Recent content by pncstod

Go to an automotive store and you will find grits up to 2000. When i buffed my tank i started at 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1600, 2000 then went through all the micromesh grits up to 12,000. I had about 50+ hours of sanding by hand and with a palm sander. I did both the inside and out of a...

I believe AB bulbs are supposed to be run on a pulse start ballast that has an ingnitor built in. Old tar ballasts do not have pulse start. I have been running AB bulbs on an old tar style ballast (Hamilton) and mine do the same thing every once in awhile. The proper bulb i believe is one...

Thats was got me angry was their lack of support. Its only been used for 4 months. Its obvious to me that it is a defect. I have never seen a impeller magnet break after 4 months. I could see if it was the platic part of the impeller and something got sucked up and broke it, but the magnet...

I have a sen 900 that is less than 6 months old and about 4 months use on it. The impeller magnet is totally cracked already. Has anyone else had this problem? This has to be the quickest pump failure in my reefkeeping career. The worst part about it is that Won Brothers will not warranty it at...

I am not a chemist but according to those articles kalkwasser precipitates phostphates out of solution. I am assuming one of bryopsis algae's main food source would be phosphates. Therefore i am assuming that kalk does nothing but good for elimintaing phosphates which in turn eliminates the...

I believe when a ph probe dries out it is shot. They are shipped with a rubber tip with solution in it. The directions say to keep it in solution if you plan on removing it from the water. HTH

They way i understand it is the vinegar forces more of the kalk to "absorb" into the water leaving less milky white leftover. I know kalk is what does it, but i guess the vinegar helps get more kalk in the tank. I know it worked for me.

Go for a new skimmer. You can always get a new calcium reactor down the road. They are more of a convienance, where a skimmer is more of a necessity IMHO.

I finally got rid of all traces of my bryopsis algae. I picked out as much as i could by hand. I got a fox face rabbit fish who ate some of it. I think the biggest help was a tip I got from someone at a lfs. I began toping off with Kalkwasser mixed with vinegar. I use 3 teaspoons of kalk...

I agree with going one size bigger also. Both my pumps are 3/4 input (gen-x mak 4) and i run 1 inch elbo's and switch to 3/4 at the pump.

Both my skimmer pump and return pump are plumbed with 90's on them to reduce length and fit under my stand. I have not had a problem yet. HTH

Is it possible you had snails die?

I had some dead fiji and tonga branch rock. I just rinsed it real good in the shower and put it in my tank. It will eventually become alive and get coraline growth anyway. I cant see throwing it away, as long as you have a lot of other live rock the stuff will spread onto the dead rock in no...

We had great growth and color from 380 watts of vho in a 58 gallon tank. I am currenltly running the 380 watts of vho plus 500 watts of halides on a 150. They are growing a little quicker now, but the growth was very good in the smaller tank.

I paid $7.50 a hole at the local glass shop. He told me that 1/2 inch or thicker tank is not very likely to break. I think he does it that cheap because he is the hobby. He has a 90 gallon reef in the showroom. :D