pbnj

Go to the women's nail section of your supermarket. You'll find basically the same stuff at 1/10 the price of the "reef" equipment.

Empty Tank + Extra Rock = New Set-Up

I haven't decided where I'm going with this tank:

• I might move my Bubble Tips over to this tank.
  
• Maybe make it an Invertebrate tank.
  
• Maybe a macroalgae/refugium tank.
  
• Maybe some kind of combination of all of these.
  

No SPS....maybe a couple of choice pieces of LPS, at best. Whatever it ends-up being, it will be tied-on to my 135g mixed reef.

I run four 250W MH's and two 110W VHO's over a 135g tank. VHO's are on 12hrs and MH's are on 7hrs. Chiller goes on 3-4x a day.

I would only run MHs if you plan on using used equipment (lots of great deals these days with people switching to LEDs). If you're going to buy new equipment, you might as well invest in LEDs.

I think the biggest, most common mistake with biopellets is removing too many nutrients too quickly.

If I were to use biopellets, I'd go with the Reef Dynamics biopellet reactor....much more control built into the design.

With T5s, the quality of the reflectors is important.

You have yet to suggest an alternative method of filtration for the OP. What do you think would be better in this situation?

If I was setting-up a 20-30g tank with no sump, I'd use a HOB protein skimmer, a BRS dual reactor with carbon/GFO, and liverock.

....again, just my opinion, not claiming this is the best/only way to go.

I agree with you, Patrick.

If someone doesn't agree with me, that's fine with me. This hobby has more opinions that species of marine life. I like to give and take feedback and I don't claim to be any kind of expert, but twice here people claimed I said something that I didn't just to try and validate their points....silly.

....claiming that a HOB can't run a 20-30g reef tank just fine is ill-informed.

....and where in this thread was this ever said?

You can maintain a saltwater tank with just liverock and an airstone, that doesn't mean it's the best method. The OP asked why people don't commonly use HOB filters and I gave my opinion...that's all. I didn't tell him/her or anyone esle to not use HOBs. To each their own.

You quote me and then say something I never said. Where did I say that hangons don't provide filtration? I said the don't do much. Trickling some water over a few ounces of carbon is not much of a filter......a filter is NOT a filter is NOT a filter.

You can use them....they just don't do much in terms of filtration. Freshwater fish can tolerate poorer water conditions.

Nice colony, but it doesn't look like any of the "brand-name" aquacultured corals.

....looks like Acropora Gemmifera.

Im going to say that coral is sexy. How wide across is it?

12"+

beautiful tank! do you do any supplements or additives?

....just Alk/Ca/Mg.

I'm a big proponent of Mg dosing for (noticeable) polyp extension.

Tanks shots...

That's a happy frogspawn....started with just 4-5 heads about 4 years ago. It's gonna need its own tank soon!

These are great bulbs. This is 8 months of growth for this millipora under PlusRite bulbs:

...or get a Desjardin's Sailfin Tang.

Do you have a link to the 250W 20K mogul bulbs on the EBay "trust_deals" site? I can't seem to find them.

....just temporary storage.

I'm cleaning the coralline algae off the glass on the 135g.

Maybe I should rename this build the "New Rose/Green Bubble Anemone Home".....

Porcelain Anemones Crabs....

What if it decides to release its ink?

I used to catch those all the time back in Jersey....unfortunately, I was fishing for fluke.

I bought one head of Orange Frogspawn over two years ago....it's still only one head!

My Orange Wall Hammer, on the other hand, has grown quite a bit.