Sascha D.

Oh, you're PFP?!?! Nice to meet you man! Just when you thought you knew me! I'm actually thinking of changing it to something more up to date like Blue and Sticky 150. What'cha think?

I typically forget my screen names so I went for the easy route. It makes it easy when I meet people from the club. I don't have to introduce myself as something crazy like, " Hi my name is Purple Fishy Pants. NIce to meet you!"

He has a very nice tank and you can tell he really enjoys the hobby.

LOL! Don't try this at home kids!

Haha funny read! I took the less traveled route and indoctrinated my wife to the idea of the hobby. It took years but I think I've successfully turned her into a symphatizer. Plus she would rather see me do ANYTHING than play Xbox!

Looks great! How long did it take to color up after you made the rock?

I work for the Department of Aging and Disability Services in the accounting unit and my wife works for the Texas State Department of Agriculture. I'm currently looking for another job though . I originally wanted to get into Financial Analysis after completing my degree but got a job as an accountant when we moved to Austin. I like my job, but would like higher pay or less commute time.

You've come a long way! People sell live rock on the forums all the time for 2 / pound ish. I like to epoxy my rocks before I put them into the tank though.

Instead of buying a veggie clip for $3-5, I use a piece of live rock rubble to attach my Nori. Drill a hole through the rock and attach fishing line for easy removal and placement. Reef plugs cost 6.99 for a pack of 20 + s/h. For the same price or less you can get 3 pounds of live rock rubble and a tube of super glue gel. It looks more natural than coral plugs and they are easier to place into an existing reef tank. Dosing pumps cost 100-400 + 23.99 for the dosing container. You can save hundreds by using a timer, a cheap air pump and a vinegar bottle. For hanging your lights, a ceiling fan kit works great for 20 bucks. PVP pipe works great for stabilizing your live rock structures. If you want to save a few bucks, you can use a hack saw to make the bottom of your large pieces flat. You then epoxy rock pieces together to create large structures that won't fall or topple over. Just be sure you don't make them too big, incase you have to remove them for maintenance.

The links to different part of the blog are a bit hidden on the top of the page. I think moving them to the left or right in column format would help with navigation.

Very nice. Is it costly to do something like that? I've always wanted to try but don't know where to start.

To get rid of the cloudiness in live sand you put a filter sock on your overflow and it will remove the fine particles from the water column. This helps you keep the critters you want and remove the stuff that is just filler.

Looks great!

Welcome. If you can keep seahorses, then you can keep anything!

I was looking into GC but I don't wan to pick my tank up from Dallas. If I remember right that is their nearest delivery location. Also, it is worth mentioning that they don't help you load so you have to bring people.

Welcome!

My last tank before I went SW wan an african tank with an undergravel filter. When I converted to SW, I had replaced that set-up with an Emperor 400 HOB and a Fluval canister. Even with just a FOWLR the flow was largely inadequate and the surface had a layer of skim on it. I tried to correct the problem with a Seaclone, back when they had first come out and came recommended. The filtration provided was just horrible and I ended up selling all of those things and added a sump, ASM G4X and a Quiet One 5000 return pump. The contrast is like day and night. You almost can't even compare them. I have run a mantis tank with an Emperor 400 filled full of LR with success.

Good looking tank. How do you like the peninsula with the tinted back? I was thinking of going this route myself.

People typically use HOB filters and skimmers on smaller tanks because they don't have sumps. One of the most compelling reasons to have a sump is to *hide* the equipment so that you don't see it when viewing the aquarium. The absence of wires and things help make the tank more natural, which is the reason we have them in the first place! Another reason people don't use HOB filters on tanks is because their effectiveness to siphon waste diminishes the longer the tank is. The size and suction of the removal tube is insufficient to capture a large amount of waste. Also, reef tanks have a lot of dissolved organic materials on the surface that is missed when you submerge the removal tube. Overflows are often 6+ inches so they capture more waste and remove organic waste on the surface. The act of overflowing itself allows for greater gas exchange that you can't get with a cannister filter.

Pm sent on the cans

I use the pocket guide to marine fish and the pocket guide to inverts.

I agree with Patrick once a system is set up you don't have to test it very often. When I first set up a tank that is cycling I test it twice a week. I also tend to test if I have added a lot of livestock to a system to make sure it doesn't need a water change. After about six months of stability you don't have to test it anymore unless you just want to know or haven't done a water change in awhile. Personally I only do water changes once a month at most.

36x24x25 is 90 gal 36x18x31 is 90 gal tall 36x24x31 is 118 gal The main purpose of a sump is to hide the equipment, increase the water volume and surface area for oxygen exchange. You don't really need one to be successful but it does have benefits and helps keep things tidy. Same for a refugium; you don't need one to be successful but there are benefits, mostly for pod eatting fish. The choice is yours if you want these things.

Kalkwasser is German for chalk water. It's basically a lime calcium solution that is dosed into the aquarium to help with keep calcium levels at a high range for sps growth. Most people's tanks don't diminish calcium fast enough to need one unless they have a ton of sps in their tank.

First questions: How big of a tank? What kind of tank? Would you piece together your own setup? It's cheaper IMO and certainly better especially if you want a sump / refug