Recent content by andymi

Try and determine the cause of it first. Go out and get a phosphate test kit and see where you are at. What type of water are you using for water changes? This is usually a good factor for algae. Overfeeding can sometimes cause increased phosphates as well. Just determine the cause and attack...

Good , let it do its thing :)

Well hopefully I dont get into trouble for posting this site link since it has nothing to do with a competitor, but here is the link directly to the dimensions for the IceCap ballast. http://www.icecapinc.com/apptab.htm -Andy

Check out the ice cap website. I believe they have this information on there. Here is the info from the site: Line Amps - 4.4 Max Line Volts - 120 Housing dimensions 11-1/4" x 3-7/32"x 1-3/4" Ballast Weight - 1.65 lbs. Sound Rating - A HTH -Andy

Hmm, Im not sure about that. I think it depends on the length of the bulb too. I have the Icep Cap 660 on my reef and I could only have 4 36" bulbs for a total of 380 watts. I would check out their website as i believe it says the length and # of lights you can connect to it. --Andy

I just use the plastic surface skimmers that come with wet/dry's. You can find these from $50 to $100 depending on who you buy from. This keeps the tank in tact just in case you want to trade it in later, or sell it to someone else. Good Luck on the new tank. -Andy

You can definitely use tap if you do testing on it first. I use tap and never have algae blooms. RO water is reverse osmosis water, and you can buy it from some places, but you are better off to get your own unit you can hook up to a faucet. If you have big tanks you better get a big one :) --Andy

They say it can be tough to keep. It depends on the type of sponge. I have some orange tree sponge in my tank and it has been doing good. Most are filter feeders so are usually good in a more established tank. I think some feed off of zooxanthallae as well , just do research on the exact type...

I would recommend at least a lb for every gallon. --Andy

Yep I definitely took ideas from your design. Although mine is laid out quite a bit different, same concept behind it. :) --Andy

You could also check out the skimmers made by Aqua Clear Aquatics. I have had no problems with mine at all. You can contact aqua clear aquatics at their website by the same name, and send an e-mail about a local reseller in your area and they will hook you up. --Andy

What a lot of people don't know is that most coraline algae growth takes place in lower light areas. Areas with strong light will typically not grow as fast as areas with lower light. I am sure some of you will laugh at this statement , but you can do some research. In shallow waters the algae...

I agree, I bet it was someone who confused a UGF with a plenum. Although you can use some sand with a UGF it needs to be a bigger mixture. I use the CaribSea reaflor sand on my UGF's. Some people in here use DSB's, some use wet/dry's, I use UGF's with refugiums, or skimmers if it is a fish only...

Well there are places online to look at that stuff. ***************** (msg was edited due to a link that is not allowed to be shown...please take this as a warning as to not do this again.. please review the rules on this...thanks RLV695) That website has some cool links about refugiiums...

I think it would be hard to tell without a picture of the fish. Emporers can change their colors , but this is typically not done in captivity, unless the fish you purchased was recently caught while it was going through this period. HTH -Andy