OUsnakebyte

Are those blue tuxedos reef safe? Or do they just plow over everything like those big mexican turbo snalis I currently have? I hate those friggin' things sometimes... They do clear out some algae though... A love, hate relationship I guess. Will they take out the coralline algae like other urchins? Cheers, Mike

So, Robie may have a killer setup, awesome livestock, and the tank of the month, but I made Reef Central's Top Ten... twice!!! Woo Hoo!!! :D Check it out. Number 8 and Number 6: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/tt/index.htm I tell you it's all political though. I sent in about 7 ot 8 and they didn't even choose my #1, which was, "All of a sudden, having crabs is a sign of cleanliness..." Well, I thought it was funny at least... Oh well, better luck next time, huh? I'll bet nobody even knew we had such a knockout combination of artistic ability and creativity (Robz's tank) and humor (me, of course!) on this board. Cheers! Mike

Hey Glenn, You guys gonna frag that giant elegance at Invertebrates? Break out the skill saw and bring some to the meeting; I'll take a slice!!! :D

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!!! :D

So, how do you do that? What is your setup?

Do you guys use DT's?

Yea, got a skimmer. It produces a good cup of sludge every week. My girlfriend says she is disgusted that she use to play with the foam oin the beach when she was a kid, now that she knows what it is... :D Anyway, I got home last night and took out about one third of the bio balls. I'll probably wait a week or so before I take out another chunk. Anyone want these things when I'm done? I'm just gonna chuck 'em. Oh yea, about the spaghetti macro... do you think one NO 50/50 bulb would be enough light? I have an extra 24" strip light that's not doing anything right now. Thanks everyone! Cheers, Mike

Ok, so I think I'll do this... start pulling the bio balls a few at a time. Once they are all gone, I can fill the sump up with more water (the oceanic sump has a recommended fill line, pretty low if you ask me...). Then add some calurpa and a few pieces of live rock for it to attach to and a light. Hopefully this will help those darn rates... Any suggestions on species of macroalgae? Thanks everyone for your help. This a least gives me somewhere to go. Cheers! Mike

REALLY!!! I did not know that! Well, I'll try that before I go disturbing my entire system. Thanks Glenn!!! By the way, that sinularia is doing great!.

Do you think that would help bring the rates down? I only suggested changing to sand b/c I'm at a last resort here. I'm tired of changing so much water every week and not seeing any improvement. In fact, I'm down right jealous of all you who only change 10 gallons a month!!! :D Space is also an issue. I don't think I can fit a refugium in my dinky one bedroom apartment (wouldn't pass the girlfriend test...). My setup is a 75 Oceanic RR with the Oceanic 20 gallon sump that has the Bio Balls and external return pump (does that make any sense at all?). I guess I could get rid of that sump and pump and add a larger sump with sand, macroalgae, etc. Might be easier than changing the substrate though...? Any thoughts?

How would I go about doing this? I have a 75 gallon (2 years old) with about 2 inches of coral gravel. I was thinking of changing to sand, but not sure I want a DSB. Maybe just one or two inches of live sand. I don't really like the look of the bare bottom tank. I'm thinking of doing this b/c my nitrates are too high, about 40 ppm, and I change about 15 gallons of water (RO/DI, IO salt) a week. There is never so much as a dent in the rates. I can't get them to come down. I have two maroon clowns, blue tang, yellow tang, and a dwarf angel. I feed once a day, and it is usually a lite feed at that. The rest of the livestock is lps, a few sps, and softies corals. The lps still seem to open up ok, I would just really like to get the rates down to at least 20ppm. I thought about changing the substrate b/c I've heard that food and detritus can easily sink to the bottom between the large pieces of gravel, thus raising the nitrates. I'm not having a problem with unwanted algae at all, probably b/c the tangs keep it mowed down. Anyway, has anyone ever done this? What are the logistics? Do you think it would help? I certainly don't want to send my tank back into cycle. Any thoughts or experiences are certainly appreciated. Thanks, Mike

I ordered cured live rock from FFExpress twice. I was very pleased with the selection they gave me. Nice coralline algae growth, no mantis shrimp... Never ordered any livestock though. Mike

Yea, congrats man. The pictures on the website are good, but seeing your tank in person was a real treat. The camera can't always pick up what the eye can... By the way, the frags I got from you are doing awesome! Thanks again! (I'll probably have to come shopping in a few weeks if you still have some stuff...) :D Cheers! Mike

Xabo, Let us know how that goes (stable temps, noise, etc.) Mike

I've read quite a few posts on Reef Central about people using Orion Fans. Apparently there is a fan Orion makes that is only 18 db's. Any comments, experiences, etc.? Mike

No, nothing is vibrating. It just sounds like a LOT of wind blowing, or as you said, a turbine engine. Multiply that times two (one for each side of the canopy) and I can't hear my tv or my girlfriend complaining that she wants to watch 7th Heaven when football is on! (Hmm... maybe I ought to think about that...) :D I'll try that link. Cheers! Mike

Do you know the specifics on it (AC/DC, computer fan or otherwise, etc.)? I went for the 5-incher, thinking bigger was better, not realizing that bigger also meant louder...

Well, I tried my first little DIY project... wiring Radio Shack cooling fans for the back of my canopy. I remember the thrill of excitement when I plugged the extension cord into the outlet and saw the little blades spinning round and round, creating a refreshing blast of cool air. I was even more excited to find out that I had not melted the fan or set the house ablaze. :D Enter the disappointment. The fan kept gaining energy, and thus noise, until it sounded like there was a truck idling outside my living room window. It was made perfectly clear to me that this was unacceptable, and I was forced to disassemble my proud, pitiful project. :( Technically, my first DIY project was a success, even though I am currently labeled as a failure. I am still in need of those elusive, quiet fans. So, to make a long story short (I know, too late), where can I get a couple of quiet fans?

I had that same problem this summer. I changed to a reverse photoperiod - lights come on around 4pm (an hour before I get home from work) and shut off sometime between 3 and 4 am. This not only keeps the lights off during the heat of the day, but lets me see my tank longer at night, when I am actually home. I also bought a mini fan and clipped it on the inside of my canopy. However, I now have to leave the canopy lid open all the time. So I was thinking of buying two of those mini computer fans and mounting them in my canopy. Now, the jury seems to still be out on this one... but what is the best placement for the fans? I don't want to bake my corals. The back of my canopy is open, so should I mount them on the back of the canopy? both blowing in? pulling air out? one in, one out? Should I mount both at the front of the canopy so that when I shut the lid they are blowing down on the water at the front end of the tank? Any suggetsions? Thanks, Mike

Yea, I plan on coming tho the fall meeting, but if you come by the area before then, give me a ring. Mike

I'm in DuPont, but I don't know if I have anything worth fragging... maybe a colt coral?

Hello everybody. I just moved to the DC area (Dupont) last June, and I brought my 75 reef with me (yea that move sucked). Most of my livestock made it just fine (I lost all my Xenias and my HUGE colt coral though). Anyway, I was wondering about local fish stores (best place to go, high quality live stock, etc.) I don't have a car, so it would have to be accessible via metro (although I am thinking about signing up for Flexcar). Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!!!