I was in NYC last week, what reefing could I have done?

[brandon429]

Things to ask before the trip next time~



The one reef-ish thing I got to do was see the large ecosphere at museum of natural history, a big boy that was. I was moderately impressed- not being a jerk- but as soon as I saw that wall of green algae I was like "please get me back from 1998 immediately" we clean ourselves nowadays

I looked for descriptive signs but couldn't see them. I want to know how long those original hawaiian red shrimp have been in there, if its anywhere near 1998 then I'll revert back to being truly impressed in spite of their preemptive need for a magnetic algae scraper (where the feed for the shrimp is still in the system just not on the freakin walls lol). Number of people there who care about my opinion=0 lol not really I thought it was cool but so not worth the likely $40,000+ they paid for it unless an acrylic sphere that big is worth that much.

Then we were standing in line at Battery park getting ready to head out to the Statue. Looking in the green murky water I really wished Id had my spare air bottles and some 3mm skins to hop in for a sec. I wasn't expecting acroporids, rather some gorgs/fish and the loss of a limb to a great white. Are there great whites around Liberty Island just curious the water sure seemed darn cold enough?

Then, somewhere near the bar Dangerfields, I happened along a tex-mex place serving giant Texas-like burritos and -pow- they had a little ~75 gallon planted tank rife with CO2 and a pH controller! I tried again to have a lengthy discussion with the owner but business seemed to take a more notable place. Number of people I found who want to chat aquariums with science texans in downtown nyc-again 0.

Sorry I don't recall the name, we were just so happy to find large burritos didn't see any more after that. It was named like fish taco or tex taco or something like that. Im glad the young lady stopped me from ordering two in haste...one was the size of a football.

Even though we were all on a tour bus where you don't get to do your own thing (still had a great time) I was secretly hoping Id see some form of NYC coral, alas we missed that, and grand central station somehow that got left off priority #3 for the texas people's list.

There were two little shops Id see among the clothing stores though, not near time square but rather in the neighborhoods leading up to it. One was next to a little dog sitting kennel, and the other was a small aquarium shop with the neon sign AGA hanging in the window. Did they have coral? I was always hoping to buy my own NYC frag and have the hotel conceirge UPS it home for me.

I went home with far less reef pics from NYC than hoped, what did I miss and where to go next time like bars or restaraunts with huge reefs or bank lobbies etc>

 

[rookie07]

If you are coming to NYC to see reef tanks, I dont know what to say. There is so much in this city, and so few amazing tanks(public tanks).

FYI If the ecosphere is what I think it is, it is a closed system. The sun feeds the algae, the algae produces oxygen, the inverts eat the algae and use the oxygen, and bacteria uses the invert waste,(I forgot the last step on how the bacteria is used) then it goes back around over and over.

PS, if your avatar is your tank, I have seen a youtube video of it, and it is amazing...one of the cooler tanks I have ever seen!
PPS You are more than welcomed to come check out my tank next time you are in NYC...It wont be the 120 I have now, but it will be nice.

 

[brandon429]

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Man I should have at least hit you up before we went if you were within a 20 min cab ride from strawberry fields we'd have had time then to see someone in person! The trip was cool I was just awaiting these vegas-style reefs at some of the stops but never bothered actually confirming it lol

thanks man about the reefbowl yep thats my little frien we nudge elbows with the large tank keepers online with or without invitation usually we find a niche

when I walked in and saw that ecoglobe that large I was still amazed knowing it was sealed probably a decade or so ago, that and the planted tank are the only stops a tour-guided guy gets to see lol
B

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Could always hit up the aquarium at coney island next time- is right off the boardwalk and the neighborhood has character that your probably appreciate. Not to mention the original Nathans if you like hot dogs.

And if you have a full day to kill- you could have rented a car in the am drove out to riverhead and visited Atlantis Aquarium.

The final one Id suggest for next time is hitting up Prattreef(Randy) to go to his office at Pratt University( within 15 minutes outside of Manhattan) and see his tanks- theres a RBTA tank thatll amaze you and a tomato clown in that tank thatll scare you lol. Not to mention the big mamajama round the corner in his office.

 

[brandon429]

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Thanks all that is really great stuff for next round. I was just reading on here where those setups at the Pratt were the oldest reefs in this area I really do hope to see them~have any of you dived in these cold waters and would there be sharks off liberty island> im a lake diver here in tex and have been wondering about those sharks since 5.15

 

[Killerdrgn]

No, great white sharks don't usually come up the river. But I believe they do sight them out in Montauk though. Yes you can dive in NY/NJ waters and there are police that do it to find guns and bodies. Recreational divers go out to the many wrecks around NY and NJ though. And you'd need much more than a 3mm wetsuit to dive comfortably up here, at least a semi or full dry suit. You dive for hunting, photography, or relics? In any case all 3 are to be had up here.

 

[brandon429]

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so you are telling me the waters around liberty island are freshwater okay that's embarrasing need to go remove my pic now lol. I thought they looked totally green and eutrophic anyway that makes sense... I was thinking "man there must be some huge sewage input into the ocean out here to have that much strand algae and greenwater wonder what the bottom looks like"

There were cruise ships we could see I just thought the ocean was really calm in that inlet, figured the river had let out way upstream somewhere that's really sad for me not to have known, or googled, before posting oh well

we do microdiving, like micro reefing where hardly anyone does or recommends it...we (my friends and I) dive with multiple spare air bottles strapped to the limbs, switching them out as needed underwater, for a bare-bones, no weight no-bc approach. We don't go super deep but with four spare airs you can stay down quite some time in a murky old texas lake grabbing at catfish holes. So if I had the right suit for this temp it just seemed a little adventure to be able to hop in the side of the dock and take a 10 foot tour, just brainstorming and wondering if there were sharks lol

the temps would probably cut my airtime in half too man it never gets that cold here!

B