Nate213

X2. Im glad I wasn't the only one that noticed that. I agree with the article, but the method is flawed. You can only be as accurate as the measurement device with the largest tolerance. Every measuring device has an accuracy tolerance. To homebrew a calibration sample, you need to have lab grade equipment to measure out the correct quantities. Otherwise you are just wasting your time. A refractometer is a huge step in the right direction. Swing arm hydrometers are garbage. I think the key is to be consistent and stable. People still argue with the 1.023 to 1.027 range for Specific gravity. Some like it higher, others dont. Either way if you end up in that range, your stock should be healthy.

X2. Picked up some nice frags today and he threw in a freebie. Super nice guy and fantastic deals. Thanks!

They were sold today at 8:44pm Central time. Someone was waiting for the pair.

Roy - it was great meeting you. I wish I could have stayed longer to admire your tank and chat. Thanks for the awesome corals. Im sure we will be swapping again. Ill let you know if I come across any good chalice peices.

Eric - I have plenty of Cheato but thanks for the offer. It might be a couple of weeks before I have more Xenia. I cut it back pretty far to make some room. Ill send you a PM when it grows back in.

Roy, Ill buy these from you today when we swap frags.

You have added quite a bit since your last full tank shot. I think it is time for an updated photo.

I have sent a PM.

Im glad everything is working out. You are welcome to come and check out my tank, just let me know what works for you.

Thanks! It was also a pleasure to meet you and your family. Let me know what you find out at the NW Coral Farmers.

Id also like to know what the pricing is from get tanked. Bob - do you know what the cost is for the 150 gallon kit? I have been using Seachem Reef Salt and have very good luck. My calcium numbers are always good, and so far I can keep it up with only water changes. But Im always looking for something better, especially if the cost is nearly the same.

I think Im gonna get a new blender. I want my wife to buy me this one. http://www.willitblend.com/videos.aspx?type=unsafe&video=ipod

Hey I recognize those! They look good under your lighting Eric.

You can scale it down to whatever you need, I was just using my example. I can burn through 5#s in about 2-1/2 - 3 months. Overfeed & Overskim. First Rod's Food, and now Rick's Food. (laugh)

Rick, To answer some of you questions: Some people use tank water, I did at first, but now I use RO/DI water. I think RO/DI water is safer. I use only fresh garlic, and run a couple of cloves through the garlic squeezer before I add it to the mix. I found dried (not roasted) nori in the asian foods section of Safeway. Your ingredient list looks great and covers most of what I can think of. I have used thawed mysis & brine shrimp cubes in my mix, but it adds to the cost & most of my fish like the seafood chunks better. JasonH My suggestion for not ticking off the wife is to buy a $5 food processor or blender from the Goodwill or thrift store. I just explained to my wife that it is no different than making bean dip or anything else she cooks. It was all fresh seafood, nothing gross there. Cant help you with the lazy part, but I assure you that this is easy & well worth it.

Does anyone else make their own fish food? I have been making my own for over a year with great results. I buy flash frozen or fresh raw seafood from the supermarket and blend it up with nori, selcon, and a few other ingredients. I dilute it with tank water or RO/DI water till it is like a thick paste. Then I pour the mix into 1 gallon freezer bags and flatten them out so they are about 1/2" thick and freeze flat on cookie sheets. After they are frozen, I cut it up into small squares and re-bag them. The great thing is that you can tailor to your tank, more greens for tangs, or more meaty foods for aggressive tanks. I also throw in some oyster eggs or other supplements for corals. There are tons of online articles with recipes and such. Im suprised that more locals dont do this. It is much less expensive than store-bought and you can control what goes into you tank. For my last couple of batches, I found some 2lb seafood mix from the supermarket on sale for about $4 a package. They had clams, squid, tiliapia, rock fish, scallops, halibut chunks and no unnatural added ingredients. I mixed with a package of nori, some garlic and a few squirts of Selcon. When I was all done, I had nearly 5 lbs of food for less than $12.

Why stop with just the back wall?

I had 5 at the time. Got the first one out like that. 2nd one got smarter, but eventally netted it. Third one was caught the next day. Took me almost 3 weeks to get the last 2 out. They were working as a team to distract me. I finally got them out with a pop bottle trap, but I had to bait it and stay up all night. (laugh)

Thats an excellent picture Mike. Is that the mantis in your 40 breeder?

Those are great names. Pics aint bad either.

Snorkelwasp that is a great deal, but Im really looking for a T5 or MH setup. I would like more light so I can QT my corals and use as a frag tank. Thanks.

Its about time you updated this thread. I have been patiently waiting. Looking great. I like how you already added some nice corals before finishing up the rocks.

Never heard of it. I googled the address and found the house at that address is for sale. http://www.realestateshows.com/flyer.php?id=0000238078

Looks like I missed out on the great deal for the 36" Sunpod, so Im bringing this back to the top. Anyone looking to sell their 36" fixture, send me a PM.