Achilles Tang

I think they probably use an huge industrial ozone generator to keep the water sparkling clean too. Hate to think what a cyano breakout would look like in that tank! Frankly, if I were the building designer, I would build the atrium to be even closer to the tank. The floors are too far away, I would like to view the different levels of the tank not just from inside the lift but from every floor if possible! I think it lacks the big stuff.... manta rays.. dugongs... saltwater crocs, sharks...

I'm a minipod fan... with Energy subwoofers.

No. 3... Check PM...

Back then, my wife helped me carry a very heavy 5ft tank back for my first marine tank, helped me clean and wash the sand for my old DSB, helped me mix saltwater, massaged my aching back after aquascaping, mopped the floor etc when we started this marine hobby together.... Today, she totally bo chup about what I do for the tank... occasional complaints of neglect (her), overspending (not on her), sticky floor (now I mop or the maid) and high maintenance bills (not on her).... You have to train your partner...

What's the primary diff between a Rio HF32 vs an MD40 which is an external pump that transfer less heat to water vs the wattage drawn and price diff between both pumps? Not too sure about this.... someone care to enlighten me?

I must also point out that if the DIYer does not even has a good grasp of skimming theories, skimmer & water dymanics & a good grasp of mechanics.... building a skimmer is like trying to build a car from copying a sketch. Fitting 18inch wheels on Datsun 120Y doesn't make it go faster nor does wrapping a 1 litre engine in a body of a rolls royce make it work. Some DIYers do not even know why a keyholes are preferred over straight holes and why rubber gaskets don't work compared to O-rings. Some don't even know what sizes of valves are suited for enough water flow! Some don't even know why the downpipes for becketts are better up high! Go with someone who KNOWS what he's building and WHY and HOW it works.

The debate on the better skimmer will never end! That said... There are 3 basic parts to coming up with a product. 1. Research & Development for a sound design & effective workings 2. Actual manufacturing process & quality control 3. Branding & Marketing 1. Research & Development for a sound design & effective workings There are many schools of thought in skimmer designs. All have their pros and cons. No perfect skimmer exists because there are too many variables going into the design. That said, the fundamentals of effective skimming are there to be adhered to, be it with needlewheels, downdrafts, airstone, venturi, becketts etc etc, so the basic design is there. Basically all skimmers should try to cramp as much fine bubbles in as much volume and density as they can fit into a skimmer body. How they achieve it is also reflected in the costs of the equipment. There are also obvious advantages of each design - a beckett nozzle outperforms almost all other venturi-types in terms of air mixture. A Weipro needlewheel cannot be compared to the H&S or Deltec needlewheel, which again cannot compare to the titanium spoked bubbleking needlewheel! That said, there are extremely simple designs by German branded skimmers being priced very high and there are complicated DIY skimmers charged reasonably. Go figure. R&D costs have to go somewhere. Oops... there also costs in patenting designs too! Most manufacturers base their designs on what works already, with minor improvements here and there or a slight design change so as to look original. The DIYers are the most obvious in adapting designs! 2. Actual manufacturing process & quality control Every skimmer in this world, German, USA, China or Singapore-made ones, be it the H&S, Deltec, Bubbleking, Sander, Weipro, 'branded' DIY or true DIY ones are ALL hand-made or hand-assembled! There is no automated assembly line that puts together skimmers, like cars! Going by this, one has to judge the amount of effort in the hand-work going into the assembly. There are 'branded' skimmers with shoddy workmanship... take a look at some of the German brands and you can see acrylic glue marks everywhere. Some even use PVC bodies! Some of the branded DIY kits, especially from the US, are extremely well hand-crafted with almost perfect workmanship and with better materials even! Is there any difference between a handcrafted bubbleking made in a workshop and a handcrafted DIY version made in a workshop? Perhaps a lot, perhaps none at all! So it all boils down to the effort and QC by the maker of the skimmer. 3. Branding & Marketing The sad fact is that someone has to pay for all the advertising, branding, marketing, and retail promotional costs. This does not even include the freight costs and dealer/reseller price margins! You buy a Gucci watch, you buy the branding. Even though the internal mechanism may be the same as a Japanese watch. Same applies to just about everything in the consumer market! Branded vs no brand... a no brand can become a brand overnight. Consumers would rather go for branded because it instills confidence and quality. There are even brands among DIY makers... Which brand to go for? Some people will justify paying $100 for a hankerchief because its branded vs paying $1 for the same hankerchief without any branding on it! Confused? So am I! I base my choice of skimmers on a few things: Effectiveness of skimming method vs upfront cost vs running costs vs easy maintenance vs good workmanship vs size vs sound design vs brand vs comments from users vs complaints from wife about size and noise vs space in sump or room vs upgradebility vs resale value vs materials used vs easy operability. More confused? Just buy the most expensive German skimmer in town and justify it as being worth every cent you paid! Or do a lot of research and buy something closer to its true value! Bottomline - just be happy with what you already bought. A cat that catches the mouse is still a cat. It's whether you get a Garfield or not! My 2 cents! AT

It looks like one of those robot fish that the Japanese invented not too long ago.... with a gold skin!

