Recent content by down&dirty

Seems like a better option is a float valve in the sump so that once the water is beyond a certain level the skimmer shuts down. This will also dump some water back into the sump from the skimmer to help keep your main pump wet longer. Just cutting off the airflow to the skimmer prevents it...

Seems like a better option is a float valve in the sump so that once the water is beyond a certain level the skimmer shuts down. This will also dump some water back into the sump from the skimmer to help keep your main pump wet longer. Just cutting off the airflow to the skimmer prevents it...

I just last month added the metal halides to my tank, and unfortunatly ended up with 75 gallons of reef tank gumbo shortly after, but now it is well on its way to recovery. My pink zoo's are exploding, they have more than doubled in size since the boiling. The rest seem to just be hanging out...

But what is considered good water quality for zoanthids? Do they prefer a dirty water, or are they a coral that does best in sparkling clean water? Clearly by dirty I don't mean nasty, but some corals do like water that is full of floating stuff.

I am trying to get a zooanthid prop tank up and running, and I am curious if there is something special that I can do to encourge their weed like growth. Is there something I can dose, current settings, or even lighting that will increase their rapid growth?

Mine just peaked at 92, and now I have 75 gallons of reef gumbo. Anyone hungry?

Yeah, don't waste and it is a waste, money on anything but MHs. I got my dual 250's with bulbs on ebay for $250. That is only $0.50 a watt!! Now look at the value of PC or T5. I paided $130 FOR MY 220 watts of PC on ebay. Now the two work great together with the PCs running my actinics and...

So I just found a killer deal on a 125 gallon. It is pre-drilled on one side, but I believe the hole is only 1 inch so I will have to get it redrilled on both sides to 1.5 inches to work with my pumps. My question is that this is a glass aquarium. It is 6 feet long, 24 deep and 18 wide...

I went through all stages of lighting on my tank. From NO 4 foot tubes, to T5 then on to PC. Now I have moved to MH. I would suggest skipping the steps and jumping directly to MH. The heat generated per watt seems to be less than the other lamps. And if you put in vent fans it is not an...

I would never setup a tank without a sump and a fuge. The sump makes evaporation less of an eyesore, and the fuge helps me sleep at night. Remeber this is an ecosystem that you are building. Think about the oceans, they have coral reefs, open water, and large and I mean large amounts of alge...

Sounds good, I would however suggest jumping on ebay and buying an RO filter unit. I didn't and my friend did. Needless to say, I hear about it every time I have to go buy water. I started with tap and quickly saw a difference in the quality of life for the inhabitants. Now I pay $0.49 a...

Mine was also a intermatic timer. One of the digital versions for switching up to 15 Amps. I replaced it and the new one works, but what is the point. The only things I had survive are a scopus tang, a black percula, some polyps and some zoos. At this point I lost over 70% of the livestock...

Just wanted to post to save someone else the heartache that I have now. I just put a new timer on my metal halides when I was forced out of town by work. When I came home, the timer hadn't turned the lights off and my tank was basically a boiling pot for a seafood gumbo. So hopefully someone...

SO I just got my new metal halide fixture. 2, 250 watt 10k metal halides with spider reflectors. I have them in the hood, and everyone says to ramp them up to not burn the corals. Some have even said to ramp up over a month or two. Problem is that, getting the metal halides in the hood meant...

You say the fish room is on the floor below. Did you brace the floor before putting that much weight up there? Also, why glass instead of acrylic? It looks incredible. I am just asking because I am looking to upgrade to a monster like that when I move into a house and I am curious what to...