rossco

They work reasonably well but like most of those things flap needs to be activated/tested once in a while otherwise grit etc may cause difficulty in complete closure when it does need to. They have a reasonable selection at RD1 stores...don't know how the prices compare with towny plumbing supplies.. :-?

This be PeeBee today - his first day in the main tank! I had one of those big red featherduster things turn up from under a rock as well - I think MAF wants us to through some kalk on any we see

Youse guys noticed the different types of 'rock' that are used in our various tanks - ranging from imitation concrete block-like to very porous coral rock that you can drill with a wood drill? Surely it must make a difference to how well it can host bacteria for the nitrifying cycle...and therefore how much we need of it... :-?

SW Oxford Dictionary definition of innocuous - invetebrate that decimates leathers

Yup, maroons are dags alright! Ever seen the big one at Jansens? Hope our anemones grow quick enough! One tip - you need fast-setting coral cement to 'plant' corals around your maroons anemone or else he/she will bunt them over. Mine is training for the clown olympics and can even shift sizeable rocks. He likes to sit in his anemone and have unobstructed views around the tank :roll: so landscapes accordingly....

Hi Paul What made you 'downsize'? Happy with the result?

Mmmmmm...I sense a new mussel chowder recipe coming on.

Cool. I'm off to cook some rock...!

I am thinking about getting a bigger tank so my sailfin's sail doesn't stick out of the water so much . I want to cycle some rock well ahead of time to add to my current rock (and perhaps purchase some really mature live rock). Can you cycle the rock enough to avoid that maturing tank thing when the tank goes through the algae cycles and settling down period. eg coralline algae taking a few months to start to grow. Does it cycle quite well in relative darkness with a bit of flow around it? Do we neee to add lights to cycle later or else algae will bloom when the rocks see the light of day in the new tank? Can we put together a 'new' tank that reaches the mature stage a lot quicker???? :-?

Might be a bit longer, about same time PBT comes out of quarantine...

Pee Bee be ka pai

There might be a tang available in a couple of weeks when I introduce the PBT to the main tank! Gives me all the more reason to get a bigger tank..!

Musta been changing their coats...or renewing their shrimp life insurance policies...or both

Musta missed some of the story Ben - which one is the before and after of what misshaps?

They are probably supposed to be at least omnivorous but if my mandarin can get fat in a few weeks picking away at things (pod greeblies) I can't even see on the rocks maybe that will be enough to keep the cardinals going?

I ain't no expert - but - Baking soda will eventually raise pH but only a bit. Its mainly used to raise ALKALINITY. You could have a big rise in alkalinity and battle to raise pH much. Sodium hydroxide can be used to raise pH but its probably a bit extreme. Where's Pies and co when you need them...or Wasp???

Suphew, (without hijacking fay's thread) got a link for how you designed your closed loop. Just thinking about best design, especially where/how to situate intake in my possible new tank. I love anemones so want to avoid intake issues etc as much as possible...

Pacific me thinks...wears a straw hat and naps in the afternoon most days... ...fussy???? As long as it falls into the water it eats it! Put the nori in too slow and it will stick its nose out of the water to meet you. Yup, friendly and also great eyesight. Comes to the front of the tank even when it sees you through a doorway in another room.

A few weeks ago I added a sailfin tang to my family. The first day he ate the hair algae off the left side of the tank. The second the right. The third day he went around and ate any valonia he could find. Yup, know he grows into a decent size fish but he has been one of my more favoured acquisitions so far! Goes through a few sushi rolls though...

Cool. Your girls are more creative with names than we are (PeeBee for our PBT !!@#@@!). It's a pain (and you probably already know) but they say you will only get good results from FRESHLY squeezed garlic.

and here...

How's the PBT going PuttPutt?

Hi Nick Wots that neat scarlett colour, far right of picture, half way up? :-? - neat effect of colour amongst the corals!

Greetings - been 'off-line' today cause the lines company decided to do some work. Advertised from 9 to 3 -eventually came back on at 6! Put my little generator from super cheap to good use though. On one tank of gas it powered my streams and 150 MH. Went to AK yesterday and visited 'the hole' to get a worm trap. Came away with a trap and two worms...still working out what happened there... Our PBT is looking good still. Its in its own QT tank and after doing hypo for everything else I am certainly counting on not seeing WS. Even gave it a swim in FW before going into QT tank! It will be there for a full 4 weeks. When I lost my last PBT the WS went in 3-4 days cycles of severity because that is roughly how long its reproductive stage is. My recommendation - if you are going to get serious about beating it, do it sooner rather than later. Shrimps help but when the PBT gets really irritated with WS even the shrimps cleaning it are too much for it to handle. I think Stop Parasite, garlic, and the rest alleviate the infestations but doesn't eliminate it. It still need the fish to build resistance. That is the big unknown as to whether individual fish will or won't.