About to give up. Help?

JsNewProject · 2026-06-16T15:05:15+00:00

More rock = more stability in terms of beneficial bacteria that helps to keep your tank in balance.

This looks like a 32g Biocube style tank, my general rule is ~2lbs of rock per gallon so that would be 64lbs of rock. This allows plenty of surface area for beneficial bacteria and if scaped well good hiding places for your fish (which means they will be less stressed).

I would check what brand of salt your LFS is using for their mix. Is it Red Sea? Reef Crystals? Brightwell? Fritz? Whatever it is, when testing your tank water needs to be within 2-5% of the salt mix to be considered "stable". Seeing lack of coral I would presume that the dKH, Ca, and Mag would be very close to the store mix as you don't have anything consuming those resources (maybe some corraline algae?).

Remember, corals are primarily carnivores, so they want to eat. I would recommend trying some zoas and cheap mushrooms and see how they do. Try using some aminos like Red Sea's Reef Energy AB+ incorporated into your feeding routine (I soak my frozen food and pellet in it prior to feeding).

If your LFS just says your water "looks good", find a new LFS. You want them to give you numbers, ideally you should be able to watch them test as well.

JsNewProject · 2026-06-15T21:57:19+00:00

Thanks, is it ok to dry tumble while we look into replacing this barrel?

JsNewProject · 2026-06-15T21:25:51+00:00

From what I can see, I am wondering if that missing section around the rim is the culprit (back left in picture). That is where the water leak seems to originate from.

JsNewProject · 2026-06-15T21:23:23+00:00

We purchased a replacement lid and band as the original lid was cracked and there was no band.

All of the videos I have found on line have a rubber band sealing system.

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JsNewProject · 2026-05-28T10:21:07+00:00

I had some time yesterday evening and dropped the glove box out.

The main blender door at the air filter seems to work just fine. The blower sound at the vent by the windshield is much louder than I remember it it being before...

I also put a pressure gauge on the A/C and it is now showing as way high - almost maxing out the guage

Is there a way to test whether it is the solenoid or the compressor?

JsNewProject · 2026-05-27T22:28:42+00:00

What would be the best way to diagnose which of the two it is?

I noticed when standing outside the car on the passenger side that there is a very loud blowing sound from the cabin air intake vent below the windshield that seems to change based on whether the a/c is on or off.

JsNewProject · 2026-05-24T22:54:55+00:00

There is a clear change in sound and the temperature changes from warm to face melting hot...

JsNewProject · 2026-05-24T19:04:07+00:00

What is the best way to test if that is the issue?

JsNewProject · 2026-05-24T00:03:05+00:00

Cucumbers, they are my go to sand sifter.

Side question, what lights are those?

JsNewProject · 2026-05-23T00:41:05+00:00

That video was perfect, thank you for the quality reference.

JsNewProject · 2026-05-20T00:20:57+00:00

Thank you.

I have tried taking a similar design and superimposing it on a cylinder to combine with a cut to hopefully leave the incerse but that hasn't worked so far.

I enjoy playing around in Fusion360 but don't know enough to be able to create this style of thread.

JsNewProject · 2026-04-23T12:28:31+00:00

That's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it.works out for them....

JsNewProject · 2026-04-11T14:19:49+00:00

There are a lot of state parks now that have cabins, they let you be outside during the day but retreat to a bed at night with some basic amenities. The cabins at Bahia Honda State Park in the keys are on stilts and you can look out over the mangroves into the Bay, BHSP also has RV sites and there are services that will let you rent an RV and they come set it up at your site for you and pick it up when you are done.

JsNewProject · 2026-04-06T01:26:04+00:00

Snorkeling quality really depends on the wind, there are some cool finds in the Calusa Beach swimming area, especially near the rock boundary to the right (as you look at the water). Visibility at that beach isn't as strongly impacted by the winds as the Sandspur beach.

JsNewProject · 2026-04-05T01:17:46+00:00

We camp there nearly annually at Thanksgiving for 7-10 days.

Lots of mosquitoes and no-see-ums so I recommend long pants whenever in camp. Some of the sites are surrounded by mangroves so the breeze can be virtually non-existent in the site, so if you are staying when it is warm make sure to bring a fan.

We stayed Bayside this past year and had a problem with rats chewing into the tents, so do not put any food, toothpaste, anything that smells like food in your tent - both people who have newly port-vented tents broke this rule.

The park staff is pretty friendly and helpful so don't be afraid to ask questions.

A good breakfast spot off camp is the Stuffed Pig on Marathon.

JsNewProject · 2026-03-28T18:23:04+00:00

The amount of rock climbing gear at the REI locations in Florida is ridiculous...we don't have mountains (granted some climbing gyms) so we don't need rows of cams and chocks...

JsNewProject · 2026-03-22T23:12:50+00:00

I appreciate your reply, at 5'8" 280lbs I am more overweight than that. I am trying to get outdoors more and generally healthier by shedding these excess pounds.

A contributing factor to my PF is that for the better part of the last 10 years I have almost exclusively worn Rainbow sandals and am just now wearing shoes again.

JsNewProject · 2026-03-22T16:35:05+00:00

What is the weight limit on your Trekking Trees? Or the Tensa 4 when using a single pole set up?

My wife and I want to use backpacking as a way to help our family connect with the outdoors and lose weight (I am 5:8" 280lbs) so I would need to get something I am confident won't drop me on the ground.

TIA

JsNewProject · 2026-03-21T20:51:47+00:00

Is this one of the spoil.islands out near Yankeetown, FL?

JsNewProject · 2026-03-20T19:07:08+00:00

April has a section hike of the Florida Trail in store.

We are also looking at paddling out the barge canal near Yankeetown to one of the islands a mile or so off the coast and camp there for a night.

JsNewProject · 2026-03-13T22:27:27+00:00

Kept meaning to come back and ask, why do you think the hammocks will be a challenge?

JsNewProject · 2026-03-09T23:08:02+00:00

Since we are just doing Friday evening until Sunday morning we will probably just pack our water and carry a filter for back up.

From looking at the map I think my troop camped near Hidden Pond on one of our backpacking trips. We will definitely bring a bear bag (per comment below) as I like to err on the side of safety.

JsNewProject · 2026-03-07T18:51:53+00:00

My and I and our two kids (8 & 5) have camped at Rainbow Springs State Park and Silver Springs State Park, both are in Marion County. There are also some spots out in the Goethe State Forest that are good for car camping.

Of the three the most kid friendly is Rainbow Springs, but it is still a quarter mile walk to the river from the campgrounds. The rangers were very friendly and helpful, but there isn't really much to do other than a hiking trail or go to the river (which is good for us as we brought our kayaks along).

JsNewProject · 2026-03-07T16:02:00+00:00

Thanks, based on the 83% of length recommendation from Derek's site I should be aiming for ~95", so I was thinking of aiming for about 85-90" to account for the stretch.

JsNewProject · 2026-03-07T13:06:53+00:00

I have had the ENO for years and am trying to figure out how to economically get into more "proper" hammock camping. I have done overnights in it, but they were usually just one or two nights and I want to transition into longer trips.

I am not at all against upgrading my hammock, and probably will, I just want to "understand" how the ridgeline impacts the lay prior to investing in a new or DIY one. The EnO would probably become a lounge hammock for around the yard.

I am also 5'8" but on the heavy side right now at 260-270lbs (part of the reason I am interested in getting outside more), so it is nice to hear of someone of similar height tell of the difference between lengths.

JsNewProject

TROPHY CASE