cracker

No, this is not a hang on the back type. Go to your LFS and ask for the smallest HOB they have.

some damsels, chromis and maybe clowns, (only a pair though) for fish some soft corals and mushrooms that would be all. "frags" are just small bits of all types of corals you get from other people. acros and hard corals will suffer in your tank unless you spend about 2k on a nano reef! Craig

I wouldnt run any more than 4 or 5 small fish in there either, you will end up battling with nutrients, especially if you have a few corals.

This is a venturi type skimmer which will be adequate for your tank size.

Your tank is tiny, so you should start off cheap and small. The best product would be something like a JEBO 180 hang on skimmer for arounf $100.00. The pump sits behind a rock in the tank and a hose runs up and over the side to feed the hang on skimmer. I AM UNSUE OF THEIR QUALITY, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE PERFECTLY ADEQUATE FOR YOUR SMALL SYSTEM. Remember it hangs off the back and will take up around 130mm of space BEHIND the tank, so you will have to bring the tank forward from the wall. You have plenty of room for that.

There are only 4 systems you can choose from: 1: submersible skimmer in your display....UGLY 2: submersible skimmer in your sump.....NORMAL 3: HOB skimmer off the back of the main display 4: A remote skimmer fed from the aquarium to a cupbaord etc and returned through a pumping system. (Similar to a H.O.B, but more serious). (H.O.B = HANG ON BACK) BEFORE you choose the skimmer, you need to know which of the above systems you will be going with.

which will include coral trace food and the likes to some extent. But gena=erally the corals get most of it first.

How many litres? Are you running a sump?

If you start out the way you are talking about at the beginning of this thread, you will end up throwing most of it in the rubbish after only a few months once you learn a bit more. It simpy wont do a decent enough job.

Penejane. Firstly, if you are seriuos, a wet/dry is not the best way to go. Natural filtration with efficient skimming is pretty nuch all you need. Parts: 1: Live rock 2: Tank 3: Skimmer 4: Fish 5: Corals 6: Some sort of decent top up evaporation supply. What sort of litreage are you running? We can then best advise you. Wet/dry systems will only give you nitrate problems. This system has gone out with the arc. Dont let anyone tell you different. If you are running fish only you may be ok, but you will still need to skim. ask questions........ Good luck. Craig

anything RED is awesome.

Im heading to the states in a couple of months, so may bring a heap back. will check on the pricing and vicinty.

Im still in the process of getting STR Chloride in bulk through the States. Its difficult getting companies to participate. At the moment Im using seachem REEF ADVANTAGE which is chloride based. (I got a 4 kilo bucket imported for way too much $$). Not sure of the ingredient ratios though, which is why I want to get it pure from elsewhere. I can get some pure shipped at the moment, (100% pure lab grade), for $15.00 a kilo, but am reluctant to spend that much unless someone wants to join me. It comes in 55 kilo barrels. Im sure it will be more potent then SEACHEM also. They have probably got bulking agents in there to make more money.

if it has bubbles hanging off it it will more than likely be cyano. triple distilled SMIRNOV vodka will nail it quick smart along with decent skimming. Make sure you have no stagnant areas in the tank also.

I agree Wasp, My philosophy is to chuck heaps of MaG, Ca, and Strontium Chloride in to the tank all the time. I also throw in a tablespoon of MG sulphate every now and again, but I do large 30% water changes every six odd weeks. This is the balancing regime I believe works for my system. I have been doing it for 2 years and my tank is ok. Chim.....Maybe a year too much, but find me proof of disaster WITH Chloride overdose first.

Its quite amzing... I searched and found this stuff nearly 6 months ago and people are only just beginning to see how good it really is... Amusing..... I guess you cant take everybody's word for it at the beginning hey, Old Paul from medchem must be laughing at all the new customers being sent his way! You wont get a better product anywhere.

Ghost, if you dont want a large amount, I have a couple of kilos spare. Pm me if needed. Craig

Medchem have it.

The correct form is calcium chloride hexahydrate.

You would probably have to WATER CHANGE...(sorry, wrong word there).

Chimera, not sure if you're aware, but NSW is 60% Sodium Chloride. In other words most of the water in your tank is a chloride which is a neutral form of chlorine! Convert it and your tanks history... but dosing XXX chlorides is a non issue because there is so much chloride any way. You would probably have to dose for one whole year before you dosed enough chlorides to increase the existing 60% concentration by anything that would be worthy of worrying. There has been ZERO issues arising from the sole use of chlorides in reef tanks. I have hunted the web fully. If you are keen to prove me wrong I would love to read the info you do find and learn some more! Layton and others have been taking about adding MAG Sulphate, (Epsom salts), in order to balance things with the chloride, but I dont know how imoprtant sulphate is in relation to mag. I know there is a lot of sulphate which I think does help with corals....May have a read later maybe! Layton? anything?

Another thing to be careful about is that Potasium Chloride is the mixture used, (At 100ppm) for the LETHAL INJECTION In prisons.

full tank shot. Things are going great at the moment.

Welcom back Reef!

Patience is the key to MINIMAL losses. I have only just learned this after 2 odd years! Good luck PS, (My fish losses included MV).