Recent content by Phranque

It's personally not one I'd recommend as a very first piece of coral. Not saying you shouldn't, or couldn't... it is fairly hardy, but once established. Of the LPS, it's one of the more sensitive to any parameter swings. Among the corals in my system, my Hammer is typically my "canary in the...

Got one of these over my frag tank, and it does a pretty darn good job... https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Timer-165W-Aquarium-Dimmable/dp/B00UMXAR5S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493573144&sr=8-1&keywords=viparspectra+reef

Well, while I don't have any anecdotal evidence either way, I am a QC Manager at a concrete company, and knowing how the cement powder is made, I personally wouldn't put it in my tank. Most cements are made from a combination of mined clays that are high in silicates, crushed limestone, plus a...

There is no ideal ambient humidity as far as what is good for your tanks..... As Mr_X said, the only thing you'll notice is that if your humidity is low, you will use more top-off water since the drier air will pull more water from your tanks. Now, if you've got a basement literally "full" of...

I have noted the exact same thing. My caulerpa's (grape & prolifera) thrive in a higher nutrient environment, but the chaeto doesn't do much.... Once the nutrient levels come down, the caulerpas slow down & the chaeto goes absolutely nuts. I like having some of each....

If I stick my bare hand in my tank, which I don't do often, my clown will come out of nowhere, grab the fleshy part between the fingers, and shake back-and-forth like a little freakin' shark!! Doesn't really hurt, but you sure can feel it. The first time he did it, it scared the CRAP out of me...

That, and if they're not dimmable, try moving the lights a little higher. A 20 long is a fairly shallow tank for 165W of LED's.... or try sliding the zoas under a rock shelf so they're not in direct light (or both). My first thought in this situation is they're retracting from the intensity.

Well, it's typically recommended that you go "plus 1" on your skimmer size, meaning go a size up from manufacturer's spec over your tank size, but if you've got a lighter to medium bioload, this should do pretty good: Reef Octopus NWB200 8” Pinwheel In Sump Protein Skimmer - Bulk Reef Supply...

:facepalm: :lol: I've got 5 pugs, which are just as bad, if not worse, than cats.... If you've got furry animals, it's inevitable you're going to get some hair in your tanks. IMO, I've never had it cause any problems that I'm aware of, and I just pick it out when I see it. More of an annoyance...

Are you looking for HOB or sump? If sump... In-sump or recirculating? How big of a tank? What's your budget? When it comes to skimmer price, you usually get what you pay for... there's a big difference between "cheap" and good value.

Distilled & RO water are both purified water, just different processes to get there. You do not want to use pure distilled/RO water for FW tanks, as both filtering processes remove everything from the water, including carbonates, which are required as buffers to maintain pH. If those are absent...

Seahorses are one of the more difficult marine creatures to keep alive & healthy, and usually require very particular conditions that typically entail they be kept in a species-specific tank. The best seahorse tanks I've seen are set up by people who have an established reef/sump set-up, then...

If you were going FOWLR, you may be OK with that, but if you're considering reef, I'd recommend against a canister.... not saying it can't be done, but they are a maintenance nightmare. IMO, anything over a 55g reef would be best served having a sump.

Scour the 'net.... read, read, read until your eyes bleed, then read some more. After you think you know everything, you'll set up your tank, then realize you really know next to nothing.... you'll make just about every mistake in the book, some very expensive, but if you want to succeed...

:thumb: No water changes during a fishless cycle, and definitely leave the lights off..... After the tank has cycled, do a full water change, & you're ready to go.