Recent content by Bwidner

So I am having a pretty large issue with Mg and I really do not understand it at all....the test kit is Sera and not expired, ran the test 3 times. Two weeks ago added some corals to the tank, KH dropped from 9 to 5 in a week and I have since made two water changes and dosed to get it back up...

Ok so I am running out of ideas with my nitrate issue that started due to a bad test kit. I really feel like there is a nitrate factory somewhere in my tank that I can not find. I have been vodka dosing for almost 2 months now with next to no results other than phosphates going from .5 to...

So with MCF closing I need to find a new LFS, I know about New fish, old town, and Old Orchard....but is there anything else that close? Everyone talks about the places in Lisle and Mundelein, but honestly thats further than I am interested in driving to go see what they have and I am feeling...

Hey guys I was just wondering if there are any stores on the north side or in the closer suburbs that are good for freshwater? I got my neices their fish from the Petsmart in village crossing, but my Dad just mentioned picking up a 42g Bowfront and asked if I knew of any good stores that...

Is thermal paste really needed? I thought I had some around the house and couldn't find any, that plus the radio shack or the best buy by me don't carry it, was hoping to at least start getting everything mounted this week, and it seems either online or a trip to microcenter will be needed if i...

So I just received mine yesterday, and was amazed by the directions of 1 tbsp per 10 gallons....Is this accurate? It will be in a media bag in the media basket of my NC 28, for the time being until I set up a reactor once the sump is set up. Obviously with the 10 second rinse time that they...

SO I am going to start the dosing today, I have detectable nitrate and phosphates and just can not seem to get them to undetectable unless I do a huge water change, I have been doing double the change each week and running kent phosphate sponge since I found out I had two bad test kits. Here...

Anyone have any suggestions on somewhere local(in the city or close burbs) that sells heatsinks? They are cheap online of course but shipping is not so much.

So just over two months ago I decided to give SPS another shot in this nano and picked up a Poker Star Monti, and slimer frag, and a birdnest frag, they all did good, the birdnest ecrusting and starting to grow another brnach from the encrusting, the monti slowly encrusting, so after a month I...

I unfortunately missed MACI due to those stupid things called business trips....so anyway I was really interested in the reef ball workshop and was very curious. Can you guys who did it post pics of how you are going to use them?

So I am building a sump today, previously in my large tank I had one as well but the total volume for the tank was about 185 gallons, with this I had both a carbon and a gfo reactor. What does everyone do that is not running reactors with this? I figured I could replace the filter floss with...

So I set up a tank for my neices as their christmas present(they always want to come over to visit Nemo, not me)and there is a lot of algae build up going on, I dont know if it is normal or not(havent done freshwater in like 15 years)and just wanted to get some advice here. Stock list 3 neon...

I remember reading either on these forums or on the cmas a bunch of people saying that the glass from picture frames that are at the dollar store work great for 10g baffles. Going to be building the sump out tonight/tommorrow and wanted to see what the thought was on doubling them up or just...

So I have been messing around light ideas for the last 2 months and keep finding a con to everything and wondering if there is anyway I can talk the people I work with at Ecotech to get me a Radion at half price lol. Anyway I know that won't happen and I have no intentions on spending $700 on...

So I picked up a new Hammer from Mcf last weekend and after acclimation it opened right up and had been looking really happy, wed when I got home from work one head was slightly receded for an hour or so but then opened back up so I just figured a crab or one of the shrimp pissed it off...