coralreefer

I, uh, HAD your efflo...I lost all digis and caps and the EFFLO in the transfer/cleanout/transfer... I certainly would love another frag of your efflo to get my tank restocked...despite what I lost and ALL the work (replaced all plumbing, sump, sand, rocks) it was definitely worth it...tank is the healthiest it has ever been and reduced maintenance by 75%...so...got some more efflo? After talking with you, I got my son a GO board for Christmas... Merle DrMerle

My tank redo is over....things have settled down nicely and I am ready to restock...I am starting with monti caps...I am looking to buy unique monti caps/efflos...colonies or frags....let me see some please...tank looking hungry! DrMerle

the attitude of "why buy the cow when getting the milk for free" predominants...I am a veterinarian and obviously get dozens of questions a day from people wanting free medical advice. Problem is, I paid to learn this "free medical advice" and dealing it out is how I support myself. I'll admit, it has taken a long time to sharpen my skills at what I'll say and who I'll deal it out to. My wife and I (who is also a vet) now tell strangers we meet that we sell insurance...you would not believe how many functions we've been to and left early after being bombed with vet questions from strangers who "love their animal but just can't see paying for medical attention" when they can carpet bomb us for answers for free... My advice is give free advice to your best clients...55% (been proven) of your clients COST you money...they take up your time, complain about everything and generally aren't worth 5 minutes of your time...it is extremely rare that you can educate these people into being better clients...let them go elsewhere and not spend money... DrMerle

you can't pump 250,000 gallons of crude oil a day into the ocean and not have it turn up somewhere....these idiots keep saying "it really hasn't shown up in any great quantities on land, so we are in good shape..."???????[language filter]???? Do they think it is just "dissolving" as fast as it is comes out?....landfall or water, it doesn't matter...it is toxic and I believe it will show up in our food supply sooner or later... DrMerle

I'll take it...$50!!! DrMerle

1) You don't have to use up your calcium...don't get sps unless you want them...your question is like "I have an extra bedroom in my house...should I have a kid so it is occupied?" You are lucky...not having a dropping calcium is one less thing to worry about. 2) Check your nitrates, phosphates, age of lights, TDS, flow within tank, turnover flow, filters, skimmer, crab level, snail level, photoperiod, frequency of water changes, amount of food being fed, frequency of food being fed, type of food being fed...whew! DrMerle

I will never own a reef tank that doesn't have a Klein's Butterflyfish in it...they are much hardier than Copperband, will adjust to regular fish feeding within a week, then will patrol tank at night and eat aiptasia. They will pick at coral for a couple days at first then go to work on aiptasia in the dark. If rock has trapped phosphates you might be sunk without cooking... DrMerle

maybe use a regular skimmer but just place it really far away...(laugh) DrMerle

Miles... 1) I just put in a new stereo with iPod connection for glovebox...pretty cool... 2) Radio RF modulators...have purchased 2 different ones and they suck... 3) At times used wife's car with tape deck and iPod plugin...actually not too bad... 4) Took a week long road trip with friend and sirius...fantastic reception, we jammed to the same station for a week while traveling 2700 miles...it was pretty cool... DrMerle

so how do I enlarge my avatar?M

Congrats...is that my imagination? It looks like the start of some cyano on his belly...I could be wrong... DrMerle

I have used this salt for about 8 months now and overall, I'm impressed. You will immediately notice the difference when mixing and/or aerating. It is clear to me that "conventional" salts have added so many buffers and anti-caking agents, residues get left in mixing buckets. This salt almost feels wet when you open the bag...it mixes clear and leaves no residue. It has also been a blessing to have calcium packet separate. I have vasillated between kalk/ca reactor, just ca reactor, just dripping kalk. I have taken my ca reactor offline and now just drip kalk. Needless to say, changing gears like that can screw up ca levels and being able to mix salt with out calcium when levels are too high is brilliant and a life saver. Levels of potassium and mag are slightly higher which is good. Parameters are always dead on. I do think it improved coral health, but my tank was failing due to persistent hair algae and caked pipes and in need of a tear down, so it was somewhat like putting new tires on a beater car...how much improvement can you really expect? Negatives--slightly more expensive--having to stay on ordering (availability) and--my last 2 shipments have come with bags broken open due to rough handling in delivery. Not a deal breaker, still usable but a real pain. I will be interested in hearing thoughts... DrMerle

I have heard how easy they are to keep but I also have no luck...following along... DrMerle

