traveller7

As shared already: Be prepared for it to choose to go where it wants, when it wants, including into the powerhead/pump/overflow. I tended to keep flow moving pretty well over the top of BTAs and attempted to keep them on a pillars of rock.

Is that a large polyp stony to the right of that zapped mushroom? Lobo/Trachy/Wellso or even "Scolymia" may clear some space around them.

Welcome to the Club Dale! Definitely encourage your peers at AOS conducting research on marine organisms to share insight and gather same here at WAMAS. As you and your research partner found, enormous amounts of time was saved by having some experienced assistance in the marine keeping basics. Not to mention access to quality used equipment reducing entry costs extending funds toward actual research materials. Keep up the great work which has already broke new ground in your field of research. Dad

Dale, Great write up. Thank you for sharing your experience and results with the community. Few thoughts to consider and some of the folks here might contribute suggestions for your summer "maintenance": 1. The Tunze auto top off is definitely important to keep the specific gravity/salinity stable for your recovering starfish. Especially while you and your team are researching in Singapore this summer. 2. While it does not appear any of the starfish have been cannibalizing the smaller or "amputated" specimens, I'd gather some suggestions on tank divider options for your main system. 3. As you found, feeding the stars triggers frequent bacteria blooms and contributes quite a bit of detritus with such a high population density. Maybe folks have some suggestions for injured starfish safe clean up crews to assist with the algal based tablet leftovers. Dad

My apologies Tom. That was my recommendation to keep the rest of the story together. I have a bit of insider information on what these two are going to post next ;>) The AOS program provides and amazing environment for the young adults privileged to attend. Proud parents, most certainly. Not to mention how impressive it is to observe the amount of coursework, research, and advanced academics high schoolers are able to conduct. I'll be around the WAMAS neighborhood a bit more this summer as the "starfish research team" primes the pumps for their Senior year. Great to see you and the WAMAS crew at the last meeting. Looking forward to the summer and fall gatherings.

While it has been years since I have been a dime to anyone in this hobby, dropping in to Blue Ribbon Koi this weekend was like I never checked out. My son has a research project at Loudoun Academy of Science involving marine organisms, so we visit BRK. Without being asked John hooks the High School Junior up setting his team project off on the right foot. It is the small things in this hobby that bring in new membership and keeps them in for life. BRK has that approach down to science. Thank you John, it was great seeing you again.

I like it Had one from East Coast Clams when I kept such things year ago. I was not a fan of sponges growing on my clams. I wonder if folks are still fresh water dipping, hand cleaning(pyramid snails), and dealing with pinched mantles?

Don't be surprised to see the clown's coloring darkening up or showing small black splotches when they take shelter in such hosts.

I bought mine in April 2004. It will eat krill, large PE mysis, but it really likes Gamma foods lancefish. It will come out during feeding time for the anemones 1 out of 5 times. I try to feed it directly after lights out at least once a week, but it has gone without be directly fed as long as 6 weeks. It has been in tanks with the smallest of clowns, but no confirmed or even suspected kills. Make sure it is not a small miliaris vs melatremus, or you'll be quite surprised. I have had both in my hunt to build out a pair of melatremus. Melatremus key ID characteristic: vertical striping on the eye which tends toward bluish. Best of luck with yours mine has been an interesting addition to my tanks.

Worth reading this thread if you are considering the Neo: http://www.3reef.com/forums/3reef-radar/neo-nano-aquarium-deep-sea-aquatics-69315.html fwiw: I have looked at it a few times in the past, shipping quotes were $100 to $375 to me in N. Va.

Near term anything is possible, long term not a great plan to mix clown pairs in the same tank. Anemones move, breeding happens, conditions change, all contributing to territory and pairing changes. Best to skip the experiment.

Good post After the detritus settles, the water is great for hatching brine, cleaning/scrubbing that scungy liverock, rinsing those sponge filters in your clown breeder tanks, etc. Definitely nice to have some "used" saltwater around; unless you are flowerseller, his water is so clean, he can sell it fellow reef keepers for water changes :D

Your friend is right, if he was advising an HQI magnetic ballast to generate the highest PAR, but there is a downside to such a selection: more power consumed, more heat generated, potentially shorter bulb life, etc. Some numbers from Sanjay's testing of Phoenix: Phoenix HexArc 250W 14000K DE 1 PFO 250W HQI (M80) PAR 88 Watts 325 volts 122 amps 2.85 Phoenix HexArc 250W 14000K DE 1 Icecap 250W Electronic PAR 73 Watts 250 volts 122 amps 2.3 If you like to play with the ballast bulb combination tables, head over here: http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting Personally, I don't find the HQI ballast trade offs to be worth it for any bulbs other then 150wt. Cheers.

Most certainly I am always looking for ways to make maintenance simple and automated ;>) fwiw: there are some continuous water change methods out there also, if you have a floor/sump height drain.

A similar product exists, not cheap, but in use in large service tanks: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/pr/index.php