amay121

Went to the local petsmart in Gaithersburg and they have 30lbs of Aragamax for $15.99. Good deal compared to online, but they only had a few bags left. Thought I should pass this along in case someone's setting up a new tank.

I have the biocube 8 and I have 2 astrea and one nassaurius snail and they're doing a great job cleaning. I'm not too sure about the hermits that I have because they're always clipping anything they can away. But good luck and what the others said. Just look at the posts to see if there's anything on sale from the other members or ask, everyone here is extremely helpful and wouldn't mind helping you out if you only ask. Are you going to turn your 2nd chamber into a fuge? If so, don't forget to scrape the back paint off (from the back exterior side) to house your fuge light. Hope you enjoy the tank because I think it's a nice setup, even though I keep on wanting to upgrade the PC lights to a 70W MH, but that's why I got a 90g so I won't have to do the upgrade and I'll be able to keep some of the hardier corals and more fish in my new tank.

Sorry to steal your thread a little, but: BIGCOUNTRY, How do you like the Tek 8 bulb? Doesn't it stick out a tad and there's some light loss? Did you ever try the 6 bulb configuration? Can you keep clams and SPS towards the bottom?

Yeah, price is a big pain point of mine, if I could afford the aquactinics constellation, I'd rather go with the solar flare. I'm trying to get the best bang for my buck and for right now it's gonna be the tek fixture. Prices for both the LE 6 bulb and regular 8 bulb configuration are the same price which is my dillema. I know that the 8 bulb will hang out a little and bleed, but my tank is in the basement where no one else but me will usually be down in. The 6 bulb comes with Icecap reflectors, instead of the standard tek reflectors and I think the Icecaps are better at reflecting than the standard teks..

15watt desk light bought from IKEA.. Works like a charm, though I do have it rigged only with tape to my Biocube (kinda nasty, but it works).

I've decided to go with a T5 setup, but was I can't find any other information on the one that I want. I was looking at the Sunlight Supply Tek Limited Edition 6 bulb or the regular 8 bulb. The LE has the IceCap reflectors and the regular 8 bulb doesn't. I have a 90g and would like to go mainly SPS, LPS, with some clams at the bottom. Price range for both will be pretty similar, so help.. which one would you get or if you have the 6 bulb for a 90 are you happy with it or do you wish you would've gone with the 8 bulb configuration?

I usually turn it on for about 12 hours. 6:30pm to 6:30am Reverse period for my regular running lights and then sometimes I forget that and I leave it on for 24 hours (ugh). Stinking chaeto grows like there's no tomorrow so usually I trim and just head over the LFS and hand it off since it fills up my entire 2nd chamber.

Wow.. these under t5s? or combo halide t5/pc?

All, Group Buy for the refractometer is in the Group Buy section. Please check out what I've found out so far and let me know if you want one or not. Anyone interested should NO LONGER reply on this thread. Just go to the Group Buy Thread.

All, I'll be willing to help out set one up. I'll add a new request onto the groupbuy page and will ask around some of the stores to see what I we can get. I need to purchase a few other things anyways, so it won't be a big deal.

So some minor modifications to my list of things to get: 90G AGA w/ overflow 20L - sump/fuge/return GSA Shorty Current Outber Orbit 2x250 4x54 T5 w/ lunar Sequence Dart (Return) 90 or 120 lbs of sand (AragaMax) 100 lbs of Fiji (May include some marshall, but I'm staying away from Tonga branches) 4 Koralia 4s - to help with the current (this is still in the air) I'm gonna leave the ACIII out for now until I get things setup then add it back. Anyone see anything that I'm missing here? I've read that some people suggest using the eggcrates under the sand for LR stability, any suggestions? After I've acquired everything, I may need some help figuring out the plumbing (not rocket science, but still) so if anyone is around I'd be more than appreciative for the help, but this will be a few months out still.

The links will come in handy. Thanks everyone.

I calibrated off of distilled water ONLY. Did not buy the calibration fluid. With distilled water, the refractometer was off by .001.

Well, After purchasing a shrimp and have him die and getting a second shrimp and having him die instantly, I decide to purchase a calcium and KH test kit along with a refractometer. Here's the quality: Deep Six Hydrometer - 1.025 Marine Depot Portable Refractometer - 1.029 PH - 8.4 Calcium - 460 Alk - 6dKH Nitrite - 0 Ammonia - 0 Nitrate - 0 Temp - 80* Would you trust the Hydrometer or the Refractometer? I'm deciding to trust the Refractometer and I'm starting to lower my SG by replacing 2 cups of tank water for distilled water each day. I had the refractometer reading at 1.031 originally, but wanted to bring it down to 1.025, but once again, which one would you trust? Reading online, they said that the hydrometer is usually tested at 60*F and you have to compensate. I'm taking this with a grain of salt, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the refractometer for now. Just wanted to hear some other inputs though. Oh, the 90G should be here on Tuesday (woo hoo). I'm getting excited on the things that I could do with this. My wife is thinking about a color scheme, while I'm just thinking on what I want, but I really want a flame angel (always loved the colors). Also, will probably wait for a frag sale at Mr. Coral or someone else here, I'd really like to get started with some rics and acans. Those look sweet.

