FirstContact

Not sure about any prior QT procedures but I've always had good luck with House of Tropicals in Glenn Burnie and CT Aquatics in Timonium.

+1 just compare the Apex reading to a glass thermometer.

Was at House of Tropicals today. They had a beautiful Regal angel marked for $98. Good size. I think it was misspriced. Unfortunately, I don't have any room in my tank for another fish.

+1 DC pumps are still developing and only going to get better. That didn't stop me though. I had a DC12000 replaced by AquariumSpecialty. The impeller snagged on a flaw inside the pump body and refused to rotate. The new one has been on line for six months with no issues. I use it as a return pump for flow to my upstream refugium, display tank, and manifold which I am going to run equipment off of.

Got an email tonight. Mine have shipped.

Sent in my request Jan 30th. Still waiting. Received an initial response on the 30th confirming request and an email Monday that read my order is placed but not shipped.

Last time I was there with the wife a year or so ago. They had some beautiful powder blue tangs. Also had a lot of aiptaisia in their live rock rubber maid bin.

Just to update. The Koran Angel picked at a couple of live blackworms last night. Tonight more blackworms, LRS Fish Frenzy, and live brine shrimp will be offered.

Hi Everyone! Thanks for all the great advice! I will QT the angel in my 40B tomorrow after I have extra saltwater to replace in my DT. I will pull out some live rock and put it in the QT. Ammonia badges I do have! Will try live brine, fresh calms mussels scallops (frozen overnight), LRS and blackworms. I'm at work close to Congressional Aquarium and Tropical Lagoon is on the way home. I'll get the blackworms and brine and look for selcon.

I have a Koran Angelfish fish that is not eating. Great colors; looks healthy. Picked him up on Saturday when I was told he had eaten some brine shrimp and pellets. I have offered spirulina pellets, NLS pellets, New Era pellets, mysis, Rods food original, Rod's food fish eggs, Nutramar, Rod's food Pacific plankton, Hikari mysis, and as of tonight Hikari mega marine angel. The only thing I saw him pick at the other day was part of a New Era Marine Grazer wheel that fell off the suction cup, but he didn't go after a chunk I tossed in front of him tonight. The only thing I can think at this point is live brine shrimp or isolating him. I picked him up Saturday; that's pretty much four days without eating. He's in my DT. Any suggestions? Should I set up a QT tank fast and isolate him and see if he eats? I don't have a sponge ready in my sump. I am worried about him having to adjust yet again, but I have never had a fish go four days without starting to eat. Tank mates are as follows: purple tang, hippo tang, Jansen's wrasse, black cap basslet, and an ocellaris clown. Every now and then the purple tang will swim around the angel to what I am guessing is asserting dominance. This is the only negative thing I can think of. Water parameters are good. I have a 40 breeder and a 75g I could use as a QT. The 40 breeder would be easier to do faster water changes on. How much longer should I wait, and what do I do about not having a bacteria thriving sponge filter ready?

Have Orpheks. I really like multi chip leds like the first Orphek pendants or Kessils. I feel the light spread is much better in addition to the shimmer, but you have a lot less choices over spectrum.

External skimmers are pug and pay too if you don't hook them up to your return plumbing and use a separate feed pump. The external skimmers have a feed pump separate from the pump that has the venturi that creates all the bubbles. The separate feed pump means that the skimmer performance in the sump will not be affected by turning the return pump on and off. That is to say it won't overflow if the volume in the sump rises due to turning the return pump off. It stays at the constant level determined by the feed pump. It's also a lot easier to tune/dial in for that reason.

Thanks scott711! I'm picking some up already. All the Best, FirstContact

That's okay. I work in Bethesda, so Potomac works for me.

Anyone in MD cutting back their Chaeto this week? Looking to replenish my 20g refugium.

The gyre 150s are supposed to come out with heavier four blade version. Went with two Jaebo RW15s for a 120g but I would really like to swap one out for a gyre 150 when/if they change production models. I really admire the new Vortechs and could see myself getting one, but they weren't out when I went for the RW15s, but cost probably would have swayed me to two Jaebo's anyway.

Salifert makes great test kits. Used them for a long time. Last couple of years been using Hanna and Red Sea. Just got tired of reading the tiny syringe numbers. Red Sea uses syringes too, but find the numbers a little larger and they don't wear off the syringe. Also like using glass instead of plastic.

Fantastic! What a beast of a machine...

Really, still following this thread in hopes of some pics...

I used RODI on Tonga branch, Fiji, and Pukani rock from BRS. If you have or borrow the Hanna Phosphate ppm meter you can measure the decrease. The ppm phosphate meter works with freshwater; whereas the ppb ulra low range meter will not. If you would like to borrow the ppm meter I could lend it to you; however, I am not in DC. Glenn Dale, MD. Good Luck!

I have a reactor for GFO; it's a Precision Marine. I basically try to avoid screws. The PMs are twist offs.

Hey LCDRDATA, If you change your mind, I have a 40B that you could borrow. All the Best, FirstContact Glenn Dale MD

Just wish they made something with an external pump. I have no space limitations.

Pics are key. Would love to see what it looks like after a few weeks of operation.

All the different types of rock are great. It really just depends on what you are trying to do and the look you are going for. Definitely picked up some rock from Caribsea and a lot of rock from Walt Smith at MACNA. The push in the hobby/industry seems to be more towards man made rather than from the sea. This is because many people attack the hobby for what is harvested directly from the ocean. I like starting with dry rock either way, because I like to know what is going in my tank, and don't like to pay for the extra added weight of water or fantastically high shipping rates with live wet rock. On the other hand live wet rock from the ocean maricultured or not comes with a lot of life which is always interesting, but you do gamble with what you get. I like to think of what I plan to keep in the tank first and then plan the look and rock structures around that. Also, I got tired of putting lots of little pieces together to make larger structures, so when I order, I try to get some larger pieces too. Also, order more than you need. That way you can choose from the extra pieces and play around with drills and make mistakes. I would stay away from the rock that is mined from the ground because IMHO, it just doesn't look like any underwater reef pics I have ever seen.