danskim

Ooooh. Awesome pictures!

I agree. They're all good depending upon depth, width, the demands of photosynthetic creatures in the aquarium, temperature concerns, etc. However, because there are many beautiful reef tanks that use MH only, T5 only or a combination of both, I think it's safe to say that MH and T5 are most comparable.

There are many good articles suporting the use of ozone in RC's ReefKeeping magazine. The main benefits are that ozone breaks down organic compounds that naturally take a long time to be broken down or consumed by bacteria (sometimes years apparently). As a result, the now-broken-down compounds are much more easily filtered out by carbon/chemical media and skimmers. At least that's what I think I read.

Call Ace. I got mine ordered in for me within 2 days. $15 or 16 something.

Pmed...

Update: 150g reef with... 29g sump, 10g and 29g refugiums (29g has peacock mantis) 30g reef with... 10g sump, 5.5g refugium 5.5g g. chiragra mantis tank So total is 269g, but the sumps don't hold full capacity obviously.

I saw your post about this on RC. Very nice work, Dan.

I have not seen anything thinner than Sch40 fittings, but several Lowes I've been to have the thin wall pvc pipe.

My mantis was a little too rough with his last two roommates... two astrea snails. I didn't witness the carnage, but there are many broken shell bits near his den. I felt bad for the snails... The mantis is a O. scyllarus, and he's 4.5".

But you can donate him to me! ...As a playmate in my mantis tank.

I agree. The mesh/thread-wheel has been successful with a number of DIYers on RC with Octopus, ASM and Euro-Reef skimmers. It looks really promising, so I might either make a threadwheel or buy a new Bubble Master.

Are there any particular species that anyone recommends or has had success with? (As in doing a good job with sand) I'm looking to get one soon. I heard tiger tails are hardy, but perhaps a caribbean species would be easier/cheaper to acquire.

Haha, must be nice living near the coast with grass beds! I am too far from the coast though :(

YES, you will want the MH. MH is good if your tank can take the heat (or you get/have a chiller). I switched from MH to T5 because I didn't have a chiller... then I bought one, but I'm still satisfied with the T5s. I think most or at least many people will agree MH and T5s are the best way to keep a stony reef.

Ok cool. I am looking forward to some good results

Does anyone know where I can get marine feeder shrimp locally? Something along the lines of... http://www.petsolutions.com/Saltwater+Feed...C-16116-C-.aspx

What kind of cucumbers should I get? Which species have you guys been successful with in keeping sand clean?

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I'll go with the MiniJet 404. It's has a low output that is adjustable too.

I just recently acquired a K2R reactor, and I was wondering if anyone else had one. I can't decide what kind of feed pump to use. Any suggestions?

Cool, how are you culturing the pods and brine?

And I didn't meant to make it a debate or have any hard feelings. I do recognize that BRK is a unique LFS because of all of its good attributes already listed. We are talking about MOST LFS, especially ones I've (and others) have experienced here in MD. If anything, the ones we are complaining about are your competition. I'm grateful for you guys for supporting WAMAS and having a discount (although I haven't had a chance to take advantage of this). In addition to other bad things... several LFS here in MD no longer honor CMAS or other MAS discounts :( Also... I am still sticking to my point about the merchant needs to make the move first to meet the needs of its customers or offer the customer something he can't get elsewhere. As a consumer, I want the most my money can buy. As a businessman (my family owns two retail stores), I want to attract customers with something that they want in order to have them come initially and keep them coming... whether that is with my prices, service, professionality, etc or a combination of those things. I don't tell customers, "hey come support me, and THEN I'll meet your needs." Business just doesn't seem to work like that in my head. Once a loyal customer, it does make sense that you will be treated somewhat (or a lot) better... in this case, getting info on new shipments, discounts, help on the side, etc. So in that sense of course it is circular... Services like being able to call someone's cell for emergencies or help is indeed great as Squiddly has experienced.

While that is true... that's based on circular logic... Why should the customer be the one to serve the merchant's needs first? I know you guys have a loyal customer pool, but that's because of your service, prices, and whatever else makes people feel that it's worth it to be one of your customers.

I've said this in another thread, but I hate going to LFS for the exact same reasons (and more) that Dave stated. Why on earth would I want to pay more than I need to? While I understand all the costs involved in having stock on everything while being competitive with online retailers... it's just common sense for a consumer like me to purchase online. People say, "support your LFS," but if I can gain no benefit, then I have no reason to do so. Saving two days while waiting for a package to come is worth saving the extra (potentially a lot) money (and a little for gas). This goes for livestock as well. I much prefer buying corals from local or other reefers. I bought a frag-pack from a guy on RC for a very reasonable price. The selection, health, color, and price were all excellent even factoring in the $55 shipping costs. Much better than going to any LFS I've been to where they charge $35 for a small brown montipora capricornus frag. If I want fish or other inverts, I would choose an online retailer that gives at least 10-15 days live guarantee on most (or all) of its livestock. I have yet to visit BRK and some other places down in VA, and I've heard so many good things about them. However, I am still very skeptical... I would, however, like to stop by and see what everyone is talking about sometime... It's just so far! As Dave mentioned, we need a nice place in central MD! (Preferably Howard county ) Perhaps a business venture that has the convenience of an LFS, but also an internet/mail-order division to reach a larger market (like my beloved premiumaquatics.com that price matches EVERYTHING - I got a brand new Tunze 6100, Tunze magnet, and single controller for $320, 250w HQI 14K Phoenix bulb for $55 shipped, and lots of other really good deals). In response to what someone said about the additional shipping costs... In our hobby, if we want to be succesful, it is useful to plan ahead. That said, one should plan ahead about what to buy and buy it all at once. Dave, Let's start a business together! Haha...

In general, it's not the economic choice to purchase drygoods from an LFS. In fact, I hate going to any LFS ever. I've been sorely disappointed in cleanliness (and smell), selection, prices on livestock and drygoods, health of livestock, and customer service. Buy drygoods online or used from fellow reefers.

They're pretty decent, but they don't carry large amounts of livestock at once. I tried ordering fish that they didn't have and some drygoods, but no luck yet.