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View Full Version : Do you have GAS? (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)


hot4teacher
08/27/2006, 05:18 AM
When I was big into guitars, I prowled the appropriate forums and there was a term called Gear Acquisition Syndrome, or GAS.

You know, we'd all have the "what's next on our list of wants"...things like pedals, new effects board, new amp, new guitar...

I see that GAS has ruled my world ever since Mipe (Mike) has unleashed this addiciton called reef aquariums. It started off with a canister filter, more live rock, skimmer, then bigger tank, bigger skimmer, bigger lights...and it seems like it never stops.

Well, that frickin Mike had got me all worked up with his pics of his zoo growth and his constant "in your face" emails and phone calls, so I decided to 'sack up' and shell out the $$ for a T5 package. Talk to Mipe (Mike, aka Dastank) and he will likely sell you into it as he did me.

Don't get me wrong, I think my PC's did a pretty good job. I had ok zoo growth and it has sustained my clams...but I need that little more umph to shove it back in Mike's face! (And have a nice zoo farm to look at while working).

So what's next on your list?

Dana

fdokinawa
08/27/2006, 05:50 AM
I'm pretty happy where im at right now.. :) altho I do need a new chiller, only because my old one broke..lol

vest0830
08/27/2006, 06:35 AM
next on my list...to get my real sump/fuge running. the 20 keg tub is working great dont get me wrong, but I wanna get it set-up 'right'. hopefully by this time next weekend it will be 'right'.

From there, idk. just let the tank do its thing for awhile. There is lots of coral in it to make a nice 'reef' so it just needs to grow. My carpet anenome is getting big, very fast, so is the BTA. (its probably doubled in size) so im gonna have to watch those. I might add more fish. A blue tang and some more clowns maybe.

I know Jeff has some serious plans........

Sangogo
08/27/2006, 09:00 PM
I definitely feel you there. I always feel like I could upgrade, even though I probably don't need to.

Better lighting would be unnecessary since I mostly have LPS now which barely make use of my MH as is. (I have the lowest wattage MH available, since that is all the voltage Minato-ku can spare.) I may just pick up a bluer bulb in a few months though. My colors never look as good as at the store.

Better skimmer would be nice, given that every website is in disagreement on the capacity of the skimmer I use. But probably unnecessary since most sites seem to say it is enough and I really don't wish to overskim.

I did pick up a neat product in place of a bigger skimmer though. http://www.geocities.jp/mongara81/tuika/kaiyouseki.html As you can see, it looks like a bunch of silly rocks that you shake up and pour the water into the tank. But the reviews on the BBS were really good, including that many people stopped having problems with ich and had better polyp extension. My clownfish died in a fit of madness from a non-ich parasite this past week (as if getting less than 4 hours a sleep a night last week due to a crazy deal wasn't bad enough), so it seemed worth substantiating these claims. From what I can tell, it is the easy equivalent to running carbon. My corals all have better extension just after only a few days of pouring it in, and it encourages me to actually top off the water. I added some new fish to make up for the clown (though the store was out of medium clowns, so I had to settle for three tiny clowns and a small tang) and hope for the best. It does seem to lower pH a bit though. But my corals don't seem to be complaining, so neither will I for the moment.

Dana, since you are in Hachioji (about an hour from here), I thought I'd ask. Which stores are you going to? There is one in Machida that I highly recommend. They have awesome weekend sales.

hot4teacher
08/28/2006, 03:59 AM
My girlfriend lives in Machida, and I go past a Tropi-Land on Rt16 when I am going home...have never stopped in.

For all of my hardware and such, I've ordered off the Internet. For livestock, I've gone to P.D.'s ( http://www.pdnettaigyo.co.jp/ )but I will be very honest...I hate buying anything from them because it is always diseased and sickly.

