wtac

I just put in an order for a case of JJs to do some work on the clear solution to determine Ca content. Waiting for conformation to use an IPC machine....wooohoo.

I'm 90% sure that it looks like L-001; P. joselmani. The third pic shows the figure 8 shaped dot/blotch indicative of L-001. Need to see dorsal fin shape to be certain. If it's L-001, they grow to 8". HTH

NW=needlewheel I didn't have the Remora but the EV-150 that's an in-sump skimmer. The method of air and water mixture are similar b/w the two. As the CSS is overall cheaper, get the largest model CSS as it would help with a large "bio-load" of a predatory set-up. HTH and have fun

Of the two, the CSS will outperform the Prism. The things that really don't like about the CSS are the pumps and bubble trap that hang in the aquarium. Don't get me wrong, it's a it's a good bang for the $$$ but don't expect it to perform in the same league as ASM, Euro-Reef, H&S, etc. Between the Remora and CSS, I'd choose the CSS as I'm partial to NW pumps as AquaC's produce bubbles by water injection like putting your thumb on the end of a hose and letting it fizz away in a bucket. Also there are mixed reveiws on AquaC's. Some love it, some hate it. I'm in the latter as I had the AquaC EV-150 and it never skimmed for me in the 4 months I had it no matter what changes/mods I did. Now I have a Euro-Reef CS6-2 and it pulled stuff out in 24 hours and I couldn't be happier. JM2C

NOTE: I'm not in any way, shape or form intending to "bash" Joe's Juice. Just giving my findings on the product compared to the kalk method. I just got a bottle and did a few tests: Appearance in bottle: JJ: Clear solution (supernatant) overlaying the white compound. Mixing the white compound had a slight muddy texture and when mixed thoroughly it was all white. Kalk: when settled ("using "millipore" water) looks the same as JJ and mixing had the same experience. Both products settled at the same rate in test tubes. Taste: not a recommended thing to do. JJ has a salty taste and no grit. Kalk was just gritty with a short initial bitterness. Kalk/JJ pH: 13.45/13.20 Instrument: PinPoint pH monitor and LaMotte pH Plus Direct meter both with LaMotte Lab Grade pH probe recalibrated prior to test. Made NSW (TropicMarin and "millipore" water) where Ca measured at 380mg/L using a Salifert, AP and SeaChem Ca test kits. Went above the endpoint by a few drops (pink to blue). I added one drop of JJ and all solutions went back to pink same with kalk solution. I've attached a pic of how the two compare after application. As you can see, they are almost identical in their appearance and reaction to SW. The difference is that JJ seems to form a colloidal "skin" after time in SW which IMHO, is their secret ingredient and may account for it's saltiness. I haven't been able to test the refractive index of the supernatant as I lent my refractometer to a friend.

Really sorry to hear that kellehar. I can say about JJ's is that it's kalk powder based (CaOH). Kalk powder is highly caustic and does "burn" on contact and ingestion. Since it's in a suspended solution, the pH is also very high (pH 9.2). Albeit when the product is applied, the amount of solution is minimal so the "drift" will have a small radial impact. The problem may araise when the pumps are put back on. Kalk powder is kicked into the water column where it settled gets "caught" by coral, anems, zoas, etc. Depending on how much they catch or settles on them...they aren't going to be happy. I did a aptaisia killing spree last week on my aquarium, granted I was too liberal adding the kalk mix on some areas. When the pumps came on 1/2 hour later there was a bit of a snowstorm. Though nothing appeared to have settled on anything, I'm sure that the powder had contact and some degree of ingestion. I lost 1/4 of my prized zoa colony (forest green skirt, lime green centre, red mouth) and the branching hammers just don't look right. One just has to be careful adding/using any product. Knowing exactly what's in a product will help determine how careful one should be and if any ill results occur, it's easier to determine what went wrong. JM2C

One or two serpent starfish to help clean the substrate surface as well as behind/around rockwork. Depending on how thick the substrate is, olive snails and fighting conchs. HTH

Not to take away from JJ's but for the DIY'ers. 1 heaping tbs Kalk powder 1/2tsp finely ground fish food (flake or pellet) ~8oz dH2O Works just as well IME.

Very nice indeed .

I see what you mean about the inset eyes below the antennae, as well as the lower legs splaying out. The coloration and overall bodyshape, especially the foreclaw and tail is very much stomatopodish. Hmmm...now I'm really not 100% either way. Catch and grow it MR...LOL

I'm with albert...a tiny mantis shrimp (MS). Judging by the claw shape, it looks to be a smashing type. Pull it out before it becomes a problem in the future. You might want to keep it as it's a color morph that you don't see too often. I used to have a collection of lime greens, blues and reds. Fascinating creatures and addictive when you get the MS bug. Wilson

Keep in mind that these "up to X gal aquarium" are based on European standards where they generally have a smaller "bioload". IIRC, their turnover rate is based on 3-4x. I agree it is confusing, but from what is the norm here in Can/US, a min 5x turnover rate is recommended. IMHO, factor in how many fish, size, how often/what you feed and your maintenance regimin will help determine what filter is best for you. JM2C Wilson

It is "true" that fish will grow to the size of the aquarium. This is mainly due to chemical compounds that fish normally secrete as a biofeedback mechanism. I forget the biochemical family group but it at certain concentrations, it triggers corticosteriod production which does hamper growth. Prolonged production will cause immuno depression and when the immune system is comprimised, well, it's not good. I did an experiment years ago (10+?)and put a 4" panther grouper in a 50gal sump on a 200gal. It grew Last I heard is that it's in a 300gal that is on the same system with a 1000gal and about 3'. JM2C Wilson

