Today my reef reached 48 years old

[Paul B]

I moved it three times, the last move was 8 months ago. I moved 60 miles and transferred everything from my old 100 gallon tank into a new 125 gallon tank. The old tank was 40 years old and the front was very scratched. I wanted a larger tank anyway and that old one was built into a wall and I couldn't remove it anyway.
Since this tank is 6" higher, I need some more corals to fill it but corals have been scarce in LFSs lately and there are none around here so I have to drive long distances to get some.
I didn't lose any livestock in the move.

 

[rich]

Happy birthday Tank

 

[Timbo]

Incredible! I am sure you have seen some crazy things in this hobby over 48 years. So glad you didn?t just give up during the last move as I am sure it wasn?t easy for you.

 

[Paul B]

I never give up. It's a challenge. :wink1:

 

[polywise]

Paul,
Wow, just simply wow !!!

keep it going.

 

[ohana888]

something special about that LI mud!!! :tongue1: amazing longevity...

 

[Paul B]

So I went away for 2 days and last night after I came home I found my male Mandarin dead. This is very unusual because I never find a dead fish and my fish don't get sick. I "think" I saw him eating a few days ago but I didn't notice anything weird with him as he was full bodied and smiled a lot.
I did notice that he hasn't paid any attention to the really good looking female mandarin in a few months.
I also have not used my Mandarin feeder since I moved here 8 months ago because I just have not had time to set up my brine shrimp hatchery. But he was not thin at all so I don't think I needed it and there are bluestripe pipefish and a scooter bleeny that are also fat and fine after a few years.

I am not sure how long Mandarins live and I don't remember when I got this one so it could have been ten years or more ago. He outlived two females, one died from being egg bound and I think the other one jumped out. Maybe he broke her heart. I do have a lousy memory and have not kept a log book in decades. He was dead to long to do a necropsy but I am sure it would not show anything.

Normally when other fish die of old age, they stop eating for a few days and hide a lot. He was not eaten by bristle worms but Mandarins have a thick slime that keeps other fish from eating them and maybe bristle worms don't find them tasty. I have bristle worms that could finish off a halibut in a few hours.