Diane

Did i make a mistake adding the coral banded shrimp? Last night i couldn't find the six line wrasse, just the day before he was swimming all around looking happy and healthy darting in and out of the rocks. After looking further, I found the shrimp eating what looked like remains from the wrasse. i'm VERY sad. Is it likely that the shrimp killed it or just cleaned up after it died on its own?

i was turning them on about 8am and off at about 10pm, up to 14 hours i guess. i have timers to put on them now, so i'll set it maybe for maybe 10am to 8pm. i've heard some people stagger turning on the actinic and daylight bulbs, is that worth doing and if so which order and time seems to work?

Update: Tanks going well and everybody seems to be getting along. now have the hippo tang, yellow tang, six line wrasse and a coral banded shrimp, a few little corals and the one big green star polyp colony. interesting watching them, the yellow tang seems to stop in front of the wrasse periodically for a grooming. Question: what's an ideal schedule for the lights? -compact flourescent, i've been keeping them on most of the day, but i had old bulbs in there, i just put new daylight bulbs in and will probably change the actinic's soon. should i cut back how many hours a day they are on?

i'm a newbie who happens to live in silver spring. i've been interested in getting a frogspawn and would love to give it a new home, just let me know.

Another Colesville Maryland member, a "Reef Newbie", been keeping freshwater tanks for over 30 years though.

Things are going well. Chemistry has been good. I've added 6 snails, 4 hermit crabs and the two fish and one coral from Eve's tank.

Is there still a WAMAS store for BOOKS? the link above didn't work.

i'm learning slowly -- here's the direct link to the big picture http://www.wamas.org/forums/gallery/image/8509-setup-week-1/

i did put it in the gallery - let's see if it works this time -- sorry for the newbie stuff http://www.wamas.org/forums/gallery/album/2632371/756-dianes-70g/

Thanks for the Welcome. If anyone's curious.... stage 1 of Diane's 70g. and yes it looks like i'm going to have to replace at least one of the bulbs.

btw -- i tried to "join wamas" using the paypal option and it isn't working. it keeps saying " Funding Options We were unable to verify your credit or debit card. To proceed with your purchase, please select a different payment method or add a different credit or debit card, then click Continue." i've used that paypal account plenty of times before... any ideas?

i kept all the old -- thoroughly cleaned -- rock and sand and added the live rock. i've had water flowing over the old clean stuff about 5 days. and the new stuff since sunday.

Well , so far, so good. I added 20+ lbs of live rock 2 days ago, it already has some tiny featherdusters popping out. ph 8.2, Ammo 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5. i guess i need to start looking for a clean up crew, suggestions for what kind and where to get them? staying in MD for now would be preferable.

Very good info. Thank you. These all end in "06". sounds like i better get new stuff to be safe.

Should my old API Saltwater, Reef Test kits still be good?

Thanks for all the ideas. Cleaning and soaking has begun. I'll let you all know how it goes. Diane

I have a 70 gal reef tank that was set up about 2.5 yrs ago with protein skimmer and live rock. a few corals, invertebrates and a couple fish. It went along swimmingly for over a year, then over time things died off and i didn't have time to take care of it, so i did not replace anything. It has sat "dead" and dried up for a year. (Before this tank i had only kept freshwater tanks.) I would like to get it cleaned up and going again. Can i keep the sand and rock, old shells, that are in there? Will i need new "live rock"? any suggestion will be helpful? i'm also wondering if i'm likely to have an easier time if i keep it as a 'fish only' tank? thanks for your thoughts.