IMO, it's still back to the laws of demand and supply actually. Exploitation should be kept in check by the relevant agencies. If the concern is to prevent attrition during the entire process from capture/harvesting/transportation/acclimatization/selling/packing to the customer's care... then its purely education and effort on both parties. If we want to take it to the extreme... this hobby should be made illegal.. which it isn't and won't be unless it can outdo natural catastrophes, industrial and commercial activities, shipping, tourism, land reclamation activities, pollution etc. We do what we can on an individual level first and then collectively as a group. But the trade is something beyond us unless we are all millionaires and can stop the trade in its tracks by suddenly all not buying at the same time! My 2 cents. AT

Which friend recommended him to you? What's his nick? Maybe I can help trace... I'm sorry that this happened to you... but you should have also been a lot more cautious especially with people you don't know! It's worse because he is probably not someone who chats often in this forum and we know him. (if YOU are reading this forum.... shame on you!) I wish you luck in finding this guy.

Got a promotion for SRC members... De Floral Gallery is offering to SRC members the following Valentine's Day offer! $88 Red Roses bouquet with teddy bear + msg card + Free Delivery! Call 65367857, look for Pauline! You have to tell her you're from SRC... AT

Watch it guys. My patience is running out.

Er? They said they will open this weekend (sat and sun) from 12 to 6pm to continue the sale.

Interesting photos!! Thanks for sharing!! I would love to dive there one day... but I'll probably emerge as an icicle!

Guys.... number 1 to 15.... no colour or design indicated... you want White Rabbit Singlet with marker pen words?

The SPS sale is reopened here.

Regal angel, I hope you know that SHs need an experienced marine hobbyist who can dedicate time and resources to care for and maintain them. They are certainly not the easiest livestock to keep. You need a strong grasp of the basic marine foundations and a clear understanding of their needs and requirements. Feel free to ask fellow hobbyists here with good experience in Seahorses... they will be more than willing to get you up to speed.

Your tank does not have an overflow system to the sump? If you want to go berlin style... I suggest you add in a LOT of liverocks. Your biological filtration base is very weak as I do not even see a inside filter used. You should not put in the red lights... as these are meant for planted tanks... you will end up growing more nuisance algae instead. Go with whiter/bluer lights and if you do intend to keep corals, softies even... go for more lighting... marine reef tanks need a lot of light as your corals are like plants... they need to photosynthesize their own food. I suggest you go to the New to the Hobby forum and read the pinned up links to basic marine tips and information to get your foundations right as your current setup will become a big problem very soon! Welcome to SRC and hope you'll be on your way to better reefkeeping soon!

Everyone knows that less-than-ideal conditions means seeing them losing colour, browning out or bleaching or worser still... dying right before your eyes... one moment looking ok and next moment u see tissue flying off their skeletons!! Buying SPS is one thing but keeping them in good condition is another. If you want to go cheap SPS keeping ie. low light, so-so water quality, warm temperatures, yo yo water parameters, higher nitrate and phosphates, poor water circulation then you should go for mostly brown bullet-proof easy to keep specimens like porites etc. These can last longer than other species but may become overgrown by nuisance algae that loves such conditions. However, these hardier SPS corals may still RTN overnight. Why do you think those who walk down the cursed path of SPS-keeping are those who are constantly broke and tormented with agony everytime something bad happens to their corals? We HAVE to spend on better equipment like strong lighting, good skimmers, good chillers, expensive water surge devices, get a good calcium reactor, use supplements like alkalinity, trace elements, get the best seasalt, have expensive computer, probe monitoring devices etc.... just to give our SPS corals a STABLE environment.... and its NO guarantee that they will survive long term!!!! I give you this analogy... you don't grow roses in the harsh desert climate.

Good news!! They are willing to open this weekend from 12noon to 6pm to clear the remaining stock! Cheong ah!!

Oh.. you MUST say you are from the SG Reef Club to get this offer. AT

Of course. Its a one-day only sale on CNY eve. To be specific.. just two hours long. Pls don't go down there as they do not open to the public for retail sales. Unless you want to pick up live seafood.

De Floral Gallery is offering to SRC members the following Valentine's Day offer! $88 Red Roses bouquet with teddy bear + msg card + Free Delivery! Call 65367857, look for Pauline!

Woah... sounds great!!! I would love to go... unfortunately... September is peak period for my work. You guys go enjoy yourselves!

I highly doubt if the CITES permit will be allowed to be released. Weedy sea dragons are on the endangered list and only research institutes and public aquariums are allowed to have them. But if these are captive bred and acclimatized to frozen food... wow! It's a dream come true for those who love such creatures and can care for them!