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Subject: Aquarium Pictures and Thanks
Penny,
I have
enclosed some pictures of my recent 90
gallon upgrade from my 40 gallon breeder
tank. The 90 gallon is SO MUCH BETTER!
Size does seem to matter with
Aquariums....I hope I can convince my
wife to upgrade to a 220 gallon in a few
years. I have implemented most of
your teachings in this tank, and it is
working out wonderful! I have a nice 6
inch sand bed with Agaramax on the
bottom and Seaflor on the top, which
should start helping take care of
nitrates. I set up a sump in this thank
with 2 overflows feeding it and using a
Mag 18 for circulation, and I am getting
at least 12-13 turn over rate though the
sump and add the 2 Maxijet 1200....I am
getting between 15-18 turn over rate in
the tank.
My sump is a
30 Long Aquarium, separated out with the
overflow and skimmer in 1 section, some
baffles to decrease bubbles, the large
return pump area, and a refugium that is
fed from the return pump and flows back
down into the return area. I have used
your advice and have my RO/DI water
using a float valve for automatic water
top offs, and also have the RO/DI going
into a 13 gallon kitchen trash can under
the tank for saltwater mixing. The
automation you recommended has been
GREAT...and has saved me many trips up
and down into the basement to get top
off and mixed salt water...my back
thanks you. And weekly water changes
are a breeze...and only take about 10
minutes.
I have a
open top...mostly. I have a 260 Watt
Compact Florescent fixture that I had
when the 90 gallon was a freshwater
tank, and changed to 10K bulbs. I also
had my old regular florescent fixture
that I fitted with 2 x 40 watt Actinics
(with just 2 small pieces of glass to
protect the bare bulbs from water
splashes)...giving me a total of 3.8
watts per gallon...not the best
yet...but I hope to upgrade to metal
halides in the future. I also have
the tank set with dusk to dawn lighting
with reverse lighting in the refugium to
help balance out the pH changes that
occurs at night.
The clean up
crew I bought from you is doing a great
job...I could use a few more emerald
crabs though. The sixline wrasse I
bought last week is doing great...and
has as big a belly as when you had
him. He is eating very well.
I was so
glad I could stock up on the Tropic
Marin Pro Reef salt during the sale. I
have been using that salt since you
introduced it to me 1.5 years ago.
Before that I was using a "less reef
friendly" salt mix and had to add a lot
of Calcium and Alk increaser to keep
things at bare minium. Since switching
to Tropic Marin Pro Reef, I have not add
much for additives at all...unless I get
behind on my water changes.
I would like
to thank you very much for all your help
and expertise is helping me set up my
tanks. They are doing wonderful and are
low maintenance with all your
suggestions and advice. My wife and
boys really enjoyed their visit last
week and your new store and it is
wonderful for kids to enjoy. The boys
really liked watching "Fish TV" in your
wonderful tanks while I looked for
purchases. I have enclosed pictures of
my 90 gallon...the tank looks even
better in person that with pictures.
Thanks again
for all your help and I hope I get to
visit Fairfield a little more often.
Steve Charles
Greene, Maine
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