Recent content by dean

Look at it this way, the only way water can leave your tank and return to the sump is if water is pumped into the tank. Your overflow rate is the same as your fill rate. Water will flow out at the exact same rate as your pump returns it as long as there are now restrictions leaving the tank- I...

As a chemist I can tell you NOT to use rainwater. Rainwater can be more contaminated with undesirable compounds than you tap water. For a reef tank only go with RO or DI.

You can do an invert tank either reef style or the more conventional saltwater setup. The difference is a reef tank can more easily handle corals and the more sensitive inverts. Lighting is also more complex and expensive with a reef tank since corals are present. If you've never done a...

The glass jar technique works or get them at night when they're sleeping.

I'm designing an automatic water top off device to feed my sump as the water level decreases. My tank is "test" mode and I'm noticing only a pint of so loss per day with all pumps running (55 gallon tank). How frequently are other folks needing to top off. Dean

It's just their waste excrement. Nothing to worry about. Dean

Has anyone had any experience with using underwater epoxys to glue either live rock together of corals to live rock? If so what brand do you recommend.

I recommend either SeaTest or SeaChem depending on your budget.

What would you recommend for the medium for a fluidized be filter, and do you have a glass (silicate) tank or an acrylic one? Dean Originally posted by chuck: I wouldn't put silica sand anywhere near my reef tank. You are just asking for diatom troubles.

Will the use of silica sand in a fluidized bed filter raise the silicate level of a reef tank to unacceptable levels? How about the natural equilibrium between the glass of a tank and the silicate levels?

If the pair become separated during use and the inside one falls to the bottom of the tank you've got to go in after it anyway. Besides they don't do well on really stuck on stuff. Best thing to do is a scrubber on the end of a plastic or glass rod that you can easily keep clean. Dean

I've made some "aragocrete" from portland cement and aragonite. I planned on using it for base rock and a couple of caves I've sculpted. Has anyone had any luck-good or bad-- with aragocrete? Dean

Does anyone test for minor elements such as Strontium, borate, iodine, and iron in their reef tanks, and if so what brand of test kits do you use?

Is it necessary to test for minor constituants such as iodine, strontium, and borate. If so what are the best test kits.