Melvyn Tan

Well....there are always some who can take criticisms and some not.

wah ur fish not eating? is she on slim10 too? hehehhe

hahaha....honestly there are really alot of skimmers out there.....but of them all which are the ones that really worked? some cost a few bucks (Jesus !!) and some cheapest S$600/- !! Skimmers help in one way or the other - but really how much it does for good (and for bad) depends on the intent of the tank. It'll be interesting to see how my minimalist tank will perform, that'll register some interesting points after some months (hope my tank won't crash or die or have algae outbreak like some postulated - and they shall have the last laughs !!!). Like i said - its wonderful to learn from one another.

Thats the prob...in all bad things there are some good things...in all good things there are something bad in it...just like the skimming - u said it rightly alanseah.

hi terryansimon (nice name) - well since we are all hobbyist, we should all learn from one another....can learn alot from one another you know? (like who knows their stuff and who not). Been through roidan's pages....it really reminds me when i was hifi-ing around previously.....lotsa upgrades here and there, tweaking here and there to get that DIFFERENCE (hope in Marine Aquarium - it'll not be the same, ie. laws of diminishing returns)...but i must say, his is a wonderful system ! but a bit too pricey (i guess) good for the LFS but not our pockets.

wow alanseah ! must take ur advice seriously ! refugium will crash my tank !! I am going to knock the head of the one who tells me this - that aquaculturist Weipro - isn't it made in Taiwan ? Hi Achilles Tang, regards to you and sending u regards from NWF (on behalf, who knows u - me kaypoh). Not that i dun believe in skimmers.......for bigger tanks yes.....my copperband currently not attacking my inverts but has pick on the feathers (naughty naughty) - not trying to prove anything, but trying to get them to get-together !!

Yes planetg - totally agree with u. I am seriously considering whether i should be getting a bigger tank (wife gonna shout at me !!!! ) then i will employ a H&S to skim. But why need so big? go to the public aquarium if wanna see big reefs heheheh or go to Maldives ! phew awesome ! But now.... to "skim" or not to skim ??? hahhahahaha Lets experiment and see how my tank will work - will add T5 and refugium progressively....in the mean time do u guys go around peoples houses to share your hobby?

Ah ha ! Michael you really do know your stuffs !!! Yes it'll take some time for the culturing in the refugium (but i will be speeding up the process u see ) No T5/Mh will not sterilise the water - but it'll help in conditioning the water dun know whats the term called..but anyway having a refugium is better in so many ways compared to a skimmer (unless i am going to have shoals of fishes swimming) I am sorry but Why H&S? because its probably the only one that will work well.

Michael - i agree with u. Not that he did not give good advice, we all know that stronger lighting and good circulation is important - but its just that conditions in the sea and aquarium is kinda different (in some ways), as it is aquacultured, it'll be more resilient in tank conditions, so experimenting and will let you guys know how it turns out in the next few months (using my tank as an experiment !! ) Of course using T5 or Mh will indefinitely be better. Just like the undergravel filtration controversy - different systems' employment are good in one way or the other (not that i fully support undergravel system) What do u feed your corals with ?? i am using coral de lux by H&S and currently employing MBF coral plancton (thought its spelt as plankton - ha ! belgians !)

If get skimmer (not the hang-on types) then need to have sump system cos H&S has no hang-on type. Although sump has many advantages, do i really need it since its only 3 ft? T5's stronger lighting will help in some ways (UV) in water and refugium will do its work in place of the skimmer.

hahahah...i am all confuse....some say skimmer better.....some say T5 & refugium better....so how ??

hahahah....thanks jd_n. Anyone going shopping (for marine stuffs of course)? next week?

Yeah agree - thinking of either getting a tank with lions only or with clown trigger

A pic of the hydnopora (aquacultured)noticed it opening up

Seahorse (Hai Bea) feeding

Feeding time

Really envy u having an all lion fish tank - thinking of having one myself

Hmmmm....... i will save the hydnopora and use it as sort of experimentation and will monitor and let u guys know the outcome (told by the one who cultured it that it should be ok, although its best to put it on higher grounds). Will get the T5 independantly and also the refugium - btw, anyone wants to get cultured hydnopora? Danano? well ok will 'speak' to him sometimes to learn from him Wow !! where do all you guys learn that much from ?? about reefing in tanks etc ?? water parameters, chemistry etc ?? textbooks ? let me know so that i can get em too and read it

wow !! that much i do not know !! points noted from all you experts out there, as we are all hobbyist - we must learn from one another ;D. The coral which looks "fake" is hydnopora - i will leave it at the bottom and see what happens. In the meantime, i will "upgrade" 2 basic items, ie. T5 and a refugium within the next few months. . 1/3 the size of my tank's sandbed for the refugium - for nitrification blah blah blah, as for skimmer really agree with Michael for overstocking the fish, but still i will leave it for a while as over skimming the tank is NOT good. Where can i get T5? and also who can customise for me my refugium (reverse flow)? any one?

Water parameters appears fine, Tank now 4 months old, below the starpolyps (acquacultured) comes with an attached piece of clam (hehhehehe) been surviving for nearly a month already.

Michael - would you care to share the lighting levels, filtration and circulation required? i will be adding more corals (sps + lps) pretty soon. Thinking of adding a refugium, comments?

Hahahah !! shrivelling piece of open brain - hope it'll survive, anyway when it came, its already in this condition. Oh yes ! the acropora (or staghorn?) is not fake - its aquacultured.

Shrimp Wandering Around. Sun Coral still has not open....sigh.....

My latest addition today ! Staghorn

I have used it - not too bad, corals staying healthy