YBeNormal

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

I had Koralia pumps in my tank and use the thin plastic tube-netting you sometimes see around fruit in the grocery store. It's thin and didn't detract much form the aesthetics of the tanks, but the holes are small enough to help protect small fish and anemones. I think the same netting is used in floral shops or maybe they receive some of their flowers wrapped in it, but I'm not sure.

Where are you located?

In the summer it goes out to our pool. In the winter it goes down the drain. Some folks run it to their washing machine, but I'm not sure there is enough cost savings to make it worthwhile.

+1 what Chad said

Good point Jon. I built an adjustable weir in when I had HOB overflows originally and fabricated an adjustable ring on the drains once I had drilled my tanks and it was well worth the initial extra effort.

As I mentioned in the previous post, the plan is to have a solid back on the stand, made of plywood and recessed into the frame for added support and stability. The sides and front of the stand will be clad with mahogany face framing, firmly glued and attached with hardware to the interior frame, and 15-ply cherry panels for the left and right sides and front doors. We had discussed making the side panels removable for ease of access and I'm very confident that the stand would be sturdy and stable enough to support the weight even with removable side panels. However, Roni and I decided to forgo that option and make the side panels the same as the back panel--recessed into the frame and fixed in place for additional support and stability. The added peace of mind outweighed the minor convenience of having access through removable side panels. All of this will be easier to picture when I complete and post the next layer in the Sketchup drawing. Here are the tank specs: 72"x36" and ~270 gallons didn't really register on me at first--until I set out the boards for the base of the stand. This is going to be a monster of a tank!

The back will be a solid piece of plywood recessed into the frame so it is flush on the back, so the back will be able to support the load easily. Edit: See the first post in this thread to see how the back panel will be mounted. Roni's stand will have cutouts for the pipes and cables, so the back will not be split like it was in Mohsin's stand.

Here's a drawing of the plans for the frame design. I'm learning how to use Sketchup and will add drawings with the top and bottom panels, face frames and doors later.

Sounds like this is going to be a very nice setup Roni. I especially like that you have incorporated quarantine tanks in your plans. I look forward to seeing the setup once it is installed and operational!

We did a tank drilling demo at one of the frag fests a few years ago and several people got to try their hand at it for the first time. All of them commented how easy it actually was and none of them cracked the glass. As folks have noted above, the key is to let the drill do the work and do not rush the process. I'd also suggest using a new bit the first time or two. Used/dull bits require a lot more patience and increase the likelihood of breaking the glass. You might also consider dropping by a glass shop and getting a scrap piece of glass or two to practice on before drilling your first tank.

Maybe these guys can recommend someone for the custom glass work? http://washingtonglassschool.com/school/gallery.html

For your viewing and reading pleasure: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/proof-positive-sps-corals-consume-zooplankton

John, It's good to see another small business owner and fellow club member getting into the FW business to give some of the Big Box stores a run for the money. They might be able to undercut the price slightly, but they can't compete with the personalized service. I need to refresh some of the stock in my FW tank soon and will be heading to BRK when I get ready to make my next purchase, even if it is a few miles out of my way.

You really cannot afford to NOT have a hospital tank! The good news is that it is much cheaper than you might think--especially if it is used for fish only. All you need is a food-safe plastic storage bin, a cheap HOB filter (the kind with filter floss will work fine), a heater and a thermometer. Lighting is optional. The money you save by medicating a much smaller amount of water and through reduce cost of salt for smaller water changes (important in a hospital tank) will more than recoup the expense of the initial setup.

Fellow WAMAS'ers, I received an email from Lanman asking what happened to me since I have not been on the board in well over a year. I accepted a promotion in late Oct 2008 that put me in charge of the agency's internal worldwide voice and data networks, over 200 employees, and a very large budget. Our agency will be relocating from Northern Virginia to Ft Meade at the end of this year and through the first few months of next year, so my team has to plan and execute the move of IT support for thousands of employees on top of the normal day-to-day care and feeding of the worldwide infrastructure and remote sites. As you can imagine, my days have been quite long and will continue to be this way for many months to come. My saltwater tanks are empty now and the woodworking tools are gathering dust, but I am keeping my WAMAS membership current and plan to become very active again after I move to Maryland. On a positive note, I have several GS-2210-12 to GS-2210-14 IT jobs open for highly qualified desktop support, Information Assurance, network, project management and program management and I expect more openings as we get closer to the actual relocation. These positions will all be advertised on usajobs.com and most or all of them will be open to all sources. If you are qualified and interested or know of any good candidates looking for employment, let me know! The best way to contact me is though my personal email address, robert.d.mauldin@gmail.com. It's great to see that WAMAS continues to be America's premier club for saltwater aquarium enthusiasts and that so many of the old-timers are still active members of the club. I will try to pop in once in a while to see how the old gang is doing. Happy Reefing to you all! Bob

No, I don't think this is related to the city flushing the water supply. I would try reseating the RO membrane. Test the TDS of your tap water and then test the TDS of the RO water after first letting it run off a gallon or so. The TDS after the RO membrane should be less than 10% of the tap water reading. Ideal would be about 2%, but that depends on water temperature and pressure. If you are still seeing high TDS after reseating the RO membrane, it may have dried out during storage and should be replaced. FilmTec membranes are sold by AWI and most other reputable dealers and are considered to be some of the best in the consumer market. I haven't looked lately but I think a 75 gpd membrane from AWI is only about $40. That's pretty cheap when you consider that they typically last 3-5 years. Don't buy cheap no-name RO membranes.

It is normal to have slightly elevated TDS when you first open the product valve, but 50+ is not normal at all. Is your Typhoon brand new? If so, contact AWI for assistance. It sounds like you might have a defective RO membrane.

And some people still think buying off eBay is a good deal... They are just as helpful if you need a replacement part under their (lifetime) warranty!

Look at the efficiency of the membrane. 75gpd and 150gpd membranes are typically 98% rejection. 100gpd membranes are typically 90-95% rejection. The lower rejection rate will allow more TDS through to be mopped up by the DI resin, costing you more money in the long run.

Full editing in the FS forum will likely never happen again, other than for the original poster of each thread as they obviously need to be able to update the top post as items sell or prices are lowered. Anyone posting below the top post can either edit within the time frame or make another post in the thread to correct or update their previous post. Allowing everyone unlimited edits in that area has caused problems in the past.

Actually, it has improved since this change was enacted. This change doesn't stop all bad behavior, but it was effective against the actions that it was meant to correct. Most forums are set to prevent changes to posts after a certain period of time--maybe for the same reason?

Oh, was that scheduled for today? Darn, I could of dropped by to help... Any other volunteers for the "could have helped" crew?

Try these links for previous discussions on the topic: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...mp;hl=resealing http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...mp;hl=resealing

That's very unusual for AWI. They will normally respond to emails early in the day or late in the evening. Afternoons are reserved for packing and shipping orders. They have the best warranty and stand by their products (I know this from personal experience) so it's worth a few hours of waiting.