malacoda

It depends on whether you prefer to have your water line just below the hole... or above it. If you set the high of your overflow box so that the water line is just below the hole, then yes, you will always see a little water coming out of it. If you want your waterline to be above the hole, then you need to make sure there is enough spare room in your sump to hold the water that siphons back down your return line until the water level drops to that little hole and the air that gets in breaks the siphon.

+1 Have their ATO and love it, but an Avast auto water change??? This newbie would love to hear more!

Hard to tell due to the coloration/glare of the pics... but it almost looks like a branching cyphastrea.

Very cool - congrats!

Have you considered a fang blenny from the meiacanthus family? My green canary blenny (meiacanthus tongaensis) is always out and about throughout the water column... brave and curious yet incredibly peaceful... and gets along great with my tail spot blenny and pink-streaked wrasse. They tend to be very coral and invert (other than some worms and pods) safe. And the only fish they tend to not get along with are other fang blennies (unless it's a mated pair).

No doubt custom will be the priciest option - but it may still be worth a quick chat with Pure Reef Systems and/or Artfully Acrylic (both sponsors and both in Manassas). Can't hurt to hear what they have to offer. I recently replaced an Aqueon 10l sump I baffled myself with a custom sump for my 24g DT. Yes, the custom sump cost about 6 times more than the homemade sump - but the extra room and water volume I gained from the squarer foot print and extra, custom height has made a HUGE difference in the flexibility and performance I get out of my sump now... Given the size and shape of my stand, it allowed me to maximize and utilize the space and capabilities of the stand and my equipment to much greater degree than any of the off-the-shelf tanks, sumps, or containers I came across would have. In terms of price, custom usually tends to be expensive. But in terms of value, there are times when custom actually turns out to be a very worthwhile bargain.

Wow - that is starting to look really sharp. Can't wait to see it when it's done. Just curious, any thoughts on what kind of finish your going to use?

It is not common practice and most people advise against it. That said, there are articles and threads in other forums of people who have done it - with the clams clearly opening up, taking in, and expelling the bayer dip - without any ill effects on the clam. Note - this is only info I've seen/read in other venues; I personally have no first hand experience with clams (yet). http://www.reef2reef.com/threads/polyclad-flatworm-p-mopsus-the-clam-killer.106256/ http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2492714

Beautiful tank, and stunning stand! Very, very nice. Oh, and nice Flipper - fantastic scrapers IMHO.

+1 Works fine for me. Bottle is a bit easier to work with than a tube. And easy to grab a bottle quick at nearby Home Depot or Giant if I find myself needing more in a pinch. If I were working with a lot of frags I might be inclined to try something less expensive or that comes in a bigger size. But I only have a 24g tank - so I don't mind spending $4 or $5 on a bottle since it will last me for a while.

I picked up two about 6 weeks ago after doing several hours of research on platygyra coral. From what I saw throughout a weekend of reading, it can be placed on the sand bed on it's own or mounted on rock... If you place on the sand, it will grow its own skeleton and form a ball or plate shape as it grows. If you place on rock, it will form an oblong, out-of-round shape as it grows unless the rock surface is parallel to the water surface. (Apparently this is because has to 'angle' itself to maximize its light intake before it resumes its normal, round or plate growth pattern.) Like I said, this is info from a few hours of online digging, not personal experience - so take it with a grain of salt.

+1 May be okay in a sump (with a heavy bead to 'pin' the panel as mentioned above). BUT - given how poorly silicone adheres to acrylic, you may want to think twice before risking it in a self-made 'all-in-one' tank. If it comes loose you won't be able to try to re-bond it without emptying and drying the tank - which would suck if it's full of coral and livestock. Might be worth taking 10-15 minutes to call a few local glass shops and see how much a similar size piece of 6mm or 9mm thick glass (depending how high your water level is). Who knows, they may even stock some in smoke tint or heavily frosted to help hide the equipment behind it.

