Hey, I have a 3' tank running, and I would like to get a nice sized sump/refugium for it - possible without dismantling it, of course :-) The cabinet opening is 24" long and 17" high... Of course I could slide there a tank 24" long, but maybe a longer one will get there angled in somehow...

I have recently put in a BTA in my tank (like a week ago) and he is not looking so hot. Like a small part of his body (~1/8) is curled up really small, the rest of him looks fine with his tentacles spread out. That part that is shrunk I was afraid was the melting look that I have heard about when...

Another Newbie Question: Are copepods the tiny white barnacle looking things that coat the rocks, etc? (That's what the guy that I bought the tank from told me.) Then I'm looking at this: http://www.reed-mariculture.com/copepod/ And, they appear to be a free floating insect like creatures.

How do you tell if a feather duster is still in the world of the living? One of mine hasn't shown a cluster of "feathers" for several days now and may have shed them. I moved him out of a cave in the rocks onto the sand, and he apparently didn't like it. There are no visible changes to his body...

I ran a test with the fresh beach sand (dug out of the surf) and my tank sand. I setup two small containers and added shrimp meat to both and put them aside for 24 hrs. The beach shrimp had a thick clear gel mucus on the shrimp and it reeked bad! My tank sand barely had any growth (if any)...

From the VTES Boston list; *** * * * * Spoiler Space * * *

I have an anemone that didn't look so hot, so I finally sat down with a notebook and started working through my jr. chemistry set. Arg! Eye popping levels of nitrate! I only had ten gallons of water mixed up, so exchanged that. And, I put the fish on a crash diet. I've only had the protein...

can you read this?

Hello everyone! I have an 11-month old tank that was doing very well up through early August when I had to go off on a 90-day trip to the middle east. Well, I'm back now and my oldest son, who was feeding and cleaning the tank, "forgot" to empty the skimmer the whole time I was gone! So, this...

Hey all, I've been lurking here for about a week to make sure this wasn't just another group where everyone flames everyone else. I'm happy to say that I haven't noticed a single derogatory post. Not to say there haven't been any, I just haven't noticed them. Now for the question. Is there a good...

can you read this?

http://www.serent.net/the-thing.jpg The picture isn't too hot, but I have a few of these growing on rocks. They seem to have a circular orifice at the top and a rubbery feel to them. --Kurt

Sorry, yet another newbie question: For about 200 gallon setup (110 + a hypothetical second tank), how big of a refugium do I need? I just ordered some copepods, so I know I'll need some sort of setup soon. --Kurt

When a coral is listed as "non-aggressive" does that mean that it`s polyps can actually touch the polyps of another non-aggressive species? I read that Frogspawn and Hammer are closely related and can touch---does that mean you can cluster their stems in "flower-bouquet" fashion? Again, sorry for...

I decided to experiment with my Damsil. I put on my shorty wet suit and collected water and sand from the local beach. (Water Temp is 65; no wonder I didn't dive under.) He now had a nice bed of fresh sand collected in the surf and seawater. Still alive; I'll see if he collects any diseases...

Bought my tank setup, but the previous owner kept the salinity/specific gravity at north of 1.026 to keep "parasites down". I've been slowly lowering it to 1.024 which is at the top of the green zone for all my SG float calibrations. But, then I read that anywhere between 1.022 and 1.026 is...

I am selling my 75 gallon tank. It is full of cultured live rock and live sand. I would be willing to sell off the rock and sand if interested. I am in the St. Louis, Missouri area. email for more info.

Can anyone recommend a good coral to start with? I have dual florescent balasts, but no metal hydride lights (yet). --Kurt

Fellow Marine Aquarists, For those that don't check the website religiously on the 15th we are pleased to announce the release of the December 2006 issue of Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine. Remember to check back here each month on the 15th for our newest issue. For those of you who use RSS,...

Why are some things so expensive? A 1/2 hp chiller runs over a $1000. The BTU's don't even rival a window AC unit which runs under $100. Or, an office water cooler that runs $150. Ballasts over $800. Protein Skimmer for $250. Seems like a simple plastic device. Sure they need to be rugidized...