Tank Thread Tank reached 38 years old...in 2009!
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Yes, they school
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I decided to do a little maintenance today but I have to do it very gently as bluestripe pipefish don't survive these typhoons. Every time I have done this I lost them and they are a breeding pair so I want to keep them. Once or twice a year my tank depends on stirring up the gravel all the way down to the UG filter plate. Because of the pipefish I can only do a small section at a time so it will take all day. That is not a problem as I don't have to sit here and watch it. I just blow some gravel with my diatom filter, then go out someplace and wait for the tank to clear, then I do another section. If it were not for those pipefish I would do the entire tank at one time.
Of course I can't do a really good job unless I removed the rock and I am not going to do that as that was much easier before I started growing SPS which are very delicate but every ten years I like to at least try to remove some rock to do a better job. The fish love it. I have 4 diatom filters and out of the 4, I have one working model as the rest I use for parts. They are not really designed to work in salt water and rust badly. They are also not designed very well and leak like a sieve so I always run them in a large bucket. No matter how many times you replace the seals, they start to leak very soon but they do such a good job that I keep using them. When I get time I will design a better unit that will last.
Of course I can't do a really good job unless I removed the rock and I am not going to do that as that was much easier before I started growing SPS which are very delicate but every ten years I like to at least try to remove some rock to do a better job. The fish love it. I have 4 diatom filters and out of the 4, I have one working model as the rest I use for parts. They are not really designed to work in salt water and rust badly. They are also not designed very well and leak like a sieve so I always run them in a large bucket. No matter how many times you replace the seals, they start to leak very soon but they do such a good job that I keep using them. When I get time I will design a better unit that will last.
- Location
- Amityville, NY
I read your latest post and wondered what a diatom filter was. So I did a Google search to learn more and checked out the images to see what it looks like...and I saw a bald guy standing in front of a tank holding one in his hand. Funny thing is, the tank looks just like the pic above. 
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
That's just ridiculous.and I saw a bald guy standing in front of a tank holding one in his hand. Funny thing is, the tank looks just like the pic above.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
That diatom filter stalled and over heated before the job was done so I took it apart and cleaned the bearings. I also drilled large holes in the end plates of the motor and even drilled holes right through the brass bearings so I can put oil right on the armature shaft while it is running. So I ran the unit again and it worked well but there was more diatom powder in the tank than in the filter so I tore it apart again and noticed that the bag, which is basically paper that is glued together had a rip in the seam, oh I don't know, like the entire thing fell apart. So I got some thread and sewed the entire thing up and threw it back together. Now it works great. I don't remember how old it is but I pulled rusty anchors out of the Atlantic from ancient sailing ships that looked to be in better shape. I think they make these units out of the softest iron that they know will rust even if they are near a TV that is showing a National Geographic show about the Galapagos
Islands. This is not new for me as I have been dismantling diatom filters as long as I can remember which most of the time is last Tuesday. All of mine are sewed together or I had to make entirely new bags. They are a terrible design but they do a good job. Of course it is probably faster to just dump out the tank and start with all new water by the time you re build these filters. :idea:
Now my tank is so clear that you can't see any water so the fish are scared to swim.
Islands. This is not new for me as I have been dismantling diatom filters as long as I can remember which most of the time is last Tuesday. All of mine are sewed together or I had to make entirely new bags. They are a terrible design but they do a good job. Of course it is probably faster to just dump out the tank and start with all new water by the time you re build these filters. :idea:
Now my tank is so clear that you can't see any water so the fish are scared to swim.
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- Location
- Amityville, NY
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
My Grand Daughter Greta noticed her first rainbow this morning out of their Manhattan Condo. She was upset because she couldn't bring it inside
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
My tank is running well, everybody is happy, the pair of pistol shrimp are still digging up the entire tank and toppling rocks, the clown gobies are still spawning and killing the acropora's, the fireclown's are still fighting/spawning and both of them hate the copperband but he doesn't care and takes great joy in antagonizing them, My favorite dragon faced pipefish is still looking very cool as are my pair of mandarins, the possum wrasse still hardly ever comes out and I may get another one so I will have two fish I never see and the bluestripe pipefish are in there someplace, but I don't know where. The bananafish are very bright yellow and real Snazzy. The arrow crab shed his shell and the Bangai's will probably spawn soon. Besides that, everything is as it should be.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Yes the tank itself was bought in 1979 when I moved into my new house. Everything from my 40 gallon was transferred into the 100 gallon and that is still the same tank I have today.
