hypertech

The pump is a huge part of it. The Alpha 200 and the BK 180 both have red dragon pumps. Most consider this to be the gold standard. I have an alpha 170 which has a red dragon pump and IMHO, it is worth every penny. It runs quietly and trouble free with little (or pretty much no) effort on my part. Other skimmers I've had had noisy pumps, start up problems, constantly needed to be cleaned, etc.

No. He's not hungry. I don't know why. And, today, my single remaining chromis jumped and was found on the floor :( I also ordered a pressure switch from avast to install in my skimmer lid to prevent the fuming volcano of skimmer goo from ever happening again.

After my recent volcano skimmer eruption, I think I'm going to buy the part the shuts the skimmer off and fit it in my skimmer lid. I don't have space for the whole locker.

<start rant> OK, so first there was the sand that made a cloud if you looked at it funny. So, I got rid of that. Then, the algae started. And it just won't go away. It seems like I'm finally winning its a stinky brown goo now when I pull it out (and the smell is starting to spread out of the tank). This weekend, it was time to catch the tang that I sold. So, I put in the trap. Next up - baiting the trap. Oh, crap, the WHOLE container of pellets falls into the tank. Cue one hour of siphoning out pellets. Hopefully the fish are hungry. Oh, and that algae, guess who's going to spend the next week on extra maintenance duty plucking it out from the spike in nutrients. At least the skimmer does a good job and has pulled a full cup of stinky nasty stuff out over the next day or so. And, that expensive fish food. We better try to save it and put a fan on it to try to dry it out and salvage it. Of, course, that smells like roses. Cue, "the look." Now to today, I pick algae. Great, now my arm smells like algae. That's OK, I made a deal on a new fish that I'm picking up. That'll be great. Time to acclimate new fish. I acclimate new fish in a 2 cup measuring cup hung inside the sump. I slowly use a turkey baster to remove bowl water and add tank water. In the meantime, why not pick some more algae. OK, cool, lets pick some more algae. Oh, times up! The fish is acclimated. Pick up measuring cup - except now you have slimey algae water logged fingers and you fumble it .... right into the air line for skimmer which comes off. That's right, the full skimmer cup you were going to clean after you got done picking algae. Now, the skimmer is overflowing in a fit of rage and spewing the skimmer gunk and water all over the tank, stand, and floor. It is seriously coming out like a fountain. Why, oh, why do you hate me fish tank.

Maybe some kupang damsels and wrasses. Dwarf angels swim around a lot too.

What lighting do you have?

That depends on the parasite. Cleaner wrasses and cleaner shrimp might pick off dead skin, etc. I don't know how many parasites they actually get off. Its also a behavior that they don't exhibit that readily in a tank.

I haven't had issues with them together either.

Which one? I tried the same thing and they told me no.

Sounds like it worked out well. I'm hesitant to buy from Petco in store, and almost wonder if you get better quality with an online purchase. They also have better prices online than in the stores, which I find odd.

Rated for 84cfm, but description says up to 119. 2 in stock. You can walk in and pick it up. http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0259513

That'll do it. LEDs are Light Emitting Diodes. A diode is the electronic equivalent of a check valve. Current only flows one way through a diode (yeah yeah, I know this isn't completely accurate and that they will flow backwards, but for the most part, this is true). If you hook it up backwards, no current can flow and nothing in the string will light because that is no path for current.

Radio shack or Microcenter probably has something that will work.

That's an air silencer not a control valve. It's a small pic but it looks fine to me. On most of those skimmers (no specific experience with that model) you adjust it by raising/lowering the cup.

I'll be surprised if that happens. I'll believe when 2-3 generations of upgrade replacements have been sold.

For me,the differences between in generations are just to great compared to the expense. For example mh and t5 technology is pretty mature and improvements are really incremental. With LEDs that a really noit the case. A few months ago it was AI sols are so great you'll never need anything else. Now its the radian is so great you'll never need anything else. Next it'll be some XM-L technology or something for better depth penetration, etc. For a tank this big, LED is really expensive. I don't think the technology is mature enough to warrant putting that much money into it yet,

Till a better LED comes out next year and you have to replace the whole works instead. I'd do a couple halides for main lights and LEDs for supplements. You could replace the bulbs in halides many many times for the difference in price.

Mr coral did do a delivery service in the area - free even. Priority mail was basically overnight, but now the post office is slowing down service and temps are dropping. I do wonder how it worked out for him if it drove sales, etc. I got 5 frags delivered to my door for $50 and was happy with the experience overall. I'd probably do the order again if I could beat this stupid algae. I'm not adding any new corals - especially small ones - till I've won the algaepocalypse.

FWIW, some good did come from this. I didn't know BRK keeps a stock list on their website and I didn't know they had an email list, which I am now signed up for. ...... and, post 150 will be mine again!

They do offer a 10% wamas discount - at least they did the last time I was in there. I've been in several times and got a different impression. $25 for a feather duster, $35 for a two spot goby, etc..... I do buy frozen food there.

That's assuming you own your house. I rent, so a portable is a better fit for me.

I did an (admittedly fast) search and couldn't find much other than it doesn't appear to be a current model and was sold through walmart. Anyone know anything about this generator?

I'm not going to bed till you agree to put honey on your sandwich...........

Welcome Scott! I understand what you are saying here, but I have a different take on it. I don't even think we can count on the LFS as they are right now to be there when you NEED them as many are closed for several days in a row. Even if they are open, there's a good chance they won't have the exact pump you need in stock. So, IMHO, the true answer to your hypothetical is to be prepared for a failure so that you can (1) wait till the LFS opens or (2) wait for a replacement to be shipped.

I thread it with dental floss and glue the floss down. After it attaches you can remove the floss. This is only for soft corals. Hard corals get super glue gel.