Marineman

Don't give up on your longnose hawkfish just yet. I have one in my reef tank for 20 months. I have a 100 gal tank with 5 shrimps, 2 cleaner, 2 scarlet/red blooded and one coral banded. They are getting along fine and stay away from each other, the shrimps I mean, provided you have plenty of rocks. My longnose hawkfish did peck at one of my cleaner shrimps once, but it was too big for them unless yours are very very tiny where it can feed it in it's mouth. Longnose hawkfish is fine with shrimps but not other species of hawkfish. I feed mine with frozen food and chopped prawns meshed with vitamins, mussels, clams, spitulina etc. It does not take flakes and pellets. Becareful if you want to keep a lobster in your tank, may not be suitable for a reef tank for most lobsters, they also eat small fishes. Do research on the species before you decide to buy one. Check iout at www.wetwebmedia.com, an excellent website for Q&As. Good luck.

Bro Roidan, I have got through nearly one third of your thread and very impressed with the pictures and the speed you set up the tank and running with all the high tech equipment. When I go down to sSingapore from KL, I will be very interested to look at your tank. As a reef enthusiast myself, I noticed you are keeping some very challenging corals and fishes, namely, gorganians, sea fans, tubrestra, turtle weed/sea grass to name a few and anthias. I have also noticed a sea horse in the old 4 ft reef tank (currents may be too strong for the SH). Please keep us posted on their survivalibility as I know some of them will perished in weeks if not months as I would like to successfully keep them as well. Your current tank is a far cry from your old 2 ft tank, the currentone looks very impressive. BTW, I am a new member and have a 42"*24*24 with miracle mud refugium and an Aqua-C Remora skimmer operated at half pace. All corals experienced max expansion and fishes colour radiant. Got them set up a year ago.

You guys are lucky, can buy mysis shrimps in S'pore. Can't find them in KL and some of the shops have not even heard of mysis shrimps! Can you feed sea horse and sea dragons with cyclop-eeze?

I paid $175 for 10lbs, I bought 20 lbs for my 100 gal tank set up in Jan 2003. There are some red slime algae initially, once the system fully kicks in after 9 months, you will noticed that the corals expanded to the fullest and the fishes colour radiant and healthy. I am very happy with the mud. I must admit that it is expensive, but you change 50% of the mud every 2 years, so it is not too bad. You can find out more info from www.ecosystemaquarium.com. However as a cheaper alternative you can also used DSB in the refugium with caulerpa on 24/7 lighting, it may come close.

Hi Deep Blue, I am a new member in this forum. I have a 100gal reef, currently using Kalkwasser drip. How much does the kalk reactor cost and what kind of maintenance does it requires vs a calcium reactor? I suppose a kalk reator is better than a calcium reactor?