cpu933k

Heh heh, that was me. Glad you are enjoying it.

google "diy skimmer stand". That should give you lots of ideas, but most are eggcrate and pvc. If you do want to go pretty, you can get acrylic ones with adjustable height off of ebay for around $20 plus shipping. You can even have them customize your dimensions.

Since your DT will be fallow (fishless) for at least 72 days, might as well put the inverts in there now (just restart the clock when you put them in). No need for a separate invert QT at this time. Any ich cysts hitchiking on the inverts will be starved out and die.

I would recommend tank transfer instead of copper.

There's an article in the post today too. So sad. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/08/scientists-say-a-dramatic-worldwide-coral-bleaching-event-is-now-underway/

Yeah, I never trust anyone to QT but myself. You really only have those 2 options - leave them in the DT or catch all the fish, put them in QT (best to use the tank transfer method - but that requires 2 sets of hospital tank equipment), then leave the DT fallow for 72 days. You have to weigh the pros and cons of catching all the fish, stressing them out, then having to maintain them in QT for 72 days, but having the pro of knowing you eradicated your system of ich. If you leave them in the DT, you can hope that the ich doesn't spread and hope that through diet and good husbandry, the ich will lay dormant...until you add more livestock or stress them out...

Have you looked into NLS ick shield powder (not the food)? Some over on RC are using it in place of CP from a pharmacy.

The 2 closest LFS to Capitol Heights, MD are Tropical Lagoon in Silver Spring (previously mentioned) and Quantum Reefs in Springfiled, VA. QR is my favorite LFS. They have a good variety of healthy livestock and have the biggest inventory of dry goods of all the LFS in the area. Tropical Lagoon has a nice variety of fish. House of Tropicals has a lot of fish. CTE aquatics is pretty far and I've only been there once. Marine Scene is $$$. Case in point, $95.99 for a Flame Angel at Marine Scene vs. $49.99-$69.99 at other LFS.

Quantum Reefs seems to have the combo pack in stock: http://www.quantumreefs.com/PE-Frozen-Mysis-4oz-and-PE-Calanus-4oz-Twin-Pack-_p_51447.html

I keep my RODI and mixed saltwater in brute containers in my garage and the water can get warm. The last several weeks the water temp in the brutes has been at 84-85 F.

Do any of the LFS in our area accept fish trade-ins?

Here it is on Quantum Reef's website: http://www.quantumreefs.com/Misc_c_2493.html

What happened? What caused the crash?

First inhabitant after 6 weeks of QT - Tiny little Valentini Puffer: Why, hello there! Still trying to get the white balance correct and learn how to best use my macro extension tubes.

Tank is finally cycled and added some Build My LED 20k Multichannel Lights. I sprung for the mutichannel so that I could adjust the color. Wife ended up liking the default settings the best, so I didn't need the mutichannel. Oh well. Also got rid of the maxspect gyre and went back to jebaos.

Added a custom ATO Reservoir a few weeks ago as described in this thread: http://wamas.org/forums/topic/73080-custom-acrylic-ato-reservoir/