Nano_Steve

Sounds great! Lemme know when/where I can pop by to take a look and help you out with your tank's plumbing and we'll go from there! -Steve

I have a 3/4" ball valve that's been glued into a system, but I could easily cut it out and reglue it since I don't use it anymore.

Jboy, I'm interested in the ones on the right for sure. If you have a small frag of those for sale I'd like some. Azcummins, definitely let me know. I've got all the tools needed for plumbing jobs and everything else so we can take a look at your setup sometime this week.

Hey all, My tank is finally stable for the past 2 weeks and I'm interested in starting to put some softies into my tank. I'm interested in any and all zoanthids and ricordias at this time. Let me know if you have any frags for sale or trade for some woodworking, plumbing, or electrical work on your tank! Thanks, Steve

I'd recommend changing your White Balance and also using a lower ISO to get crisper images. If you use a lower ISO in manual I think it might take it out of image stabilizer though and you might want to use a tripod in that case. Try using 80 ISO and see if you like the difference and change the White Balance to an outdoor setting since the lights on our tanks are so bright! Great shots! -Steve

Aquatek had a bunch last time I went there on Thursday. They're selling them for $10 each which isn't too bad a price. I'm sold on Aiptasia X though, if you get a chance to try that stuff out it works miracles imo. -Steve

I've tried alot of natural controls like peppermint shrimp and kalkwasser injections and in my experience a product called Aiptasia X works the best, hands down. You can pick it up for about $15 but over the life of a tank it will definitely pay for itself in getting rid of these things...I hate aiptasia... -Steve

Oh, I didn't see the second page of this discussion... Wow, you guys make a newcomer feel really really welcome with your snide remarks and condescending attitudes. I'd expect this sort of thing from trolls on lesser boards, but from moderators and dues paying members? This is quite sad. This thread is supposed to be a blog, I would have imagined anyone who read the title would have understood that immediately, but if you guys think it is a better idea to alienate and condescend then I think each of you sorely misunderstands the importance of an online community for saltwater aquariums. Letting folks know of a concern in a proper and understanding way is one thing, but when you begin to question the intelligence and experience of others is just outright upsetting. I had heard things about people in this club being a bit prickish but I really wanted to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. GKarshen and caferacermike, you guys have sabotaged my blog and, frankly, have ticked me off a bit. Again, things I would expect from trolls, not folks of higher standing in a forum, let alone an online community that has irl meetings every so often. If you don't like my methodologies that I use for my tank then get over it and go be a'holes somewhere else. I would rather not be bothered by folks who only wish to bash the way I do things and ideas that I am trying out for myself. Nowhere in this post before you started to chime in did I ONCE condescend anyone. Again, this was meant to be a blog for my tank and to share the growth with the community, but you two have made my decision for me and I guess I will keep the progress to myself and hand-write these things down for my own records. You have stripped this community of one more good hearted reef keeper excited about being a part of the new community and as higher members of the forum you both should be ashamed. -Steve

Yep, I will have pictures soon of my Auto Top Off system. I'm using an old square aquarium of mine that will hold about 3 gallons to use as my reservoir and a float switch I made for my 2.5 that I'm no longer using. Just a question, is there a place on this website where I can set up a blog? I sort of wanted this thread to be a blog and not so much a discussion. Thanks, Steve

Hmm, helpful. But since this is my tank and I'm going off of my own experience of keeping nanos for over 7 years I think I will try to get my levels to where I have stated them. Nanos work completely differently than larger systems and vice-versa, I'm sure 400 is fine for a larger system but due to HUGE fluctuations in short periods of time in such a small water volume, I need some room for error, hence the higher numbers. Besides, the worst that happens with higher Calcium levels is white growth without color for a short period of time. My kH on the other hand needs to be dealt with before anything else happens. Having 10 kH is not acceptable for such a small water volume and my pH is a bit low as well, but it should be fine when I get my kH to the levels I'd like them (around 50). -Steve

