Subject: Lemon Peel and Aiptasia

Hi Penny, 
Just wanted to say, thank you for your advise on the Lemon peel Angel. Like Leaslie, I too had a problem with aiptasia. After the first couple of weeks I didn't see any difference, and didn't think it was going to work.  However, today when I was cleaning the tank, they were almost gone. It seems that Mr. Lemon Peel has munched most of the pesky aiptasia away.  I still have a couple of large ones in the tank, but the smaller ones are gone and I am confident that he will clean up the rest of the problem.  Thanks for all you do!

Kelly
Burnham, ME

4/08:  Happy 1 Year Birthday!  Customer Tank:  Tom & Dawn's 90 Gallon!
I am proud to feature this tank.  Setup using the AquaCorals "recipe" Tom & Dawn's tank has blossomed & "grown" in just a few months.  Click on any of the pictures to see a larger, more detailed version.

3/07 - Newly set up.  Only 2 coralline "seed" rocks.	6/07 - In just 3 months!!
	4/08 & what a beautiful transformation & gorgeous reef tank!  Tom & Dawn's tank is a true testament to the success of this system as well as to their personal commitment to it. Congratulations Tom & Dawn & Happy Birthday!  :c)

Subject: Thank You 

Penny,
I just wanted to send you a quick email to say thank you.  My wife and I were very impressed by you and your store.  It is nice to see a store owner care for their live stock as much as the people purchasing it does.  Unfortunately that is not always the case in your profession.  The Xenia is doing great.  Opened immediately once in the tank, and has since attached itself to the rock is was placed on, and the snails...  Their never ending appetite is amazing.  They will have the tank spotless in no time.  Again thanks and we are looking forward to seeing you again.  You and your store are well worth the trip.
Aaron & Rachel
Berwick, ME

Subject: Xenia Split

Hi Penny,
I came back to Bangor today after visiting my parents & stopped into the office and my Xenia is now two Xenia's! It's amazing how quickly this Canary Coral has grown. Everything's looking really nice. ... I was in Portland this weekend and checked out another reef/saltwater store. The corals were bleaching or bleached, some of the fish were not healthy (or reef safe),  one tank had two huge Aptasia's growing in it, and the way the water was circulated was leaving bubbles all over the coral, many of the corals were dying, they had a what would have been a beautiful pink hammer coral that was down for the count. There were so many customers in the store buying things left and right. This experience made me aware of the knowledge I have gained since being introduced into this hobby, following your advice and learning from your experience has made me a more knowledgeable  consumer, and a more competent reefer. I want to express my thanks for the help and wisdom you've shared with me as my mentor.
Have a great week,
Scott M.
Old Town, ME

My first meeting with Penny was information, reassuring, and comforting to know I could turn my failures into success. She was so knowledgeable and so accessible to me. I have been working with Penny for well almost four years and have been extremely successful with my current corals and fish tank.  Television is a thing of the past. I love sitting in front of my fish tank for hours enjoying the fish and admiring how beautiful the aquascape is.
Penny is more than an expert at saltwater aquariums. She's a friend. Thank you for helping me be confident and successful in this fun hobby.
Sincerely,
Johnna Bowen
Benton, ME

Can you believe that almost a year has passed since I first walked into your shop? It was Labor Day weekend that I had set up a saltwater tank with no knowledge of how to do so. I had visited your shop many months prior to that, but hadn't convinced myself to take the plunge yet. It was on my mind though, that's why I got it going on Labor Day. Then I  decided to take a little trip to see your place. That was the beginning of my reef addiction for sure! !!!! I remember clearly when I told you how I had my sand placed in it, you said I had it backwards. I had coarse on bottom and fine on top You said fine goes on bottom-coarse on top. I was so ticked that I hadn't come to you sooner. I had worked all day getting it set up wrong. haha. So, reluctantly, I went home, drained it, took out what seemed to be a ton of sand, removed all of the rocks, put it all back correctly. got the sump set up, hooked up the overflow box (another one of your suggestions when I was there) and away we went again! Only this time, it was right. It worked and I have a beautiful tank to show for it. I may have ignored someone else, but the appearance of your shop with its beauty and comfy atmosphere made me feel so good that I wanted to have a tank of my own that made me feel that way.  And now I do. My husband was sold on your ideas from the beginning. He said that your shop was so beautiful that it was apparent that you knew what you were doing and that we should listen to you.  Since then I've had some beautiful corals from your shop and many I've split, many have grown so much that I had to set up a new tank. Ya right! Had too?? This hobby has truly consumed me. Its the best hobby I've ever had in my life. I enjoy it every day and never get tired of looking at it or taking care of it. I faithfully do 10% water changes every week .My tank perimeters are always perfect and the water is always crystal clear. I wouldn't have this beautiful tank if it wasn't for you, your advice, helpful hints, know how and most of all your patience.  You taught me how to set a tank up that would remain stable and beautiful for years to come.   I now have one beautiful tank and another heading in that direction.

See you soon!
Thank you so much.
Glenda Knowlan
Wayne, ME

I will speak to you soon.....thanks again Penny.

Brian, New Jersey

Hi Penny,
When I was setting up my reef, I went with all of the equipment you recommended with one exception.  I decided that I could save some money if I bought an RO/DI filter on EBay instead of getting the Kent Ro filter that you recommended.

