Achilles Tang

Get yourself a mandarin fish then... or a six-line wrasse! Beautiful fishes that need a good pod population to survive... in your case, guaranteed!

My starphire glass front panel cost me about S$700 alone.

Not good enough for clams... they will die within a few weeks or months... as their energy stores run out... they need intense lighting. Lots of T5s or MH is best.

Here's my lobo on my ample sandbed.... It's huge!

Wow! I have a stalker!

Got it from New Trio yesterday.

Dear members, So far so good.... In our short one year history, there were only a few isolated controversy cases where individuals have rocked the boat every now and then. SRC being such a small club, we are bound to know each other in a matter of time. Even if not physically, then by having someone else relate their relationship with you or their experiences with you. So it's always good to keep your reputation good because you just never know. I think personal integrity is very important and so is communication. More often than not, poor communication is the cause of most misunderstandings. So let's try to keep things open and to be honest with each other in our dealings and we'll be fine. Shady people will get shunned over time... its a fact. Are you here to make friends or enemies? Remember, we are all hobbyists here. I would also like to bring up the point about personal opinions and points of view. Everyone has them. Try not to get personally offended if someone else doesn't agree with you. Yet, be willing to listen and you may counter with a good argument if you so wish but DO NOT get emotional as at the end of the day... Singapore is so small... you'll meet face to face and sometimes, you find that an online persona can be quite unlike the real person. Just chill... we'll be fine... My 2 cents AT

There a few brands of such low-iron clear glass. Hunted like mad but only managed to track down starphire a few years ago. Good to hear that there are cheaper alternatives (from china?? ) Good to see that there are other people like me locally who appreciate investing into clear glass for better viewing of their tank inhabitants!

Used it before in the past with satisfactory results. Now moved on to natural coral food like live phytoplankton and zooplankton like live rotifers. Recently not culturing rotifers so using zooplankton substitutes like Golden Pearls in the appropriate micron sizes. I rather my corals capture food with its polyps then absorb liquid amino acids. Poor quality or dubious sounding 'liquid coral food' have been proven to be nothing more than water with a bit of protein or even yeast just to trigger the feeding response but whether or not the coral actually gets enough nutrition or even gets any food is a question unanswered. But I guess, IMO, if the product is from a reputable German brand like H&S.. yeah... it could be good. But its an expensive long term feeding solution.

My fishes love Ocean Nutrition flakes, the same kind that our sponsor Seaquest Aquatics is distributing to the shops.

If budget is not a problem, look for Teco chillers.... european parts, proven reliable, quiet but expensive. If you want something cheap, not so efficient, made in China/Taiwan, then look for brands like Hailea, Resun etc. If you want European parts, local expertise, efficient, quiet, good support at an affordable pricing... look for Titanium / Reef Relief Chillers. They are built for local weather and oversized for max efficiency. There are many users of these chillers in SRC, go check out the product reviews and there's also a poll on users. And do a search also on other chillers to get feedback on them... you'll not be surprised to hear that you get exactly what you pay for.

Love at first sight!

Hmmm... yeah... hey, SIA's the national carrier.... why would they not jump up to help Mr and Mrs SM? It's a form of national service if you ask me. I know people will grumble... but my wife once had to give up her dining table to the SM when he was aboard the same cruise ship.. she did grumble a bit.. but hey... he's the Big Kahuna of Singapore. I wonder what would have happened if she stood her ground.... She would probably have the ship's captain and the officers begging her and upgrading her to a suite or something.. hahaha!

Either she charms them or she frightens them....

You may want to check out our sponsor Titanium/Reef Relief Chilllers! Titanium / Reef Relief Chiller forum here! They had an Aquarama promotion but I am not sure if Dr Chill can extend that to you!

Pospeh isn't local...

Ah... the group hug thing is easy to replicate. Just put three unattached clams on the same rock, tie them loosely together so they don't drop off.... and voila... "together forever and never to part.... " :

Hi everyone, I would like to hear from everyone what are your personal viewpoints on the general guidelines and conduct pertaining to the personal sale of items from hobbyist to hobbyist with regards to the buying, selling & trading of livestock or 2nd hand goods. (This is not a discussion on Commercial Posts) This discussion should cover the advertising lingo used, photos used, description of products, personal ethics etc. The aim of this discussion is to see how we can best protect the interests of everyone concerned (buyer and seller and to a lesser extent, getting me involved with your trading issues) Fire away!

Man... I am gonna go nuts trying to arbitrate this. Give me some time to think about what's at stake here. Protecting the forum from future fracas, protecting the rights of consumers (but what happened to 'Buyers Beware') or enforcing guidelines on sellers and their advertising language? I'll create a new thread on such issues and I'll rather hear more viewpoints from everyone without the need to pinpoint any one such incident. AT

I'm just being conservative. Some people can make do with cheapo items and DIY stuff and stock with cheaper poorer quality livestock. If you get as hardcore as some of us... prepare to spend x 2 of the higher amount stated.

That's not a lettuce nudibranch. They are green in colour with frilly fronds running both sides of their back.

That trio looks familiar... very New Trio!

Here's something to chew about. Heavy metals is the only major thing to worry about. Not through the water supply but more through the saltmix we use! Chloromines, chlorine can be removed with Seachem Prime. Silicates and phosphates can be removed with Rowaphos/Contraphos/phosguard. Dirt and dust may already enter the water from the air anyway. Is it really 100% necessary to use RO/DI in the light of all this? Why bring down an elephant with a pea shooter (RO/DI) when you can use other effective traps (phosphate/silicate adsorbers, heavy metals absorbers like polyfilters, chlorine removers like seachem prime)? Just a thought... I may be wrong. AT

I don't have time to do a breakdown but for a fully stocked SPS 4ft tank with MH, chillers, calcium reactor, LR, SPS corals, pumps, sump, piping, skimmer, additives, test kits, saltmix, etc. You are looking at a range of at least $3000 to $6000 or higher. Excluding transport costs! Who said this hobby was a cheap one?

Alright, I am going to put an end to this episode. Although the exchange has been cordial thus far, I don't want it to end in a flaming session. Let's all try to be more mindful of consequences and people's feelings and perceptions next time with our words and actions. If you're not prepared to deal with it, don't even start it. It's up to everyone to judge for himself if the act was wrong or overblown out of proportion. What matters most is that both sides have taken pains to clarify the matter. If there is a conclusion already, then let it end. If you wish to debate further.. do it cordially & logically OR I will put an end to any emotional fighting. Thank you for your co-operation. And the saying goes: "buyers beware!" And let's promote 'Sellers integrity'.