skippy

Fay wrote You betcha. I'm thinking along the lines of a dedicated sump room, purpose designed and built. Full water supply, drainage and electrics with a workbench and as maintenance free as possible short of turning a few valves, etc. Purpose designed frag tank, and QT with common sumps with isolation valves for if/when I need the QT and all the goodies. When I said big I was thinking along the lines of 2.5 - 3m long, 700 odd high and 1.2 - 1.5 deep to give the 3D perspective a la Steve Weast! About 2000 - 3400 litres When I build another house it will probably be the one I retire in so the tank will be the last one too so it will be my ultimate tank. Could be another 10 years or more before that happens though Plenty of design time. Evil wrote: Sorry mate, I've got another tank that I will probably turn into a trigger tank at some stage so will be putting the rock in storage for a bit. Plus it is a hell of a drive to Te Puke from Kerikeri Its funny that some of you are having the debate about water quality and the pulsing of xenias. I don't think my water quality is particularly brilliant, never has been and my xenias puls all the time. My nitrates are consistently above, yes above, 15ppm and usually about 20- 25ppm. My Ca is normally around mid to high 400's, PO4 always 0, Mg around 1330 - 1360. All the talk about "good" water quality doesn't wash with me. Folks probably reckon that nothing should survive in my tank but I bet I've got some of the biggest and fastest growing devils hand, finger leather, elephant ear mushroom and rhodactis of all sorts of colours you will see anywhere in NZ. My anenome was all but dead in July - I now have two (so I discovered yesterday) both about 10cm round. My clowns continually lay eggs and my red mushrooms are multiplying like mad, started with 6 in August now have about 12 spreading around the tank, same with my zooanthus. Water quality - pah 8) BTW - thanks for all the kind comments - tank looks way better today with everything extended. Cheers Skippy

Fay wrote: Ain't that the truth! Problem is that to go bigger I really need a sump room and I cant get one in this house. Already thinking about the tank that will go in the next house - thinking BIG Thanks for the kind comments. JDM and Stompa - you're right it does make it look bigger and quite a bit lighter. The pics were taken just after I'd finished so the corals hadn't extended fully and the water was still a bit cloudy from all the mucking about. Should look nice tomorrow

Finally got round to re-scaping my reef tank to try and move away from the brick wall look. :roll: Decided to move all my big leathers to one end and make a bit of a lagoon/bay for my heliofungia to live in. Also wanted to get rid of quite a bit of coral rock and the egg crate framing in behind it all. Think I did it reasonably well - pretty happy with the lagoon, not quite so sure about the rhs - still a bit wall like but at least it is a much lower wall Only a couple of hiccups - put a royal dottyback out with the rock (he had hidden in a hole ). Fortunately heard him flapping in the polybox so quickly put him back in the tank. Biggest drama was almost tossing my citron goby down the drain in the driveway He is only a bit more than 1 cm long and got siphoned up with the sand. Only noticed him as I tipped him in the cesspit Fortunately managed to grab him before he headed off down the drain. Seems happy enough now though so no ill effects. Have put up a few pics, before and after shots Overall tank shot before lhs before rhs before Setting up the lounge Most of the rock removed Rock all over the floor Not quite Steve Weasts worm incident but the biggest bristleworm I've seen New lagoon scape New rhs of tank - still a bit wall like but wanted a flat bit for my pagoda to sit on nice and high Overall of new aquascaping Nice pic of pulsing xenia. Didn't stop pulsing the whole time it was in a polybox These ones were about 1 cm high when I got them from Puttputt in late July. Have grown heaps Be interested in any comments folks out there have on the new look Cheers Skippy

