Pies

lol. Westy chick.

Pictures: An appauling attempt to take a photo of the lime green acro in the center of the photo that is hidden by rock, a massive sacrophyton and other corals. Still though its a good example of colour: Down the long end of the tank. Also shows the insanse about of water flow in the tank, just look at the surface: Crazy acro. Will only break its brown colour when in the brightest of spots. Actually about 4 inches below the water under a 400. Had to build a special rock pile to get it up high enough. Showing potential, looks better IRL: Acro thats died alot when we moved house. Doing well though now, be interesting to see how it plays out, never grew much in the old system, growing now though: Millpora: Photoshoped up the brightness so you can see the coral better, doing well and I have spread this one around. Colour varios from gold/brown to brown to pink/red to green depending on light current: Baby poclipora recovering after bleeching in transit: Softie. Not the top with no polyps. If anyone asks if a bi-colour blenny is reefsafe, tell them no: Fairly hard for this not to be a favorite: Also hard not to like this one too: After all the sump room work its nice to know the corals are still holding up well. Be interesting to see how it looks over the next 3 months now that my need to interfare has been reduced. Colours on many coraling are looking good, with many others slowing changing or new growth is different in colour. I have other corals I would love to take photos of but in very awkward spots for photos. People who have seen the tank will understand what I mean. Enjoy Pies

Agree with Layton (again! must be a full moon). There is no doubt that algae/calurpa can take out some badness the same as a protien skimmer. Also no doubt that they take out goodness as well, same a a skimmer. I do doubt that they remove different bits of 'goodness' and 'badness'. One thing to remeber is that a simmer ONLY removes from the system, where algae/calurpa add's to the system too. Hence the excessive yellowing seen in systems running calurpa. Calurpa will absorb P04, which is good, but little doubt it removes other unwanted and wanted elements. Also a skimmer is a more 'constant' export system. Calurpa systems have peeks and troughs. I use both, but only a small about of calurpa by most's standards. I may be helping alittle, but certainly not a lot. But I like the fact that my pod poulation is greatly improved with the presence of the calurpa. Pies

Awesome!

Can you get red milipora? I have purple/blue and yellow/green. Pie

That hotel is the worlds only 6 star hotel. I think you can only get in by invitation. See the doco on it? They use gold leafs (solid gold) as garnish on the deserts... Evern parts of the floor are made from gold. Pies

And they are not use "alot" or more correctly "a lot" more than I think. I would say they are used VERY RARELY, and that would be kind. Ive never had maggots or leeches used on me, be surprised if you can find anyone who has or even knows anyone who has. ? They used them in the middle ages so I guess it depends on your defination of old, I guess 800years may not be old to you, but that being said that would make electricity new technology... Pies

Silica in silica sand is bound and cannot leech back into the water stream (without the addition of for example excessive c02). Something I have read is that the problem with silicate sand in aquairum is that its not very porus (sp?) and little bacterria can grown on it. So as a biological media its a poor addition. Not saying its true, but have read it several times. Often warned against it if your using a UGF. Piez

No doubt, but its far from the norm. I never said they were bad, just said they are old technology, and I would never go back. I suspect this is typical for most of us. I've used both, little doubt that UGF have little use to me and to be honest if I never use another one again it will be too soon. Couldn't agree more, infact visit the saltwater section to see my tank that runs without any mechnical filteration as one of many examples. People were using UGfs before man was on the moon. Its time to move with the times and realise that they have been superceeded with better tools. Pies

The UGF is a tool of the 'past'. No doubt they were good, but time has moved on. Leeches used to be the ultimate in medicine, however technolgy advances have replaced them with far better alternitives. Should be confused with them not working, becaue they do. However their is little doubt that their are much better alternitives. I could never image going back. R.I.P UGF Pies

What Layton said. Fine sand on the bottom, corse on top. Time will do this anyway, the bigger bits work their way to the surface. I wouldn't be to paranoid about the DSB effect. DSB are good* Pies *and bad.

I am using a mixture of sand in my refugium, find 'silt' coral sand, 2-4mm coral sand, 4-10mm and rock rubble. 'Grunge bed' for the refugium is the ultimate. Pies

Thats actually very expensive for an Island in Fiji. The coral coast is the 'popular' tourist zone. There was an Island + Resort on Kadavu in March sold for 1.8 mil. I am keen. Pie

An RCD will resolve the death issue. Thats it? What about light? pie

Importing sounds like a great a idea to save some cash, many of us do it without problem. The money you save your could probably buy 2.5 for the same price 1 would cost here. I would reccomend canister filters over ANY other type of filter for most applications. Pielon

Nice. Is the 2nd from the bottom the frag from SteveA? If so looks great! Mine is doing really well too, am more than happy with it. Go the corals.

Sounds much like a famous boat that couldn't sink... Pielon

Never.

Screw having a nuke plant up north. If we are going to have one it should go down south, less people Of course there will NEVER be a nuke plant in NZ anyway, but if there was its going south Pie

Light the fire, stir the tank with a plank. I've yet to encounter a power outage of this duration in my whole life, mind you i'm not in Auckland

Hahahaha yeah! No I think thats me for quite some time. I have other activities in my life other than the fish tank. I can't wait for it to be all finished, then just sit back and watch Clownfish breeding to come. Pie

hahahahhaha

Why is it in the refugium? Is it a sump fish? How is it doing? Pie

Cookie Extreme. I few months ago I would have agreed with you, but given recent experance I know its wrong. A QT may make fish that are finicky eaters harder to get feeding. However the flip side is if you introduce a fish that has a varilant diease you are in for a bad trip. I would probably add a proviso to this though. If this fish came from a know good source then perhaps there is little value to the QT. Buy shop brought or direct sourced animals should enter a QT. People will do as they will, but I promise its a lesson I have recently been taught and I encourage everyone to learn from my own mistake/experance than go through what happened to me. Pie