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Truckin

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Posts posted by Truckin

  1. Hi Mark,

    I would suggest being cautious about pest control. Many pesticides are toxic (often affecting the nervous system) and persistent. That's how they kill bugs. Way this, being around dogs, aquariums and humans.

    Regardless of whether the pesticide has been approved by the EPA (or not), it does not take much education, knowledge of biochemistry, or ethics to become a pesticide applicator. I used to work for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and I could tell many stories about the misuse of chemicals in the environment.

    Having said all of this, what to do? If possible, try to identify the specific insect or pest that is causing the problem. Do not try to nuke 'em and kill everything. Educate yourself about the pest and possible controls - some are relatively benign. I think the library has relevant books, and the internet should be able to help. As an example, my wife was able to order through the internet a "bait" for wood ants that stopped the queen ant from producing more ants in the colony. (And, yes, wood ants are different than termites.)

    I think I saw an advertisement for a pest control company in Austin that claimed to use "natural" or "biological" controls, or something like that. I suppose they should be in the Yellow Pages.

    Anyway, consider it, and good luck.

    Roy

  2. Follow-up to my earlier post: dumbass question of the year.

    Chewing gum does not work - it does not stick to live rock or coral mounts when wet for the same reason it does not stick to your teeth.

    (Now how many people are thinking, "I could have told you that?" And yet, no one did!)

    Okay have another laugh. Now we know.

  3. Okay everybody - have a laugh - here's the dumbass question of the year:

    Has anyone tried using chewing gum to attach a coral mount to a live rock in the aquarium?

    Here's my story. I have placed some coral mounts (with frags) temporarily on a live rock to see how well the location works. Some of the mounts have been knocked over by a crab or snail.

    Since I was not ready to glue the mounts down permanently, I was trying to think of something that would hold steady against a crab or snail nudging it, and yet not be too hard to break loose if I needed to move the mount somewhere else.

    Then the light came on. Why not use chewing gum?

    Has anyone tried this? Is there a good solution out there?

    Okay, now, have another laugh.

  4. I'm interested in the green polyps, but I could not figure out which they are and the price. Could you clarify that?

    Also, if you don't have time for PMs and want to discuss arrangements by phone, could you post your phone number?

    Thanks.

    Roy Buchanan

  5. I'm interested in the green polyps.

    I have available a purple mushroom or Kenya tree coral.

    I'm leaving the computer now. If you are interested let me know, and I can post a picture tonight sometime if you need a pic.

    Thanks.

    Roy Buchanan

  6. Hi Dena

    If I understand what you have left, I would like:

    4. Orange skirts with almost a hot pink center. I have 1 frag of 6 for $15

    8. Steve's Hybrid Euph - 1 head $10

    Let me know, and I can meet you at RCA

    Roy

  7. I just installed a couple GFCI outlets a few days ago. (By the way, as I understand it, they protect against grounding problems. They are not circuit breakers which trip when the circuit is overloaded. They are useful when water might be around, such as in the bathroom, or near aquariums, etc.)

    I got them at Lowes, but I'm sure Home Depot and other hardware places carry them.

    The package has minimal instructions. First, plug a lamp into the old outlet and turn it on. Then turn off your circuit breakers one at a time to find the one that makes your lamp go out. Mark this circuit breaker so you can find it easily. Leave the circuit breaker off, and unscrew the outlet cover, and outlet screws holding it in the metal box in the wall. Pull the outlet out of the wall so you can get to the screws holding the wires. Assuming it has two cables (each with two wires) and a separate ground wire, disconnect the two wires of one cable. Plug your lamp in and turn the circuit breaker on. If the lamp comes on, you have disconnected the load cable, which goes on to another outlet. If the lamp does not go on, you have disconnected the line cable, which provides electricity from the circuit breaker to the outlet.

    The replacement GCFI outlet should be marked for line and load, and you just move the appropriate wires from the old outlet to the GFCI. Being alternating current, for a given cable, it doesn't really matter which is right or left. But do not mix the wires from the load cable with the line cable. (It just trips the main circuit breaker probably for the whole house. Be sure you know where this is, and it may be on the outside of the house separate from the breaker box for each local circuit. And don't do this at night unless you want extra fun.)

    Finally, move the ground wire to the GFCI outlet.

    If you only have one cable (two wires) and a ground, that one is easy - this is the end of the circuit and the cable is a line. Just move the wires from the old outlet to the appropriate match on the GFCI.

    If your outlet has three cables (six wires) and the ground, it just means that one of the cables is wired in common with your line cable, and it goes off in another direction providing power to another outlet. My new GFCI outlet, for the line part, had four holes in the back (two for line in, two for line out, where you can place the bare wires and tighten with side screws to hold them). It also had holes in back and also side screws for the load cable.

    If you make mistakes, be sure you have the circuit breaker off before you go moving wires around. You can test the circuit with the lamp to make sure the electricity is off before you touch any wires.

    Follow the instructions that come with the GFCI box.

    If you burn your house down or electrocute yourself, I didn't write this. A licensed electrician might be cheaper (and faster).

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