Recent content by JTW

I just wanted to point out that although MH bulbs cost more each, you would only have to replace one bulb. With power compacts you have to replace 3. Thats 3x30= $90 replacement cost. Also, with metal halide you get those great shimmer lines. :wink: Either system can raise the temperature of...

Jeff- I'm glad that you have decided to start a reef again, but... small books have been written on just on part of your question. Some things have changed in the past 10 years, but not a lot. People are still experimenting with all of the options that you mentioned, and having success and...

#1 There are no dumb questions #2 I have seen tanks that have so many aiptasia that the rocks look like they are covered in brown hair and the corals and (small) fish were fine. I wouldn't loose sleep over them. J.

I'm not sure which type of anemone you are talking about. If you are refering to Aiptasia, then the answer is yes they can cover your tank. They are only aggresive in their reproduction. The best thing that I have found to keep these in check is the peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni). Be...

Tampavii- It depends on the type of coral. My prefered method is to submerge a clean plastic container that is large enough to hold the whole coral. place the coral in the container. This way the coral can stay submerged at all times. This is very important for fleshy corals that can hold a...

If you add the fans and you can keep your system temp. below 82, then you can run the UV 24/7. If you are not having problems with disease and it will be a while before you get the fans, running the UV at night is fine. In the future, unless you have problems with disease then you don't have to...

Unless it was a typo, it looks like your levels of Nitrite (NO2) have dropped off and your levels of Nitrate (NO3)are starting to go up. This is normal, although you observed this change in one day, so you may want to test your levels again in a few days. Keep in mind that this is a prime time...

Your fish has a condition known as exopthalmos. This is a symptom of what could be several things. It is normally caused by gas in or behind the eye. The good news is that since only one eye is affected, then chances are that it was caused by by some sort of localized infection rather than a...

Victoria- Did you upgrade your lights before or after the diatom bloom? What did you upgrade to? J.

Make sure that you have an adequate "clean up" crew (ie. snails). To help knock it back. Also, check all of you chemical levels and make sure they are all in check. My guess is that it will run its course. J.

There is no exact answer to your question, but here are some thoughts. If you want to keep sps, many aquarists (myself included) would use a 175 -10,000K metal halide. Normally these have @ a 2' spread, so that extra 3" on either side will not be a big deal. Yes, this will add heat to the...

mikef- #1 Don't panic #2 (if you havn't already) unplug the heater and pull the pieces out. #3 Try to figure out why it poped. Is your sump low? #4 Go to your local fish store and pick up a new heater. If you have a little extra money and you want to prevent this from happening again...

If you are trying to keep the sump under the aquarium, then you may want to use a 40 gallon "breeder" aquarium. These are 36"x18"x16". This is a good choice for "in sump type" skimmers, also if you decide you would like to have a refugium then you can see whats going on in there. The plastic...

If you are looking at the 28 bow fronts, be sure to notice that the one made by Perfecto has a center support. The one made by all glass does not. This is important when it comes to lighting. If you are going to want sps, you may want to look into a 175 watt metal halide. These have a great...

das 75 You have plenty of surface area, but you may want to look into a refugium. Since you don't have a sump, you could a simple acrylic box in your tank that has some circulation through it. They sell these or you can make one. If you don't have a place for the pods to maintain their...