Cricketman

So it 4x2x2, that a nice size tank to go on with. TBH, a sump that is big enough to hold your skimmer (always going to better/cheaper than a HOB, as PuttPutt points out, and, second hand is always a winner) and gear would be ideal, your live rock will be mostly in your display (nothing wrong with that at all). and you'll be over the 500L mark, making it very stable, both thermally and chemically. I'm a slight jelous... Your going to end up with a VERY nice tank. :thup: Don't let the idea of costs drag you away from it, Rome wasn't built in a day, and patience is ABSOLUTELY a virtue when it comes to marine, remembering that you probably wont be stocking out for at least 2 months, preferably 3... plenty of time to save up for different bits and bobs, and to do your research. EDIT: oh, and you wont need to have a HUGE amount of lights. 2x 150w MH would do just fine, and if your not looking at polyps or corals you could get away with just flouros...

thats what were here for, to do these things for ya.... :thup: :rotf: "mates like these" etc

wise beyond your years

details.... :digH:

samples sent out immediately or they didn't happen :slfg:

You are an exception and not the norm my friend, I think you'd even have to agree with that.

whats the actual dimensions?

and idiots never differ :slfg: :digH:

lone wolf is where it is at bru... I was exactly where you are, and trust me, the "cool kids" aren't that cool in the real world. end of the day, it about what YOU think about yourself. it your life, it up to you what you do with it. :thup:

Get a sump big enough to hold your skimmer and extras, it wont matter how big, you have heaps of volume in there, in fact, the larger size should actually make it CHEAPER in some ways. especially if you use natural sea water. Most of your live rock will be in your display tank, nothing wrong with that at all. You don't NEED a wet/dry setup, a skimmer will be your best investment. at 470L+ your going to be nearly self-sustaining, just need to make sure you can handle the water changes is all. this is if you really want to have a big display. Also, don't bother with sand, bare bottom tanks eventually get coralline algae all over them anyway, sand is just a piss-off to keep clean, also can get into your power heads and pumps etc.

And we were meant to guess at his credentials??

edit: screw-it.... I don't have time for this. Enjoy wasting your, and everyone else's time with inane articles that mean absolutely 0.

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1 non-peer-reviewed on-line paper, with 1 reference (to another on-line report), written by a obscure and unknown writer of questionable background and experience, means precisely nothing. You seem to like finding articles for anything and everything. This in itself, is not a bad thing, but maybe you should choose more wisely next time who you reference as evidence. The catch 22 is that you are coming across a smart-alec, and I feel that, whilst your intentions may be good, You're beginning to irk a few with constant over-examination and over-doing it. any monkey can use Google scholar to find papers to prove or disprove just about anything. Quality articles rather then Quantity would be a good move for you, I think.

they come into the shallows at night and can be caught in harbours. still with a bright light

Many factors in play, (more than just how many fish. Ie feeding regime, tank design, turnover etc) i am merely trying to help with a cautios approach. Meh.

long as there is sufficient flow through a system, the nitrobacter go into a "hibernation" which they can survive for quite a long time. (bout a week or even more) so dont stress too much bout it. Like I said, it'll be any surfactants that are left in the water from the ammonia you used that will be your next problem. I would suggest holding off till you get a few w/changes done. Then add fish. You could probably get away with more than a couple danios, the system should be able to support a few.

you need to get your nitrites/nitrates + any surfactants that were in the NH3/NH4+ you used out, this means w/Changes. probably best done as a 50% / day for next 3 days, then start adding fish, still keeping it fairly slow, your nitrobacter are established but will still have a mini-cycle if you exceed their capabilities... AND KEEP WATER CHANGES GOING! :thup:

if your getting nitrate readings like that I'd say your safely established. cut out adding ammonia now, do a couple water changes and start adding fish...

pelagic

:happy1: happy bday o' wise one

:facepalm: yup thats the one... :slfg: listen to what i mean and not what i say, as sometimes they tend to be completely different things... :digH:

and dont get the pretty blue ones like this... :digH:

not tricky, but you just have to know what your dealing with. probably not an ideal beginner organism...

Good man :thup: