Stu

One thing I like about kalk is that it keeps the ph up. Will 2 part do the same thing?

I actually already had a DIY stirrer similar to a GEO that I bought from another WAMAS member last year. I used it successfully for about 3 months. The acrylic top plate popped off when I was moving it out from under the stand to clean it. I don't want to repair it, as it is really big and I worry about the overall construction and the same thing happening again. That said, I already have a decent amount of kalk. Is that what you meant by cost recovery time?

It's a 30 gallon.

I have about $200 to spare for a tank addition, and I'd like to add either a 2 part dosing system with peristaltic dosing pumps or a kalk stirrer (probably a GSA). Which should I go for?

I got zoa eating nudis on a piece of live rock that had some zoas on it a while back. When I first saw one, it had those pretty red feather looking appendages and left it alone. Pretty soon I had at least 20, with tons of eggs all over my zoas. They quickly reproduce and can be tough to kill if you let them get out of hand. And if you do, they will eat all of your zoas. I got a product called Wardley Parasite Sweep when Aquaco was still open. I'm sure you can find it somewhere locally or on the web. I took the rocks and dipped them in a bucket with tank water and the recommended dose. It kills the adults immediately, but you have to take tweezers and pick off all of the eggs one by one. You will find them on the undersides of zoas usually, and occasionally attached to rocks. Looks like a tiny ring of pearls. It was about a month-long process for me with several dips and almost daily removal of the egg sacs. Good luck!

Approximately $75. http://coralmorphologic.com/xcart/product....t=16&page=1 Not sure why those are marked up so high. IMO, some of the others are much better looking. Usually some great deals to be had. Personally, I'd probably pay somewhere around $25 or so.

As a side note, it looks like there is an aiptasia anemone peeking over the top of the piece of rock in the upper lefthand corner. It looks like your setup is relatively new, so you may want to get rid of it before it reproduces and colonizes your rock.

I used Great Stuff Pond Foam for my rock structure. It's actually made by Great Stuff, but is black and is UV resistant. I did a good bit of research on RC/here before trying it, and the issue with regular Great Stuff is that it breaks down over time under UV lighting, while pond foam, regardless of brand, doesn't. Great Stuff or pond foam become inert once it hardens. For my purposes, it worked great and has shown no problems after about 6 months. Here's a build thread of the rockwork: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...c=30924&hl= The only issue I ever had with microbubbles was the week my skimmer was breaking in. I used a fiberglass resin from Home Depot and let it cure for about a week or so after applying the sand. From what I've read, it seems that most of the microbubble/skimmer issues are tied to epoxy, rather than foam.

I have not used them, but have heard nothing but great things about glassholes.com. Very low profile overflow and accommodates plenty of flow if you want it. I would have used one of their kits if I had known about them when I set up my overflow. Food for thought: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/SystemPIX/Plumb.../Oneinchart.htm

If you're looking for a simple split, I think a WAV would be best. If you don't want to spend the $ for that, a wye is quite simple and it's easier on flow than a tee: http://www.flexpvc.com/cart/agora.cgi?prod...VC-Wyes_TrueWye

Thanks Ben! It is indeed your yuma. By the way, have you ever cut yours to propagate, or do you just wait for them to split?

Try a zephyrhills water bottle. They're only about 8 inches long. I've caught a yellow watchman and a bicolor blenny in one before.

Did you try the old inverted coke bottle fish trap trick? It's worked for me with varying success.

I always thought you had to buy 2 to dose 2-part. Is there one that will drip both for $60-$80? Do you know what brand or have a link?

Thanks Huy. It was good meeting you too. Your collection of corals is one of the most incredible that I've ever seen. Thanks again for your help; when I got home, my neighbor/friend was digging out his car and I told him I was almost stranded in Falls Church while trying to pick up coral frags. He looked at me like I was crazy.

