lancer99

What's new about this? -R

Now we know who's been wearing those "YOUR MOM IS HOT" t-shirts to the WAMAS meetings. -R PS all I want for Xmas is a job, just like all Fannie Mae employees.

It's healing quickly, before: and after: It seems to like the stress....its polyps have been extended every day since I got back! Cheers, -R

Edit: Oops, I meant Organ Pipe...the other softy with a skeleton! One of the two softies with a skeleton and always one of my faves: When I was cleaning my tank, the polyps retracted, and I noticed all kinds of critters in the skeleton...mini brittle stars, bristleworms, and either sponges or tunicates. And Aiptasia and bubble algae -R

Yep, it's a soft coral, one of two (along with Organ pipe) that forms a skeleton. Maybe not one of the most exciting, but looks pretty groovy (IMHO) when its polyps are extended: Cheers, -R

Lunker, I'm sure that you've read that AWT's tests are not as reliable as one would hope.... And I'll second Zygote, do you actually have a problem in your tank? Diatom blooms are said to be caused by excess silica...is that what you're seeing? -R

Bob wins! The water level just got too low and the top was exposed to the air. As Almon said, it's a very hardy coral. Just a few days later, it's already starting to encrust the bare skeleton...you can (kinda) see the white line on the old tissue, which is new growth. So as long as algae doesn't get a foothold on the skeleton, I'm good to go! It has also completely encrusted the putty I used to attach it, and the LR beneath it, about 4-5" in all directions. I'm sure everyone knows this is a SOFT coral -R

It's not invasive like Kenya Tree. -R

with no auto-topoff Cheers, -R

Amen. And the argument that they are "no worse" than wholesale outfits doesn't have much traction with me....how is Roozen's mimicking the horrible conditions and lack of care on the part of wholesalers any justification? So Roozen's has great selection and cheap prices? Those are really good reasons for turning a blind eye to the fact that they are just too ignorant/lazy to properly take care of the creatures in their care. Yes, sarcasm. Sorry for the rant....but I'm with Dave on this one. -R

My one (and only) visit to them was mixed. Seemed like a reasonably nice outfit, but I couldn't stand the fact that they hovered over me and watched my every move. After hearing Dave's story, I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, as a new startup...but now having heard Jen's story, I certainly won't be back. -R

I really do need new contacts...I read the topic title as "Fried Egg Crate." -R

VHO's don't need reflectors. They will light up just fine without them. Internal reflectors on fluorescent tubes are completely useless, since all of their light output comes from the (opaque) coating on on the inner surface of the tubes. External reflectors will increase their light output. -R

I base the things I add to my tank on chemistry, the advice of reefers who have much more experience than me, and what works in my experience. I don't think anyone would argue with the value of Ca/Alk/Mg supplements, top-offs with RO/DI water, or water changes. What I don't rely on is claims from manufacturers, especially when they're trying to pull to wool over the eyes of less-experienced reef keepers, and moreso when they throw out a bunch of meaningless jargon like "aqueous phase filtration." -R

Why would it make any difference whether a DSB is remote or not? -R

I agree with Highland Reefer, it sounds like carbon. Far be it from me to suggest that a manufacturer might actually lie in order to sell a product Although meaningless phrases like "specifically designed for aqueous phase filtration" might be a tip-off! -R

4-6" of Aragamax sand. Flow seems irrelevant...I have a lot of flow in my frag tank and a lot less in my softy tank. I don't see how light would be a concern. I was to a certain extent playing the devil's advocate, but that is what works for me. After the initial break-in period, I've never had nitrates over 1.0 ppm in any of my tanks (Salifert test.) I don't see how it would be practical to measure the nitrate inputs, since they are an intermediate product...either for a tank with a DSB, or any other tank. -R

Then they did something wrong. A properly set-up DSB will keep your nitrates <1.0 ppm, with no need for expensive additives like Zeovit or Probidio, or whatever the flavor of the month is. -R

Lightning struck twice! The same species of Caulerpa went sexual in my 75G tank. This time I didn't panic (as much ), and since it didn't really have any adverse effects in my 29G tank, I didn't even do a water change....18 hours or so later, and everything was fine. So obviously Caulerpa can go sexual, but maybe the effects are exaggerated? -R

In my 75G's former life I had a purple and yellow tang together and they completely ignored each other, but from what I've read, I just got extremely lucky. -R

Not really, just that this tank is sumpless, so other than the maintenance I mentioned above, all I have to is clean the skimmer weekly. About the easiest tank I've ever had Remember it? I still have a frag of the Pipe Organ whenever you're ready. Sure, my shattered dreams of retiring early. Oh wait, I meant "reviving" my shattered dreams of retiring early. I'll throw in all my Fannie Mae shares to sweeten the pot. -R

The one on the right looks like a Stomatella snail....they will reproduce in your tank and are great additions to your CuC. On left is an Asterina starfish. Most of them are harmless, but there have been reports that blue/brown one will munch on corals. -R

Garrett, it's in the main tank, lights on from about 5-12 p.m. I think I've had one type of Caulerpa or another in every reef tank I've had, and love the stuff. The dire warnings are IMHO silly...you just have to keep it in the sand (where it's easy to remove) and off the rocks (where it's not so easy, but far from impossible to remove). 24 hours later and the water is crystal clear, all the corals are fully expanded, and I don't think my Firefish even noticed it So despite this little bump in the road, I fully intend to keep on keeping Caulerpa. BTW Garrett, my "Borneman" anemone is doing well, would post a pic but it's in a part of the tank where it's impossible to get a good shot. From now on I'll stick to Barry Manilow. -R

Went into the fishroom to do my nightly tank maintenance, only to discover that the water in my 40G breeder frag/growout tank was so cloudy, I could barely see from front to back. After several minutes of panic, discovered that the clump of Caulerpa sertularioides farlowii growing in the back of the tank was ghostly white: First time I've ever had Caulerpa go sexual....I guess it knew it was Fall? After a 50% water change, all the corals are still pretty closed up, but my purple Firefish (the only fish in there) doesn't seem bothered at all. \ -R PS Yes I yanked the Caulerpa after taking the pics

Be sure to post some self-pics when you get maximum polyp extension -R