Recent content by BReefCase

I'm surprised and disappointed to hear that Science Alliance was not on the up-and-up. They were one of my favorite suppliers, as they catered to individuals rather than businesses. I got a lot of my reef tank chemicals from them, and I know many home-schooling parents who wanted to avoid...

I'd never ignore YOU, Tangirl -- it's just that, well, my "significant other" also reads these posts -- and she's got some pretty nice tan-lines on her, too!

Here's a slightly different approach. It's a reprint of an answer I gave to a similar thread a while back. Be sure to read and understand the warning about disturbing existing crushed coral beds. Gradually changing from CC (Crushed Coral) substrate to a DSB (Deep Sand Bed) could not be...

By the way, 2N (two Normal) aqueous NaOH solution as purchased from a chemical supply company is already a liquid -- the chemical house does the dangerous job of dissolving NaOH crystals in water for you. With the NaOH method, it is certainly the extended external contact time, plus the fact...

Nori -- I've never had a problem buying 2N NaOH on-line. Try http://www.sciencealliance.com or http://www.redbirdservice.com. If the chemical company wants to ship only to a business address, I usually call myself "(Myname)'s Water Testing Service" or "(Myname)'s Aquarium Service," which...

Anemone -- Yes, NaOH injection will be very effective, provided you can get the Aiptasia to stand still for the needle. (I seldom can.) I'd also cover the outside of the pedal disk with the NaOH slurry, to kill any miniature baby Aiptasia that have already pinched off from the base. FishDaddy...

Chucker - Not a problem. Failing to kill the pedal base of the organism can allow it to grow back, but won't make it spread MORE. LiquidShane - While I haven't sampled and tested the contents of the white cloudy slurry, I would expect it to contain a lot more Sodium Carbonate than Calcium...

One of the most frequently asked questions on this board is how to control the unwanted growth of Aiptasia (small infesting sea anemone, Aiptasia pallida and Aiptasia pulchella, which frequently show up as hitchhikers in reef aquaria). So, I thought there might be some general interest in the...

I may be in the minority here, but my experience is that gradually changing from CC (Crushed Coral) substrate to a DSB (Deep Sand Bed) could not be simpler. No need to drain the tank or remove anything, except maybe for moving the fan worms to higher ground during "construction." Detailed...

Reefquest -- The way that too much Calcium actually ends up lowering Calcium levels is complex. Here's a poor but still useful layman's explanation: Think of Calcium in your tank like humidity in the air. Air can support 60% relative humidity or 80% or even 99% indefinately. But once you...

ReefQuest -- I really hate to pretend to specifically advise others on their tanks, because Lord knows I have enough problems with my own tanks, but you asked, so here goes. (My advice and $3.75 will get you a cheap cup of coffee at Starbuck's.) Your tank parameters sound in good shape to me...

Do a search on "lava rock" -- the board covered this topic pretty well a while back. Basically, their are two kinds of "lava" -- the real stuff from volcanos, and the pet store stuff which is a man-made expanded clay ceramic (i.e., pottery) product originally made for the metal casting...

For what it's worth, I'm still dripping Kalk and Vinegar in all of my makeup water, and have encountered no problems attributable to this practice. I use 25ml of 5% Acetic Acid for each 1/2 teaspoon of Calcium Hydroxide per liter (quart) of RO water. (Four times what tetra reports using.)...

This topic has been beaten to death on the board recently, so you are in luck. Just do a search for "kalk" and "vinegar" in the archives. It's everything you wanted to know about kalk but were afraid to ask....

Hehehe -- tangirl said I was "awesome" -- hehehe (schnork, schnork) hehe.... I haven't entirely left the board -- it's just that my "day job" has been absolutely nuts since 9/11, so I've mostly just been "lurking" when I get a spare moment, and not getting directly involved in too many...