Ne0eN

What happened to your DSB?

Sachin, Hook me up with 2 purple firefish. We're in Falls Church - Barcroft lake area. -Rob

Does anyone know the basic difference between EuroReef CS and RS lines? I originally ordered a CS5-2 skimmer, but since the guy selling them on eBay is out of stock, I found a RS5-2 model. Is there a difference? Thanks!

Alex, Do you really want to put a hippo tang in your 55 gal? Is your tank under control yet? Just curious...

I just PM'ed you regarding 1 BTA and 1 Sally lightfoot -Rob

Finally finished with the tank remodeling. Water has cleared up enough that I was able to put the LR and fish back in. Still a bit milky, but hopefully it will clear up in a day or two. I did a 20% water change and will probably do another 20% change this weekend. -Rob

This guy was originally a hitchiker on some LR. Year and a half later he's about 2.5-3 inches across. Should I keep him? Is he reef safe? I read somewhere that they can erode LR.

Yeah, I think my probe is giving me a bad reading. I tried calibrating fluids and it was reading 3 points higher. Time to find my pHep stick. Sand storm is looking better. There appears to be a layer of slime on top of the sand bed. Possible die-off? Since my fish don't seem to show any signs of stress, (hand fed them couple of Formula 1/2 pellets - they are eating fine) I may cure the LS for a couple of days before I start repopulating my tank. Thanks for your help! -Rob

Realistically speaking, how long can I keep my fish in the 10g - assuming correct temp, plenty of LR, nice water circulation provided by Eheim filter? I could do mini 1 gal water changes to keep things healthy...

I just thought of something, the probe maybe all gunked up with all the crap that's been floating around. I'll check when I get back home. Thanks!

This one came out of an established reef, so washing it would have destroyed the beneficial organisms. But then again, strirring it up probably killed most of it anyway. I suppose the best way would have been to drain the tank and add water back slowly - over a trash bag. But due to my poor planning I didnt have any containers to accomodate 60 gal of water. Plus at 3am my brain wasnt exactly working. Well, it's a lesson...

So I got 3 buckets half-full of live southdown over the weekend. (Thanks Krish!) and I'm in the middle of swapping out my old 1/2" layer of CC with 3" of the new stuff in my 60g reef. I let the sand settle without circulation for about 8 hrs, and then I started up the return pump. I know that it could take quite a few days till things settle down, but at which point is it safe to put the fish back in? What worries me the most is that pH jumped from 8.15 to 10.70 after inserting the new sand. I haven

I would be up for 2 boxes, if there are any left-overs. sending PM... -Rob

Unni, The temperature is pretty stable throughout the day: 78-79F. I'm starting to to think that taking the skimmer off line for couple of days has stressed him out. -Rob

That's not a very good prognosis. :( Update: the Tang appears to be slightly better today. I've been skimming like crazy with a new ASM G-3 and rechecked the water parameters again today. Amonia, Nitrite, Nitrate all 0, pH 8.05, temp 79F, salinity 1.024... Everything seem to be ok. I've added a new 7lb piece of LR to the tank a week ago. Could that have that contributed to his condition? He's been chewing on it for the past week (the algea that is...) -Rob

I have a small frag of Montipora Digitata that is doing quite well - polyps opening up nicely, except for a small patch of hairy algea on one of the arms. Should I try to clean it off, or let it be? -Rob

Wow, that's hot. (81.5F to 86.9F) Sounds like you need a chiller. What's the ambient temperature at your home? Perhaps you could crank down your thermostat couple of degrees. If the problem started occurring recently (last 2 days were unusually hot) my suspicion is that this is your key issue - not your Metal Halides. -Rob

I'll try to be there too. Looking forward to meeting more people. -Rob

Ever seen a Tang poop? He can evacuate a whole reef...

Need your help guys - my gf's Yellow Tang has developed red blotches on the base of the dorsal fin. The redness seems to be transparent and spreading around the top fin. There is also some redness around the fishe's preoperculum. (mouth/head). Other than that he seems to act normal. He's eating voracioulsy, and has been growing nicely. (about 3.5 inches currently - He inhales sheets of green algea, formula 1/2, brine shrimp) Water quality seems to be good, although, I've been trying to raise the pH a bit - it's around 8.0 right now. (monthly 20% water change) Any clues to what's bugging him? 260 gal tank - his tankmates are a pair of tomato clowns, pair of firefish gobies, and 5 damsels. (2 of them are already spoken for - so there will be less bio-load). UV filtration on 24/7, currently not skimming - awaiting a new ASM G3 skimmer. -Rob

Just do it Alex. .. I've noticed you've been scoping for a used unit - I'm all about getting a deal on used equipment, but RO/DI is something that you DO NOT want to buy used. The reason for that is that the RO membrane is the heart of the system and there is no way that you can check if it's in good condition. It can be easily ruined if connected to a wrong water source - e.g. high temperature, high chlorine water. Get it new and you are ensuring that it will work like it should. Would you ever consider buying 'used' oil filter for your car??? -Rob

Alex, Below is the exact system that I have. Most RO membranes are made by the same company so it realy doesnt matter if it's put together by Kent Marine or some other 'generic' company. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=4386477631 -Rob

Michael, You're right about not using it for ALL your water needs. I wouldn't exactly wash my car with RO/DI water, nor shower in it. But for cooking, drinking, icemaking, tea/coffee brewing, ironing, RO water is the best. Also, Most RO/DI units allow you to bypass DI stage for human consumption, and have a separate output for aquarium use. -Rob

Quarterly water bill w/o RO/DI - $30 Quarterly water bill w/ RO/DI - $40 Hapiness of my little fishes, crabs, snails, mushrooms, polyps, etc - priceless!!!

I live in Vienna/Tysons Corner, work in Fairfax/Chantilly, grew up in Europe...