I have gone to Tropi-Land near Kodaira (adjacent to kodaira Cemetery) on Rt 5 (Ome Kaido?) and their livestock looks better, prices are a little higher...but Ive still had the same results with their livestock too. (High percentage of fatality). They usually don't make it through quarantine, but if they do, I still have them.

All of my zoos and clams have come from PPM Okinawa. Great prices comapred to locally and top notch stuff...compared the the nearly dead livestock here.

Dana

vest0830
08/28/2006, 04:14 AM
You should order clams from aqua culture okinawa.
you could get 5 clams from ACO for the price of 1 clam at PPM>

MDP
08/28/2006, 04:54 AM
Hi Hot4teacher.

Matt from Tokyo here.

Don't bother with Tropiland. If you are disappointed with PD then Tropiland will leave you more so. There is a very limited selection and the stock is not the healthiest by a long way.

If you carry on down Rt 16 you will come to a shop called Tiara. They have a massive selection of hardware, mosrt at discounted prices (although the Marine stuff is steep, but isn't it everywhere!).

There is a good selection of fish on the second floor and bargains can be had form the bagged and ready to go fish in the slae racks.

A word of warning here, I would never introduce anything from this shop without a thorough QT first. As with many of the shops in Japan, the fish may well have een out of the shipping bag for less than 24 hours when you buy it. As long as you QT you can't go wrong here. I've been shopping at Tiara since 2001 and the only time I've had losses was when I skipped QT (early days).

Tiara have a website. Link is:

http://www.1123.jp/

Interesting to see a few more reefers in the Kanto area.

Regards

MDP
08/28/2006, 05:00 AM
Evening Vest.

Anyone got any pics from ACO? I'd love to have a look and will certainly be popping in for a visit on my next visit to Okinawa (that'll be visit 16 in 5 years). You guys are so lucky living there. I've been all over Japan and I just keep on returning to Okinawa Prefecture.

Not wanting to hijack this thread, but do you guys on the ground down there have any recommendations for decent boats to go out fishing for yellowfin. Thinking about taking my oldest boy out on the next visit.

Cheers

Matt

fdokinawa
08/28/2006, 05:47 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8027736#post8027736 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MDP
Evening Vest.

Anyone got any pics from ACO? I'd love to have a look and will certainly be popping in for a visit on my next visit to Okinawa (that'll be visit 16 in 5 years). You guys are so lucky living there. I've been all over Japan and I just keep on returning to Okinawa Prefecture.

Not wanting to hijack this thread, but do you guys on the ground down there have any recommendations for decent boats to go out fishing for yellowfin. Thinking about taking my oldest boy out on the next visit.

Cheers

Matt

get ahold of Jeff.. he should be able to hook you up with a captain..

hot4teacher
08/28/2006, 05:53 AM
I am a firm believer in QT. I would have 2 QT tanks running at all times. Especially looking at all the fish with ich and lord knows what else, they would go a minimum of 6 weeks before they were sent to the display.

My problem was not having a medicine chest full of every med known to man for all of these diseases. Of course they didn't have any of the correct meds locally, and by the time it made it to my door from being shipped from the U.S., they were in a sad state, if not already dead. (For the record, you can't believe how many LFS will sell you copper to treat EVERYTHING!)

I will have to take a trip to Tiara one day.

Thanks for the heads up!

Dana

Sangogo
08/28/2006, 06:15 AM
Yep, Tiara is the store I was talking about. I used to shop elsewhere, but now I only get my fish from Tiara. Awesome weekend sales and one time the salesperson gave me a discount. (It's nice being female.)

I'm planning to head up to Tiara in mid-Sept during a specific weekend sale (I think it's the second week). Want to meet up? (This is to both Dana and Matt.)

I thought Tropiland was in Machiya. Or do they have locations in both Machida and Machiya?

jeffb3t
08/28/2006, 06:23 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8027826#post8027826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fdokinawa
get ahold of Jeff.. he should be able to hook you up with a captain..

