mooric

I lived in Miami/Ft Lauderdale from 2003-2007 and went through numerous hurricanes. I just used a battery powered air pump to make it through. Granted I just had a FOWLR which included some inverts. I went 8 days without power once without any deaths. The key was having enough batteries to last the first few days since most areas were returning to normal after 4 days or so. I was just one of the unlucky ones.

Awesome. I didn't know you were a homebrew person. Do you brew any other tasty libations?

You will shoot your eye out!!!

Happy Birthday Laura!!

How about something like this Lift

Well I ordered the new bulbs, but I think in 6 months when I have to do it again I am going to upgrade my ballast and bulbs from 18watt to 27watt.

Unfortunately Hellolights.com doesn't carry any 18watt PC Actinics (just the 50/50s). So I am going to order them from nanocustoms.com where I got them originally.

Thanks for the info. My bulbs are JUST past 6months old so guess I will order some new ones.

I think the old MP10 is in the $190 range but the new Ecotech ones cost more.

Is it necessary to follow this schedule if the bulbs are just Actinics?

How often should you replace PC Bulbs? Every 6 Months? 9 Months? 1 Year? TIA Charles

I think they go for ~$250

Use it as a fry tank or raise mysis/brine shrimp in it for your main tank.

Ok couple more details. I have my own RO/DI with dual TDS Meters (incoming is 14ppm, output is 0ppm). I don't have any hair algae on my sandbed, and I grow Cheato in my tiny refugium and have Halimeda growing in the corner of my tank. I am also running carbon in the filter (Chemi-pure Elite), also I run my skimmer "wet". I would love to put a lawnmower blenny in my tank because I think they are cool, but my tank is too small for one.

So I am fighting hair algae in my tank currently. All my water parameters test just fine (of course Phosphates are 0 since the algae is using it). I am running Ferric Oxide in my filter and have been doing regular water changes. I have cut back on my feeding to every other day, but so far I haven't seen any improvement. I have some turbo snails and I think they are afraid of the hair algae since I never see them get close to the stuff. So I am looking for other natural methods of dealing with it. I have been contemplating getting a Sea Hare from "Mama", but I am open to other suggestions as well. I am somewhat space restricted since this a 28g cube tank. Thanks, Charles

My condolences to your wallet. I could never live that close to Laura and still be able to afford food, let alone shelter.

Are you having glasscages truck it directly to you or are you picking it up from one of their drop off points?

Will the Tuxedo Urchin eat hair algae? I thought they liked to eat coralline algae.

I need more space in my tank!! Bigger tank is calling to me....

I'm not sure it will need such a large water change. I would check the parameters when you get back and decide then. Keep in mind you're taking your bio load basically to 0 so about the only chemical that will build up while you are away is perhaps a little Nitrate due to an decay of detritus in the tank. Also I would check your salinity just to make sure it's still good, but I imagine the rest should be fine.

You won't have to worry about lvls since the only thing that will be living in your tank while you are away is bacteria and micro fauna. When you get back you will probably want to do a large water change, but you won't have to cycle your tank again or anything like that.

I would leave the tank running with filtration and no cleanup crew or anything in the tank. Just leave the lights off and algae shouldn't be a problem (unless it is by a window). You may want to have someone add top off water to it once in a while though.

I would set it so it runs every day during the day when you are out at class etc. and I would see if you can replace the recirculating pump with one that is quieter. That may be a cheaper next step rather than buying another skimmer.

I still think Chicago has the best hot dogs, though Grays Papaya in the village wasn't bad.

Well you can buy live clams & mussels from the grocery, but those come from cold water environments usually so I don't know how they would fare in a reef tank.