Thanks everyone...I will be contacting EVERYONE!! Merle

Finished (98%) my tear down, redo of my 135 gallon...new, chambered, bigger sump is a blessing...unbelievable amount of buildup in pipes...some salient points... 1) Lost every Montipora in the process...caps and digis were bleached out on day2...back in tank by day 4...by day 5 all white as driven snow and they don't look like they are coming back...I haven't lost any other softies or other sps (???)...I used water right out of the tank to fill holding container, with heater and powerhead and airstone...monitored temp and no direct current or touching...alleopathy? 2) Replaced Sicce pump on my MSX200 with Bubble Blaster 3000...OMG!! quiet...smooth...power...no start up issues... 3) If you have never cleaned out 3 inch sandbed that is 6 years old, prepare to get odorized...that stuff is rotten man. I cut my finger removing rock and of course kept right going through sand removal...been on antibiotics ever since... I am hoping people have monti caps that I could buy nice frags off of...hello? DrMerle

I am not unsympathetic to your daughter, but her idiot of a boyfriend could have caused her to total her car while killing someone...no, they don't mess around anymore with this...I have a friend who got a DUI last year and it [language filter] near wiped him out financially... We won't speak to how lucky I've been over the years...however, I no longer drink and drive AT ALL, don't want to preach...she has got to do her penance... DrMerle

As I finish this post, weeks of preparation come to an end and I begin my complete tank tear down and rebuild...at its zenith, all that will remain is my 135 Oceanic glass tank... 1) Replacing 1/4 hp fried chiller with 1/2 hp under the house... 2) Replacing 32 gallon sump with chambered 44 gallon sump... 3) Replacing Sicce pump (for sale to ciao)on MSX200 skimmer with new Bubble Blaster 3000 4) Replacing every pipe 5) Removing 6 month old Canister (for sale) 6) Removing Aquaripure denitrator with new (never used) ViaAgua pump (for sale) 7) Removing all live rock and replacing with new live rock 8) Removing old sand and replacing with new sand 9) Replacing bulkheads 10) Replacing overflow pipes 11) Taking my calcium reactor offline and using strictly kalk drip Here's wishing my coral/fish a safe and quick journey from holding bin and back to new environment... Wish me luck... DrMerle

You forgot all the exclamatory (inflammatory) phrases all reefers must know when they discover a horrific problem with their tank... [language filter]! SOB!! GD!!! POS!!!! DrMerle

Really, I can't believe I'm taking the other side on this but none of us know how hard ice dancing really is...can any of us skate, doing revolutions, while holding a woman over your head with one arm? Didn't think so... You'll yell at me for this but I don't believe half pipe is in the Olympics...one, give most kids on a snow board 2 months and 1/2 would be able to do most those "tricks"...2) the majority of stunts I watched failed...I don't think it is that hard, I don't think they are in that good of shape (like curling?) and they aren't that good at it considering that it is "all" they do... DrMerle

I think this is a bigger problem than most people realize...we have no idea how much "shaking" occurred in manufacturing, shipping, handling...I believe the cost of irradic levels needs to be measured in not what you paid for an inconsistent bucket but what you paid for the tank inhabitants you currently have...I have too much invested in time and money with my tank to "settle" for "I hope parameters are close"! That is why I use gettanked salt...I was uncompensated for this pitch... DrMerle

I just bought a bubble blaster 3000 for my MSX200--I wanted to dump the Sicce, and go for an Askoll...I even called Marine Solutions and discussed my plan...they told me I'd be happier putting a Bubble Blaster on a 200 over an Askoll...he could have had a sale but opted for customer service!!! I haven't tried the blaster out yet as I am tearing down my tank next weekend and putting in a new sump and figured why deal with adjustments twice...I'll let you know...cone skimmers may be all the rage but I'm not sold entirely on them yet....a well built skimmer with a dynamite pulling pump is what you want...I think you will be happy Miles... DrMerle

OOOOOH....donuts! Yummy!!-- -Homer Simpson-

Hope everybody saw the article in the Oregonian on Patrick...nice!!! DrMerle

2 things--1) phosphates are probably an issue and 2) not enough flow on that side...I was dealing with the same thing... Not dinos...straight microalgae, usually taken care of with GFO... DrMerle

I've done more research...I need a 1/2" power drill (right angle would be best)...I'll get the hole bit...I am not totally sold on battery pack drills for power jobs...they just seem to lack "guts"... DrMerle