Yeah, I know a couple and Mike does too so you will be in good hands. Besides, we are always looking to go out.

hot4teacher
08/28/2006, 06:25 AM
I'm not sure where Machiya is. It could very well be where the TropiLand on Rt 16 is. Does this one look like it was a warehouse at one time? 2 big roll up doors on the front?

I'll have my girlfriend look at the site and help me out. Sure, maybe we could meet there one day. Maybe we could think about trading some zoos down the road. (I'd have to learn how to frag them...growing them seems to be the easy part).

Dana

MDP
08/28/2006, 06:31 AM
Great idea.

I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to Zoos. I'm currently growing on metallic pinks, matt orange, matt green and all the green/orange intermediaries. Also have gold Palys, brown palys, Red PPEs and green palys everywhere. Finally a small frag of blue with a green skirt that is growing out nicely.

I also have a fair bit of Orange Monti cap as well as assorted shrooms. All this is in my greenhouse (Thanks to Anthony Calfo's book).

Matt

Sangogo
08/28/2006, 06:47 AM
I'm not much of a zoo fan, but if anyone knows how to frag them, I'd love to share whatever is in my tank. (Mostly LPS right now.) While playing the waiting game with some clients last week, I got hooked on Yahoo/MSN auctions and now have a bunch of random new things in my tank.

vest0830
08/28/2006, 07:03 AM
Matt, we should be able to send you home with some Zoos when you come down. trust me on that. lol.

MDP
08/28/2006, 07:28 AM
Thanks all.

Vest. That sounds great.

In the meantime is there anything I have that you might like?

Hope to be down in December for a few days.

Where are you guys located? We normally stay in the Onna region (Manza, Renaisance (because it is great to go reefwaliking with the kids on the beach next door). Area in front of the Rizzan was interesting. Saw a fair amount of Montis and pistol shrimps everywhere). Also like staying here so that we can go to the Tsubaki Izakaya (across the road from the Shell gas station), good local food and fish and friendly staff.

Matt

vest0830
08/28/2006, 05:49 PM
We are spread out through-out the Chatan/Awase/Yotimon area.
I live in Chatan (on Camp Foster) FD and Don I believe, are in the Awase area, Jeff and Mike (dastank) are both in the Yotimon area. We will put together a party for you when you come down.

Just bring whatever. I dont wanna speak for everyone else, but i'm always open to different coral.

Donstuprich
08/28/2006, 06:06 PM
I actually live in kita. I'm right out the globe and anchor gate. Most def have to take you to get 500y clams :)

MDP
08/30/2006, 06:42 AM
Thanks guys.

That sounds great.

I'll get fraggin so I can bring a decent size box down by way of an intro to you all.

Will be great to meet some other Engish speaking reefers. I sometimes feel like I'm the only one here.

Looking forward to seeing what Zoos you have and as for the 500 yen clams! How'd you know I was a clam nut as well. Yes please!! (have a few from the Kosetsuichiba in Naha, rescued from the Sashimi tanks!).

BTW any of you have any Chaeto? So far I've always used Umibudo (Grape Caulerpa) but it is a bugger to remove and each bubble that finds it's way into the main tank seems to start a new colony. Not exactly ideal.

fdokinawa
08/30/2006, 07:26 AM
Jeff has a TON of chaeto he will be more that happy to give you im sure.. lol he keeps trying to pawn it off on us. =P

MDP
08/30/2006, 07:43 AM
Oh Wow!!

I'm going to pm Jeff. I've been after chaeto for so long.

Thank you thank you.

hot4teacher
09/15/2006, 08:16 AM
More gas!

Got the lights up , just waiting on the fans to come...thinking about a closed loop now.

jeffb3t
09/15/2006, 06:39 PM
Man, You sound like me now. I have a room dedicated as my " stuff" room. I can barely walk in it right now. Right now there is a couple tanks, a bunch of aquarium parts and a spare car engine.