ArtC

my bangaiis and pajama are pretty much always out during the day (I explained the bit about no 3AM feedings early on.) Never had any trouble between the bangaiis and the pajamas. Between male bangaiis and other male bangaiis is another issue. BTW, the guy who first bred bangaiis spoke at MACNA and said that HE couldn't tell the sexes apart (and he'd retracted his earlier ideas about mouth shape and fins.)

It might not constitute a wild Saturday night to WAMAS, but the first CMAS meeting of the fall is this Saturday (9/8) at APL in Columbia. (Future meetings will be on Sunday.) I didn't know who he is, so I looked him up: http://www.saltwateru.com/speakers/wiseman.php A lot of diving and photography, a founder of MARSH. And APL is still at the same location: http://www.cmas-md.org/modules.php?name=Directions

If you want him to be single, make him single! That is, if getting that tank didn't make him single already...

But why?

This is a teaser - I posted the main thread in Group Buys. Please post any responses there. http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=16370

I think we have 40 bad Salifert kits just between WAMAS and CMAS. At BRK, I learned that a couple of members with much more experience than I do suffered coral losses because they were maintaining their tanks according to incorrect test results. So the problem isn't easy to spot. So if you have one of the mentioned test kits - ASSUME IT IS BAD UNTIL YOU PROVE OTHERWISE!

Maybe we can make a living like real farmers - the government will pay us to NOT grow caulerpa!

The conversation at BRK was that the guy who is Salifert went completely MIA for three months just after these tests were manufactured. So, you probably aren't going to see a recall or rebate from him. But you might sweet talk your retailer into credit towards a different test. Right - the bad tests read high, so if you are reading low then either you are low or you are REALLY, REALLY low. You can safely start bringing the ALK up to where you want it, acting as if your current test is accurate. Once you find out whether your test is good then you will know whether you have to bring the ALK up even more.

From the Zoo Biology paper on feeding clams commercial foods: The composition of experimental diets is presented in Table 1. These data were compiled from information provided by each manufacturer, because the identification of specific algae was not possible in most of these products, probably due to cellular damage inflicted during product processing. Several products contained cell debris or cells that were totally empty of their cytoplasmic contents. Although the producer of Marine Snow (MS) declares up to five different microalgae species, their presence was not detected in this product and only an insignificant amount of Tetraselmis sp. (8

Assuming that the three vertical cylinders are the mechanical filtration, the horizontal white cylinder IS the RO, and the horizontal clear is the DI, then it looks OK. (The RO unit always has 1 input and 2 outputs. The DI is often clear so you can see media consumption.) Black tap line runs thru the three mechanical filters, white line runs thru RO, blue is good RO that runs into DI and comes out on the clear line. Yellow is the bad RO water that goes to red after the switch. Is either of the valves actually a T? The white one might be a T that you use to bypass the RO briefly when you first use or replace carbon filters and don't want to pump the initial crud into the RO. The black may just be the shutoff. Do you get much more water out of the red line than the clear line? ROs reject more water than they keep.

Right now, you shouldn't use any alk reading from a Salifert test kit. Salifert made a big batch of bad kits - and those cost several experienced members corals because they treated their tanks incorrectly as a result. The Salifert tests read 2 to 3 too high, compared to three other kits that BRK had in stock. (They took the Salifert off the shelf.)

Not since the time my ex brought a neighbor in via the patio door

I don't know why either, but www.lowes.com has a feature that will tell you if the part number is stocked or special order at your neighborhood Lowes.

where?

Maybe we should start a member map like CMAS has: http://cmas-md.org/modules.php?name=Map once a new webmaster/webmistress gets settled in.

First approximation, assume that whatever wattage the pump uses gets turned entirely into heat... would you mind have a heater that size working 24/7? If you are already fighting the room temperature, then you might want to think twice about dunking the pump. If you have to buy a chiller to balance the (cheaper) submerged pump, then you are a long way from saving money!

WAMAS is losing its most important officer - our Den Mother :(

There are big dead zones in the Bay as well. http://www.cbf.org/site/DocServer/DeadZone....pdf?docID=5583 This year's dead zone isn't so big because we haven't had much rain to wash nutrients into the bay. Other years, large areas of the bottom are anoxic. Some of this year's nutrients will never make it to the bay (sewage plants won't overflow), but others will arrive some other year (washed out of the soil from farms and lawns.)

If you want sealed AGM batteries (no hydrogen fumes), I got mine at www.cabelas.com Cheaper than anywhere around Annapolis, even with the shipping charge. And at the time, they were on sale.

Big tank! Not that much more work than a small tank. Definitely less work that a bunch of small tanks. Not that much more expensive than a small tank. Definitely less expensive than a bunch of small tanks (and ballasts, and skimmers, and pumps....)

Sounds like it was doing fine however it was set up. Find the place where there is no encrustation and glue that part down. Safer bet, ask the person you got it from how much light it has been under. If it was more light than you have, then you should face the better surface up or risk losing both sides.

Steve posted an exhibitor update list to CMAS this AM, which I copied to: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12190 We'll just have to wait to find out who the 103rd is.

When Steven Pro talked at CMAS last winter, he said: He bought 12 IO hydrometers in 12 different cities, and they all read the same (and right.) You have to keep the swing arms clean and avoid bubbles, but they are reliable (and cheaper!) Meeting notes at http://www.cmas-md.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55362

In addition to the previous (exhibitor) lists, you can expect to see: Elos Magnavore Coral Frenzy TFH Publications Bowtie Publications Brightwell Aquatics PFO Lighting Champion Frag Exchange Boston Aqua Farms That Fish Place NOAA USCRTF reefs.org Ecosystem Coral Magazine Aquarium Specialty Emperor Aquatics RK2 Posted by StevePro on CMAS this morning http://www.cmas-md.org/forums/showthread.p...291001#poststop

Sounds like being back at the Beltway at 5PM is optimistic (or is that pessimistic?) But I'll go.