Thanks everyone. Big Country shawns mogurnda sheac12 Thanks for the invitations, I will have to swing by sometimes soon to get more ideas. Man, one of these days someone should have a frag trade fest at their place, I'll bring the burgers and even some beer. Maybe when it's warmer. Anyone want to help sponsor this? Have a BBQ frag trade at their place with members bringing food or what not and having everyone marvel at your tank? I'd nominate DaveLin because of his 300g monster, but he may not appreciate all the company.

All, I'm looking into purchasing a 90G and would like to get ideas on plumbing and well everything else on setups. Anyone mind me coming over one day and snooping around to get some real visuals? Here's what I'm looking to do so far (just a list): 90G AGA w/ overflow or 90G Oceanic w/ overflow 20G long for sump (to include a fuge) or should I just buy a separate 10G and use it as a fuge? ACIII so maybe I can control everything 10G for the ATO AirWaterIce Typhoon III (I don't want to buy water and lug it anymore) GreySeas Aquatics Shorty (heard so many great things) Current USA Outer Orbit (2x 250W MH and 4 54W PC w/ moonlights) or should I just do a DIY kit and build a large custom canopy (seen this done everywhere on the boards with 2x250W MH and some T5s). Am I missing something here? Someone have a similar setup that I can take a look at? I'm in Gaithersburg so the closer the better.

Jamal, OK, so I'll need the following test kits: Alkalinity Phosphate Calcium Would you suggest any particular brand? I've been hearing a lot of good things about Elos, but only place to buy them is from the net. Salifert at the LFS is hefty in price compared to those online and I've been hearing stories that Salifert isn't as good as it used to be.

All, The Xenia have really come back alive since the last time I wrote. Thanks to the guys that suggested the increase in SG. Water: Temp: 80* PH: 8.4 SG: 1.024 (will increase this slowly Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0 I had time to also go to the Mr. Coral sale and saw Jamal. Thanks for all the help. ONE question: What is the green algae? Good or bad? Here's the picture:

Nothing has died actually. The piece that I picked up was just the molt from one of the hermits, so I'm not sure what really happened. I've done a partial water change, maybe just a quarter gallon and here are the test measurements: PH - 8.4 Temp - 80* Nitrite - 0 Ammonia - 0 Nitrate - 10 SG - 1.023 I'm hoping to get the salinity up without causing shock so I'll start it slowly every few days or so. Or does someone think that I should hit it my 1.025-1.026 range faster? Also just purchased some chaeto from the LFS hoping to help out some as well, but I'll have to wait and see. I'll post some pics up when I get back.

Jamal, You called it right. Was looking throughout the whole tank and found the blue legged hermit is dead and somewhat eaten. Just took him out, hopefully things stabilize a little.

I checked the ammonia and nitrite as well. Ammonia was climbing a little, but was low I think it was .5ppm, but Nitrite was still at 0.

The spike was over 4 days. I've been testing every other day, 3 days ago I had 5ppm, then yesterday did a test and had 20ppm, was very suspicious so I decided to do a water change at night with water I had brewing since the early morning. When I woke up this morning, pulled out the test kit to test, everything was back down to normal, the stalks of the Xenia was nice and strong, left for work, timer for the lights kicked in at 7am, got back home at around 6pm and my wife was like, oops, looks like it's dead to me because she's seen it when it was healthy. I'll wait a few days, but I'll pick up a test kit from a LFS in Rockville or something. Thanks for all the input guys.

Evening everyone, Setup BioCube 8 MJ606 live rubble in chanmber 2 PH - 8.3 Ammonia - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 0 Specific Gravity - 1.021 Temp - 80*F 2 Astrea Snails 2 Red Leg Hermits 1 Blue Leg Hermit I've had the tank running for a few months before stocking it. I stocked the CUC two weeks ago and after testing with everything at 0, I decided to plunge into corals (xenia, maybe a stupid choice here). The Xenia were doing great, but I had a small Nitrate spike (20ppm) and wanted to curb it so I did a one gallon water change yesterday. This afternoon when I got back, my xenia is shriveled and looks like it's dead. I haven't used tap water, all has been distilled. Also, when I changed the water, I swapped out the OEM pump with the MJ606. Questions here is, is my SG (Specific Gravity) too low? Is my temperature too high? Please don't ask me to test my Alkalinity, I don't have that test kit just yet? If I don't see any improvements, I'll probably throw out the xenia tomorrow. I mean, it's wilted, stalk and all, when yesterday, it was a lively color and pumping. Any suggestions on whether I should whether out and see if the Xenia can come back? Or should I just throw out the Xenia before it can pollute the tank? I've turned the flow from Max on the MJ to just the middle setting and set the Xenia a little away from the current. Also, the live rock that I have has the typical purple coraline growth, but also has a light green algae on it as well, but the light green/yellow algae isn't everywhere though. Any issues with the light green algae? If I dump the xenia, I think I'm just going to start slow and get a few mushroom frags, good idea? Bad idea? I have the 2nd chamber all set with live rubble, but haven't added the chaeto yet, but I'm thinking about doing this tomorrow or this weekend, any issues I should be aware of? I'm just a newbie so any help would be great.