Depends how much you are/aren't willing to spend... One LED light that starting to gain reputation for quality is Nanobox - similar in price range to running Kessil(s) on tank with the exception being that the gooseneck/hanging kit (your choice) and built-in wifi controller are included in the price rather than having to be purchased separately, which saves you a few bucks versus a similar-sized Kessil setup. For example, I just recently got the Nanobox Duo (the fully loaded Duo Plus M to be exact) for my 24g (24"x16"x16") for ~$470. A Kessil 360 would with gooseneck and controller would've run ~$550. So, even with higher end lights, if you dig around a bit, there may be opportunity for a little bit of savings.

Am really looking forward to attending my first WAMAS meeting this coming weekend - but looks like the extended forecast is currently calling for up to 12" of snow in the D.C. area Friday into Saturday... I don't put much stock into rain or snow forecasts that are two days out let alone 5 days away - a lot can change between now and then. Just curious though, is there a standing inclement weather policy for WAMAS meetings, or any kind of rain date policy?

I wouldn't worry about it either. As Brian and treesprite have already mentioned, the adhesive bond that keeps the tank structurally sound is only in the silicone that is directly in between the glass panels. All the silicone 'shoulders' really do is add a little layer of protection to the main seam between the glass so that it isn't accidentally damaged by algae scrappers, etc. As Brian mentioned, many of the newer custom and rimless tanks (incl. mine) don't even have the silicon shoulders anymore, just the main seam right between the glass.

Very nice! How long have you had it set up?

I too am in the process of setting up my first QT tank, so, if anyone with more experience chimes in, by all means - give their input far more weight mine. That said...

While I can't speak from experience as I just ordered my first RODI last week and won't have it until tomorrow, I noticed that in the online manual/instructions the manufacturer stated that on new systems, it can take 3-4 days for the auto-shut off valve to work properly due to air that is trapped in the system 'confusing' the valve. After 3-4 days the water in the system will have absorbed and trapped air. Since air is compressible, unlike water, I assume the valve operates by means of pressure and the trapped air pockets prevent the back-pressure from building up enough to fully close the valve... Is there any chance there is air trapped in your system? If so, it may be preventing your auto shut off valve from engaging.

Holy smoke - I haven't looked in on this thread for about a month and half... that anemone has grown into an absolute monster! It's awesome. To be honest, this past spring I was thinking trying my hand at a saltwater aquarium and planning out my first tank. Got so caught up in the mantra of 'bigger is better for a beginner' that, before I knew it, I was looking at an expected price tag of $6000+ to set up a upper-mid-end 120g tank. Nothing uber-fancy like Radion Pro's or anything, just good name lights, powerheads, etc. that would allow room to grow. The price totally turn me off to 'sticking my toes in the water'... Then I came across this thread and your gorgeous little 6g made me rethink everything. Am now in the process of setting up a 25g to give the hobby a try. Thanks for sharing your this tank (and your other tank experiences) with us. Truly is an inspiring little gem.

Thanks Ben, all very stunning - but the Fox Flame... WOW, very, very cool!

++1 Pics with names please -- makes for a great way for us newbies to learn to identify cool corals, especially some that are less common.

Great additional info -- thank you both!

What is that makes you prefer your Spectrapure over the AWI? Like Tommy, I would too would love to hear a bit insight/experience from someone who has used both before making a final decision on which one I'm going to pull the trigger on...

Just a heads up - in addition the to 10% club discount mentioned above, Air, Water and Ice is also offering Free Shipping on all RODI systems now through Dec 31 as their 4th Quarter special -- see their sponsor thread for more info. I too am looking to buy my first RODI unit within the next 4-6 weeks. Several good names and systems have already been mentioned -- AWI, Spectrapure, BRS, etc. -- and any of them will work quite well. But, after 15+ hours of reading, researching, and price comparison -- even down to the cost of replacement filters, membranes, and resin for different sized systems -- I've yet to find a better deal for what tons of experienced aquarists on several forums consider a top-end system than an AWI system with the WAMAS club discount and free shipping.

Roger that - the silencer is on my 'must have' list, and I've got a Sicce 3.0 which is flow adjustable and also easily meets the minimum 528 g/h recommend for the mame overflow per the info on www.saltwater-conversion.com. One more question if you don't mind (more out of curiosity than concern), do you find that you have to clean it very often? Given my slight compulsiveness with cleanliness, I have no problem doing frequent, regular cleaning if it's required... am just trying to get an idea of what to expect.