Things we take for granted

[muck]

Originally Posted by danny zubot

Bake 1 box of baking soda at 300 degrees for an hour. This burns off 1 carbon atom creating a carbonate instead of a bi-carbonate. The result is that it raises PH where regular baking soda lowers it. You can now add 1 parts washing soda as it is now called, to 6 parts baking soda for a completely neutral 2 part ALK (carbonate hardness) buffer. Adjust your ratio accordingly to either raise or lower your Ph a bit.

Its that easy.

Do I take it out of the box first?

[danny zubot]

Yes, I usually make a tray out of foil and then place it on a cookie sheet.

[Salinity Now]

Good thread idea Neal. I'll pass one on here for ya's. Instead of going thru the hassle of getting a float switch for my quarantine tank (10gal). I went to a local veterinarian clinic and got from them a saline drip hose and adjuster thingy. You know the one I'm talkin about. I just put my water in an old 4l milk container, put it higher than my tank and adjusted the drip rate. It takes a bit of tinkering to get the right drip rate to equal the right evaporation rate, but it works great. Oh yeah, it was free!

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

You can also save money on refugium lighting by getting a clip-on lamp with a CFL 6500k Phillips Daylight bulb or an old-fashioned incandescent lighting unit, rather than getting more expensive PC or aquarium lighting.

Grows chaeto & other macro very well.

This bulb is more like 4100k to 5000k but yes it does grow macro very well.

[Chin_Lee]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

This bulb is more like 4100k to 5000k but yes it does grow macro very well.

Most of them are at that K but there are the ones at 6500 K.

[Richy44]

This bulb is more like 4100k to 5000k but yes it does grow macro very well.

I just went and bought 2 of those bulbs this afternoon. The guy at home depot showed me the different color temps on a flourescent cover. They range from from? 3000 to 6500. The daylight is supposed to be 6500K acording to the chart on the flourescent tube cover. So I purchased 2.

On another note: I use a "Nutrition Bag" with the drip adjuster to dose my tank with CA and ALK. I got mine at the local pharmacy. When I told them it was for a Marine Aquarium they gave it to me..

Richy.............

[howdy20012002]

this is what I hoped would come from this thread.
cool..
keep passing on those ideas so that we can all benefit.
Another one from me is if you mix some kalk and water together to make a watery mix and throw in some flake food..viola you have joe's juice at a 10th of the cost.
works great.

[Psyire]

If you can find 5100K go for that, it will grow macro (especially chaeto) the best.

[Scavenger]

I made some pretty effective 24 inch reflectors for my power compact actinics by buying furnace ducts (halfpipe) for 3 bucks each and polishing them with auto rubbing compound. Instant polished aluminum.

[danny zubot]

When I told them it was for a Marine Aquarium they gave it to me..

Any time I'm acquiring strange devices for a DYI project the store staff usually look at me funny, and chuckle.