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Got it in the mail today from TB Aquatics. My new $40 PO4 tester from Hanna Follow the directions, insert the vial, Wait 3 minutes - it has a timer to make this easy And before you know it, you have a reading. This is on my seagrass tank, so no surprise it is low...

One of the great things about working (part time) at an LFS is you get everything wholesale, and the money you make goes straight into the hobby. I have never seen a paycheck lol. On the other hand it makes it too easy to setup tanks. So here is my last build before I move into a bigger space...

What is a good 250w mogul bulb? It is a shallow water tank so not looking for a lot of blue; but a little. Do not like the look of my Hamilton 10ks. Is there a good 10k or 12-13k bulb I should be looking at?

Okay guys, I have an algae issue and I am hoping that I can get some ideas on how to approach this. I know the mantra on algae control, but this tank is not a typical tank and so I am blazing new ground here. I have a buddy with a very similar setup going through the same issues. I think we...

I pre-ordered one of the new cones from our sponsor, SWC Skimmers SWC is a company in Canada that designs and makes skimmers. SWC Skimmers is a company in Colorado that imports the line into the US. There is a new line of cones coming in, and I pr-ordered one, waiting for the skimmer to...

Started a new tank build today. The back story is that I have had a 30 gallon sitting around for a few months. A few weeks ago bought a 120 and stand for $300 from someone who was leaving the hobby. So I have been wondering what to do with my empty tanks. For Christmas, along with other...

I added a yellow watchman and shrimp back on 10/8 (Ernie and Bert). Since then, I have caught a glimpse of Bert now and again, and knew he was doing fine from the constantly shifting sand. But I haven't seen Ernie in over two months. Until today that is Isn't he a...

Any idea what this little guy is?

This has been growing in a frag tank for several months. Thought it was a soft coral and was waiting for it to develop some more, but it is growing and splitting but staying pretty much the same. It came in as a HH with a shipment.

Today I took some PAR readings of the tank I am setting up. It is a 90 gallon, 48x18x24. It has a 5" sandbed My fixture is a ATI Sunpower, 4x54 watt. I am running 2 UVL Aquasuns, 1 UVL 75/25, and a ATI Blue Plus (its a lagoon tank, not much blue light in lagoons, none really) Here are the...

Overview There always seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to choosing a lighting system for a reef tank. Everyone has an opinion, and it can be difficult to figure out what is the best choice for my system. In this post I will share some of my experience with lighting. For my...

I don't know why, but the saying "you need x-many watts per gallon" to keep corals just won't go away. And in truth its not accurate. Watts is after all a measure of how much energy is used, not how much light is produced. 20-25 years ago when I got into the hobby, there were two kinds of...

I am looking to get some live rock soon. Where are some good suppliers for LR right now? Haven't gotten any in several years and was wondering what was available

Okay, two tips for anyone who may have an ATI fixture. The first is the transformer is has variable speeds it will run at. The correct setting for the fixture is 4.5 (amps I believe). I tried running it at the max speed, the fixture actually ran hotter. So 4.5 it is (very quiet at that speed)...

Big Al asked a question this week in another thread that I gave an incomplete answer to, and rather than just hijack a thread I am starting this new one. I made a statement that I do water changes during the cycle of a new aquarium, and I was asked why when the conventional wisdom is that this...

Now that I am settling into my new home, time to start thinking about a new tank. I haven't figured out everything yet, but I know where I am going with this so its just a matter of working out the details. One thing I have always like about the FW hobby is how they do biotopes, with all the...

Hey John, I am am planning out my next tank, and I am going with a planted reef aquarium with seagrass. I know I will be best off using all live mud, but I think that will be quite costly and may break the budget. I am thinking of mixing it with CaribSea Ocean Direct Original sand. Is this a...

Downsizing my tanks, have a skimmer for sale. Reef Octopus BH300F Protein Skimmer https://diyreef.authsecure.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=618 Skims great, makes dark skimmate. Asking $129 shipped

Downsizing my tanks, have a few items to sell. This is a Reeftek Nilsen "Kalk" reactor. I have it hooked inline with an Osmolator (not included); works great. Asking $110 shipped ReefTek.com - Nilsen (Kalk - Kalkwasser) Reactor

Hey everyone, I have had a BTA in my tank for a few weeks. He does not seem to be thriving, and I wanted to pass something by you. The tank is a 40 gallon breeder, with about 40 pounds of rock in it. The inhabitants are two percula clowns and the BTA. Well, some snails, but they don't...