darrellw

Make sure you get some hand wraps. If you want some that are already good and smelly, I've got a couple pair :-)

Now that my 20 gallon cube is getting pretty settled, I'm thinking I'd like one more fish. Currently I have a yellow clown goby, a pair of ocellaris clowns, an emerald crab, a banded coral shrimp, assorted hermits and snails. For corals I have mostly zoas, with two hammers, two rics, some GSP and some xenia. My top two candidates are a six-line wrasse and a tail spot blenny. I'm drawn to the six-line because it would be a more active fish than what I currently have, but I've seen some warnings that they can pick on inverts. I like the tail spot because it is cool, and it may help out on algae. But as far as I can tell it wouldn't be very active. The ideal fish would be colorful and active, and of course get along with everything else I have in the tank. Anything else that is worth considering, or any input on my two candidates? Thanks!

Maybe after hundreds of years you get all dried out :-)

But it starts at eight, so maybe it is at least 2 hour episode. -Darrell

For something like this, I would make sure to get good quality "construction" screws. Don't use drywall-type screws, they are very brittle. If you really need something that you can disassemble, bolts would be a better choice, though more work. -Darrell

Hi Trever, Can you share the URL for your RKE, so we can monitor your tank? -Darrell

Hi Trever, That's cool! Now I have to get an RKE so I can use it :-). -Darrell

Here is my European car:

Yes, a glass tank is going to be heavier than an acrylic of the same size, but the tank material is just a small fraction of the total weight (most of that being the water), so unless your stand is on the hairy edge of failure already, it wouldn't worry about the stand. -Darrell

I just got my Super Nimble Nano glass cleaner (http://www.nimblenano.com/). It is supposed to use very high power magnets, so that it is small but strong. I dropped the inside part into my tank, and after I took it out it was covered in sand, which appeared to be magnetically attracted. I'm using "Nature's Ocean Bio-Active Black Reef Sand". As far as I know, the fact it is attracted to the magnet would imply it is very high in iron. Is that a concern? Thanks Darrell

Hi Jason, Be sure to post a review of the reactor when you get it going, I'm thinking of setting one up in my cube, and that looks like a good one. -Darrell

Where do you get old leather boots?

Thanks again Andy for bringing in the fluid. I've started raising the salinity in my tank (very slowly).

Thanks for the pictures, Impur! I have a pair that I hope will host my hammer some day, if I saw spots like that I would panic!

Nice! Let me know when you get ready to frag it :-).

I believe they then die off, they are very specific in their diet. I think you will want quite a few if you get them, they are very small (like the size of a rice grain), and they are a very slow eradication method (months), so you need to have enough to breed for a few generations. Here is a site with more info: http://www.berghia.net/ -Darrell

Yeah, these were discussed on the nano-reef forum a while back. One issue is that they are all white leds, so color temp is going to be around 10k or so, so you still need actinic supplementation. They also don't have any optics on the leds, so you are limited to about 12" of depth.

Does this mean plans for a retail store are back on?

I'd say glass, though there are benefits to acrylic. And I have an 20 gallon acrylic hex (FW) that I've had for 20 years, and aside from some scratches on the top from the hood, it looks great. And I've never been all that careful with cleaning it.

My thoughts exactly! This proves science is stranger than fiction!

I still have no idea. There was never any visible external signs of anything. First one just started acting lethargic, almost like a zombie fish (it swam, but appeared to be completely unaware of anything, not eating, etc). A week later the other fish "came down" with it, another week later they started to show interest in food again, and getting more active. -Darrell

Thanks, Andy!

And now the "software" updates. Here are the recovering clowns, my yellow clown goby, the reclusive emerald crab, and my new hammer.

Some photo updates. First, some "hardware" updates. I finally installed the panel in front of my electrical compartments, and mounted the VorTech controller. I also made a retaining strap for the door, so it can function as a little shelf when open. I removed the legs from my Solaris, and hung the it from the ceiling using Sunlight Supply hangers, so I can move it up and down easily. Much easer to get access to the tanks now. Finally, I installed my black egg crate cover. The acrylic cover was starting to warp, and the condensation was really diffusing the light. I was also amazed how much light it reflected back into the room, it really darkened the room once I changed over. The shimmer effect is much stronger now, as well.

Though not any more than an internal one plumbed out the back.