Recent content by squiers007

Mainly 3,5, & 7, but maybe they are just way better photographers than I am. I'm not trying to point any fingers, just making an observation.

Maybe its just me, but some of this pictures appear to not be "top-down" photographs... just curious how the distinction was being made

May be a rhodactis, instead of a ricordea. Hard to say with it this small.

+1 for spaghetti worms

With the plumbing, just make sure you put valves on both drain lines so you can adjust the flow through the refugium section since you want this to be slower to allow more contact time with the macroalgae. Actually, what are your plans for the refugium? Bare bottom & macro, DSB, DSB & macro, LRR?

Sounds like you may just have very excellent source water. Most peoples tap water has high nitrates and phosphates and a TDS reading anywhere from 200-400. With an RO/DI unit the water is nitrate and phosphate free and has a TDS reading of under 5. In my opinion the cleaner the source water is...

Re: What kind of eel is this? +1 for the Engineer goby. they are great at sifting sand, but also great at covering stuff up on your sand bed so be careful with that one.

Turning the skimmer on will not lower your current nitrates, the only way to accomplish this is by water changes. It sounds like you are on the right track though. Wait until your nitrites go away and then do a good sized water change like nanoreefing said to remove the nitrates that have built...

Blue jaws are supposed to be more "reef safe" than other species of triggers. I know several people who have kept them with great success in reef tanks. The only thing I would be worried about them eating would be a shrimp and seeing as you dont have one I wouldnt be too worried so long as you...

No worries. I hear you on not knowing what you want to do with the degree. It took me a while to figure out that I wanted to go to graduate school, and I'm still not 100% certain where I would like to go from here. Just keep yourself open to opportunities and something fun will come around.

I have 4 54W T5's w/ individual reflectors on my 75 gallon driven by and Icecap 660 and I have been able to keep several different acros, pocillipora, hydnophora, seriatopora, turbinaria, montipora, along with a bunch of LPS/soft corals closer to the bottom of the tank. In my opinion SPS corals...

Yeah no kidding. Its supposed to be 95 today with a heat index of 105! Its October for crying out loud!

If I have a temperature swing large enough to significantly expand/contract either of the materials that will be the least of my worries since all of my corals would therefore be dead. Yes, I agree is may be a risk, however I dont see a need to go back and fix it.

There shouldnt be any expansion if the materials were at the same temperature when they were installed and the same temperature as the tank water.

Corpus is good. I just got my MS in Biology and just started my Ph.D. in Marine Biology in Sept. down here at TAMUCC. It is great to be so close to the ocean, though the heat is no fun in the summer!