I found my Log Book starting in 1974

[Paul B]

This is the first page of my log book. I also found a book that I started writing at that time. I was listing the fish that I kept and wrote a page or so for each fish. The pictures were drawings that I did at the time. It's a little out dated now. Remember this was before just about anyone carried salt water fish and there were no salt water medications or any information. We had to figure out everything through guesswork. I noticed most of my notes were about diseases.


I found it interesting that I had a Moorish Idol and a copperband butterfly in 1976

 

[Chefjpaul]

Pretty impressive Paul.

 

[Paul B]

In 1976 I was still living in my apartment and the tank was 40 gallons. I had that copperband, French Angel and a Moorish Idol in a 40 gallon

 

[Koyfam16]

Very cool. Real dedication to the hobby.


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[Paul B]

I think it is interesting. I read it and laugh at the medications I tried.
I have not seen this book in decades.

 

[Paul B]

I read it and laugh at the medications I tried.
I have not seen this book in decades.
I probably used medications I was taking as there were absolutely no salt water fish medications. I think we may have had copper but that's it. The log is full of trial and errors and plenty of dead fish.
Sergeant Majors, blue devils, and dominoes' were the only fish available then. I used copper in my tank almost continuously as all fish had parasites and all of them were on the verge of dying. I see I was using my diatom filter then as I do now and I was trying very hard to cultivate algae. Remember the "corals": were just dead pieces that I bought in a furniture store for decoration.

This was the only publication.

 

[MIKE NY]

I think we're among the few who keeps logbooks. I have mine dating back to 1989...also have a small library of books on corals and fish... Earliest publication I have is from 1982....amazing how much this hobby has evolved in popularity, equipment and all the information that's available today.....

 

[polywise]

very cool to look back at this hobby..

I wish I had kept notes on my tirals (1980's).

Jim C.

 

[prattreef]

Published by our good friend and my mentor Terry Siegel---founder and still editor of Advanced Aquarist and reigning MASNA aquarist of the year.

I read it and laugh at the medications I tried.
I have not seen this book in decades.
I probably used medications I was taking as there were absolutely no salt water fish medications. I think we may have had copper but that's it. The log is full of trial and errors and plenty of dead fish.
Sergeant Majors, blue devils, and dominoes' were the only fish available then. I used copper in my tank almost continuously as all fish had parasites and all of them were on the verge of dying. I see I was using my diatom filter then as I do now and I was trying very hard to cultivate algae. Remember the "corals": were just dead pieces that I bought in a furniture store for decoration.

This was the only publication.

 

[Paul B]

Yes it was. I have a few copies of it and one copy of I think "Tropical Fish Hobbiest" from 1969.
My log book goes from 1974 to the 90s

 

[Paul B]

This is from the day I moved from Queens New York to New Hyde Park, Long Island. A trip of about 9 miles. I put the water and fish in 2 five gallon buckets for the trip and dumped it all back in in my new home. I still had not gotten the new 100 gallon tank here. I think it took me a few months to afford that. In those days there was no live rock or coral to worry about, it was just water and gravel. The decorations were just dead coral skeletons that I removed and soaked in bleach whenever they turned green. That's how all salt tanks were run then. We didn't know or consider bacteria as a helpful thing much. But it seemed the move went well.
I see my tank was also plagued by HLLE possibly because I had so many fish in a 40 gallon tank and the food was most likely flakes or pellets. I don't remember but I am sure I will find it in my notes. I was also using tap water in those days.

 

[Paul B]

This picture from probably 1979 or 80 shows the green dead corals that were transported from the tank in my old home and the new, bleached white ones must have been the new ones I bought to take up the extra space because this tank was much larger.
I can see I was building my basement around the tank as it was under construction here

 

[Macropora]

I have log books going back 15 years at least.

 

[Paul B]

I quit writing it in the 90s. I guess I just got tired of writing the same thing all the time. Now there is no point. In the beginning I lost a lot of fish and had problems with diseases so I had plenty of things to write. My fish never get sick any longer and they basically die of old age so there is not much to write.

 

[Macropora]

I have invoices for undergravel filters and Sander's counter current protein skimmer that goes back to the mid 80s.

 

[Paul B]

I still run my undergravel filter. I also had a Sanders countercurrent skimmer.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I started my first salt water tank in the early 80's. Remember the craze at the time was crushed dolomite and an under gravel filter! Also ran copper continuously. My favorite shop was one on 72nd and Broadway, can't remember the name, but they closed eons ago! A few years later I discovered Fishtown USA on 33rd and 3rd, they were obnoxious half the time with the exception of the older man that was the owner. I spent THOUSANDS of dollars there. For a kid that was a lot of money...

Never kept a log book, but I imagine it would be very similar to yours. I had a 55 gallon tank.

 

[MIKE NY]

I had an under gracel filter with crushed coral and a Skilter on a 90... then upgraded to a canister and Seaclone...until I got a wet/dry....

 

[Paul B]

Alfredo. I helped start Fish Town's salt water tanks, and I still use dolomite and my reverse UG filter.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I used to walk there at least once a week from 90th and CPW.

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