have you tried ebay for a refractometer? i know last time i chckd they had tons.
ADAM

Sounds like your skimmer pump is too deep. When it's too deep, there's not enough negative pressure to draw the air all the way down to the bottom of the sump. (looks like about 16 inches?) I suggest cutting the the hose to bring the pump higher towards the surface. If you don't feel like cutting too much hose off, you can compromise and lower the sump's water level. It seems a bit high in the pic. I can't see if you've drilled your tank or using an overflow. Are you sure the sump can handle a power outtage without overflowing?

no i dont have an auto top off at this time but would like to get one. ne suggestions or pics of what u have would be nice.


here is what i am looking at for a stoking list plz give me suggestions and comments.
snails??(maybee some turbos>?)
2x skunk cleaner shrimp
2x coral banded shrimp
2x sexy shrimp
2x false percs
1x blue tang
1x lawn mower beleni
1x royal gama
1x fire fish goby
1x yellow watchman goby

my tests are still all coming 0 i am still wondering if it has alkready passed while i wasnt testing. or maybee there was little or no dieoff on my rocks because they came from another tank? how long does it usually takew for the cycle to begin. i find it hard to believe that after at least 4 weeks no cycle has started??

I think that your tank/live rock has probably cycled already or as you say perhaps there was nothing major due to using cured live rock. On your stocking list if you are going to go with Coral Banded Shrimp my experience is leave the other shrimp out as the CBS will kill them. In my 230 my CBS have killed any other shrimp I have tried to put in. I like them and they spawn in my tank and make food for the corals and fish.

Pictures of my auto-top off or livestock?

Your list seems really good. Are you intending to upgrade in the future? There is lots of talk about what size tank is or is not appropriate for tangs. Just remember to do you reasearch on tangs, and remember they grow *very* quickly. How are you choosing your livestock? Based on what they look at or their functionality? e.g. choosing cleaning shrimp for their looks, or the fact that they make a good cleaning crew addition?

I don't know much of anything about sexy shrimp so I have no advice to offer to you about them. Like Ruth mentioned some shrimp won't live with others.

Snails you have a few options, turbo, cerith, spiney, etc. Make sure you know what size they'll grow to. They do occasionally grow too large and tend to knock over coral peices, or disrupt precariously perched rocks.

Your may have had a mini-cycle, and missed it. How long have you been testing? Just to be sure I would suggest testing every second or third day for a week or two. Record your test results in a book and look it over before you add anything. If everything is staying at 0ppm, after about two weeks, you could try to start adding a few parts of your cleaning crew.

Ask around see if you can get a cup of live sand from a local. I saw you were looking for marco algae too. That will help your pod population and growth.

Everything looks good in your pictures. Just give it some time to settle and double check that there is no cycle happening.

i have been planning my additions on both compatability and preference i like color :mrgreen: i am going to be getting a book on corals--eric bonnemans are there any books on fish or inverts?

There are some really good guides on fish and inverts, unfortunatly I couldn't come up with their names to save my life right now...

Are you looking to do corals in your tank as well? Anything in particular?

i plan on keeping a hammer frogspawn various zoos xenia shrooms open brain candy cane and other softies and lps. clams anemone sps later once the tank has matured

Your tank looks kinda odd with the blue on one half and white on the other half. What kind of bulbs are you running?

i currently have a 4 x 65 watt pc unit with 3 actinics and1 10000k because one burnt out i am looking at getting 2x 175watt with 2x normal output atinics