That's not so bad, isn't there a Victoria frag swap at the end of the month? I would love to attend but I have to be in Orlando that week.

Yes I've dropped my cutters and performed a frag before too. We need to maybe have a safety string that ties around the handle and a pinky finger maybe lol.

My large hollywood stunner is on the smallest model of magfloat. I tried mounting it on the 19mm for fun and it fell down after a few minutes of the powerheads mixing things up.

why is it shipping has to be so much from the states....

Biggest waste of money ever: Hanna Phosphate Checker.

This putrid looking brown hair algae is having an absolute heyday on all the rock that was added to my stuff from the previous tank. So I do two tests tonight to determine whether my gfo needs replacing after only 2 weeks in operation.

Both tests: 0.00

When you're already ****ed because it's damn near impossible to get all the damn reagent out of those little packets let alone into the vial... and it slaps you with a zero reading twice... I damn near threw the thing out! :twised:

Had one, threw it out. :cry:

I've heard they are very particular, you have to measure exactly right and follow the instructions perfectly or they wont work. Going to try one out later on my tank, I'll let you know how it goes.

seems to be a bit cold out there this morning my dog didnt want to go out he went to the door then turned around and said screw this and went back to bed lol :p

I find measuring phosphate one of the more frustrating exercises in the domain of "measuring stuff" in this hobby. Second only to measuring potassium (which still reigns supreme, IMHO, as one of the most asinine methods of testing anything, you'd have more accurate results by licking your finger, sticking said finger into the tank, and then stating out loud, emphatically, the first random number that pops into your head. It's important that you state it out loud emphatically, if you have any hesitation or politeness in your tone when stating the number, you have to perform the test again).

Hanna sure doesn't make it convenient to get their little powdered reagents into those little test tubes, without spilling some. I've discovered a whole new repertoire of swearing thanks to those little checkers.

(At least the Alk checker uses a liquid reagent: soooo much easier to use and get consistent results.)

The best test kit I ever used for measuring PO4 was the D-D/Merck low-range kit. You can't get it anymore. Which is a real shame, it was the ONLY test kit I found you could really have any confidence in the numbers produced... Every other one, Hanna included, you really have to take the results with a small grain of salt.

That dissapoints me, I thought I was doing well with the Hanna as my results seemed to drop steadily when I was using it to test while bumping up my pellets. Now I'm doubting my numbers. You couldn't let me live in my own happy little world could you! :D

You're one of the weird ones IMO. Which, don't get me wrong, I WISH I was one of the weird ones who can discern a deterministic trend when testing PO4.

Everytime I've complained about the numbers I get, I get 1 of 3 potential replies (I even took my concerns to Hanna directly when I was using the predecessor of the checker, a larger blue coloured photometer that retailed at the time closer to $300 :neutral: )

1) Your PO4 is low enough, stop whining (never mind the PO4 related symptoms in the tank they must be because you are crazy)

2) Those variable readings are well within the specified error range, so you must be crazy

3) Mine works just fine so you must be crazy. I just took a single test reading on my tank, it said 0.00, and I only need one test per year to know that this is correct.

4) (I never said I could count) Did you try cleaning your test vial? It has to be very clean. Oh you clean the test vial beforehand? Then you must be crazy. Oh wait, did you try cleaning it with RO/DI? Oh you did. Well fine then, you must be crazy.

If someone would just hand me the @#$%!!! koolaid, I would happily drink it.

^^^^^^ So, tell me how you really feel!!^^^^^^ That was a good Monday morning read...lololol

I think I got a reading of 0.01 once on the 97g but otherwise my tests are always 0.00 and I am following the instructions to a t.

So what's the accepted excuse these days for zero readings and lots of algae? Since mine is only on my new rock I was guessing that the p04 is leached from those rocks and used 'on-site' before it can get into the water column. Don't even know if that's possible... I mean the rock has a billion nooks and crannies without algae so wouldn't it get into the water still? Also the stuff is growing on my powerheads even worse than the new rock.

0.00 <- Oh boy!

It's an odd feeling to feel like idiot for having something that doesn't work for so many people work for me.. I watched it go from .04 to .03 to .001 to .00, low reading confrirmed by a Seachem test kit, but who know's ho reliable the Seachem test is as well.

Dunno what to think now.