As my reef settled down from all the cycling and expected initial algae blooms etc, I seemed to be contending with much more algae, planaria, and cyano than I should have.  I wasn’t overfeeding, lighting was appropriate, I added an additional powerhead to eliminate flow as a potential cause, and finally I had my water tested for TDS.  The output of my DI was reading 33 TDS.  DI should be at zero and RO should be far below 33 itself.

I finally listened to you and bought a Kent RO filter.  I haven’t tested the TDS of the new RO, but I don’t have to.  The difference has been more apparent with every weekly water change I’ve done since.   Algae growth has slowed to the point now that it’s not growing back where I remove it from.  I have not had any cyano trying to take hold since the first new Ro water change.  The top of my sand is staying much cleaner with each change.  The coloring of the sand bed against the glass is becoming much less pronounced  again with each change.  The growth of green on the inside of my glass has slowed considerably as well.

In short, as you said, the Kent Ro filter made a huge difference.  Trying to save that money up front was certainly not worth it with all the additional work and aggravation over the past months.   Thank you for recommending top quality products like this! 
Thanks
Paul - NH

Hi Penny, 

Drew, Greensboro, NC

Jason, Bradenton, Fl

To: penny@aquacorals.com
Subject: Shipment arrived! 

Hello Penny,...from Tennessee.  I had talked to you today about not being able to track a shipment.  Don't know if you remember or not, but you said if I hadn't gotten it by the time I got home from work, then I should forward the email you had sent of it being shipped.  I just wanted to let you know that the shipment had arrived by the time I got home and everything made it fine.  Thank you for all your help and patience.  I'll be looking for you guys/gals in the future.  Thanks again!!

Richard, Tennessee

Subject: My Tank 

Hi Penny,

Just letting you know how much you have helped me with my tank. when I started with saltwater the LFS told me I would need 2 inches of sand. I had problems with nitrates always running around 20 ppm. After talking with you and putting in a deep sandbed my nitrates are at 0 :). This past week my tank leaked I put everything into totes and 5 gal buckets. After trying to repair the leak and having to buy a new tank 3 days passed. I did not loose anything. My Zoanthids, clove polyps, cabbage corals opened right up, my xenia took 2 days to start opening up :). Think you for all the help. I enjoy talking with you and looking at all the corals. I learned a lot from you.

Carl Creamer

Subject: Proof sand bed works 

Hi Penny:

As I was telling you in your store the other day, I am now a firm believer in a deep sand bed.

We set up our 90 Gallon tank in 2000 and have spent the past 6 years battling Nitrates.  We had mechanical "over the back" filtration and not even an inch of crushed coral for our bottom.  Even with water changes, we have battled with losses greatly over the past 6 years.  About a little over a month ago, we bought the supplies for a six inch deep sand bed from Penny, and that in addition with the live rock we did already have, along with taking the top off......... we dropped our Nitrate levels greatly over the past month!!!!!!!!  It truly is the way to go!!!

 Kristina and Mark

To: penny@aquacorals.com

Hi Penny,
I must say you were right about those little green pest anemones being a potential problem, like I said to you today in your store, they definitely stung my neon green BTA to death. I've decided to get rid of them and try my luck with another green BTA. Either way, so far in my tank I've got a four different types of sinularia, one very large toadstool, nothing like yours but it will be in time, I've got four bunches of green star polyps all about 3 inches across. some blue striped and mint green striped mushrooms that are spreading like crazy, also some neon orange, solid neon green and some orange/green zoanthids. I have a bunch of dark green/brown zoanthids that I believe are called button polyps that are growing a lot too.

Some of my pink anthelia has survived the recent salinity spike and seems to be growing back quite rapidly. I must say your suggestion to use coral vital has definitely improved the health of my corals by a lot.  As far as fish go, I have a nice fat blue hippo tang along with a nice yellow tang. A true Percula from your store and a larger clown that have formed a pair, hopefully to lay eggs in the future. A mated pair of scooter dragonets that flirt every night as soon as the lights go off. also I have one baby ocellaris clownfish, and 4 inch lawnmower blenny and a six inch engineer goby.  Its a fun setup and I find myself glued to it every night not to mention I have to go over and look at it ever time I go downstairs. I've definitely learned a lot about this hobby and have become greatly addicted to it in a short time much thanks to you and my time spent oogling over everything you stock in your store and talking to you. In time I hope to have a tank as beautiful as your 220. 

Thanks again for your help so far
Ryan Sweatt

Subject: ..I GOT ' EM 

....last night, after Dan went to bed, I got brave.  I took out the base rock (put in a temporary to hold up the rest of the structure).  I was going to leave it in the sink overnight to see if the crab would come out on it's own, and hopefully kill "the hand"-- the other creature.  I decided to scrub it first- (carpets of tiny bubble algae, then decided try to extricate "the hand" with a skewer, and of course it pulled into it's hole.  So I cooked him.  I let the hot tap water run right into the hole.  After a few minutes, I was able to get the beast out with the skewer.  Just to be safe I ran the hot water for a few minutes longer.  I felt something tickling my fingers underneath...guess who?  He is in the glass!!!! YEAH! 

Have a great day,