My male fire clown had a bit of a scrap this evening - with my fire shrimp The fire shrimp went for a bit of a wander around while I was giving the tank a clean up. Went to where father clown hangs out looking after their eggs and next minute it was all on. Do shrimps like fish eggs? :-? The eggs have been there on and off for months (laid, die off, laid, die off....) and I have never seen the shrimp anywhere near them. Shrimp backed off a bit and hung around (literally - was on the underside of my devils hand) for about half an hour. Then it decided to have another go so it was all on again. I think the shrimp got a bit concerned when mum clown turned up and blocked him in a bit. I managed to distract the clowns enough by pretending to interfere with the eggs through the glass - guaranteed to send the clowns mental and the shrimp mooched off in the other direction. Was very surprised that the shrimp had the balls to have a crack at the clown as the male clown isn't small (about 10cm long). Mind you the fire shrimp is not too small either weighing in at about 7cm body length but pound for pound I'd put my money on the clown. Mum clown has put enough bleeding holes in me to convince me that the shrimp would not be too much opposition if she got serious All opponents back in their own corners now and peace reigns again. Hope it stays that way.

Bummer! At least you called chicken. A couple of weeks back two punters waited until it got to $1000 and neither of them called "chicken". Simply got to $1000 and the chicken clucked Vaughn went off his nut Last chicken day tomorrow

Someone needs to issue the last rights - Warren?

Layton wrote: Agree with you completely. Information on reefing is not in short supply and some is undoubtedly better than others. It is up to the individual to make up their own mind and it may well be that they make some mistakes. When this happens perhaps they will ask advice from others that seem to have it right or have been through the same problem and found a solution that works. Layton also wrote: Yeah perhaps you are right, however I think that you have identified your own problem. You refer to "it" not "them". There is almost always more than one solution to a problem, except perhaps in maths tests! From reading your responses to many threads it would appear that you believe you may have identified a solution to a problem and take the approach that it is the only solution. Others obviously beg to differ! Doesn't necessarily mean that you or they are more correct than each other. And even if one is more correct than the other, is it really so important if both solutions work?

This thread is very funny. Big thumbs up to all who have contributed to the sniping, bitching and general slagging off of each other. Makes amusing reading for those of us who have no idea what you are on about. Bottom line is - is it really so important whether you can detect down to 7 decimal places in this instance (ie in a tank) Going to that level of detection is pointless so why all the theory? If things are still swimming and growing it is OK. If you are getting to the point where you are debating the pros and cons of whether the accuracy of a scientific instrument is +/- 0.005 parts per million your water is probably pretty good. IT DOESN"T MATTER THAT MUCH Jetski wrote: All hail Jetskisteve

Chimera wrote: Welcome to my life this summer except for the builder bit Just got to say bugger it and go. If you are into building there is plenty happening up here. Hopefully it doesn't turn into a mini Auckland June last year there was 52 subdivisions happening in Kerikeri so there is plenty of land that needs houses built on it. My neighbour is a builder and I barely ever see him. If you get a good builder you can get a very nice home up here for a fraction of the cost of Auckland. House cost is the same but land is still cheap. I know a good builder up here - our house won a silver award in the NZ Master Bldrs House of the Year. Absolutely no way I could have afforded it in Auckland

Puttputt wrote: Everytime I go down to Auckland I remember why I moved and I can't wait to leave The traffic does my head in. Two weeks back got to the harbour bridge in 2 1/2 hours and another 1 1/2 hours to get to off ramp at Mt Wellington. Makes one a bit grumpy going along the m'way at 15km after being in the car for 2 1/2 hours already :evil: Good news on the possible new shops. As you probably saw they haven't even started on the JB Centre so it will be some time before anyone moves in there.

Had a tiger cowrie but it died Not too sure why although it seemed to get itself stuck in a hole in the rocks. Maybe they can't go in reverse. Got it from Jansens a year or two back. Certainly didn't see it munching on any of my softies. One thing I did notice was the fish that died a few days after the cowrie. I suspect that the fish had a bit of a chew on the dead cowrie flesh which I think I have read is toxic. Puttputt, is the move happening soon? Quick response on the house going on the market? Anything you want brought up (small) as I am coming down on Friday for the nite? Should do a tank tour - wife and kids staying at home BTW, I have a smaller tank (150 litres) that is sitting in the garage empty. Welcome to set it up in your new house if you want until you get the "beast" all sorted

