WDLV

http://www.aquaculturetanks.com/

http://www.fiberglasscreations.com/aquariums/tanks.htm

There are a couple ways I had considered doing it way up north here. No matter which you decided on there would be two factors you'd have to consider. One is that you need a Southern exposure. The other is keeping a low nutrient load and or a lot of algae grazers. You can use skylights, solatubes, a full greenhouse or whatever method you like. The problem you'll have with natural sunlight is the intensity and length of the exposure through the seasons. You will have longer days than a natural reef in the summer and shorter days in the winter. I don't know if the corals can adjust but I imagine that they can as there are sub tropical reefs that exist in places like Lord Howe Island. Which, if memory serves is approximately the same distance from the equator that we are. The other option is artificial light supplimentation in the summer months. ctenophore can probably tell you how necessary/unnecessary supplimentation is during the winter months.

Thanks for the quick reply. I know it's an old thread. I'm trying to come up with ideas to how I might be able to keep a tank full of them with the lowest possible maintenance and this gave me a couple ideas. Thanks!

I didn't take the time to read the whole thread. (Sorry.) I just wanted to know about the roses. Do you have any problems attributable to them not having a place to anchor? Like, I'm sure they wander. Have you taken any steps to keep them out of the pump intakes?

I think you're covered under the responses posted previously but if you still need any reassurance, I ripped one in half too exactly as you described and had no issues with it healing up. I've had them go through closed loops and survive too. As long as it was healthy to begin with, I think you'll be OK.

I've had 'em smoke on me before too but not as bad as you described. I now have my heater and thermister probe zip tied in place so I don't accidently pull them upward. I also keep them flat on the bottom of the sump so that my return pump would suck air before it would get exposed. I'm glad your home is safe.

I took the day off work Tuesday, drove up to TFP and bought a chiller. At 106F my home AC was only able to maintain about a 20F offset. Problem solved. I called the HVAC guy thinking my AC was broken and was told: 1. That when AC units are sized for a home, that they are only sized to be able to control the temp to within about 20F. 2. That the little box that BGE recently attached to my compressor was adding to the problem because during times of higher electrical usage (100+ degree weather) that my compressor would be cycled off for longer durations than if there were less overall power consumption in my region. It did it's job though. My utility bills usually range $400-$500 per month. Last month's bill was $250. It's been pretty comfortable in the house on days when it's been below 95F. I have long resisted buying a chiller. This was just time for me to take that plunge.

IME some of it has to do with the kind of tangs you have. Clown tangs powder browns and other tangs with the rabbit fish like body and rasping mouths do a bang up job on it as to zebrasoma types like purples and yellows. But tangs like blue hippos don't do much with it. I have two 100 gallon sumps side by side on the same system. The one with the blue tang looks like a barbershop trash can. The one with the clown tang is bare. Competition can also encourage them to eat it more. Most of them will not bother with it once it gets more than a quarter inch long.

I already paid for two of these but have been unable to pick them up. If someone has a truck and you're local to Rosedale and plan to go to BRK or live near BRK and plan to make a trip to EA, I'll give you $30.00 for your gas tank to drop them off to me. I didn't realize I would keep running into logistical problems with picking them up. My apologies to John. Alternatively you can buy them from me and just pick them up for yourself, but it needs to be soon for John's sake. If this is your preference you can either pay me in advance of picking them up and I'll tell John to let you have them or you can just pay John for them and he'll reimburse me. John, Sorry I have not been able to get these out of your hair. Regards, Walt

HaHa! I'm not afraid of them but I am allergic to them. They sting the crap out of me and make my fingers swell up if I don't wear gloves while handling LR. I have seen them spawn several times with no ill effects. I think one of the coolest things is watching mini brittle stars stand on the ends of their legs and get carried across the tank by current... by the hundreds.

I don't know your history or if you've lost clowns, but I would list the haddoni carpet as a suspect. If you do not have any sort of nightlight in the room or a moonlight over the tank I would be even more suspicious. S. haddoni is notorious for catching and eating sleepy fish that bump into them at night. Adding a light source will go a long way toward protecting your fish if the haddoni is the culprit. If you have heard clicking or popping sounds then perhaps a mantis. It could also be a bullying fish. There are not always fin nips. Some fish can be starved by mere intimidation.

Don't forget to let your kids track Santa with the one of the most advanced radar tracking systems in the world... NORAD. Have fun and a very merry Christmas! http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

There's nothing wrong with landscaping/snow removal. I had a business when i was young and cleaned up. Me and a friend were pulling in $150-$250 per yard in the nicer neighborhoods. I have a neighbor who bought a car outright for his 16th birthday. Good money in that if you target the right neighborhoods. I also used to clean the algae off boat bottoms for $50/hour in my late teens using my SCUBA gear. Good money.... and you never need a gym. you can only imagine how difficult it really is until you've done it. Run out of air and you learn to hold your breath. Alas, I digress. Oh yeah, this was back in the 90s so you could probably get more these days.

Here's some pics from this year's trip. Enjoy. http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/walt...mview=slideshow

No. I haven't messed with those yet. I'm not sure I will. It seems pointless to change now. Nothing I've shipped has ever died in transit to date.

Great look Rik. You have a very nice selection. What else is new?

