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LCDRDATA

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Posts posted by LCDRDATA

    T5 bulbs

    in General Discussion

    I've run both, and don't believe I've seen anything to disqualify either one. As for coloration, I think it's mainly a matter of getting the right mix. One good place to compare is at Reefgeek, as they show the output color spectrum for all their bulbs. I've used the UVL Super Actinic, Actinic White, and 75:25 (which Reefgeek doesn't seem to have right now) and been happy with them. Right now I'm running mostly ATI, but that's probably as much what was on sale at the time as anything else - I have an 8-bulb unit, so per-bulb costs add up faster; on the flip side it's easier to mix and match to balance out the desired spectrum.

    Identification

    in General Discussion

    The rocks have a variety of sponges. Will the light kill the sponge?

     

    Light won't kill the sponge directly, but does support the growth of algae that potentially can kill it. Exposure to air, on the other hand, is frequently fatal (if sometimes gradually so). Various fish and inverts may eat it as well.

    luckiest fish ever?

    in General Discussion

    I did think about running the eggcrate to cover the gap, but there wouldn't be enough structural integrity as only 5 squares would be supported by the tank  and like 10 would be hanging. The weight of it actually made the egg crate cantilever into the water and lift up on the back, which is where I was most worried about jumping.

     

    After looking at your pictures, I think you might be able to make a long, skinny piece of eggcrate the would fit between the current one and the glass. If you zip-tied it to the existing piece, I don't think it would cantilever. If it looks like it will, you could (before cutting it to the final width) make it wide enough that just a little overlaps the glass to support that edge, and still zip-tie the back edge. One other possibility that might (or might not) work would be to see if you could run a couple of zip ties from the long ends around the bracket screws (either for stability and/or support). At least that way your long slit would be blocked.

    luckiest fish ever?

    in General Discussion

    · Edited by LCDRDATA

    You might want to consider shaping a piece of eggcrate to fit the top around the brackets and into that front bow. It's a bit tedious, but I've done some similar shaping using a pair of needle-nose pliers to cut/break the individual squares to the appropriate dimensions. 1/4"-1/2" gap around pipes, brackets etc. is better than several inches.

    dosing vitamin c?

    in General Discussion

    I've dosed Vitamin C in the past and it seemed to help (I wasn't using biopellets at the time). There's a ginormous thread on Reef Central about it. They recommend a pharmaceutical grade product from NutiBiotic - it's buffered to pH 7 so it doesn't mess with your tank's balance, and it is pretty economical. You might want to give it a shot - you're not going to hurt anything.

    Fish Experience?

    in General Discussion

    · Edited by LCDRDATA

    Antennata's to me are just like the Volitans as far as how they act in the tank, they are just smaller. I think the blenny and damsel would become dinner eventually as it grows up. The Mombasae is very similar to the Antennata but even smaller.

     

    That is a good bit of fish with messy eating habits. What type of filter do you have?

     

    I think the damsel will be big enough to be safe at the rate it's growing, and the fang blenny hides so much I'm not sure the lionfish would ever find it - or that we'd know in anything like a timely manner that it was gone  :rolleyes: . And of course it's called a FANG blenny for a reason.

     

    The filter is a converted wet/dry flowing through sponge, then filter pad, then biomedia into the sump; it also pumps through a skimmer into a 'fuge of about 12 gallons growing chaeto, which flows back into the main sump through a media canister with carbon & phosguard, and passes through a UV sterilizer on its way back up to the tank. It's significantly Rube Goldberg, but it seems to work.

    How does your Chalice grow?

    in General Discussion

    I've had some problems with one or two, but then there's my Alien Eye chalice. It was probably about this size when I got it:

     

    gallery_2631918_925_4038.jpg

     

    About 18 months later, it looked like this:

     

    gallery_2631918_925_103990.jpg

     

    That was a year ago. In the meantime, I had brown jelly hit one side of it that I had to remove several months ago. Even so, this is it (more or less) today:

     

    gallery_2631918_925_263405.jpg

    I do not give advice

    in General Discussion

    · Edited by LCDRDATA

    By the way, well said Paul. Advice should be taken with a grain of salt. Experiencing things has been my best teacher

     

    "Good judgment comes from experience."

    "Experience comes from bad judgment."  :why:

    Fish Experience?

    in General Discussion

    · Edited by LCDRDATA

    We were also thinking about a lionfish. After going through the descriptions in the same book, we thought the Antenna Lionfish (AKA Spotfin or Ragged-finned, P. antennata) might be the best for us. It seemed the best combination of size (Volitans gets too big) and temperament (Fuzzy Dwarf might spend too much time hiding). Any experience with these? 

     

    I should probably mention that the FOWLR is a 55; along with our Erastus, our Snowflake Moray, we have a Humu Trigger (~3"), a Velvet Damsel (~2"), and a Canary Fang Blenny (~2") - all of whom spend most of their time inside the rockwork. I'll get a build thread up one of these days. 

    Fish Experience?

    in General Discussion

    · Edited by LCDRDATA

    My wife was looking through my fish book (Scott Michael's Marine Fishes PocketExpert Guide) and tabbed a couple she thought might be interesting. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with these particular species:

     

     - Fantail Filefish (Pervagor spilosoma) [liveaquaria link]

     

     - Saddled Filefish / Mimic Saddle Puffer (Paraluterus prionurus) [liveaquaria link]

     

     - Saddled / Valentini Puffer (Canthigaster valentini)  [liveaquaria link]

     

     - Scimitar / Boomerang Triggerfish (Sufflamen bursa) [fishbase link - liveaquaria doesn't seem to list it]

     

    Also, whether any of our LFS might have these on any kind of a regular basis. We'd be looking for this to go into our FOWLR. Thanks!

    jimlin's 75 gallon

    in Dedicated Tank (Build) Forum

    I remember those little Hawaii-tidepool hydroids from when we lived there; I'm not convinced they are aiptasia, although they could be. I know we brought some in on rocks back in the day, and they never really spread significantly.They were tough as nails, though.   

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