Nah, wasn't told when I bought it that they like to munch on the odd fish but have found out since I got it. As it hadn't been much of an issue (ie wasn't aware of it eating my fish) didn't worry too much about it. Hadn't really connected the disappearance of my firefish with the elephant ear until now. Thought they had died under a rock as they did a lot of hiding in a hole. First one went then a couple of weeks later the second one. Landlubber, no I don't have a six line anymore - he jumped! Didn't bother my other fish though. He was quite peaceful. Have a dottyback that is also fairly peaceful. Tends to hang around one end of the tank and doesn't bother (or get bothered) by anyone else. JoeBlog - I agree that there is no point in getting stroppy at the LFS or importers if something in your tank eats something else. Its the world at work!! Just have to chalk it up as (costly) experience. Though I think I have a few "nasties" in my tank that have a tendency to eat things or poison things due to there toxicity (ie elephant ear and devils hand). Most things don't seem to have problems, but I guess my fish losses may be higher than some others. Have lost a few that appeared to go blind for no apparent reason (refer previous post) so maybe that has something to do with it. Bit annoying that I haven't been able to figure out why though as I can't fix it if I don't know :evil: Very reluctant to get rid of either of the elephants ear or the devils hand as they are both showpieces and quite spectacular when in full extension. The devils hand is about 50cm dia and as mentioned earlier the elephants ear is about 30cm - quite neat when both extended. My tank is completely softie based, no acros (yet) - though I think Puttputt has ideas of changing that when he moves up!

The fish eater is the elephant ear in the first set of pics that I put up at least that is where the skeleton came from. These pics were taken this evening just before I posted. The second set of pics with the hairy mushrooms were taken some time ago (maybe even last year). You can still see the hairy mushrooms in the first set of photos with the yellow tang in it, above the toadstool leather.

That is very cool Cracker. Wish I new about it before I laid my zillions of metres of pavers Could be just the ticket for edging a big garden that we are planning for the front lawn love the website too

Nice Jake. Keep the pics coming as it develops

Reef wrote Yep, pretty sure thats what mine is! Anyone want a frag? Maybe that is why my firefish disappeared. Have not had any trouble with blennies or other gobies. Cracker, are your green mushies rhodactis? Have some similar but they are mainly brown/purple with bits of green and blue. Also have a couple that are almost white Does yours do the balling thing like in the second photo?

Took some new pics. Tried to get some fish in the pic for scale. The yellow tang in the second pic is about 9cm long so gives some idea of its size Fortunately it is not vomiting at present

Picture of what? The mostly digested anthias or the mushroom? The anthias (or at least what was left of it has been binned). Will see what pics I have of the mushie. It is nicely extended at the moment so might snap a new one. It is about 30cm extended. Will post a pic soon.

Spotted my two anthias having a play in my partially closed giant cup mushroom the other day. After waving wildly in front of the glass and tapping gently on it they went off somewhere else and swam around. Came home from work on Friday nite and couldn't see the female. Immediately got suspicious and inspected the mushroom (it was a really nice closed up ball the night before). Mushie was nicely expanded and mouth was quite big. Almost while watching it started puking out a big ball of stuff (looked a bit like snot) with peachie pinkie bits. Got very suspicious then. After a bit one of the kids said its vomit was floating round the tank! Nice. Hooked it out and there was a nice fishie skeleton in the vomit! Bye bye anthias. First time anything has been dumb enough to swim around in the partially closed mushie (that I have seen) but as I have lost a couple of firefish that vanished in the past the mushie is under strong suspicion now! BUGGER!

ASW About 10-15% every two weeks

Wicked link Caryl - Thanks There is so much stuff on there its unreal

Cool, but woah - 8 to 9 K Still want one though

Each to their own Suphew. I almost exclusively buy Sony and have done for over 20 years. Never had a problem with cameras, TV's, hi fi, video cameras and players.

What did it tell you? you've got me worried now. Might need to take a sample to work and get my lab to test it

The probe should have a plastic cap. Make sure it is wet all the time. The bulb should not be allowed to dry out. Not too sure what happens if it does but in a past life I used to use pH meters with $700 probes so the bosses weren't too keen on replacing them too often.