Recent content by JohnS

Full tank pics here

The hardware

Another concern with it getting that hot would be that it may have effected the temp sensor. I have had spotty luck with those Won Brother titanium heaters. I walked downstairs one day to see the readout saying 102 degrees. I freaked and stuck my hand in the tank to check it out and it was...

I did the same thing as Rev. I got one of those 85w fluorescent bulbs inside of a flood light from the depot for $10. I put it one of those $5 clamp fixtures and have had great growth for $15. Been running it for about a year like this.

If I'm not mistaken, I think they're the ones that leave a squiggly trail of eggs along your tank glass.

Oh Rev, those are BEAUTIFUL! Congrats! D'ya get 'em from a local reefer, online store or lfs? They're really sweet.

I kind of look at mine like "canaries in a coal mine". I never see them unless my parameters go slightly of whack. If they're out during the day I do a quick water change. That usually drives them out of sight where I like 'em :wink:

RO/DI water (around 3 on a TDS), Reef Crystals salt, Ca Reactor with mix of aragonite and dolomite. pH around 7.8. Can't seem to get it higher. I hovers around 7.8 consistently. I'm making a new Ca reactor and buying a Milwauke CO2 regulator with an integrated pH monitor that will be tied to...

The only thing I'd be concerned about would be oxygen depletion. As long as you're breaking the surface with the powerheads you should be OK. To be safe, you could always throw in a cheap airstone. Good luck!

Hmmm . . . I wonder what parameters you need to have to keep a few of those?!? Maybe a pH of 0.5 and some decaying roots 8O Cool story. Thanks for posting!

Nah, don't feel silly. It's all part of the learning process. A year ago (heck still!), I didn't know anything. Just keep asking and there will always be someone to fill in the gaps.

One calcium suppliment you can use in a pre-mixed format is B-Ionic. It's a two part solution. One is a calcium component, the other is an alkalinity component. It's a liquid that can be metered in in oz/gal. What Phyl is refering to is a piece of equipment that holds a chamber of granular...

Do you have a fan in your canopy (assuming that you have one)? If it's 6 inches from the top of the water line to the top rim of the aquarium, you may want to think about getting a fan to help move the CO2 out of the tank. I'm not certain this your problem, but it was one I had with my sump...

Do you have a lot of space between the top of your water line and the top of the tank? Sometimes too much headspace (or tight fitting glass tops) will cause CO2 to "pool" on top of the water. Since it's heavier then air it can't escape the tank. This blanket of CO2 can cause your pH and Alk...