kriswaters

It looks fabulous! First "bug"...Forum link doesn't work but was able to get back by clicking on a thread! I LOVE IT THOUGH!~ Thanks for making everything so fresh and new! Kris

Happy Birthday Matt...and I agree with Andy, its always best to give then recieve! I would love ANY frag that you may be up to getting rid of! Hope you have a good one...if you'll be at the meet and greet, I will bye you a birthday drink! Kris

I have a devils hand that was the showcase piece in my 55 gallon...it hates my 110! It seems to be trying to "move down" to the rock below it, its polyps come out, but not completely. There is a small frag of it on another rock, and it is doing great! My big one is mid-way down with a pretty good amout of flow. The small frag is in the same area but on the opposite side of the tank....I just keep waiting.

Dennis, I would love to get one or two larger pieces that are some what flat...glad it is all finallly ready! I have some LR left over from the 55. It has sat out of water for about 3 months and is now back in salt water re-curing. I know you had showed interest in this before. Let me know. Kris

Aww...hope you can make it! Hey, if any one has any goodies to bring let me know! I of course have nothing...I am two chicken to frag my candy canes or frog spawn! Anyway....see you there. Kris

I am just like lowman...I have never QT'd a fish. Again, new fish rarely bring in "ich", they just acquire it from stress. I learned all about this when I moved my fish from my 55 to my 110. Everyone was fine and healthy...nothing new added, but the clowns came down with it then the dominos. The clowns couldn't fight it off...the damsels did. The six line and the goby didn't have any trouble at all. As far as the metrodiazonale, it is completely safe. Kris

Congrats Jay on getting things back up and running! I hope you put a phosphate reactor on ASAP....hopefully that will deter any HA running amuck! Kris

Miles, were you taking those under full light? I find that the lights "Blind" my camera and the pics come out crappy....I will bring both of my PAS cameras to the meeting! Kris

I have heard good things and bad things about garlic...mainly, it doesn't work. Ick or "ICH" is an undeniable pest that lurks in every piece of rock or frag or fish you may aquire. QT is great, but if there is ich in your tank, QT will not help. The only sure fire way to get rid of ich is to take EVERY fish out of your tank for 6 weeks, which for most, is a pain in the behind. Ich needs a host, and fish are it! If you can catch ALL of your fish and treat them in a QT tank (copper is a great choice) great, if not....try a different approach. Ich is a parasite: The "cysts", or white dots, attach to the fish and feed, then fall off, hatch, re-attach, fall off, hatch...you see the cycle! It is kind of like a flea on your dog...fleas can only survive on a dog or cat...break the life cycle and bamb! Different approach: You can treat ALL of your fish (because now ich is IN YOUR TANK) with metrodiazonale. You can pick it up at your LFS. Soak it in your food over night then feed the next day...do this for 3-5 days and it will kill the parasite. As long as your fish are EATING and swimming around...they should be ok, as healthy fish can tolerate this disease. As for Garlic, it may make the food more palatable to the fish, but does nothing to the ich. Now, if it is Brooknella disease...which is a common clown fish disease, your fish will, unfortunately die off quickly...the "white" cysts however, do not fall off so I think you are safe.... This all from experience. Kris

I picked up the medium today....spendy stuff at the LFS, but hopefully it will last for 60 days or so. I will look into Drs foster and smith to see what type of medium they sell and for their prices. I am hooking up today, using a maxi jet power head. I plan on getting another unit and running carbon before the phosphate reactor...clear, clean phosphate free water... Kris

I just purchased the "Two Little Fishes" phosphate reactor...Tomorrow, I will hook er' up! Off to the hardware store, again...they do know be by name now! Also, big shout out to my mas...she bought me a cool feather duster today! I am definately going to head out to the meet and greet this Sunday at 6pm...who else is coming? I have nothing to trade but would love anything that anyone wants to trim back or get rid of! Kris

GP=Grants Pass....just got it! While you are down, you should hook up with Jody! Bring us back some killer SPS! Kris

So are we getting together this weekend? Kris

Cyano is a pain. Everyone here has given great advice. The key is NO PHOSPHATES/NITRATES = NO ALGEA. I have seen a noticable difference in my tank since I switched out the RO membrane and the prefilters. I also switched to feed straight cyclopeeze and pe mysis. Furthermore, I mod'd the skimmer with a larger air hose and an open cell mesh on the Needle wheel. Next step is a reactor. All of this has worked better than the lights out and the chemi-clean. Kris

Update Not sure how everyone else faired in this. Just wanted to say that my RBTA that was split at the meeting is still alive and well! Last week, it moved from one end of the tank to the other! Thanks a bunch to everyone that made it possible for me to get this piece! Kris

I myself have "sizzled a few times". Those MH's are hot! Literally speaking. Kris

I think that feeding, or overfeeding will be the main culpret in this thing. Add in bad water and bam...algae hell. My tank already looks loads better. The fox face is fat and happy, yet pooping up a storm! Today, I added a blue tang. At last, a tank big enough to hold the fish i want! Back to the main issue...food. We need to feed. Are there foods out there that contain more phosphates then others...yes. I again want to thank two of our LFS that have brought this subject up for discussion. Kris

More info I am still working on this whole thing about phosphates. I was at Waves to day and Joel and I tested a few things as well. He makes a valid argument that phosphates are present in nearly every type of protein food out there...the question is the concentration. Now true that it may be, using a small container used to test the sample, houses a large amount of food, and this will in fact cause the phosphates to show up quickly and in large amounts. Yet does that same sample in 75 or 100 gallons produce the same amount of phosphates? Perphaps not as instantaneously, but over time...I believe what you feed will make an impact. Both the cyclopeeze and the mysis shrimp tested had very little phosphates in the "control" test (the same small container) as the pellets and the flakes. Regardless of the "volume" tested...to me it shows a higher concentration of phosphates. What does this all mean? Food can be problematic...no matter what. Some is worse then others, but I feel that I have seen proof enough that flake and pellets are not for me. Joel also mentioned, as did Travis and mrgreenthumb (and countless others I am sure) that the sure fire way to control phosphates was through a reactor. Joel also discussed the importance of filtration. Your RO/DI unit is only as good as its filters and of its overall output! I will now start researching DIY reactors, as I can only control a percentage of my water quality, a reactor will help with that I can't control. Kris

coolarific.... Not sure about the name thing, put wanted to get my version of "cool" out there... And for Blaine being king of the toads...there ain't another out there worthy of the title! Kris

Kudos to Rob...thanks for making such a refreshing change! Kris

True that phosphates are found in a variety of foods. It is a common binder. I soak all of my frozen food in RO/DI water then siphon out the thaw. I am not sure of the actual test that Travis used but it looked like an Elos. Kris

Blaine-the rbta gets silver sides once to twice bi-weekly. Mark-we tested the hikari marine-s. I was informed that phosphate are used as a binder in most flake and pellet food. Kris