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I used DIY Iwasaki lamps myself for the past one year after finding that buying those AB or Ushio bulbs burns a hole in my pocket. U can buy ballast and ignitor from the lighting shop along Balestier. Around $40 bucks for a 150 MH baalst , ignitor and capacitor. If u use 250 Iwasaki u just need a mercury lamp ballast costing around $25. One thing though is that E40 base ceramic lamp holders are not easy to find but E27 base are plentiful.

Sohal is more ich resistant than the other tanks as long you get a medium size 4-5 inch smaller ones not soo. The best way to get rid of ich is to use a cleaner wrasse but you can only put in one in a tank, Make sure you acclimate the wrasse thoroughly before you add to the main tank or it will die. cleaners are very sensitive to water parameters. Likewise when you buy one make sure it is alone in the plastic bag and don't let it stay too long in the bag or it will end up dead.

I am hand feeding mine every other day. You can train it to open up even during the day. Mine is sitting on top of the rocks under 400 watts of MH lights with no adverse effect. the number of polyps tripled over the year so far. I feed minced shrimps using those plastic forceps sold in fish shops.

So far I have used the following: (I use RO water only) Instant Ocean - dissolvability sucks tends to precipitate calcium carbonate Deep Ocean - dissolvability okay, Kent - dissolvability good when new but precipitates once it gets clumpy in the bag. Clumping occurs even in unopened bags. Tends to accelerates diatom and algae growth (high silica and iron content? phosphates?) Ph 8.7 when mixed Coralife - dissolvability good but has tendency to precipitates Marine mix - dissolvability good, red sea - dissolvability good but laeves some layer of impurities at the bottom. Ph is 8.2 - 8.3 when mixed can be added to tank immediately.

this should be the pic

center of tank, all acros are frags that I made. including the center 8 months seriatopora which came from a frag 1.5" long. Sorry wrong pic

Right side view

My SPS tank w/ 2 x150 and 1 x 250 w Iwasaki