I am trying to finish the design for my stand and am trying to figure out the ideal height to run my 4x t5 fixture at. I setup a ghetto system to figure out PAR. At 7.5" above the tank, I am getting 115 to 120 PAR.

84 is hotter than I would run for most tanks, barring discus or another specifically warm water tank. I would search on your livestock. Additionally, a lot of plants don't like going over 80 from what I have heard, but never run a tank that high. As for cooling it down, there are 3 primary methods. ...

Has anyone ever tried these? What was the success rate? Worth it?

I have been using flickr to host photos here. Find the medium format works best (this may have improved with the new site, haven't tried yet. Get the bbcode, must be in desktop mode and click the share button. Only downside is it contains a ton of url crap in the code to trim.

The major question here is how far off are you. If you put a tank on the stand(not filled with water), can you slide a piece of paper under it? Credit card? More? If its just a piece of paper, a foam board underneath can filled the gap. If it's more than a credit card, not sure on the best way to do...

I used plastic knitting mesh from Michaels a few years ago and it worked. I would recommend scuffing it up a bit for a better surface for the moss to attach. Also, remember, unless you cover the vast majority, it will take quite a while for it to look full.

I have been using the flipper nano cleaners for a few years now and they work great. I just tried the plastic attachment for the first time on my 3/4 acrylic on the 180. It didn't appear to put any scratches in the acrylic and was pretty quick for 16sq ft of viewing panel. Additionally, they are pri...

To add, one of the major things I would like to achieve is bringing out the colors in my altums. The current leds excel at bringing out the golds in the body, but the blues on the top of the fish when the fish are in the right place facing the right direction... and reds in the fins are only availab...

I am thinking of moving to a t5 hybrid for my 180. With black Friday around the corner, trying to get people's thoughts. I think a 2 bulb t5 will be more than enough for the 180 and help provide a little more fill light, currently unable to grow plants under the java fern. I am going to keep my plan...

I am pretty sure I will be there, barring work schedule changes. I will bring some beef, pork, or bambi.