SnowboardKid26

reefin > I want one. where did you find that?

yeah, they are really that blue.

I still want one.

I just got these two new Acans... a super man lordhowensis, and a rainbow echinatia (sp?) can anyone give me some tips? the guy I got them from said high light, med-high flow. Anything else would be appreciated. I got a smokin deal on them and I was straight (drooler) lookin at their pics on ebay so I had to have them.

good thinking fly... i forgot PH

I wouldn't use the test strips. They're not the most accurate thing. I would just drop the extra money on Salifert. They are the most reliable. Why trust your reef to cheap inacurate tests? I guess if your just trying to test your cycle, they will work for now.

If you are sure that it is cured rock, i would still be testing the water, same tests as before, and start with ammonia. The "cycle" you hear people talk about is the build-up of bacteria that breakdown waste into nitrogen gas. first ammonia... then nitrite... then nitrate. Test them in that order. When all 3 test at 0, then your tank is considered cycled. I would test for PO4 as well. If you can detect it, try and get it down low. like 0.1. Not as critical if your only keeping softies as you said before. You do want to kinda stack your rock loose, you want alot of flow around and through it, since it is the biggest filter you have in your tank. Other than that, your in the waiting game now. Just test your water until all of the tests stated before are at 0. And use this time to get to know your tank. How much water do you evap. per day? do you have a temp flux? stuff like that. I would keep my lights off until you get some snails in there. Make sure your tests are getting close to 0 before you do that. At least the ammonia and nitrite tests.

Oh yeah... also, I wouldn't be running my lights for a couple of weeks... at least until the Nitrates test at 0, or near 0... then you can add some snails and such. If you run them now, algae will grow like crazy and there won't be anything in there to counter act it.

Hey gopens... that add on ebay, where you got your rock, says its uncured. So you will still have a good die off, and your sand is going to suck up everything out of it. So since your at this stage, this is what I would do. 1. Get a range of test kits... Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and PO4 2. Start testing your water like crazy. every other day. Start with the ammonia. 3. Seriously think about getting a phos reactor and running rowaphos in it while you cycle your rock. you don't want to be dealing with the problems that Nyles and I had, with getting all the PO4 back out as your rock leaches it. 4. Water change, water change, water change.... hopefully your using RO/DI water, as the water in southern oregon is supposidly (sp?) the worst around. (haven't tested it, but have heard from a bunch of reefers ) 5. I would restack my rock so that it is as loose as possible. You want water seriously moving around, under, over and through the rock, to get all the nasties out of it. 6. Every week take the rock out of your tank, and swish it HARD in some fresh saltwater to get the detritus out of it as it cycles. Hopefully you won;t have to do all of that, but as I said, that add does refer to it as "freshly imported UNCURED live rock.

Its good. It means he has already done the cycling. I try to keep my temp at 79-81

can't really raise and lower it, its in a wood canopy. i think maybe i'll put a few pieces of window screen over the tank for a few days.

So i upgraded from a 175w Venture 10/14K to a 250w Venture 10/14k last night. My tank got about an hour of 250w last night, and I'm wondering how much to cut my lights back. My photo period is: 8am 1 12" VHO on 8:30am the other 12" VHO on 9am Halide on 7pm Halide off 8pm VHO off 9pm VHO off, moonlight on Please give me some ideas, I don't think that its going to be a HUGE shock to anything since the color didn't change, just the intensity. My tank is all SPS, clams, and zoas. Thanks SBK

Hey foxy... is your tank a marineland? I think mine is AGA.

by the way... since you guys are doing dirt... i got this guy from ebay that screwed me over...... never mind

I talk like a pirate everyday... because i am one (torch) now bow (kneel)

just a helpful hint... don't run tons of flow through phosban... when they warn you about pulverizing (sp?) the pellets... they arn't playing. I had red in my tank for a month, and killed alot of SPS.

Haven't done any testing, I think Rich is the guy to ask, I have read ALOT about them, and for a new system, VHO or T-5... i'd use T-5... just more options, more light. I'm going to use them as supplement for my 2x250 PFO on my 72... by the way Gopens... did you have a custom bow built or something... I thought that it went 46, 72, and then way too big for my house if you have the same tank as me, its a 72... 48"x12"x26"

Just put t-5's over it. that way you will still have the option of adding a few lower light stonies if you want. won't hafta worry about the heat, and you won't be paying the electric bill on a bunch of light you essentially won't need for softies.

(worthless) You might try plumbing your exhaust from your skimmer VERY close to the water level. Might be tricky depending on what skimmer you bought.

I think we can take him fly. You have a brand new first born to trade... I have an arm and a leg... hmmmm... hahah

I can second his claim, its definatly bryopsis.

Man made live rock is not "premium" rock. you shouldn't pay more for man made. If your going to cycle your tank with uncured rock, that is rock that is going to have a huge die off, dont add your sand to the tank yet. Sand soaks up nutrients, nitrates, and phosphates like a sponge, and if you add your sand now, you'll be fighting to get that crap out for a while.

Thanks bro, that sites cool... but I have no idea what I'm looking at..... anyone???

has anyone seen any data for the Venture 10K/14K bulb? I've been running one for about a month now, and I LOVE the color, but I think the par maybe a bit low. If anyone knows anything I'd appreciate it. Thanks SBK