bluefunelement

use a 2nd small heater to get you up to 76-78 that way if one breaks your still only at 74 and remove one in summer so they don't overheat you.

The Sapphire reactor was small and cute - I'd suggest hanging on the phosban 150 not sure any skimmer is going to work "well"- for $40-100 you could add something though.

The Red Sea basic one is a joke but now they have an Alkalinity Pro that looks to be a Salifert-style 2-part titration test. I plan to get the Seachem as well as it resolves Borate vs Carbonate Alk - probably not needed but it's got Mag also so it's a good value. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/8/review

I use API but with larger vials - 12ml so that I don't have to cap and shake between each drop- the calcium doesn't mix well for example. With 12ml it's just swirl open cap. Salifert on hand if anything seems suspect.

Are you willing to cut the back lid? Intank only? Do you already have a fuge or media basket?

The PAR20 is underdriven but I thought the 38's were overdriven-

You can look at the threads showing the plots to see what diameter output you'll get at what distance then you can also buy a small LED setup to test different optics - 2 LED +driver + optics <$50 to test with. I'm looking at 40 as I want to keep some height off the water but if I had a 60cube I'd likely go with 60optics so I could mount them closer to the water and still get more coverage. PAR38 PAR plots

As I see it: $270= timer powerstrip $50 ATO $100 wavemaker with feed button $100 good digital temp monitor $20 or $287= RKL w/temp/ph/orp 8 controlled outlets ATO w/float switches expandable to include NET, SL2, MLC, etc

Ok now I'm done laughing enough to type All captive is amazing and ORA and others are breeding all kinds of fun fish for nanos. If I had to do my 3month old pico over again I'd stick with AIO with a good topoff..opps.. so you have no worry about vaca or leaks. Reefkeeper lite is almost a no-brainer as it can keep your salinty, topoff, and temp all in order and as of last weekend will connect to their net module for wireless/iPhone updates. Lighting is easy and fuge is usually large enough for some chaeto but having an easy to pull out and replace media basket (StevieT's) is crucial. Also make sure the pumps are in chambers with enough room for hands, connected to wire-ties to pull out, and with screens to keep out snail shells. The Phos-ban with carbon/GFO seems like a good idea at least after full stocking. Everything else is just keeping a stocking list and testing weekly so you can catch trends and lightly dose between WC. I've been surprised now in two tanks as Halimeda growth has pulled out lots of bicarbonates and dropped my ALK while leaving PH/CA steady - even in that extreme case with more growth then any corals weekly light dosing was more then enough. Leave out Ozone, reactors, kalk, CO2, even skimmers and GFO probably aren't needed. Ahh the simple life. Perfect Pico El Fab's Guide to Pico tanks El Fab's Neglected 3g Pico Normal Nano Elos Mini Let me know and I'll delete these so you can start posting your own shots

Just read the first line and remembering talking to your wife about you needing at least an AIO or pico.... mahhhahaahah BTW - love the F.L. Wright house!

One came up attached to my heater so I got my thumbnail under him to pop him back in the tank and he broke in half cleanly - I only say half cause the tail is so long - wiggly wiggly tail and shelled body both went back into the tank and while the shell one moved off as the tail was picked up by a sexy shrimp half it's size in less then a minute. Fun to watch nature play out safely in our tanks. Gotta pick here somewhere

so Japan has sent us Stink Bugs to cause coral illness cause their jealous of our tanks - keep them down there in VA please

Hmm cool experiment. For basic husbandry and to make sure you don't have your experiment shutdown you should definatley run some more your questions for this crowd. Assuming you are using 1.5+" clowns that are closer to maturity and feed enough so even the runts get some you'll have a fair bioload for a 55. You're going to have a long cycle with no live rock or sand -the later doesn't cause fighting but barebottom is fine too. What mechanical filter are you using? Good luck.

I saw an article that said this was like coral steroids -in that by weight volume the pellet food has 2-5x the usuable nutrients or something like that and went on to say that the growth in increased and waste decreased. I use Hikari marine.

I agree BTW Stomatella trivia for you? What happens when you accidentally break a Stomatella in half?

Can't use the aqualifter with anything added to your topoff or it will clog- you can run water through it once a week maybe but you'll prefer drip or a better pump.

Ive got a 5g QT still running in Annapolis but that's probably small for you? If you want to QT properly though you're looking at up to 4-8weeks

Not to hijack...but... I'm now lightly dosing with DT's CA, ALK, and Mag as I don't have enough g to warrant dry chem. However I know some Mag is better mixture then others- thoughts?

Lithophyllion I won in a raffle for $1

Kabala-I've got a 5g bucket 2/3full off small crushed agragonite (larger then sand though) you're welcome to - save at least alittle. Tom- I've got a blue/green chromatope bc29 and love green striped discosoma- pmd you about selling a few.

Goldilocks just right.

I like how you say not IF but WHEN they are eaten given that you are the one selling the fish eating mini-carpets hehe

my JBJ is 3min before it shuts off but it won't turn back on till reset - with only an aqualifter pushing 1cup/3min I'd come home to find it off and have to manually top off - now I have the JBJ on a timer so it resets itself several times a day and won't pump more then a 1/2 gallon all day.

I was contemplating this for TigerPods or Mysis shrimp but havent done the research

I'd recommend raising the ALK back to 9+ and keeping it steady - I suspect low ALK has weakened a few of my paly's recently since nothing else changed. Also come out at night and see what's chomping on them - you might very well have some HH going to town on them overnight - my amphipods turned into a plague then turned on my zoas.