A few more pics. Sorry for the crappy quality. Ricordea garden: Zoos and palys: Euphyllia "island": Derasa clam: SPS at top: SPS branch: Left side: Another FTS:

12/20/09 update: The tank is coming along well, with everything growing in and maturing. I reduced the photoperiod of the 10k's and it made a huge difference in the SPS's color. Currently have a mystery wrasse and a midas blenny, who are always visible and active. Full tank shot: Right side: Left side: Underneath: Acan branch: Brains:

For sure bare bottom and I may make an acrylic rack secured with magnets, just for maintenance sake. I guess 2 bulbs would be good with maybe a 10hr. actinic and 7 hour 10k photoperiod.

The tank is 7" x 7" x ~20". I'm just going to use the same bulbs that are in my light fixture: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=c...&sa=title#p I'm retrofitting, not looking for a fixture. Current USA is unfortunately the only manufacturer that makes this size bulbs, and 24" bulbs won't fit under there. I have still gotten really good color and growth with them though. I don't want to do a mh because it will create a furnace in my stand.

It's about 7" x 7".

After putting it off for too long, I am ready to install some lighting and get my little frag tank going. Here are some pics from the tank build: I have an IceCap 660 that I will be using to light it. Currently I have 6 20" t5s over my display in a Nova Extreme Pro. It provides plenty of light and I am getting really good color and growth now that the tank's been up for a few months. I am wondering how many t5s I should put over the frag tank. Because it's tight quarters, I'm going to have to go with the 20" bulbs. I am thinking 3 bulbs, 2 actinics and 1 10k with a reflector. The lamps will only be about 5" above the tank and I'm thinking I can use screen to shade LPS, softies, etc. if it's too intense. Will this be enough lighting or do I need to go with more bulbs?

It appears this thread may have indirectly hit the big time: http://www.reefbuilders.com/2009/12/16/eri...climate-change/

David (FFAquatics owner) has done some pretty extensive testing of his carbon and has run it up against a lot of different brands. He claims that his carbon does the best job, FWIW. I have personally never used the carbon, but the GFO and kalk he sells is top notch. He always gives a WAMAS discount on top of an already excellent price. Not to mention he's always willing to discuss his products and trouble shoot regarding tank issues and reef chemistry in general. Very much a hobby-first kind of guy.

I think it really depends on the system that the LR is being added to. If it is a new setup, then the rock is in all likelihood going into a fairly sterile environment. Much of the LR that comes in has sponges, tunicates, etc. that rely on filter feeding to survive. The gulf rock in particular is covered in this stuff. The problem is that much of it is not exactly "blooming with life from the ocean." In my experience, there is a lot of initial die-off, particularly in the way of sponges due to air exposure. New tanks often lack the microfauna that would support lots of the life that comes in on this rock. If, on the other hand, the rock is being added to a mature tank that has an abundance of bacteria, pods, and planktonic life, then I think wild rock can be an okay choice. If it's being added to a newer tank, I would rather have coralline-covered and bacteria-colonized rock (often with plenty of pods) that I can pick up locally at what usually amounts to a great price. On the other hand, I could pay twice as much for wild rock, plus shipping, plus scraping the dead sponges off, plus waiting through the cycle. Just doesn't seem worth it to me. An added benefit of getting rock locally is being able to select pieces. Aquascaping is very important to me, so I like to be able to pick out individual pieces based on shape and size, rather than blindly ordering a certain amount online. Eric, not trying to hijack your thread, but I thought I'd give my two cents. I've had Tonga, Fiji, Kaelini, and aquacultured Gulf rock in my tanks before, both shipped wild rock and from other folks' tanks. Whatever you decide, you will probably need a good bit of rock to fill a 220.

x 2. Driving rock from someone else's tank 1/2 hour to your house will probably be a lot less die-off than rock overnighted in a cooler with wet newspaper. IME, most rock from tank breakdowns is very mature and covered in coralline. Can't beat that.