Mountaineer

My 265 plus sump loses about 1.5 gals / day.

Love the back wall.

Don't forget all of that room on the back glass.

I have raised my Ca levels by that much in one day with no problems. Nothing scientific, only that I have done that with no noticed ill effects. Of course more gradual makes sense to be better.

I like this idea even better. Great suggestion!

Personally, I think as long as you are attempting to provide an accurate representation that is OK.

That is exactly what was going through my mind too! I can't wait to see this progress.

Corals of the World by Vernon http://www.marinedepot.com/Corals_Of_The_World_(3_Volume_Set)_by_J._E._N._Veron_Saltwater_Aquarium_Books-House_Brand-BKCOTW-FIBKSW-vi.html

This was my first meeting although I have been a member for over a year. Of course I joined before we moved here, and then there was the winter..... Very well done. Can't wait to make it out to the next one. Thanks to all that put forth the efforts to make events like this happen.

Do you have dates for each of the pictures?

On a note of further incorrectness, Colonel Sanders was a Colonel. He just wasn't a U.S. Army Colonel. He was awarded the honorary title of "Kentucky Colonel" given by that Commonwealth's Governor. An honorary practice that continues today.

Have you been able to get it to eat anything in the first couple of days? Did you see it eat anything in the store?

It is natural rock attached to a PVC frame with pond foam, epoxy, crushed coral and sand in between to close up the gaps.

I saw these drains in action on this tank before I bought it (used) and they were really quiet. I changed them from white to black PVC. I have pics of what I did, but this site really explains it well. http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/

1 Large Hippo Tang 1 Yellow Tang 1 Sailfin Tang Pair of pink skunk clownfish 1 sixline wrasse 1 male lyretail anthia 2 female lyretail anthias

Just found this online article which might be worth a read for you in the latest edition of Advanced Aquarist. Good luck and let us know how this turns out. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/3/fish

I saw this in action this weekend and it is very cool and innovative. Thought I would bring it back to the surface for those like me that never saw this thread.

Spaghetti worms? Any pictures?

I am not advising this.....and I am not expert on fish heath....but I do know a LFS owner and hobbyist in the Va Beach area that had a fish like you described and one night before leaving the store he stopped and couldn't stand to let the fish suffer anymore. He put his hand in tank picked the fish up took a razor blade and excised the bad eye. That fish was swimming around the next day like nothing had happened and he didn't want to sell the fish after this. I know this probably did not help, but thought I would share that experience.

The store may not have higher TDS, but unless you are checking it you just won't know. I run mine with inline TDS and when the output reaches anything but 0 I change the resin and/or filters. I know some will say anything less than 10 is OK, but I change at 1. The hernia repair surgery resulting from carrying all of the water also has to cost more than the water.

Are the reflectors the same? I ask this because I have had this issue although not nearly as severe with different reflectors.

Weird, because I have the best luck with trochus, and specifically the red banded trochus. Astreas are fine, but they require constant uprighting when the fall upside down. Not sure how old my oldest snails are, but we moved the entire set up here last summer and I still have trochus snails that are over a year old.

Paint with a brush, and it won't matter if you get runs, uneven coats, etc. The visible part will be touching the glass (assuming you don't view the back) and will always be even and even "glossy" in appearance even if you use flat black paint. This is super easy to do. The hard part will be reaching the back if you didn't leave enough room and scraping off the old blue paint. Post before and after pictures.

WOW! If anyone has read Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series, I think this might be the crabs he was referring to in the book. It's been a long time since I've read that, but that book immediately came to my mind when I saw those HUGE crabs.

The store in question has been responsive, apologized, and I understand, but I am not asking for anything here. My personality is such that I will not ask for a refund in the store for 2 snails when I should have paid attention. I simply wanted to remind us all to pay attention. No need at all to accuse me of "blasting" anyone.