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Beautiful tank. I say leave it too (unless you need the space). I think its a great addition and gives your a tank a really natural look that is refreshing. Jon

I purchased a refractometer earlier this year after close to 5 years in the hobby using a hydrometer. To be honest, it was more of a "piece of mind" purchase than anything. I was aware of the horrible reputation of hydrometers, so rather than counting on the reading of the swing arm, I just took a reading of the water in the tank first, and made sure my change water read the same. Occasionally, I would have somebody test my water to make sure it was within normal parameters. I've done weekly water changes for years and never had any problems. I even sometimes just use the hydrometer because its a little quicker. Jon

Eric, I'm a firm believe in the upgrade kits, but they can require some tinkering. I recommend using some epoxy or something else to bolster the impeller seat (especially if you are upgrading the 1200), as these can blow out the back and have done so for some folks (including me). http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...c=26090&hl= I actually just glued everything back in and used epoxy AFTER the impeller seat was destroyed. I've been running a 900 and 1200 (upgraded) on a wavemaker for close to a year on my 90. Jon

Most fish are community animals. There's a lot of "follow the leader" that can occur when it comes to behavior and eating is no different. I think you are right to be alert if fish aren't eating. In addition to trying a variety of foods, you might want to try soaking the food first with some garlic extract. That tends to spark their appetite and makes the food a bit more appealing. How are your water parameters, and are there places to hide in your rockwork? They could be stressed out or just not settled in because something's off. Jon

I fully endorse them also. I have had multiple orders with them (mostly bulbs). Nothing was ever broken. Shipping was quick and the shipping costs are great for smaller orders. I had no idea about the discounts for larger orders. Jon

I have 110W JEBO 24" PC light laying around. Let me know if you're interested. Jon

Jan, Mushrooms expand to receive more light under lower lighting conditions, so their contraction is probably in part to significantly more intense light from your T5s. Did you do anything to manage the change (use screens, slowly ramp up the photo period, etc.)? It could also be they are going through the "shock" of the sudden change in lighting. I think you did the right thing by moving them lower. I'd keep an eye on them, but they should recover. Regards, Jon

good stuff, Hunter! Jon

Wow. Awesome.

I don't have anything really constructive to add except to say that you've got a great start and look well on your way! I also think you got an incredible deal on that skimmer (looks like you've realized that). Jon

I had a lawnmower for about 3 years and he was ideal reef inhabitant. He never seemed to go for large, thick algae, but more preferred slime algae and just going over rocks that weren't covered yet. No issues with corals at all. I have had a starry blenny now for about 2 years and he's had the exact same behavior. Jon

Some growth shots. I originally added this florida ricordea in August 07. I've notice that it takes a few months for the mushrooms to settle in before they start splitting in my tank. What's interesting is how this coral has changed shape (appearance) over the years. The pseudotentacles (bulbs) have really kind of inflated up. I wondered if it was a reaction to the light, so I've moved them around to no avail. My suspicion is it may be related to allelopathy, but I have other florida rics that have not reacted similarly. I'd love to hear if anyone has any experience with this. I think they look interesting. January 08 (my wife took this pic) September 08 March 09 Green Slimer August 08 March 09 And some recent additions... I picked up the Lobo and the Yumas from the Aquarium Company to add even more mushrooms to my mushroom dominated tank! Flower Petal Monti Branching Lobo Hemprichii Orange Yuma Ricordea Thanks for looking! - Jon

Tank looks great! What sort of bulbs do you run with your tek light, and on what photo period? Chalices seem to do great under the lights, any observations? Regards, Jon

Just wondering if anyone has played with or utilizes the GE3000k or the KZ Fiji Purple, and has any thoughts about their use in combination with other bulbs. Jon

Good census, Dave. Temperature Range: 78-81 Have Chiller?: No Size of tank: 90G Lighting (type and wattage): 4X54W T5s Predominant type of corals kept (LPS/SPS/equal): Mix with emphasis on rics

jamesbuf is selling the 150 recirculating you have listed for an amazing price. I was thinking about buying it and stashing it for a future project, if I had the funds. I have an Octopus skimmer and love it (the INT-PS-150). This is why wamas is so great. http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...&hl=octopus

Mine grew out of his timidness towards me (he ate out of my hand), but never asserted himself with the tang, so he never grew comfortable in the tank (which is why he stayed on his side). I have plenty of caves and he had a few spots he wedged himself in at night. He never bothered my inverts either - so he was a great reef fish. A pair may be a good consideration for this species, all research indicated they were hardy. Maybe the crab got him, I don't really know. It did bother him that the tang was so not accepting of him, though. At this point, I'm going to lay low and not jump into anything else too soon. zygote - I'll have to check out the article. Thanks for mentioning. Jon

I got him back in November.

Just wanted to provide an update on the Blue Throat. Much as it hurts my reefkeeper pride, its been three days since I've seen the fish, so I think I've lost him. I checked around thoroughly for a "carpet surfing" incident, and didn't find anything. He wasn't in the overflow (as he had done once before). An eye inspection revealed nothing, but I do have a gorilla crab running around (details on my thread). He had no signs of illness (swimming and behaving fine), and was eating voraciously. He did, however, never grow past his timidness and stayed on one side of the tank. He was bullied a bit by my white-cheek tang (and even occasionally by the clown), but only when he ventured towards the middle of the tank (but during feeding time, the white-cheek didn't seem to care). He was about 3". I'm not sure there is any lessons learned for anyone here, except to be mindful on compatibility. I feel bad that I didn't give him a better home. Survival in captivity: 3 months Jon

Its rare and wonderful when we get to see colony's as large as this in captivity! Bendalat- have you had to extend its base as its grown? How have you managed that? Jon

Looks a bit like the baby's breath favia that's going around: http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp...Code=05-5211-10 I think you're piece looks better, though. Jon

Enlarging the clean up crew will help, but I'd also suggest increasing your water movement. If you can keep detritus in the water column, it will both be absorbed by filter feeders and skimmed off by your skimmer. That should help a lot, even if it its just so you don't see the detritus pile in the corner. When I do a water change I use a turkey baster to remove any detritus sitting in the sump. I know lots of folks use it to blast rocks also, prior to a water change (to remove even more). Hope that helps. Jon

Corals will react differently under different lights. Corals generally stretch to maximize light under lower light conditions, and the reverse is true when under higher light conditions. What you might be experiencing is the corals just reacting to the new level of light intensity from the T5s. I experienced something similar. Its recommended to acclimate corals to light changes gradually using short photo periods initially, or by using eggcreate or another screen to help the transition. Most are resilient though, and should recover. Jon

I used tap water for at least a year when I first started - and I've heard of plenty of others doing the same. He may battle some additional algae issues, but I don't think it will have any negative effect on the livestock. Jon