Pies

It close to shore and the shallows the water temprate fluctuates, I have seen this first had and several places in the tropics. In the deeper water it will be far more stable, but there is still a shift of over 4 degress throught the year 24 winter, 29 summer. There are a few temprature algrithims available for those lucky enough to have computers to controll their tank. You can program in the 12 month season with the 4 degree shift, and adjust lighting time and moon lighting to more accuratly recreate seasonal change and phases of the moon. I think though the a stable temprature is important, which does contriduct some stuff I have said above. If I had a computer I would definatly use it to simulate a 12 month season though. Pies

Opps cancel that, its 1200 litres an hr not 12 litres an hr! But it takes about 3/4hr to do the lot. Sorry for the confusion.

Chimera - If the tank is reading 25 (heaters off) it will drop to 24 (heaters on), if the temprature is 24 it stays at 24. Ocean water by the time I get home and test it is between 12-15 degrees. I pump it into my tank with an Ehiem 1050 (12 litres an hr). Takes about 30 minutes as I have a narrow pipe attached. Pie

Doesn't the SCWD only come in one size? I've looked on the net and only see them making 1 size. Also how did your bore it out with a dremal? Wouldn't the pipe in the moving parts (the gears) remain the same size so dremaling out the 3 pipes (1 in & 2 out) wouldn't make any difference at all, even if you cut them off? I have a SCWD for sale, make me an offer. Pies

Reef has been using Zeovit, just keeping it quiet... Its the lights

Wouldn't be a Pearl coral if it was green? It would be a green coral? I have a pearl bubble, same as normal bubble, nice and can get large. Pies

Use a tripod. Make sure the glass is keen. Use a camera with Macro if you can. Turn off all the lights except the tanks. Use a remote or timer so you don't press the button and move the camera when you take it. Use manual settings for depth of field and shutter speed to ensure accurate colours. Pietogropher

Ira - Remember that the SG changes with the temprature, so read the water change water after you have heated it. 029/028 is a little high. Mine is 0.25 and I change in about 200 litres of ocean water at a time, unheated and it doesn't affect my sg reading. IRA - What did you use to calibrate the refracto? Pies

Ph = 8.3 (8hrs light on) Salinity = 1.025 Nitrates = 0ppm Phosphates = 0ppm Magnesium = 1360 Calcium = 440 KH = 8.2

I was there and can confirm that there is no trickery going on, that is an unadjusted photo staight from the camera. We have several like it that one is the best. Chris - Would we lie to you? Mark

Shame you didn't share it with Chimera a week eariler, then it would have been usefull... O_O Pies

Liquor stores, pubs and restraunts just 'hire' there tanks, they don't own them. This is how they exchange them, you can't 'own' an exchange bottle. I paid $50 for my bottle and its about 5L. It was out of test so add $30 to that (the test includes the fill). If you want to talk to the expert on Co2 bottles, PM JetSKiSteve, he has just been through this, and if you have the cash, he may even have one for sale and be able to find you some reasonale priced gagues. Tell him PieMan sent you For freshwater you probably want to get a gas solinoid as well. Piemania

Good job, maybee i'll do that with mine too insited of one sold part? How close the the surface is your water level?

Jeez that thing is the 'mofo' of pumps.

They are a pest, 1 becomes, 5 becomes 500. Alois has thousands, used to come out at night time. Not sure if he still has them or not? Kill them. Pies

Briananemone - Then don't feed the Anemone, you shouldn't anyway. As Reef said shrimps are VERY sensitive to aclimitisation problems, particulary in sg & mg. Also never under-estimate the ill effects stress will have on the life. Shame to loose them all the same. Pies

But this risk is only that the pump could run dry, which would be noticed if you where home (bubbles into the display tank). And if it happened when you where away the tank would die anyway. I have my sump designed that it will run dry in 3 days without top off. That way I know if the top off system isn't working. The person that looks after the tank monitors the level in the sump, and if it falls they jsut bucket in fresh water directly. Wouldn't have it any other way. Pies

I think the Iwaki can run dry anyway? I agree with an over complex sump and KISS. If your return pump stops you have much bigger problems than just a dry running pump. Your tanks not being filtered or heated or toped off or calcium added or anyting. Build a system that can't fail. Think about it like this. If you TUNZE unit failed and turned of the IWAKI your tank would crash. Without the TUNZE unit this could never happen. What situation would cause the tank to run out of water? Maybee spend the money of fixing that problem insted. Gadgets and toys for the sake of having them. Pies

Those of us (Ira & Myself) both pay for the use of this site through our clubs capitations for FNZAS. If you want to help the FNZAS by getting more funding, then join a FNZAS club or formalise the auckland reef club and get fees to pay for the FNZAS capitation. 1 forum is enough for 10 people. We would have as many new threads a day if people used their brain and added to existing threads like "Here are some pics of my tank". What not add it to the dozen or more other "here are pics of my tank" thread. More forums would just mean the same 10 people would need to check more forums, or more likley that many people (Alois judging by his comments) myself included wouldn't bother to check a 'beginners' forum anyway (I havn't seen Alois and many of the others here posting in the Begineers forum). So all that would happen is that the beginners would need to post in this forum to get answers because none of the more experanced keepers would be talking with them. Pie

Layton if your donating some diskspace I am keen as to get in on some of that action. If you can gimmie a call I need some space (and would be happy to host my site on your space if poss?). Pies

So you will monitor the level of the water in the tank? Surley your overflow system will ensure that nothing untoward could happen anyway and you build in an emergency overflow hole and plumbing?

Chimera havn't you been through this before? Alois is using the deluxe Tunze model. You can buy water proof level switches (LED) from various electronics places, about $45.

There is a beginners forum on this site. I doubt there is enough people posting on the saltwater forum now to justify another forum. How many people regulary post on here 7? 10? Not many. A tank pics section is not really possibe at the moment as the FNZAS have no disk space to store photos. We could get a global moderator to add a 'sticky' post for 'tank pics' 'fish pics' 'coral pics' which wouldn't be a bad idea. Pies

thats why I didn't say fill it with yellow tangs They will be fine, they live in skungy rock pools and will help speed up the cycle. Pies

I would think you should get a drum or tank or whatever. Fill it with saltwater and a heater and powerhead and try to replicate as much of the 'real' invironment as you can. I would even use a light. Put a rack on the sand if its more than 2 inches deep otherwise the sand will compress and go black and stink. Water change on ocasion, the water will go yellow. Add some life, starfish, snails, hermits and glass shrimps. Helps cycle and provide some life to the rock. Good luck. Pies