Vicarious Cynic

+1 on the Eugene Caravan

I'd love that! I've met Algae and would like to meet more of you. I could make most any Sunday - depending on the Kidsports soccer schedule I'm supposed to be getting tomorrow.

tiger - that's the kind of comment that got me thinking. But it's meaningless to my mind without REASONS. C'mon I'm not a koolaid drinker. What do you mean? Why will it kill my tank? What about it will crash my tank? Give me information, not emotion! *end rant* Sorry - I worked all day with people barfing ultimatums. I just need information.

So Google told me that TDS is total dissolved solids. It all makes sense. When I started is was like "Allright, don't have much into it, this should work". Now I have just a bit more into (my greatest fear is that when I die my wife will sell my stuff for the prices I told her I paid for them). RO/DI water takes all the gunk out - whether it's chlorine, flouride, copper or runoff leachate from whatever. Mmmm, Mmmmm, good. Thanks for the input. Sigh. I'll just hook the hose up to my wallet now.

Allright - my tanks been up for four months and all the parameters are stable and in acceptable ranges. (Salinity, PH, Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ca, Phosphate and KH). Notably phospate is 0. Regularly. I keep seeing that tap water has higher phosphate - and still test 0. Now it's just the chemical drip tests - so I'm not sold on the reliability. Now that I actually have stuff in my tank that is cool and I care about, I worry more. My zoa's are all growing, my torch and my candy canes are splitting, fish are healthy, even the clove polyps are fully extended and look cool. Way cool. Here's my question - what the risk - the real risk - of using Eugene Tapwater? Is RO/DI water a necessity, or a nice plus? Forgive my ignorance, or don't, just give me your honest opinions and experience. I prefer the honest truth to a pleasant lie. Thanks in advance. VC

Nice work! (on the photo posting and the tank)

Click the little yellow box, with the mountain looking thing in it. Then put your link in that box. It's a direct photo link, rather than a link link. Try it.

Sweet! That was EXACTLY what I was looking for last weekend. Didn't find, and the guy at the LFS pulled out a used bit that worked for now, but the funny little adjustable piece could quit on me at any minute. Subscribing to this thread. Let me know how it hold up over time.

Um. Stick your hand in a sock. The rest is up to you.

Try a Royal Gramma http://hubpages.com/hub/Royal-Gramma

Thanks Impur Thanks Moovinfast

[language filter] auto spell check. Frag, fragged!

Using tapatalk to post, so not sure if the photo will show up as a photo or a link. I have a cluster of zoas and palys, they have attached to a large rock (cause I didn't know enough to put the drag on a small rock!). One of species is large and brown (3 polyps of this). Long story short I want to remove them from the cluster. I think that I can use a razor blade around the base, then chip or chisel a bit of rock underneath them, then put em on a plug of their own. Am I making this too complicated? Could I just cut the stem down low? Haven't dragged before ( yes I'll use gloves and eye protection). So, can I just cut these polyps out? What's the best way to go about it, and what else should I know? Thanks! http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af155/VicariousCynic/4b50aae3.jpg

My Seahawks showed up too. It feels so wrong to root for Pete Carroll - downright Faustian *shudders*

At least the superbowls in Dallas this year, so the Cowboys won't have to drive far to watch the game.

Anybody else got a good story to share?

I glued the rack to a mag-float. Love it - can move it anywhere. I guess I need to pick up a new algae scraper now!

Looks great! Welcome

Thanks, I decided to move the rack to a lower spot, then I moved the Tubs to a rock even lower. I'm really glad I built the little rack, really like having all my little bits in one spot. Easier to appreciate and less worry about crab disruption!

So, I've got this nice new light (6 bulb t5 HO - 48") and a couple of new zoa frags (Tubs blue and purple death). I built a little frag rack out of plastic and a magnetic algae scrubber. How deep should they be? Right now its about 4" under the surface of the water, and the light is about 4" above that. I'm worried about giving them too much light. I could move the rack to another spot in the tank and have it about 10" under. Thoughts?

Nice - hope I can see your tank next time I'm up that way!

Dave. Dave dave dave. She's got jump on you dude. All I can do is wish you dude vibes. The dude abides. Even in an empty *** tank.

I'm four months into the hobby, and wanted an eel when I started. Now I have 14 corals, and a big *** light. Changed direction a little!

Hey-a Topher, welcome!

Start with good lights. I just upgraded to a 6 bulb t5 and I'm ecstatic about it. Frequent water changes - I'm a once or twice a week guy ( 5% to 10 % each time).