YBeNormal

You'll need to first upload the picture to a free hosting service such as PhotoBucket, then paste the URL in your post.

I have had several of them in my 29g tank since March and have littered the tank with plenty of extra shells. I see them playing tug 'o war with each other once in a while and I have noticed that several of them have decided to wear nassarius helmets (wonder what happened to the the snails?). Otherwise no problems at all. Mine are still pretty small though so maybe their behavior will change as they grow larger. If they cause any problems, I'll just invite them to dine with my Green Spotted Puffers!

From the link provided by Johnny (bolding added by me): TDS 1 is a simple and affordable pocket tester for TDS measurements. The measurement is automatically compensated for temperature variations, thanks to its internal temperature sensor. Calibration can be performed in one point with a trimmer. Batteries can be easily replaced after removing the top cover.

I can't build an ark until I finish building the bed for my daughter, finish wiring and install the power outlet box I'm building for my tanks and install the new 55g sump and ~20g acrylic sump extension I built over the past couple of weeks. I also need to finish the trim work on the built-in shrank that I made in the basement and install crown molding in the family room. Your husband is more than welcome to bring his tools over for a visit if he ever gets bored!

My wife asked me to paint our master bathroom last year. Next thing she knew the cabinets, sink and toilet were stacked in our bedroom and the floor in the bathroom was ripped up. I removed a built-in light box (ugly!), installed vanity lighting, a new medicine cabinet (larger hole required of course), upgraded all of the electrical outlets, installed ceramic tile on the floor and the cabinets were stripped and refinished Oh yeah, I did remember to paint the room too. That'll teach her to ask me to do a simple job!

A tank tour in Alexandria? I'm there!

I need to meet this husband of yours since I think we might have a lot in common. In fact, I might even be able to inspire him to greater heights! Have you you ever said, "Honey, could you make the bed today?" and seen him run to the garage? Well, I'm "making" a bed in what I call the two car woodshop and this is the second time I've done so! I have DIY'd custom stands, sumps, overflows, (etc.) and have been known to install custom runs for plumbing or electrical needs, build decks, fences, and so on.

I'm taking a two week sanity break from work. I can stay awake all night and sleep all day if I want to!

Pat appears to be old enough to make grown-up decisions and going by the title he chose for this thread, it appears that he has done so. Pat, I respect your decision and wish you the best of luck in finding a more suitable fit elsewhere. Drop in sometime and let us know how you are doing. ~Bob

You could have a defective photo sensor or the lights in your room are not strong enough to trigger it. Place the sensor under a bank of T5's of MHs and see what happens. New sensors can be picked up at the local Radio Shack if yours is defective.

For those of you using the Lights of America fixtures over your fuge, it is very easy (and little or no cost) to set these lights on an alternate cycle from the main tank. Simply pull the built-in photo sensor from the LOA light fixture and extend it to the main tank area. When the lights on the main tank come on, the LOA lights will shut off and vice-versa.

They are cheap, easy to implement and don't take up much room. No reason not to give it a try. As with many things in this hobby though, it can take several months before you begin to see measurable results.

I have one at the moment, but you already know that from my previous posts. In response to your question, the RDSB does not need a lid at all.

They are harmless. I have lots of them in my tank.

There is no fee for transactions to/from personal accounts, only Premier and Business. Personal accounts can only accept funds drawn from PayPal balances or direct debit from a personal checking account though. The fee for payments accepted in Premier and Business accounts varies, but starts at $.30/transaction plus 2.9%. Been there, done that!

It's already too late! Just be glad that he shares an interest in your hobby, even if it is from a Tim the Toolman perspective. It could be much worse!

$15.00

I'v read lots of threads and articles on the pros and cons of silica sand in a reef tank and while I'm not convinced that it is as bad as some might think it is, I do feel that aragonite is a better choice and worth a few extra bucks. I have aragonite in a small 29g reef, a thin layer of crushed coral in an attached 75g puffer tank (soon to be replaced with aragonite), aragonite in my sump and White Castle silica-based sand in a 5g HD bucket RDSB topped with a thin layer of CC. Of the three types of substrate, CC has to be my least favorite, followed closely by silica sand. The CC and silica sand will soon be history in my tanks. JMHO....

Ah, but they are cooked before we eat them. No worries about parasites?

Jason, You might consider adding your location to your profile so folks know where you are located. ~Bob

The pvc fixture in the picture is a poor man's closed loop for a non-RR, non-drilled tank. I took it off when I upgraded the 55g in the picture to a 75g and have yet to reinstall it. I personally feel there are too many potential issues with adding a RDSB to a closed loop. The amount of pressure you will exert on the lid of the bucket will make it prone to leaking if you place the bucket after the pump. Placing it before the pump would pretty much guarantee sand getting into the impeller, also not a good thing. That's JMHO though.

Water is supposed to flow over the sand and then out, so the RDSB is basically designed to overflow. Placing a lid on the bucket forces the water to exit through a hole in the side of the bucket rather than over the top, but it's still overflowing. It's only going to flow as long as water is being fed to it though and gravity feeding it from your tank or sump eliminates the need for a pump or for diverting your existing flow to the RDSB using a "T" off of your return pump. How would you do this? Ideally, the RDSB would be located downstream from your skimmer so it is being fed using filtered water. This is not an absolute requirement though. You could have the water from your tank overflows draining to the RDSB and then on to the sump. You could also locate the top of the RDSB slightly higher than your tank and have your return pump push the water up to the RDSB where it would then drain back into your tank. I'm modifying my setup right now but my RDSB is a 5g Home Depot bucket sitting in a Rubbermaid tub that is located after my main sump. The water from the sump drains across the RDSB, then into the Rubbermaid container where my return pump is located. Here is an old picture of my tank room (lots of changes since this picture was taken and even more underway). The RDSB is located in the tub on the lower right.

PetSmart and Petco both sell aragonite, so locating it in your area should not be that difficult. As mentioned earlier, you are not talking about great quantities here so I'd recommend biting the bullet and skipping the silicone sand route. IRT having the pump push or pull, I'd go with push. Some grit is bound to get kicked up from time to time and you really don't want your impeller being subjected to that. It would be even better if you set the bucket up where it can be gravity fed from your tank.

You guys had to pay? I got one for free and a 20% off coupon for my next "purchase"!

It looks like he took a short break or maybe reduced his participation. I noticed he posted on 6/21 and then nothing else until 7/21 when he posted in another thread.