Shipping Instructions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was asked by a member on another forum to start a thread with this topic. I don't know when I became the guru, but I'll give you what I've learned from my shipping experience. BAGGING: For overnight shipping via FedEx or similar carriers, you should start with bags large enough for the fish to easily swim in circles without touching the sides of the bag. About 50% or more of the air in the bag should be air or if you have the means, oxygen. Take care to insure that the fish still has at least an inch above and below it's body if the bag is laying on it's side 'cause God knows what happens in transit. Next twist and fold the top of the bag and tie it off with rubberbands in such a way that the bag is tight like a balloon, not floppy like a breast implant (sorry that's all I've got.) You can simply tie the bag if you're so inclined. Flip that bag upside down inside another bag of the same size and repeat the closure process. Use a sheet of newspaper to cover the perimeter of the outer bag and slide a third bag over the top of it. If you are shipping fish with spines this is particularly important and can be repeated for the top and bottom of the second bag. BOXING: If at all possible find a box that fits your shipment well. You can get styrofoam insulated boxes at the LFS or if they try to charge you for them you can often get them from the local pharmacist. They get insulin and other meds in refrigerated boxes that are sometimes better suited for the smaller shipments that hobbyists make. I recommend getting the smallest box to fit your application. This will help to insure that your bag is not rattling around inside the box during shipment and will cost you less with the carrier. If your bag is smaller than the interrior of the box (vertically or horizontally) you should re-use (greener) packing peanuts or crumbled newspaper to fill the void. SHIPPING: IME all overnight shipping ranges from $100-$130 for a single box depending where it's going. The more you don't do yourself such as generating a shipping label, sealing the box, dropping off the box to the carrier, affixing the shipping label to the box, will cost you more. If you generate the label online then ask them to do additional services after the fact or your package is over weight, do not be surprised to see a higher bill on your credit card statement than what you were quoted. When you ship give some thought to the weather. Most of the time it's fine not to add a hot pack or a cold pack to the box, but if you're shipping to Buffalo in January or El Paso in July, you might want to consider using them accordingly. On that matter you should always put a few layers of news paper between the bag and the heater or cold pack. ALTERNATIVE SHIPPING: If you're a cheapskate like me and/or have a buyer/seller who is willing to work with you you can opt for airport to airport shipping. This will get you a hundred pounds of shipping weight with as many boxes as you need shipped from one airport to the next. This is about half the cost and is great for reducing transit times and cost for bulk orders. Check with your local air freight company for pricing and availability. Plan ahead because this will take more time than the local FedEx clerk. Especially the first time. For hardier corals like zoanthids, you can ship second day without harming the coral. When shipping corals I have found that it is better to send unmounted frags. There is less damage to the bag, less damage to the frag and less chance of introducing someone else's hitchhikers to your system. As with all things, QUARRANTINE!!! Also when shipping corals and anemones, it is best to just barely cover them with water and add as much air/O2 as possible. Happy shipping!

Thanks guys. I just wanted to add that I do not have anyone so far meeting me at EA tomorrow morning. A few have stated that they will meet me at Atlantis. If you plan to go and haven't spoken up please do or I will not be going to EA.

In the utopian land where I am King the forum rules dictate that buyers have to post in the thread to establish their place in line and the seller is prohibited from posting elsewhere... but that's my kingdom. This is a Representative Democracy. Most forums are pretty hands off about their buyer/seller policies so their mods won't have to babysit. People are expected to be adults and pay on time, sell to the first responder etc. but the problem is that not everyone has the same ideals. I've PMed people within a minute of a thread being generated and had it sold out from under me. Heck, several people posted after me and the only response any of us ever got was "SOLD." Yes, it is irritating, but the fact remains that sometimes people post on multiple forums or just don't want to sell to you. Whatever their reason.

BTW, Joe specifically mentioned colorful stags as a point of interest for him.

Looks nice. Having been a previous owner of a 210 gallon I can say that that tank size lends a great deal of potential and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I did mine. You are off to a great start!

Anthias need to be fed frequently and like a lot of swimming room. I just don't think I'd put them in a tank with that small of a footprint. The goby and shrimp sounds like a cool idea. If you can, get a captive raised RBTA. I think Flowerseller propagates them frequently. You might check with him. Once it settles, don't ever change your flow pattern. That means changing the rockwork too. Otherwise they will wander into the intake of whatever pumps you have. The CBB is a great addition and usually will eat live brine shrimp and black worms as a first food. Mysis is good too but may not be a first food. Oh, and mine did great with a 53 times per hour tank flow turnover. Most tanks are nowhere near that.

Atlantis Marine World Behind The Scenes Tour I have arranged with Joe Yaiullo, the Curator at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead NY to have a behind the scenes tour of the 20,000 gallon reef tank there on November 15th. If you would like to attend, please send me a message so I can get an accurate head count. [ http://www.atlantismarineworld.com/ ] If you are in MD, DE, VA or DC you can meet me in the parking lot of Exotic Aquatics in Parkville at 5AM. I plan to leave at 0515. You may be lucky enough to catch a ride with someone else who is going, but because of past experiences I will not be arranging for any transportation but my own. Everyone else can meet at the entrance at Atlantis at 0945. Doors open at 1000. I hope to see you there! A unique opportunity was also extended to me. Joe said that if some of you are interested in trading frags with him to bring them up! Walt

That's a well designed, neat, clean, show system. Keep us posted on your progress.