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^^

There is still good discussion going on at reefs.org, but I will admit that the signal to noise ratio is much higher at reef central than reefs.org. There is little you can do about it. It is a self healing situation though. As the noise goes up, fewer people will post. As fewer people post, the noise will go down. This is just one of the fundamental laws of Internet newsgroups, or in this case, BBs. If you see novices getting flamed out of the boards, feel free to invite them to our boards. I'm not saying they won't get flamed here, but I think we have a pretty tolerant group here. James is pretty open to suggestions, so if you send him some email he might post something about it. -Tom

You really do have a lot of choices. If you want pure intensity, the Iwasaki lamps are your best bet. If you want good color (from the lamp), AB 10K lamps are a good choice (or the Ushio). I'm not sure what size your tank is (i.e., how deep), but the 250 watt double-ended HQI lamps are a really good choice too. They will give you a lot of intensity while still being 250 watts. Generally, the double-ended HQI lamps will outperform the mogul-base lamps (i.e., the standard MH lamps) on a watt/PAR basis. However, your lamp choice is greatly limited with the double-ended setups and they are generally more expensive. You have to balance quantity/quality verses total cost of ownership. Sanjay has a new set of lamp analysis articles on Advanced Aquarist over the last two months. You should check it out. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/ -Tom

The only Lowes in Va is Manassas. -Tom

Ignoring the fact that the area was just recently (within the last week) declared a "no anchor" area, I think reefs are pretty well marked on most maps. Clearly the captain has little regard for the world's reefs. sniff...:(

I think it is probably the lamp as well. HID ballast problems generally don't cause a flicker. That's usually reserved for FL lamps/ballasts. It is very unlikely that the ballast can be fixed, especially if the problem happens after the lamps are ignited. First try switching the lamps. If the problem is still on the lamp pendant, it's probably a ballast problem. If the problem moves with the lamp, it is a lamp probelm. A dual MH ballast should run you about $60-$70 dollars. -Tom

You can also use the following link. Just click on the image.

There's a guy on reefs.org that "specializes" in wrasses. I think his name is Len, or something like that. Search on wrasses and I'm sure you will find some hits. I know that wrasses are sexually dichromatic (the sexes are different colors) and that some wrasses do change color over time. I don't know about this one though. Scott Michael is a good resource for wrasse information. Check out the http://www.coralrealm.com/homepage.html. It is "his" wrasse afterall :: There is a feature article about wrasses, but you have to be a member to get full access (I am by the way). p.s., your second set of images is busted.

John, That doesn't look like any Scott's wrasse I have seen. http://www.themarinecenter.com/wrassescotts.htm Perhaps it's a female?

The picture I have of them has a red patch with yellow near the fins. However, the male and female fishes have different coloration. -T

They are very beautiful fish. Keep us posted! -T

There's a real risk with putting the entire tank on a single GFCI. If it goes, so does your whole tank. I always recommend putting a couple powerheads on a separate circuit in case the GFCI goes. Then you at least have some circulation in the tank. -Tom

If you're happy with the way it looks, it definitely should work. Egg crate might be a bit more aesthetically pleasing though.

I bought "aquarium sealant" from HD. I agree with Glenn, don't use it unless it says it is safe. -Tom

Just to let everyone know, the flatworms never got into my tank. However, now I have the little red acro bugs I'm not 100% sure where they came from, but the most likely suspect is the frag I got from CC. I added three things to my tank within the last few weeks and the CC frag was one of them. I'm pretty sure the LR from Paul was not infected and the coral from MS was not infected (or at least it is not currently infected). So that only leaves the acro frag from CC. The moral of the story - buyer beware. -T

You will not be able to raise your alk or Ca using kalkwasser. It is a balanced supplement. You need to spike the tank with CaCl2 to raise your Ca levels, or a buffer to raise the alkalinity level. -Tom

Only order the 1oz packages. That's what I have and it will take years to use it all up. Especially when you mix and match. You only need about 1/4 tsp of each for a good feeding. -T

You can glue it with an acrylic bonding agent or you can seal it with some silicone. -T

I can vouche for the stinky part. Your hands smell like it after you feed it. But *all* my fish like it. One of few things my bangaiis will eat. -T

If you explain your situation to the MS, they will probably take them back. Maybe only for store credit, but that's just like cash in this hobby. Good luck trying to catch all of them. -T

Do they really eat copepods? They move kind of fast for the star to actually catch. -T

Eddi, There were about 20 people there. Most people just talked with each other. I guess Leon did a fairly good business that night. We will be having these "get togethers" on a relatively regular basis. That way we can fill the gaps between regular meetings. Comments are appreciated. -Tom

I think the sand sifting stars *can* be detrimental to sandbeds. I don't know the different between them though. I'd search reefs.org or reef central for some info. -T

Craig pointed out that the forums link is missing from the main home page. That will be fixed soon. -Tom

I have to confess, I don't remember that link. Can you send it me? -Tom