LCDRDATA

If you want to risk information overload, there's a thread on Reef Central that is dedicated to T-5 lighting and currently runs 415(!) pages. You can probably find custom recommendations for a 6-bulb setup for just about any combination of corals you want. Here's a link to a page near the end: The T5 Q&A Thread. I've been happy with the advice I've gotten there. Also, I don't know where you are getting your bulbs, but in addition to WAMAS' sponsors, two sites I'd recommend are Reef Geek and Hellolights. The links will take you directly to the 39W T-5 pages.

... or the whole cube drifts straight to the overflow and it all goes into your sump.

I posted this yesterday in the members' For Sale/WTB/Free forum at SPS & softies for sale or trade - but given this is a school I'd be happy to donate whatever you were interested in. I case you can't see the thread, here's the list (I've removed the prices from this version) I have the following frags available: - 1 x montipora digitata, red/brown - 1 x pocillipora, deep pink/red - 1 x kenya tree (~2") - 2 x green & white striped paly (~8 polyps per frag) - 2 x yellow polyps (~ a dozen polyps per frag) For "just-in-time" inventory, I have - a large rock covered in green & white discoma mushrooms that need to be thinned; I can remove some at your request. - large group of pale green & orange zoas; I can frag that (probably 6-12 polyps per frag) on request. - several frags of green-star polyp. I can probably also spare some dragon's breath macro algae, and I may be able to frag a small piece of "purple nurple" encrusting montipora.

$500 - What a great deal!! Sadly, even if I had the money, I don't have the space . When I first started (not quite three years ago), I looked at a beautiful established setup (90 or 120 gal, I don't remember which) that someone was selling for $1500. Of course, I didn't want to spend that much. So now three years later I have a fairly nice 75 gallon tank, and I don't think I've spent more than about $3000 (!). Maybe someone's tax refund will come in and help them decide to buy - good luck!

My T-5 unit has eight bulbs in two banks. I alternate switching out one bank every six months, which means I replace individual bulbs on an annual basis. I had planned to switch banks at 9 months, but that became too hard to track . It seems to be working, most everybody in the tank appears to be healthy, happy, and growing appropriately.

We have a white short-spined urchin and a tiger cowrie that have both eaten blue clove polyps (the cowrie more than the urchin). The only way we've kept any is to put a frag plug with them so close to the glass that they can't get to the polyps.

I decided to experiment with adding moonlighting to my 75-gallon reef setup. To minimize the cost I bought a $15 blue LED rope light (package states 9 watts) at Wal-Mart and just laid it around the inside perimeter of the glass top on my tank. There is a lot of wasted light (since the lights aren't directional), and the LEDs aren't optimized for this use, but with LEDs every inch and a half I figured quantity would make up the difference. I certainly seems to have; definitely lots of POP! from my corals. However, my wife pointed out that this might be too bright, especially if I left it on all night. I know a number of the corals/zoas were significantly more open under this lighting than they were in the dark (I periodically watch my tank at night with a dim red light to not disturb nocturnal activity). While it looked cool, I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. So, can anyone help me out on this? How bright is too bright? If I were to put this and my 'fuge light on a separate timer opposite my main unit (right now my 'fuge is on the same cycle), would this be a good idea or a bad one? Thanks! P.S. - I put this same question out on Reef Central earlier this morning; nothing back so far.

I'll send this to your email as well, but I'm not sure which you'll see first. I have a current thread in the For Sale/WTB/Free forum with most of what I have available - as this is for school and given the distance, I'd be happy to donate whatever you'd like (with the exception of the "large" mushroom frag, which is on hold). The thread is Softies Looking for a Soft Landing. Perhaps the best way to do this would be for you to go to that thread, look it over (I actually updated and posted new pics yesterday) and decide what you would like. Then look at the things I'd originally posted and decide if there is anything on that list you want that isn't in the "Softies..." thread. Finally, just let me know what you'd like, and we'll set up a time for you to come and pick it up. Jim ("LCDRDATA")

I started with IO, but was always dosing calcium & magnesium. I tried Oceanic, but it was leaving some kind of precipitate on my equipment. I've been using Reef Crystals for about a year and a half and am very happy with the results, and they're only 5-10% more than regular IO, which seems to be worth it.

I've run my filter socks with a load of towels a couple of times - no bleach, but at least once with added Oxi-Clean - and used the extra rinse cycle. No adverse effects whatsoever (unless you count the dirty look from my wife).

I've watched ceriths and turbos lay eggs in my tank, and both types left long, coiled strings of tiny, tiny eggs. My guess is that those are a group of babies, either limpets or stomatella (hard to say). I also remember reading about pyramid snails - white, and about the size & shape of rice grains, if memory serves - that parasitize and kill clams. Judging from the discoma next to them, these aren't even that big, but if you have one or more clams and can't make a positive ID that they're harmless, I'd suggest getting rid of them just to be safe.

Here's where I am in terms of things available for donation: - I have around a half dozen green & white discoma mushrooms looking for a new home. At the moment, they're jumping off the mother colony faster than I can sell/give them away - it's like the old Doritos commercial ("crunch all you want...we'll make more). - I need to prune back my colony of green palys (radial stripes of lighter green to almost white), so while I don't have them fragged at the moment, I just need a couple days' notice to get them on frag plugs. - I can also do a frag of the pale green and orange zoas (also radial striping) at any time. - I can do multiple frags of green star polyps at any time also. - I could do a small frag of deep pink pocillipora and possibly of a red-orange monti digi as well, but my wife has informed me the monti cap I mentioned previously as a possibility is off limits. - Turning to non-corals, with a bit of notice I could catch and set aside a few of my numerous stomatella - while they started as hitchhikers they've done well enough to spawn in my tank. - I could probably spare a couple of hermits as well. - Finally, I can also spare some live rock (a couple pieces from roughly fist size to perhaps half that) and probably 15-20 pounds of previously live but currently dry base rock - I can't put an island name to it ("Fiji", "Tonga" etc.) but its fairly porous. If you're interested, just let me know when we can do a transfer.

I'm cross-posting this on a couple forums because it is such an awesome article. I'd suggest going to the original (hyperlinked) - the text and links are below but don't do it justice. It's on efforts to bring back Caribbean coral reefs propagating coral frags. The URL is http://www.nature.org/magazine/autumn2010/features/art32082.html?src=sp3 and I

I'm cross-posting this on a couple forums because it is such an awesome article. I'd suggest going to the original (hyperlinked) - the text and links are below but don't do it justice. I just received my copy of the Autumn Nature Conservancy magazine, and the cover article is on efforts to bring back Caribbean coral reefs propagating coral frags. The URL is http://www.nature.or...82.html?src=sp3 and I

I just received my copy of the Autumn Nature Conservancy magazine, and the cover article is on efforts to bring back Caribbean coral reefs propagating coral frags. The URL is http://www.nature.org/magazine/autumn2010/features/art32082.html?src=sp3 and I

All I can say is WOW! I know it's gone, but maybe someday I'll be able to afford something like that On a more realistic note, what do you have in the way of peppermint shrimp? I've run out of Aiptasia X and have a couple I can't reach that seem like they're the size of your scoly... Also, do you have any sea hares? I know both of these are listed on your stock list (I checked), but it's dated last week. Thanks!