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Calcium should be 400 - 480, phosphorous 0. Don't forget to check alk 8 - 12 dkh. Very important as alk and ca work together. There's a great article on this over at www.wetwebmedia.com that explains alk and ca. Good luck!

For FOWLR I would say sure, you could add those. If you have or plan to go reef I'd be concerned about the butterfly and angel. Sounds like a nice setup.

There's alot of information about coral feeding so you may want to do a web search. Especially wetwebmedia. Your question is too broad for any one answer. Some corals need feeding if your tank isn't supplying enough food. Some get almost all of their nutrition from light. Some can only eat...

Sounds like a great way to teach a child responsibility and develop a love for hobby. The sunken pirate ship would be cool. I'd stay away from any of the bubbling kind though. Show us a pic if you get it set up and good luck!

You're right, it's hard to rely on any of the plastic ones. I think for something as important as salinity, paying 50 - 100 dollars for a refractometer is a great investment. Certainly gives me some peace of mind.

A great addition to a reef tank I think. Just keep in mind that they can get to pretty good size. Here's mine:

One of my LFS will not, ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT, sell a fish that he hasn't had for at least 14 days. I've never lost a fish that I bought from him. Caring for the animals over the quick sale is probably the most notable trait to me.

How big is the tank? When/what was added last? Firefish are notoriously shy. If one was just recently added then it should correct itself with time. I once had a fairy wrasse hide for 3 months and only show up at chow time. Then eventually became part of the rest of the moving crowd. If...

Wow! A 4' coral beauty. Must be gorgeous. The tang can and will take care of himself if he gets enough of it. They're surgeon fish and fall in that category for a very 'sharp' reason. I would suspect that after a couple days they'll make peace. Good Luck!

My GSM does that all the time. Why he/she would make a nest beats me. The only fish in a 10 gallon that sits in my office. He's called Larry and he's the office mascot. A great conversation starter with employees that come to visit me. An an HR guy it's not always a 'great' visit, if you...

Firefish, fairy wrasses, cardinals, royal gramma, perhaps pygmy angels. As stated, research the animals first and add slowly. I kept a small yellow tang for years in a 72 bowfront and he/she did fine. Others would disagree. Good luck in stocking the tank.

Thegrog; Thanks. The more research I'm doing on this the more I'm buying into the overall concept of testing then adding. I think I'll track the readings over a period time and see what my ca consumption really is and go from there. Cheers

Thanks, I'll beam over there and learn more. Any recommendations on dosing then? Perhaps eliminate dosing for a few days and see if there is a shift in my readings and then create a schedule of dosing to keep it constant?

Depends on your load and what you're doing. Lots of fish and lots of feeding would mean cleaning more often. Little fish and most softies that you're not feeding then you coud go some time between cleaning. On the safe side, I'd not go more than 3 months either way. Let us know which way you...

Always start with the animals you want to keep as your basis for decisions. So many variables that one size does not fit all. Give us a little more insight into your goals and hopefully we can get you in the right direction.

Both provide filtration, just in different methods. The LR is very pourous so it houses large colonies of bacteria. Those backteria cycle your nitrogen cycle. Bio balls do the same thing only very efficiently as they are not completely underwater and being exposed to air can do it very well...

I've been puzzled by something for some time. Maybe someone has an explanation. I use 2 part as I don't have any calcium hungry animals and do regular water changes. Latest readings for calc 480 and alk 11-12. Sometimes when I add the 2 part I get a nice cloud. Other times it seems to instantly...

chip - Yep, I've going to Jim for years. He's got a lot of good animals. Like his fish better than his corals though. Best source in our area for corals is Aquarium Design in Birmingham. I'd be glad to give you directions if you've never been there. jumpfrog@knology.net Back to the skimmer. If...

Another option is to add saltwater instead of fresh when you're doing your top offs for evapuration. It's slow and effective as long as you do your top offs regulary. Don't wait until you need to add several gallons at a time. Just another thought! Good Luck!

It never hurts to have your water tested at the LFS if things seem really out of wack. Not all test kits are created equal and you may be trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. just my .02