rioreef

From their website, directions Love the fact they are right down the street from me

Please see my PM. :o

Mag, sounds like a group order starting for these lights. I will take two please Anyone else, Mag maybe you can start a new thread for an order. cr

The PC flood light most of us are talking about here (also listed on melevsreef.com), I found the cheapest price at BuyLighting.com at $9.95 with shipping approx $6.20. This is cheaper than the link off melev's site. The BuyLighting site gives you a choice of 3 versions: 16w , 19w, and 23w with coloring optionss at 2700k, 4100K, and 5100K for all wattages. The price is the same for all. BTW this is the same manufacturer too, "TCP". CR

I have used it successfully also since Apr. I haven't seen any chatter about how great the questioned lights here are.

I will have to pop in this evening, the store is in walking distance :P

I just use the double float switch from www.autotopoff.com Bottom float to control the level and the second is a backup. Both are connect to a solenoid. This is plugged into a timer to only run early in the morning so I don't here the solenoid switching on/off during the day. No problems since Apr 05. Many options available from them.

I believe some things in this hobby you can go with cheaper alternatives. However, a few items bear quality (cost) or your inhabitants will suffer. Here we are talking lights. I have a 6x54w T5 setup from ReefGeek. Four of the bulbs are overdriven with the IceCap 660 ballast. The other two are the standard TEK ballast. All reflectors are the IceCap. This was retrofited into an Oceanic Cap. Tons of light and PAR. Once I decided to go T5 I have never questioned it. Also, as mentioned before you can mix VHO and T5 on the same IceCap ballast. Use the VHO for actinic, the T5 actinics are not so good. My bulb combo is 3 Aquablue and 3 blue plus. I did not like the yellowish look the 6500 put in. cr

Setting up the sump and then turning it on (??too much water, too little water??) gets the heart pounding, expecially when the water starts spilling over into the overflow or if you have hardwood floors. It kinda like the ACE Hardware commercial where the guy wires up the ceiling fan in the kitchen and then has his hand in the disposal when his wife goes to turn the fan on. He is questioning, did I wire it correctly or am I going to loose some fingers.

Excellent choice on the lighting in my opinion. If you have not had T5s before you are in for a suprise with the amount of output. Change out a couple of the ballasts for one IceCap 660 and increase even more, but probably not needed on that size of a tank. cr

Let me know what I should bring.

Having used both, I would say yes to some degree. The company that makes the Prestone Heat has a link to the chemical spec sheet, which in turn is off the DOW web page for the chemical makeup of their DOW Pelladow product. If you read Randy's RC articles and DOW specs the other percentage than the calcium we desire is water content. The pelletized version of the DOW Flake is called Pelladow and this has a higher concentration content (less water). The Kent product is uniform in size and is smaller than the Prestone stuff. I did some digging on the DOW site and their is an even purer version of what we desire and that is a true food grade version that they market for pickling and canning. You can buy this from online vendors dealing with that type of food preperation, but it is higher in price and from the pics the round pellets look small and uniform. It is possible that the Kent stuff is this type, my guess. For the amount used and pricing I would say the Prestone Heat is a deal, unless you want to keep a "bag" of the DOW Flake around for many many years. I also saw the Prestone stuff at Lowes. Buy two or three and use some on your driveway too, man this dual use seems wrong, but chemicals can be repackaged many ways. Especially, for those high paying aquarium buffs. :bigcry:

The latter part of January will be better for me. If it is on the 15th I might not be able to attend (work trip to Daytona, which would also preclude me from a mid-Feb party). When a date is firmed up I will let you all know if I can attend, if not I would still like to get some of the food made. cr

I recorded it to my Directv DVR. Havn't watched it yet, I was busy with the Michigan and Nebraska game. BTW, I went through and programmed the DVR to record a total of 13 football games between yesterday and Jan 4. Just in case I want to see some football.

I have a four watt UV filter on my to kill free floaters. Unless you are QT corals a standard bulb would work.

I though so, you could make several with different small mags cleaners. This way you could put them at different levels per frag requirements (light and flow) and best of all, put them on the front glass for close-up inspection (especially if frags not from your tank) and photographs. :2thumbsup: I have not done this, but to those who make frags this seems like a good idea. A frag tank inside of the main tank.

Found this link on ReefCentral. Its for a frag shelf made from egg crate glued to a magnetic glass cleaner to be place anywhere you choose for growout.

Nick, After you find a buyer for your tanks and inhabitants are available, I would be interested in Ricordia, Brain corals and some sps possibly. Happy Holidays, Chris

A couple of more: Leesburg- Aquatic World (703) 779-7692 Ashburn - Fins & Feathers (703) 726-1655

When construction a stand the weight of the tank should not rest on fasterners alone, it should rest on the structural material. Your design has it resting on the fasterners of the shelving unit. Vibrations on a stand like that? Get some 2x4s and make your own.

With a sand bottom, a Rainford Goby. Love mine, picks at the rock/sand and a slow shower of sand (fine grade) filters out the gills. My daughter informed me the other day that "Flat" (a firefish) was not to be seen. I had recently taken off the glass tops and feared the worst. Then I check the overflow and tada, there it was. They ARE jumpers.

1. Regarding your water level off. The difference you have for the power on level and the off level will be equal to the amount of water that drains back from the main tank and then all this water along with the amount gained from the 35g tank, all dumping into the 55g. Have you calculated correctly? Add a good tolerence for safety. 2. Can the overflow between the 35g and the 55g handle a flow greater than that which drains from the main tank to the 35g, which will probably have a greater draining force because of pressure. Also, the chamber of a skimmer will have water above the normal water level of the 35g, account for the amount above the 35g overflow in your calculations too (not much but it adds up). 3. The level of the overflow from the 35g to the 55g should be optimized for the skimmer water depth desired or make sure you have enough room to raise the skimmer for proper operating water depth. 4. Got enough room to remove the skimmer? Looks close to the ceiling. 5. Water may slosh if you lean against that heavy-duty rack during maintence, then a cascade affect may happen :bigcry: If the rack can handle all the weight plus extra (mind the correct shelf material) I would secure it to the wall in some manner. 6. Unfinished basement means cooler temps, size the heaters (plural for backup) to handle the necessary temp difference increase.

I second Jakes comment. :2thumbsup:

Welcome to the realm of T5 :sunny:

Keyoke, Are these the 48" NO output ones at 28 watts per bulb? A High Output (HO) 48" bulb has 54 watts, double+ the output. Put these on an IceCap ballast and it will drive them to around 80 watts. Folta, I have a 6 bulb config as the following. It gives a white-blue look. If I put the ATI 6000k sun bulb in I think it gets too yellow. I have not tried the GE sun @ 6500k, not supposed to be as yellow and has the highest PAR of the bulbs. Many people skip the T5 Actinic bulbs (users say not a true actinic). With an IceCap ballast you can run a VHO Actinic in the mix. A visual thing at that point. Timing........9am..10..11..12...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10pm (X=Light on, *=IceCap 660 ballast, 2 fans on)-Two timmers for all Front Aquablue....XXXXXXXXX.........XXXXXX..........XXXXXXXXXXX *Blue Plus...................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX *Aquablue...................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX *Blue Plus...................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX *Aquablue...................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Blue Plus....XXXXXXXXX.........XXXXXX...........XXXXXXXXXXX Back