Does it retract quickly into the rock when you get close to it? One guess that it's a barnicle or some sort of filter feeder living in the rock. If it retracts, but kinda has a deflation type of action my guess that it's a hydroid of sorts. Kinda tough to tell w/o seeing how the "filamants" are spread out. That's all I got from this grey matter. HTH Wilson

Another cheapy is green chromis...it doesn't get territorial/aggressive like damsels. For a smallish aquarium, you'll regret getting damsels down the road. If you want an idea of what you can do with a 35 here's the post with all the doodads of my 35. wtac's 35 reef HTH Wilson

Personally never liked CoraLife Deep Six hydrometers due to inconsistencies in readings. Now that the Aquarium Products hydrometer is following the same foot steps I have encountered the same probelms. A refractometer will be the best investment or the TropicMarin glass bobbing hydrometer. I have both and they read exactly the same. If you're Mr/Miss/Mrs butter fingers, get the refractometer as the TM hydrometer will set you back $40. The cheapest refractometer I have found was here and I have ordered from them. Refractometer JM2C & HTH Wilson

As BW mentioned...it all depends on what you plan on keeping. If the cost of hydro is an issue, HO-T5's and PC's will do the trick for soft coral and LPS. SPS will do fine but it's bright colors will become drab looking. Don't let the cost of MH bulbs fool you. I got burned on "cheap" 10,000K SE (single end) and HQI/DE (double end) bulbs. The cheapest reliable SE bulbs I have found for $100CDN. Then it comes to matching MH bulbs to the ballast if you're going to DIY. I have a client that has SPS in his 90 bow under 2x175watt SE 10,000K of lighting and it looks fabulous. Also, when it comes to SPS, keep Ca @400-425mg/L and alk @3 meqv/L (kH 10-14dKH) and lots of water movement. You can go up to 400watt on the MH but becareful introducing new coral and they can get "burned" or bleach. Suffice to say, 250watt is the max I would go per bulb if you don't want to bother with the lighting acclimatization. Also, when you get that high in wattage, be prepared to fight algae blooms. The easiest way is to keep a short photo period. Once you get that under control and the corals are filling in nicely, keep an eye on Ca and alk and they tend to deplete quickly. Depending on how quickly Ca and alk get below optimal range, budget and time constraints, a Ca reactor would eleviate that problem. JM2C Wilson

You'll find with Danner (MagDrive 9.5 and higher) that there is quite a vibrational hum. If you have them sitting on the bottom of the sump, place it on a thin piece of styro or neoprene. The cheapest source for neoprene is the typical mouse pad. Just peel off the printed fabric. I've used one under a clients Mag 18 for that past 3 years w/o problems. Personally I wouldn't trust one used in-line. I've had 4 blow-outs/leaks using them in-line. In-line pumps you get what you pay for. Personally I'd get an Iwaki if noise is an issue. Very quiet and little heat output. Next is Little Giant, little noisier. As rudy mentioned what you see on Ebay is crap. They don't tell you who or where the moter assembly is made by/from. If memory serves me right, the E.Eng that developed Iwaki left to form his own company (Gen-X). If you do want to get Gen-X, make sure that the motor is Japanese made. JM2C Wilson

With that glass thickness, no bigger than a typical 3 gallon with Euro-bracing, IMHO. I wouldn't go bigger than that as one has to take into consideration safety if by change one "dings" the glass with a hard object, it'll crack easily. Plexi around 5-7 gallons using the same thickness as glass, perhaps 10 gallons if braced at the top but you'll have the same issues if a pane it accidentally "dinged". Plexi will crack/split easier as it's extruded through a die instead of being a pour-cast. You'll have more options if the glass/plexi was at least 5-6mm. I don't recommend using 3mm glass for baffles in sumps as it will crack very easily posing safety issues. 3mm plexi for baffles will be fine. JM2C Wilson

Here's a Beckett DIY: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...ght=diy+skimmer http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...ght=diy+skimmer Venturi: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...ght=diy+skimmer That's all I can find with pics. Look at other skimmer companies and just do a knock off. Becketts are easy to do but a bit of a PITA to adjust and you need a high pressure high volume pump to drive it. Once it's tuned, it really rocks. Most DIY without specialized parts and high cost pumps are usually venturi types. HTH Wilson

Looks great BW!!! I like your rockwork. Wilson

Also, if I can make a suggestion, since you're going to build a reef, I'd get 3-4 MaxiJet 900 powerheads (PH), place them in different spots on the back w/suction cups pointing in different directions. As you buld up the rock structure, this will hide the PH's and the added water movenent will greatly benefit the LR. IMHO/E, LR is the heart of a reef system. Keep it healthy with lots of water movement around it. Have fun . Wilson

Looks like your aquarium is on it's way to "cycling". Congrats . Every aquarium is going to be different, yes there is a general guideline but if you test and chart what's going on, that's the only concrete way in determining where in the "cycling" process you are. My 35gal "cycled" in 4 days w/ mature/cured LR. My 55 took 2 months w/ uncured LR. You have lots of possibilities in that spot. Keep us posted as it evolves. Oh yeah, the aquarium is in a nice spot...I envision hanging MH lighing, refugium and sump system in your furure...LOL. Wilson

The glass polishing compound is called cerium oxide and you'll need a small applicator/polisher thingy that goes onto a drill. Call a windshield repair/glass shop. They should be able to point you in the right direction. Wilson

To answer degrassi's Q, the cabinet on the side of the aquarium has been popular in Germany (Dupla) where generally it's a glass door to display control monitors for pH, ORP, temp, etc and to hide the plumbing if the aquarium is drilled on the side. Usually it's an open top concept w/pendant lighting but the canopy would be of a "Dutch aquarium" influence. Beautiful set-up sammy !!! Wilson