Well at 400ppm my Calcium level is rather low for the amount of SPS I plan on having in this tank. I would like to get it up to 600-700ppm before I even put my first coral in, that way there is no shock after the initial acclimation of the corals into the tank. I've had TERRIBLE experiences in the past trying to raise my Calcium AFTER I added sps and this time I am going to do it right and get my water levels to where I want them BEFORE I add anything. Thanks for the suggestions though! Every piece of information is helpful, it's just in this case I am going off of my own experience and trying something different so as not to end up with the devastating results of before. -Steve

Added 7mL each of DT's Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium liquid solutions this morning to begin the dosing regimen. The cyanobacteria is beginning to get a bit out of control and if it continues for another 2 days then I will decrease the photo period from 12 hours to 10 hours and monitor any change. I think a good idea at this point will be to get a few snails in there and see about getting a blenny. Snails for sure, blenny a big maybe since I already have a fish and it's assuredly aggressive when mature. -Steve

Here is some of my handy work. Now with the new tools I received for christmas I am able to do larger projects but this is a general idea. -Steve

Hey all, I wanted to extend my services as a seasoned aquarium carpenter to anyone in need of a stand and/or canopy for their new tank or an upgrade for an existing setup. I specialize in nano tanks but I have experience in specialty tanks like corner tanks and multiple-angled tanks as well as bowfronts. My prices are competitive and I can even work out a deal for frags at this time! If you have any interest in having a custom-made stand or canopy or an upgrade then let me know! Thanks, Steve P.S. I have photos of my handywork if required.

Welcome! -Steve

Depending on what type of "Green Algae" you are talking about you might think about getting a Sea Hare, it will take care of Green Hair Algae like no other and they are excellent additions to tanks to keep things clean, it's just too bad they aren't prettier. -Steve

If you decide to part it out I might be interested in the Rics, the Zoas, and some SPS. -Steve

I chiseled the top shelf rock last night so now the sides are away from the glass and I rearranged some of the supporting rocks to get better surface area for some zoos and rics later on. I also had the water tested yesterday at River City Aquatics and the results after a little over a week of being setup are as follows: Ammonia - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 20ppm pH - 8.1 KH - 10dkH Calcium - 400ppm Specific Gravity - 1.026 I also purchased a <i>Dascyllus aruanus</i>, or Threestriped Damsel, and my girlfriend named him Shirokuro (Whiteblack in Japanese). He seems to be doing well and he is eating the Marine -S- pellets that we bought for him just fine. Everything seems to be going quite nicely for the first few days of the tank. I have used Aiptasia X on about 6 large Aiptasia and each of them has not returned and has shown no signs of life after treatment. A small diatom bloom has begun on some of the rocks and I will begin dosing Ca, Kalk, and Mg tomorrow morning to begin my dosing regiment. -Steve

How much would you be willing to sell one of the small milli colonies and a decent sized frag of the monti for? I don't have anything to trade right now since I just set up my tank so I would have to pay cash depending on how much you want for them. Thanks, Steve

Well, I've tried Peppermint Shrimp in the past and I've never once had one that I ever noticed a reduction in aiptasia. I've had both species. I've used Kalk before also and I never got the instant results like I had with this stuff. They are GONE! Completely gone today after just one application. -Steve

I noticed that as well but he warned me about it beforehand. I went to Aquatek and bought some Aiptasia-X for 14.99 and thought it was a bit of a rip-off but when i went home and used it, the Aiptasia INSTANTLY melted and they are gone this morning! Well worth the price!!! -Steve

New pics showcasing the rocks and the rockwork once in the tank. Thanks Jason for these awesome rocks! Over the next few months the top piece will slowly be filled with acros and I'm waiting on a concrete statue for the center piece. -Steve

i sent you pm's about getting your number but never heard back from you today. Let me know when a good time would be for me to come by. Thanks, Steve

Hey all, I'm reaaaaally interested in getting some of that nice bubble fiji liverock and a bunch of it! If anyone has some decent sized pieces (>8") I would be willing to pay premium price. OOOOOR... If anyone is interested in going in on a group order I would be willing to set one up. Please let me know either way! Thanks, Steve P.S. The picture below is the kind of stuff I am talking about to give a visual idea.

im interested in the liverock and whatever you have growing on it that cant be taken off. How much would you be willing to sell the rocks for? -Steve