Bill B

I would add banghaii cardinals. My watchman goby is not aggressive at all unless another fish insists on trying to occupy the same 2 square inches of sand bed it is on. I have a hippo tank which is larger than everyone else and he is very aggressive with anyone near his size. I think coral beauty and true pygmy angels are listed as mildly aggressive but my coral beauty is very peaceful. I can't go back to the first page without losing my post. Have scooter blennies been added to the list? Very peaceful. Seems I heard one time that tank raised percs or false percs are less aggressive than wild caught, but I wouldn't call any of them passive. TMSAISTI Bill

I can't tell from the picture. I'm gonna say it's not aptasia as, to me, they seem to have much thinner and straighter lashes/tentacles. It could be a mojano but it will eventually develop a stalk if it is. (Bill steps on small soapbox) In deference to nature, the ocean and our hobby I would ask that you not "Kill it if you're not sure what it is." (steps down) It should become more obvious if it is a bad thing well before it becomes particularly prone to spreading. Heck from that angle it almost looks like the tentacles of a LPS dendro and they sell for about $25/head. If it grows into an obvious nusance, like mojano then go ahead a get rid of it. "Just relax, before you bring out the ax." (I made that up Bill

I can't be sure but I have wondered if coraline is not the opposite of 'nuisance' algae when it comes to water conditions. In my case it seems I had lots of growth at first. Then as time went on and my nitrates and phosphates started to increase a little my coraline quit growing. One tank has had pc lighting continually and the other has gone from pcs to t5's to mh. I am gonna say they have had similar decrease over time. I have used 2 pt all along. Bill

I think 'keep it in check' is the key words on Emerald Crabs. These bubbles are full of spores to make other little baby algae. So when they pop the bubbles to eat them they are actually releasing many spores back into the water. This is why there was another suggestion of removing them carefully without poping them - with practice you can figure out which are 'ripe' to be picked. If practical IMHO removing the rocks, and scrubbing them is a better solution, though I scrub the spot they where they attached with a steel brush or quick buff with a dremel. Bill

I'm not trying to be a smart a.. here but for someone who is new to saltwater and has a small tank I can't imagine there is really such thing as planning when it comes to livestock and for that matter lighting. What you think you want is probably going to change when you see what you ended up with and what else there is get. And that's alright. I think it's a part of the hobby isn't it? You get what you think you want, you see something else in the for sale section, you want something different. I'm just sayin .... Bill

I am very interested in hearing about these being available at a music store. I have not seen these near that cheap. Most of the ones I have seen are monster power centers for televisions and entertainment centers. Thanks Bill

Mike Sorry to hear about your fish. I don't know which is the chicken and the egg but I also had a lot of ick when I first started. There are several ways to "add Garlic'. The most common one is probably to pick up some Kent Garlic Extreme and soak your food before you feed your fish. I have heard of those who do anything from soaking with minced Garlic, crush garlic sprigs to Garlic vitamin capsules. I only have experience with the Kent and the Seachem Garlic Rx I think it's called. The Seachem is not near as good IMHO. Soaking is also an area of discussion. Myself I used frozen food and added 3 drops to each cube, dropped it into a little cup and allowed it to soak for maybe 45 minutes. What I have since heard, if you think ahead of time, is to put them in a snap lid container, put them in the frig and allow them to soak all day long. Makes better sense to me. Frankly ick in SW is much more deadly because you can't just throw in enough poison to kill the ick babies, but not the fish, because of the extra life in you tank. Instead the garlic is to strengthen the immune systems of your fish in hopes that they will naturally fight off the ick and possible 'insults' to their bodies. To me it has always been very frustrating. I have lost a number of my fish, especially during the first year and I never lost a one in many years and many many fish in FW. It is mostly because you cannot be as aggressive. There are many who feel that putting fish in a quarantine tank and treating chemically is problematic at best. My interpretation is because SW fish are a little wimpier than fresh when it comes to ick. So if you put them in a barren tank, with probably unbalanced water, the added stress of this situation may kill them if the Copper doesn't. There is a method of really lowering the salinity in a QT. The idea there is the ick can't live at pH's of .016 or so and the fish can. There is also some 'reef safe' method that Grim Reefer mentioned recently. Remember that all but the 'reef safe' method, you have to hold the fish in the QT for a number of months till you are sure all the ick in the DT has gone inactive or died. Otherwise they will just hop right back on you now weaker non ickified fish. HTH Bill

