stevil

I'd like to get my Aquacontroller Jr. hooked up to my PC (or Mac). Neither computer has a standard DC 9 serial port - USB only. What is everyone using to do this? It looks like I may need to get two cables. The Neptune cable (or equivalent) mini DIN 8 to DC 9 (http://www.neptunesys.com/misc.htm#SERPC) and then a DC 9 to USB (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=123071&CatId=464). Anyone know of a direct Mini din 8 to USB cable?

I have a bunch in my tank. They have never harmed anything that I can tell.

Look on ebay for an Enteral Pump. They are infinitely cheaper than those marked "aquarium dosing pump". bbatyv got one for about $25.... and I'll buy your CA reactor

My skimmer pump died... By the time I can actually do something about it, it will be at least 24-36 hours without a skimmer. My return pump, tank pumps, lights, heater, macroalgae loaded refugium and 160 lbs of live rock in my 90 gallon are all good. I've lightly fed over the past few days and haven't fed since the problem surfaced. Should I be worried? Anything else I should do to mitigate any risk?

My Sedra 9000 pump (?) for my Euroreef finally kicked the bucket today. I am looking for anyone that might have one that I may borrow early tomorrow morning in case I cannot find one locally to replace it. Or, if you have one that might be a potential replacement (e.g. Non-Sedra). I'm not 100% certain it's a 9000 model, but it is definitely a Sedra pump. My EuroReef protein skimmer is at least 5 years old and I can't even find the model on Euro-Reef's site. I have a manual for a "CS/ES" series. I cannot even find pics of the pump that I have on the internet, the newer Sedra 9000A models that are being sold look different than what I have. Any help would be appreciated - either a recommendation for a replacement or a spare I can borrow. Thanks!

My leathers "contracted" just like that due to stress of moving and when I introduced some other corals. They were fine within a few weeks. Actually, my leather that looks like your leather looked exactly like your leather for about a month before it extended its polyps after adding it to my tank. I would leave it peacefully and see what happens. Maybe running some carbon would help?

So I just plugged my new AC jr in the first thing I noticed was that the seconds were not regular... I haven't compared against the minutes, but has anyone else noticed this? It's like they go ... . . ... .. . . .. instead of . . . . . . . . . . . . hope that makes sense..

I'm upgrading from a Reefkeeper to an AC Jr. The main reason is built in pH monitoring and pH control along with the downloadable logging. I couldn't justify the expense of going to the AC III at this point (but probably will in the future). My main reason was other investments I want to put into my tank. I currently dose Kalk (via a drip), but want to get a Kalk Reactor and/or Calcium Reactor and would rather spend the difference in the Jr. and the III on that equipment. There's a certain member selling his Reefkeeper in the for sale section if you are interested.. User begins with St and ends in E-v-i-l. It's a great controller (temp, lights, feed mode, wavemaker) in its own right.

I use them, in the water... they are getting rusty. So I think I'm going to seek out an alternate. It has been over a year though and I haven't had any issues with water quality.

Brittle Stars murder and eat fish... Small ones turn into big ones that murder and eat fish. I had one that ate 3-4 of my fish before I figured it out. Serpent stars are generally ok from what I understand. I have two and they haven't eaten any fish.

I can help, if I can pick up my CA reactor .

Ya - he posted yesterday: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13311

Sorry, it's confusing. Reef Invertebrates: An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility is Volume 1 of the Natural Reef Aquarium, of which there are not yet any other volumes .

Had I not found great deals through tank brakedowns on craigslist I would have purchased from Dr. Mac. They were extremely helpful and even offered to hand-select some for me and take pictures prior to me driving out there. My craigslist purchases got me hooked up with WAMAS and if you are patient you can find great deals here and there. However, I'd also check out BRK - John has got a great selection of a variety of different types of rock. Depending on your budget you could probably have some shipped from Dr Mac, find enough through here and craigslist and then supplement with hand-picked pieces from BRK.

If by plumbers tape you mean teflon tape, that is what I would start with. Is the washer snug and flat? I'm imagining this is like a garden hose connection of sorts.

Whatever you choose, be sure to get one with individual reflectors, to increase the light output. Many folks seem to like the TEK fixtures.

Chart your upgrade path and break it out over time. First - what kind of canopy to you want (if any)? If you choose to not have one, and have an open tank, then, depending on your asthetic needs, you may want to purchase a self-contained lighting system that fits nicely over your tank. However, if you are planning on having a wooden canopy to cover your tank, you have some more flexibility. You can still buy various self-contained units, but you also have more options when it comes to various levels of lighting configuration. If you use retro-fit or DIY lighting that makes it far more cost effective over the long run without a hefty investment in lights on day 1. In my opinion, you'd be fine for a FOWLR with 2 VHO's (or 2 T5's) for a 75-125 gallon (as long as it is not a deep tank). If you do it yourself (mount the lights to your canopy) you can expand as necessary as you progress. I had 2 strips of VHO on my 90 gallon for 9 months before I decided to add 2 strips of T5's. I have a custom wooden canopy that is about a foot tall. With just the VHO's I was able to keep soft corals (mushrooms, toadstool, zooanthids) just fine: coralline grew, alge was in check, etc. Once I added the 2 T5's I've been able to keep some of the LPS and SPS corals, along with an anemone. Personally I like VHO actnics vs T-5 actinics. So now have 2 VHO actnics, a 10k T-5 and a 6500k T5. A DIY 2 setup consisting of 48" T-5 bulbs and individual reflectors with a ballast and wiring harness cost me ~$160 from BRK. I had to wire it - I can't say it was the funnest thing I've ever done, but it was a good experience.

There is a german publication that is published in several languages. I think it's just called KORAL or CORAL magazine in english... I can't recall specifically though.

I have some mushrooms that kill xenia. They did a pretty good job, also killed some of my other corals too!h

I'm planning on coming.

Patience grasshopper! If your tank is only about a month old, I doubt its even had time to mature enough. Personally, I'd wait several months and then revisit supplementing, unless you really get into some high-demand creatures. Kalk will also drive up alkalinity and pH at the same time. Soft corals will probably not need a great deal of calcium, at least not more than water changes will provide. I'd get a good test kit (calcium and alkalinity at least, maybe magnesium - Salifert is a great brand) and start monitoring - see what your levels are over a period of at least several weeks, and then revisit what parameters are not where you'd like them to be.

But what chemical compound(s) are you trying to supplement, for what purpose? I'm not saying don't do kalk, but there are other effective ways to supplement your tank and it depends on what you need to supplement. For example, 2 part might be a better solution for you, or a Calcium reactor instead of a Kalk reactor (or drip), adding baking soda or washing soda, etc. Water changes could seriously just be enough for where you are at today. What are you trying to supplement - Calcium, Alkalinity, Ph, Magnesium, ???, ? Are you testing for what you are adding? I didn't need to start supplementing anything until about a year in.

I do. It's a bit of a pain and hard to keep up on, but nice and cheap, and effective. Isn't your set-up pretty new? Why are you dosing?

Chip - yes, my unit is similar, but not identical. I have 3 vertical filters (foam, carbon, something else), then the RO membrane, then it passes into a "Resin" filter (which I'm assuming is the DI, it isn't refillable like yours) and then after that into the "taste" filter. As a stop-gap I put the old "taste" filter back on, and will try and get to Home Depot for some replacement tubes and connectors to permanently remove it from my system.

Really? I did not know that it caused an increase in TDS... That is an easy fix then! Thanks Chip.