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The bat star. The only thing I ever read on them is that they eat algae and are great scavengers. I have two, and sadly my tank developed a huge pile of cyanobacteria that began last week. It was getting pretty thick on my sand bed, and I was dreading the step ladder climb to remove as much as...

Hi, Metal halides run hot, the units are heavy and the bulbs are expensive, mine ran $70.00 each on sale, and $30.00 for each actinic. You can't find good ones because they have almost gone the way of the Dodo bird. A much better choice is to find a good LED lighting system, they won't heat up...

The store by me does, and the one in Lake Geneva where I used to live did as well. I have also seen stores use those little chambers...in one will be fish and the others inverts, but there were not separate...it was just a long tank with holes in dividers. Personally, I usually buy online, I...

Blah...LOL..I DID indeed miss that you test weekly, :) After reading post #5, I went back to read post #3, it was the first thing on the list too...my bad. I thought you were just dosing per instructions on the bottle. Now that I see you are testing first, it's all good.

Hi, Get a good beginners book to brush up on your knowledge, the hobby has come a long way in 15 years. A 55g tank is pretty small and you can't stock it like you could a freshwater tank. Scooter blenny's and mandarins need a very established tank...changing the sand means you lost a great deal...

Test before you dose anything, and follow all instructions to the letter when you do. Never ask for advice from the LFS, go into the store already knowing what you want or need. Fish are not puppies to be rescued, purchase only healthy specimens...Buying sick or injured fish tells the LFS they...

Hi...I have no problem with adding supplements...but YOU MUST TEST FIRST. You should not be just auto dosing stuff. You say you dose twice a week...when do you bother to test to see if you even need to? Too much of certain elements such as iodine can be a very bad thing. Every tank is indeed...

Hi, The more you do the better your tank will look...If you are lazy, or like me disabled, and can't do it as it SHOIULD be done. An algae scrubber, or keeping macros is the easiest and cheapest way to keep the tank healthy. If you do regular water changes, you shouldn't have to use supplements...

I totally agree! If the invert has been in a tank with fish at the LFS, then the water could carry parasites that although they are immune, would infect your tank and endanger your fish. That's why so many insist to quarantine EVERYTHING..

LOL...I didn't trust it either, but my seahorse was just fine. It's an old, old argument about just how to acclimate our critters. Some use the drip method, others float the bag and release, and others...like myself, after floating for temp acclimation ...float the bag and remove the bag water...

I agree...Saxman told me to do this with seahorses, the pollution in the bag is worse for the fish then the little bit of shock from being just dumped into the tank after temp acclimating. I'm convinced the problem is just an un-cycled tank, and our new member being in too much of a hurry adding...

Um...We can't help unless you tell us what the parameters are, and what they were the last time you checked. Telling us all is "back" to normal doesn't give us much to go on. At any rate...do an emergency water change. It always helps to dilute, and running carbon will help if it's a possible...

Hi, Algae booster? Just a little info for you: Macroalgae is a marine plant, it feeds on ammonia, phosphates, nitrates, nitrites and anything else nasty in the water. It uses it to grow, and when you remove the growth...called harvesting, you are removing those unwanted things from your water...

I use one. I wish I could get a tester for everyone of those regular tests, like No3, and No4...digital is much better then playing with chemicals and looking at color charts.

Hi, What do you mean let it cycle for 2 weeks? Do you know what a cycle is? First you introduce ammonia, good bacteria develops and feeds on the ammonia, and makes nitrites...then another type of good bacteria develops and makes the nitrites into nitrates, which we remove by water changes since...

Hi, Welcome to the site...how did you cycle the tank?

Hi, Your friend needs a bigger tank if he want's to keep anything alive. A 10g is IMO expert only, and he thinks as a beginner he can keep a 2.5g or a 5g tank...no way. The fish store is happy making money on him. A scooter blenny needs anywhere from a 30g to a 75g tank... Instead of asking the...

Nothing like having that peace of mind...2 thumbs up!

Hello ... so glad to see you back!

My skimmer was on one end, and my refugium on the opposite side, I have seen some people put the refugium section in the center. I guess it really doesn't matter, the fact you have a sump/refugium is going to help your tank. The micro socks are a huge pain to keep swapping and cleaning, I opted...