'loose rock' reef
I'm not into gluing rock unless I just want to make a bigger rock.
I build a reef that's easy to unbuild and rebuild---there are reasons that come along.

How I do it.
I lay down a layer of eggcrate lighting grid to prevent point load on the bottom glass, I place several ugly and large rocks to use as pillars to support the rest, I add my sand---which leaves the tops of the pillar rocks exposed. I then set a bowl in the sand and start adding water---the...

I've been researching salt water tanks off and on since 2003. I first registered with Reef Central in 2005 as NixPack. I have since forgotten my password and no longer have my old email address so I can't access that account.

I've had a Biocube 14, brand new in the box, sitting in my basement since 2009. One thing or another kept us (husband and I), from starting our tank. Two weeks ago I bought a Biocube LED 16 and we started cycling the tank July 22, 2017.

We...

[ATTACH]116[/ATTACH]More Pictures from the first 9 days of cycling.

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Aiptasia. Baaaad. We killed him.

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Mojana...bad news bears. We killed him.

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[QUOTE=aquavista99;24537604]It has been a few years in the making, but when my wife and I decided to move to our forever house in the Summer of 2013, we encountered a small problem...the only way I could fit my dream reef aquarium into our new house was to build the entire project on site in my basement. Somehow I was able to convince Reef Savvy to close up shop for two weeks and fly up to Ohio from Miami, Fla. to build my dream tank.

I would like to start off this journey by thanking...

"In chemistry, pH (potential of hydrogen) is a numeric scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution."---wiki. Ie, is your water acidic like lemon juice---or alkaline like a desert pool?
On that scale, battery acid (ph of 1) and drain cleaner (ph of 12)---both extremes can burn.
Your tank should be between 7.9 and 9 for the comfort of fishy skin and gills.

BUT--- ph in a marine tank wanders all over the map during a given day. Pretty...