Dego Red

FWIW to anyone reading, I gave the Elos it's first test last night. When I last tested with Salifert it appears it really was reading about 2dKH higher than the Elos, which came in right at 7dKH. This should be correct for having just done a 35% WC after 2wks and no buffering prior to WC or test. The test is surprisingly easy to read. When you're getting close, you'll see a very faint yellow; the next drop will be the 'solid' (target) yellow, and the last - once you've gone beyond the actual alkalinity - will turn orange like the drops. Also, I'm with chewie...using 1/2 the recommended doses and water doesn't really effect the accuracy.

I called Patrick - He's got some Salifert left, but not for alk. I'm still reading mixed reviews on Elos and alk, but then I turn around and read that Salifert can be as much as 2dKH high compared to the Hanna colormeter where the Elos was closer. So much for the "industry standard". Lots of interesting reading out there...or should I say mixed information? I need something today, so I'll give the Elos a try. Thanks!

I've been to (just about) every store in the area, but I never paid any attention to test kits since I haven't needed them until now. Does anyone know off the top of their head who carries Salifert kits in the area? I'm a little short on time at work to call around and ask. I'm looking specifically for the KH kit since I prefer the accuracy of the drip method compared to eyeballing the color-based kits like Red Sea. Given that, anyone have any other suggestions on kits that may be in the area? TIA! Mike

Anyone looking to get a little more flow? I had a modified MJ die on me and the only thing Upscales had at the time was a K3. It's just a tad too much flow for my tank config, and I think my corals would be happier with just a little less. It's only about 2 months old - works perfectly and I still have the box w/ instructions, accessories, etc. Shoot me a PM if you have a K2 and are interested. Thanks! Mike

Just gotta take a minute to say thanks to Garrett for helping me out. Great guy to work with and flexible with meeting when I couldn't get out of work (or catch a fish..lol). He's got an awesome selection of stuff for such a compact operation, and his prices were *very* reasonable - I was impressed! I made the trip down to Salem from Hillsboro, and I'd be happy to do it again. Thanks man! Mike

Ken, Thanks - I'll let you know soon. faithkjy, I don't keep SPS, so I don't know. I've spent hundreds on them and tried *everything* to keep them. Just can't do it. :( wanareef, I got quite a few PM's, but I'll get back to everyone ASAP! Thanks! Mike

My Mag 5 should be perfect, almost new too. We could do a trade or outright sale, just let me know if you're interested. http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18368

I'm on a bit of a mushroom/ricordia/zoa kick lately, but I'd consider other stuff as well. So... Almost new Mag5 - used for about a month. Tried selling it, but of course no one wants to pay $40 for a near $70 pump. (scratch) Next is the flame. Beautiful fish, about 2.5", and was a great addition to my tank. He's not what I would call a nipper; he leaves everything alone except for my $75 brain and that's not gonna fly. I'd really appreciate it if someone had something to trade, but I'd be willing to give away a $50 fish just because I want to try to save my brain ASAP. Thanks, Mike

Bump for price drop.

Replied - I'll give you a shout tonight. Thanks, Mike

Bump! Moving to CL as well...

:EDIT: If interested, PLEASE email me - I'm hardly ever on the forum. mjgianunzio@gmail.com Thanks. I'd really like to see all of this go together to someone who wants to get started in the hobby and not be bound by the cost many of us have dealt with. As one system, it only needs the 'small stuff' to have livestock in it the day after its set up. First, the 20g long that was to be my QT but never used. Has a very nice cherry oak stand and about 15lbs of fully cured live rock with some nice character (base, tonga, etc), as well as some green and red coraline. It can actually stand quite a bit taller, but I just have it laying flat for now. The parameters as of this morning: Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 10-15ppm ^Its quick water change from livestock. $50 Want a sump? I'll throw in a clean 10g that fits below for free. Mag 5 for use with the sump. Looks like my last deal officially fell through so I'll list it again. Used for maybe 2 months - now spotless. I'll throw in any misc PVC (some 1/2", 3/4", ball valves, elbows, etc)...nearly enough to plumb the whole 20L....for free. $35 Mike

Sale pending to Bob...

Hmm...too much? How about $40 then.

I can't say I agree with that. While it makes sense that you never want to drastically skew your salinity or over flow, in terms of efficiency or usability, the ratio of your reservoir-to-tank size would almost negate any functional purpose. Granted, some people have large enough sumps, but I would say the majority of us (esp w/ nanos) don't have the space the commit. For example, I've got a 5g sump under my 30g tied to a 4g ATO reservoir. That keeps me set for about a week. But with equipment/baffles/etc, my excess capacity is probably less than a gallon. If I only kept 1/2gal in the reservoir to be sure I didn't over flow...to me there's no point. I'd still be filling it once a day! In the end, the fleas come with the dog, but there are ways around it. Such as, my setup is on a timer on my AC Jr. I have a low GPH pump that is only allowed to run for one minute, so if there is a malfunction, the damage is minimal. Then again, you could always ATO your ATO for redundancy...just in case. (laugh)

Joel had one the last time I was in Waves. In fact, I had them frag it for me since it was about 6" tall with 4 heads (I took one). VERY nice and has been a great addition to my tank. I would give them a call to see if they still have any of it left.

Well I can "half answer" I suppose... Since I've gotten into this hobby last year, I've always fought to keep my SPS alive (let alone growing), and in some instances some nuisance algae at bay. Along the way, just recently, I began dosing vodka for the sake of my SPS. I'm manually dosing 2.2-2.4mL each night at feeding time (29g display, 5g sump), and since hitting that level, my NO3 never gets above 1-2ppm (I could/should probably dose more). My PO4 reads 0 per my RedSea kit, but without a Hanna I can never be positive. However, I'm both vodka dosing and running GFO in a reactor, so I'm inclined to believe that I should have no PO4. After sorting through everything and still battling coral growth/health issues, I finally replaced my old 150W Odysea MH for a PFO 400W setup. So far, so good...I'm happy.

www.photobucket.com Takes 30 seconds to setup a free account. Might help you move your gear faster...

Thanks to the wonderful head loss calculator on RC (), turns out my Mag 5 has way too much oomph for my system so I was forced to downgrade. This guy is practically new (2mo old) and comes with everything that was in the box, including warranty info. Its already cleaned it up and can be dropped into your system immediately. Considering they're nearly $80 shipped when new, $50 picked up should be fair. Thanks, Mike

Thanks, guys. My money is on a sponge, since that colony was/is very healthy. It has two little "spouts" at the top as well - can be seen right in-line/above the two closed polyps in the center. The only problem now is, those guys have already been growing into the holes in the rock and are not going to want to come out. But if IIRC, there's nothing else on that rock, so I might be able to pull the whole thing out. Wish me luck!

No idea what this mystery substance is. It showed up one day about a week ago out of nowhere. This small colony was growing like a weed previously with nice, deep color but it's too soon to say if this stuff has hurt them at all. I did notice that my inner polyps were fading a bit, but not much. Thoughts?

I'll jump in too - bought 400W MH setup from Brandon last weekend. Very straight forward, no surprises and helpful. Thanks mang! (rock2)

At first I would have said no, since I just adjusted it and it went all last night without issue. But today I plumbed the return from my newly installed phosphate reactor into the sock, and it was too much for it (only another 100gph) and it began running over the edge again. I'd say the combination of being to close to the edge of the sump and a 10-day-old filter sock may have been enough.

What the heck, why didn't my last post show up? Must have been me. Anyway... Unfortunately, I know you're right. It seems to go in 12hr cycles. He's ok for about that long, with only maybe a spot or two. Then last night I noticed him darting with more shown up, but I can't catch him. I have some nori tied to my net and bent over the edge of the tank. He'll eat, but when I come near the tank, he wanders away. Once he was all the way IN the net by himself, but I looked too late. Hopefully I'll get to him when he's not paying attention. My QT is all ready to go...