Oh I forgot to list that one. I knew there was another one I was missing. Yeah, that's an accepted excuse: that the algae is absorbing it and therefore there's nothing left to test.

Seems reasonably plausible to me I suppose.

So the p04 moves so quickly in the water to be used for algae on my powerheads that the test kit can't detect it eh? nuts! I'll try turning all flow off to slow down the p04. Also someone told me p04 moves slower in chillier water so I'll shut my heaters off too!

I'll retest with slower p04 and hopefully grab some! I'll let you guys know =)

The last time I tested my pO4 the readings were so high they were off the chart, pretty sure that hasn't changed since I'm having cyano issues. It'll be interesting to see what the Hanna checker says.

i just quit checking for phos, i run gfo so the way i see it is if they are there then im not gonna add anything else so i just change my gfo every 6 wks.

since i have no algae besides some film on the glass im assuming they are absorbed or used up through my fuge in either case im happy.


nitrates is a diff story i do nothing for them so they go up and down

thats some hungry powerheads lol how about your fuge brett mybe your macro is using it all up??

I just added a ball of chaeto 2 days ago so that's not it I don't think.

I'm still left wondering if I should replace my GFO or not... it's not cheap so I'm hesitant to just toss it after 2 weeks... :twised:

The alternative is to 'wait and see' but if this crap grows back on my powerheads and other areas it'll be another few hours of cleaning up the mess!

Mentos, the freash maker :lol:

Pic's 5, 6, 7, 8.

http://theberry.com/2012/01/12/you-s...ter-33-photos/

I need to get that prank off on someone....

I don't even check for PO4 anymore. Waste of time IMO, at least until they come up with a reliable test kit.

:lol: some of those are pretty good, I'd love to try #13 and see the looks I'd get!

Maybe this is a stupid thought, but why not test for PO4 before the lights come on? This way the algae has been resting all night and not consuming it.

:lol: is it wrong to laugh at your poor frogfish when he pushes off the rock to grab a piece of krill and ends up doing a backwards somersault through the water and bumps into a coral? I kinda felt bad for him (seems totally fine now) but dang that was funny to watch :lol:

I am in a state of total f-ing shock right now!!

My neighbour to the east, who I have done work for, helped move bales for nothin & supported all his kids in there 4h fundraiser's...........shot & killed my 2yr old male Husky because he thought it was going to hurt one of his dumb arse cows.!!

SERIOUSLLY!!! How can a 70 lbs dog hurt a 1000 lbs cow!!

He called & asked if I was missing a dog, I said I was not sure but would come right over to see if it was mine or someone else. Took less then 5 min for me to get there. From the time he called to the time I arrived he had already shot my Hurc..........wife is hysterical, kids are balling & I want to cause some major pain.




REST IN PEACE my boy, my friend, my buddy, my Hercules, I already miss you so.

wow id beat him bad my dogs my kid ya know:) sorry buddy

thats tuff to even comment on in a pg-13 manor...

wtf???

^^^^^^^^^^^^:cry::cry:
Sorry Greg, I just met that dog on Saturday too! a gentle giant for sure.. poor pup R.I.P. poor little hound

sooooo sorry Gregster:sad:

dude there are no words i too would be livid... especially since he called first.

:jaw: I'm so sorry to hear that Greg, that's truly horrible :cry:

Such an awful thing to have happen. I feel for you and your family.

anybody feel like a steak?:twised::snipersm:.....j/k

good point...wouldn't want that cow causing harm at your place...

That's terrible Greg sorry to hear.

Wow OMG that's appalling. I hope you can pursue some kind of legal action.

Your poor pup. :( What terrible news. I am so very sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear Greg. I know how you feel, I'd be "talking" to him all over the yard.

Very dark, evil, twisted, sadistic, vengeful, morbid thoughts running threw my head causing me so much pain ATM. I have never wish harm to come to anyone in my life before until now. He killed a member of our family for no reason and there is nothing I can do about it. There is a law that states he can shot any animal if he feels it is causing harm to his livestock. For god sake he raises them to be slaughtered.

Hercules is the one in the front center laying down

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...R/2a004a10.jpg

What is wrong with people, pets are family.
Very sorry for your family's loss Greg.
I know how I would feel if it was one of my dogs.

To me, causing harm is an act. If there are no signs of harm, I'd go after him.

Sorry for your loss, I couldn't imagine :sad: