BadCrab

Another fun treat with pom poms is that they will share the anemones they use (propagating them) to pomless pom poms. Its fairly common for them to pickup polyps, aiptasia, and even small majanos if the T. Producta they normally carry die.

Decorators are still crabs, meaning they are opportunistic feeders. Provided you keep him well fed he shouldn't harm your stars and urchins. Provide him with enough macro, sponges, or polyps to get camo'd and (again provided he is well fed) your puffer should leave him alone, too.

Should be fine. On the back of snails is the only way I've been able to grow some macros (red gracilaria!)

I find that (generally) the longer someone stays in the hobby the more they gravitate to an all snail CUC. All crabs (even micro hermits) are opportunistic feeders and if they have to climb over polyps to reach food they don't exactly tread lightly.

I don't believe ORA produces mandarins anymore (hobbyists simply would not pay the premium for captive bred vs wild caught.) That being said, the batches they released were notorious for not eating after shipment or being extremely finicky ova eaters that still couldn't compete in normal reef environments. Some comments about your other choices: BSJs are awesome and interactive... They prefer to make a home in the front of the tank where they can keep an eye on the action - but they are expensive (expect $100-125) and WILL jump if a tight fitting lid isn't on the tank. Galaxia... The tales about the sweeper tentacles are usually under represented. A baseball sized colony will easily send sweepers up to a foot long in your tank and they pack a nasty punch. Maxi-mini carpets are probably the hardiest and easiest anemones to care for (along with rock flowers) they won't capture fish and healthy inverts know how to maneuver in or around them. Sexy shrimp LOVE to have host mini maxis. Fairy wrasse is a great choice (again, assuming your tank is covered) for something in the 50g range. Stay away from the larger species like Solar, and keep them with other less aggressive fish. They are prone to being bullied. Not a fairy, but another good small tank wrasse are the possum wrasses. Hope that helps

I got a job at Petland's aquatic department and start tomorrow. Everyone I've met in the hobby so far has been awesome... Can't wait to meet more of you at the next WAMAS event.

A Duncan species tank would be pretty neat. I know you said you didn't want clowns, but they take to Duncan hosts well and there's a reason they're the most popular fish in the industry (very interactive, hardy, and long lived); I'm sure that sexy shrimp or other symbiotic glass shrimp would take to them well, too.

They can change sexes, but this sounds more like an individual personality issue and not necessarily mating/pairing behavior. I would trade out the current female if I was in your situation.

I have tickets but I haven't made plane or hotel reservations yet (ugh)

Ashburn at Atley on the Greenway, here!

Hey Brad! I'm that guy. We are here, but exhausted from the plane travel. Dulles is a nice airport. Probably going to start making rounds to the LFS tomorrow

Of course, a week before we leave the Element's compressor goes. This changes a couple things, as it forces us into taking a pod-type service for the few boxes we need to take - but that also affords us more room to take things we otherwise were selling here cheap and planning on rebuying in VA. We signed a lease for Atley on the Greenway in Ashburn, and our plane tickets have us leaving on Monday. You wouldn't know that by looking at our apartment (it looks like a fish store exploded in here.)

Yeah, it's a big thing here in Phoenix and I'm sure parts of the East Coast too. A battery heats a coil that's surrounded by e-liquid (vegetable glycerin & propylene glycol) that instantly vaporizes the e-liquid and releases a steam that you inhale. In practice it's like typical Egyptian hookeh but electronic & handheld. Many people replace analog smoking with vaping, as you can step down the nicotine concentration in your e-liquid and get it in dozens and dozens of different flavors.

Eel and a huge school of sergeant majors sounds like an awesome tank. We're trying to find a place close to work in Ashburn right now and it's a little hard with our budget but I think we found a few that might work. Adam will be traveling to tour the new site and see a bit of the area from 14-17, and we will be moved in by the weekend of the 26th. I'm going to setup a nano right away so I can get it cycled and prepped. It's this unit from NanoBox & Synergy that was featured in Reefbuilders. I'm going to do a designer anemone & clownfish pair with a set of lily pipes & canister filter. Cant wait to meet everyone at the local stores and WAMAS events!

We have a hard date! Boyfriend starts work in Ashburn on August 1st. We are desperately selling off all our belongings, lol.

Very much into learning to aquaculture inverts right now, with a focus on ornamental shrimp. I keep in contact with the two guys over at Coldwater Marine Aquatics on the northwest coast, and they've been giving me some tips on scouting out and getting legal to collect from the Chesapeake for public sale. I'm sure I'll make the travel out to a traditional coastal "beach" for tidepool hunting too though.

I joined WAMAS today! Employer still hasn't given us a hard date but looking between the second and third week of July now.

My boyfriend accepted a position in Ashburn and we're making the (long) trek within the next month or so. I'm really excited that there's such an active reefing community near DC. We're leaving behind pretty much everything, save some nicer LEDs, wavemakers, our cars, computer, and cat. The density of frag boutique and fish stores in Phoenix is something I'm really going to miss (I work at one here.) I'll probably be setting up something tropical in the 100-200g range. I'm dragging along a 4x2 steel frame and 4'MRC bio sump with me, so probably something with that footprint. I hope to get involved with the local aquaculture and propagation groups. I'll be setting up algal cultures first thing. My interests in coldwater collection are growing and with the Bay so close, I'm sure I'll be in the tidepools too. Going to be looking for people to hang out with, we're mid 20s into reefing, vaping, & gaming.