Ric my friend, I answer this only because it is kinda like actually talkin to you and I enjoy doing that. I am guessing this essentially means : one is the messages that have been added to the forum since you last signed off the forum. The other I would think is a less desireable option, unless you are a messaging manic like Marc . The key is unread since last time: so anything that I have not read, intentionally or not will come back and 'nag' me time after time untill I go read it, or perhaps there is an option to just check it off as ignore or somethin. So one is haven't had the opportunity to read, because they were posted since you last signed off. The other would also include those things you had the opportunity to read previously, but didn't, as well as those posted since you last signed off. This probably isn't quite right, but as I said it's an opportunity to talk wit my friend, without having to phone him after midnight or text him, which I don't do. TMSAISTI bILL

I see these mentioned from time to time but have never seen a description or picture. Just curious what Texas Trash Palys are? Thanks Bill

Ric and Liz THANKS for the info. If nothing else for costs sake I am resisting putting every little absorbing, resisting, reducing, water quality improving additive in my tank/sump, but it might be interesting to check those out. I was not aware of various 'types' but I had seen these in HOB power filters, just not in sumps. Bill

IMHO everything may be fine, but don't be surprised if a few things are really pissed, especially if you have any zoas or palys that are a little slower to open all their polyps anyway. Bill

You don't have a bad CUC there, per se. I am curious what actual fish you have. Seems you would have to overfeed almost just to feed your CUC. Also James made a really nice list but I ALSO see people mention not using flake food. Bill

Liz, Just curious what are these things, where did you get them and how do you use them? Are you running a HOB, canister or something? Bill

I have been eyeing those on Ebay, cept I don't really need em. Those have suction cups, which I don't like for anything, but they also have some magnet ones, well less than Hydor's cost. You can borrow my 3's and 4's if you like Ric. Bill

I would think they should be way fine for a long time. I believe the only thing that should really affect them is big changes in temperature like being frozen at times and 105 at others - in other words outside. I have the 18 gallon size in use on my pond. I has been at those extremes for 5 or 6 years. Come to think of it, I should probably replace it just in case, after all that time Bill

What size skimmer/tank are you talking about? Bill

Perhaps I am assuming something that is not the case, but I don't believe Koralias are suggested for wavemakers like the JBJ or Red Sea. I don't know about the more expensive ones because I have never investigated them. I think one of the issues is that every 12-20 seconds or so you would have that loud rattle that Koralia's make when they first start. I am guessing this is also not just an incidental noise but a stress on the powerhead everytime time it starts. This probably results in much shorter life, if you can live with the noise, even. Bill

Perhaps those that answered this question know what your fixture is, but if it is DE a 250 WILL NOT fit into the fixture. As mentioned if it is mogul, it will fit, it just won't work. Bill

Rats - Ya build me up jus ta let me down . If it is not complete I don't think I want a fixer upper. Honestly some of it is that I don't want to negotiate what an incomplete skimmer is worth. Thanks for lookin. Bill

I Daisy - I have two koralia 3's but they don't have the directional end piece on them. I would take $25 each for them, I got them as back ups myself, have never used them, but was told they were less than 6 months old. I also have a brand new never used, (complete) Koralia 4, but I would like to get $45 for it. Bill

Hi Troy I am interested in the small frag. When can I come get it. Thanks Bill

If the motor is okay, I'd like to get it.(tomorrow?) Thanks Bill

Dave, That sounds good all the way around. I would prefer that it works:doh: One question, how much space does it take in the tank. I have never seen one hooked up and I never see a picture of one in action. Is it just the regular intake pump and outflow tube? Let me know sir. Bill

I am currently using a CPR HOB skimmer but I just haven't tweaked it right apparently, cuz I don't get much skimmate. Anyone have a cheap HOB which actually works. I accept that it may not work as well as a sump skimmer. UPDATE: There is a small thread that follows with Dave but that didn't work out unfortunately. Trying to keep my inquiry about the DE reflector up high, so check that out if you haven't seen it already - please. Bill

Happy Birthday Ryan Hope you had a great day and your recovery is coming along well. Bill