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I don't think anyone uses air pumps. "Filter" can mean a lot of things. Some people still use filters, especially with fish only tanks. Modern reef tanks with deep sand beds get their biological filtration through the use of live rock and live sand. Protein skimmers are still used by many...

I wouldn't expect a large yellow tang to be hiding in the live rock. If he is healthy and happy, he should be out and about, swimming in the open water (if there is some) and picking at algae growth on the rocks and glass. Yellow tangs are somewhat aggressive fish. I don't think the chromis...

I think Wamp gave very good advice. Tap water is likely to contain nitrate, phosphate, and other bad things. If there is nitrate, your water changes will not be very effective. RO/DI water is the best way to go because you are adding zero nitrate, etc. If you can part with a fish or two by...

As Debi mentioned, you probably could skip the feeding for a few days. In a 55g, there should be plenty to keep a couple of damsels going without your feeding much at all. If your brine cubes are too large (no doubt about that), you can cut them (watch the fingers) into fourths. Something...

Crabs, IMO, eat many things in the tank that I want to protect including many types of worms. Some crabs are worse than others, but I don't completely trust any. I had some small blue-legs following my initial cycle. As they grew, they began killing my Nassarius snails to get the larger...

Have you measured your nitrate and phosphate levels? You would like them to be near zero. They are the most common reason for algae problems. Do you have a DSB? Do you plan to add corals? What type, wattage, and hours run is your lighting? My tank is a reef tank with a new DSB so I have...

Most people would recommend RO or better yet RO/DI water. Did you really mean you were considering adding salt to water that had contained your cichlids? Most tanks of that type have pretty high nitrates, are likely to also contain phosphates, and would do nothing positive except be convenient...

Unless it is very fine grain, it is NOT what you want. The sizes on the bags are usually given in millimeters. You want something in the 0.2-1.2mm range. It might contain a few larger pieces in it, but it should mostly be as fine as sugar. What I used was the Aragonite sugar size Aragamax...

You need to check your pH regularly so you notice it before it gets near the 7.5 level. I avoid most additives, where possible. Isn't the new saltwater you change with 8.3? If so, water changes should get it back near where you want it. Do not make sudden changes. Going from 7.5 to 8.3...

"increased the salinity a bit, by about .003." Are you talking about specific gravity? Like a change from 1.021 to 1.024? If so, that is large change. I hope you took a day or too for the change. If the salinity is a true ppm reading around 33 or 34, I have never seen anything give those...

I have not yet purchased from them, but have heard good feedback. I agree with the earlier comment that small size is preferred for both crabs and snails. Larger crabs are more dangerous and troublesome. Larger snails are not able to get into some areas and also can knock over small rocks and...

billyjoe, Assuming the playsand you used is fine grain like the Southdown everyone looks for, it will be great. Aragonite comes in various sizes, some of which are much too large. I used the Aragonite, but was careful to get the fine sugar sized type. Unless you have some urgency to get rid...

If you use the CC, you need to stay with a limited depth and perform regular maintenance by vacuuming. That can be and has been successful. A DSB is 4-6" of fine sand. As mentioned aragonite comes in various sizes. The size is much more important than the material. The DSB is not to be...

For a DSB to be effective you would need to have 3-1/2 to 4" of fine sand. You don't need to go to 6". If you don't feel you want to give up that depth, that is your decision to make. If you do go with a DSB, DON'T use the CC. The DSB is supposed to be left undisturbed except by the infauna...

I would start with 1 teaspoon per gallon of make-up water (RO/DI preferred). Then drip it very slowly and monitor the pH frequently. You may need to adjust the rate several times to get it right. Don't mix more than you can use in 4-5 days. Mix it thoroughly for an hour with a small...

You can safely add small amounts to the top of your substrate (1/4-1/2). Are you sure that you want to use crushed coral or shells? Most of us are going to considerable effort to get rid of the CC and establish deep sand beds. You might want to do a search on DSB before proceeding. Here is a...

I feel that feeding phytoplankton is critical for small clams less than 3" in size. They do not get enough nourishment from the intense light alone. As they get larger, the photosynthetic algae in their mantel increases and is able to provide better for them. Occasional phytoplankton is still...

Read the "Sandbed Swap" article in this link <a href="http://fishwhisperer.homestead.com/articles.html" target="_blank">http://fishwhisperer.homestead.com/articles.html</a> I used it and feel it is a good approach. Plan everything out in detail and be prepared. You need a lot of containers...

Even shipped overnight, you would have had to consider it uncured. The only way to avoid that is overnight in water, which hardly anyone does because of the expense. Water-dwelling creatures do not do well for days in wet newspaper. Certainly a lot of stuff will survive, but there is no way...

Kalkwasser is a high pH and calcium water mixture. It is used to increase calcium levels and maintain higher pH. I had trouble finding any stores that sold pickling lime. I received mostly blank looks from clerks who had never heard of it. I ended up ordering online from <a...