10k's on ends and 400w 10k xm in middle, but the 400w 10k was so bright and yellow vs' the 2 250's it looked funny to my eye. I have since picked up at last meeting, a XM 400w 20k and after about 100 + hours, it has a nice crisp blue/white light and looks decent, in my opinion with the xm 10k's on the ends - coral loves it so far - blue/ purple frag from Dr. Mac that is under the 400 20k now deep purple and showing blue tips & vareefman blue mont. cap. starting to get the blue / purple it was when he had it under 400w 20 radiums. Need another month or 2 to see if xm will make it look similar to radium. HTH Craig