Recent content by kbuser92

Welcome! Unfortunately, this forum isn't as active as it once was, but hopefully that changes! Sounds like you're on the right path. I would take the charcoal and ammonia pellets out of that canister and just throw in a bunch of live rock. That has always worked well for me. Sounds like...

A little bit of both. The brace IS structural (keeping the middle of the long sides from bowing out and keeping the top corners together), but that little but shan't hurt a thing. I've done the same before (though for different reasons - had to do with auto top off) and never had any troubles. I...

Hiya! Can't wait to see pictures!

Lookin good! I love clowns; they were my first saltwater fish. Snowflakes are at the top of my list, too.

Welcome! I can't wait to see what you do with that tank!

That's a nice looking setup! Generally speaking, news don't do well in small tanks. You'll find various advice but common consensus is nothing under 75-100 gallons. They're very sensitive and it's difficult to maintain a stable enough environment in a small tank. I wish you the best of luck and...

Welcome back Monk! Not many folks here these days but I try to check in occasionally. I'm hoping to get settled somewhere soon where I can build a tank again, too, but no such luck yet. Keep us posted and don't forget the pics!

That is popeye. It can result from a bacterial infection, in which case the entire tank needs to be treated with an antibiotic, or from trauma (something scared it and it swam right in to something). Keep the water clean and frequently changed and dose with an antibiotic if you need to. Be...

With caution in a large enough tank, yes, in theory. Watch them closely and be ready to move or remove one. Powders are very susceptible to ich, though, so keep an eye on that as well.

More familiar faces!!

@little_fish! I was hoping to see some old faces! I think the forums pretty much fell apart after I left sometime around 2012; everyone else seemed to lose time or interest around then. I'm hoping to get back into it some day but it may be another year or two. Congrats on getting so close to...

Hi gypsy! Welcome back!

I've always like a pair of clowns and maybe a sand-sifting goby in a tank like that. Make sure you have a well-stocked clean-up crew. For corals, make sure you have proper flow and lighting. 20x turnover for soft corals, 30x for LPS and 40x for SPS. Most quality T5 will support softies and LPS...

If it was not in water, it is dry rock and will become live over time.

Yes, live rock is absolutely necessary. The "live" part refers to the bacterium that reside within the porous structure if the rock. All rock will, over time, become "live" but it is beneficial to kickstart the process by adding a few chunks of purchased live rock. I've always started with...