the only disadvantage with multiple lamp setups (more than four) is obviously the overall cost factor. The overall life of the lamp, in my opinion, is somewhat overrated, as I have heard of significant shifts in spectrum and intensity over the recommended 18 month life. The only other thing is that ...

Great little book, especially on host anemones. Ron Shimek is one of the few people I trust on the subject. Makes a great complement to the Marine Fishes book by Scott Michael.

Honestly, i would be more concerned about pesticides, mosquito spraying trucks,etc. especially since these compounds stay in the air and in water longer than many metals. Plus, if these get into your tank, it is hard to stop the effects or even diagnose them. Years back, someone sprayed some OFF rep...

If it is fish only, with a high intended fish load, you may want to opt for the bio wheels. But do realize that they are veritable "nitrate factories." Personally, I would use plenty of live rock and sand in addition to an efficient skimmer, along with some extra powerheads for circulation...

Hey Andy, male seahorse looks to be in great condition. What species is it?

yeah, had nearly 50 large ceriths plug mine, except it was the actual bulkhead. Tank flooded before I could find out, took days to get all the snails out of the plumbing. All I can say is that I know how you feel.

I use tap. Out here in Theodore, we have very, very soft water (<1dKH) and it comes out neutral. I use CO2 to drive the pH down to about 6.6, which provides the adequate amount of CO2, at least after I get the KH up to about 3. This has proven to work very well, as pH never changes more than .1 at a...

It would be one thing if I had a few million in the bank. It is a big risk for those of us working for a living.

I suppose I would too, in that particular case. I was merely referring to 95% of America.

Sorry, but anyone who pays that much for a coral has far more money than brain cells. There are very, very, very few things I would be willing to spend that kind of money on, and certainly not a radioactive meteorite.

here are some pictures of my 40 gallon planted tank. Maybe, after it is aquascaped better, I might convert or addict a few of ya'll. I'll have some pictures of the reef soon, maybe tomorrow.

Bring it to the store at B&B. We can switch it out for a brand new one. We bend the rules on the warranty a bit, but no one ever has to buy a new maxijet or any other Marineland product again (Natural wave timers, etc.)

Those little LED lights look cool, but that is about it. Don't really serve any other useful function other than nighttime viewing.

To my knowledge, this particular Echinaster species is temperate, not tropical. May want to keep an eye on it to make sure temp-related stress does not occur. There are several starfish sold that are also temperate, which usually dont live terribly long in captivity in higher temps.

Why on earth would you get a sergeant major? They aren't worth it in any situation.

We used to get many regular shipments of this rock at B&B. It is exceptionally beautiful when it comes in-uncured. It usually consists of large pieces of dead coral, usually one similar to Leptoseris corals, so it is all plating-style rock. I would notice things such as hydrocorals, gorgonia, an...