You can see it here as I installed it and was finishing the basement around it. There were no moldings or ceiling here yet. You can notice the dead, white bleached corals that we all used for decoration then as live rock was not yet available, So the glass itself is what? 36 or so years old
You can see it here as I installed it and was finishing the basement around it. There were no moldings or ceiling here yet. You can notice the dead, white bleached corals that we all used for decoration then as live rock was not yet available, So the glass itself is what? 36 or so years old
- Location
- GARDEN CITY
That's amazing Paul
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Not amazing, just old
- Location
- Riverhead - Long Island NY
Amazingly old --- I'd say
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I don't worry about a lot of things. Leaking certainly isn't something I worry about. It's only water, if it leaks, I suck up the entire thing and throw it in the garbage, maybe collect stamps or take up golf. No, not golf, that is just rediculous.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
My boat is in the water and in a couple of weeks I want to go collecting for amphipods and mud snails. I only need someone stupid, I mean brave enough to come along and wade through cold water and someone to stay and watch the boat.
I need to wait for a nice weekday when it is low tide in the morning.
I need to wait for a nice weekday when it is low tide in the morning.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
If I knew those banana fish would stay under three feet long I would get fifty of them as they are ultra cool. They are always in the front, eat anything, get along with not only my fish, but my neighbor's fish next door, and are just really cool. OH, I already said that, OK Snazzy, you have to be over 60 years old to have heard that before.
I think my favorite, albeit least colorful fish is the dragon face pipefish. That fish is just so interesting that if he was colorful I would get too excited looking at him and be all tingly all day. He is not a sissy looking fishy fish, but a cool, un-fishy looking real manly fish. In a small, skinny sort of way. I also love my possum wrasse just for the secretive nature. If he croaked I can still tell people for like two years that he is still in there because you never see him anyway. But he knows he is in there and that is all that matters. I think I will get another one. The copperband is always just there and he got bigger than I would like. They were always one of my favorites and from my old notes that I wrote on parchment, I have had them since the early 70s.
No tangs or angels for me as they are just to common and fish like. I wish I could find a tiny ray, that would be really awesome but the smallest one I know is bigger than my tank.
Mandarins are cool while they are spawning as that is the only time they notice each other, all the other times it is just pods, pods, pods, you would think they would get tired. Maybe I will take them along this year when I go pod collecting, they could have a pic nick while I am hunting.
I have a couple of bright red fish that I have no idea what they are or where I got them. They only let me have a quick glimpse of them occasionally so I can't identify them but that is what keeps this interesting. People ask me how many fish I have or ask me if I check every fish each day but that can't happen as I am not sure what is in there. The tank is built into a wall so I can't see most of the back and that is where many of the fish spawn and spend a lot of time. They may have a Speak Easy in there (that was from prohibition, look it up)
I think my favorite, albeit least colorful fish is the dragon face pipefish. That fish is just so interesting that if he was colorful I would get too excited looking at him and be all tingly all day. He is not a sissy looking fishy fish, but a cool, un-fishy looking real manly fish. In a small, skinny sort of way. I also love my possum wrasse just for the secretive nature. If he croaked I can still tell people for like two years that he is still in there because you never see him anyway. But he knows he is in there and that is all that matters. I think I will get another one. The copperband is always just there and he got bigger than I would like. They were always one of my favorites and from my old notes that I wrote on parchment, I have had them since the early 70s.
No tangs or angels for me as they are just to common and fish like. I wish I could find a tiny ray, that would be really awesome but the smallest one I know is bigger than my tank.
Mandarins are cool while they are spawning as that is the only time they notice each other, all the other times it is just pods, pods, pods, you would think they would get tired. Maybe I will take them along this year when I go pod collecting, they could have a pic nick while I am hunting.
I have a couple of bright red fish that I have no idea what they are or where I got them. They only let me have a quick glimpse of them occasionally so I can't identify them but that is what keeps this interesting. People ask me how many fish I have or ask me if I check every fish each day but that can't happen as I am not sure what is in there. The tank is built into a wall so I can't see most of the back and that is where many of the fish spawn and spend a lot of time. They may have a Speak Easy in there (that was from prohibition, look it up)
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I think the LFS that I go to the most is going to go out of business. They raised their electric bill by 40% and I think that will push them over the edge. If that happens I have to travel about 3 times farther to get blackworms so I will have to build a much larger worm keeper so I don't have to go there as often. I think I will design a different concept to keep it more compact. But I hope the guy can stay in business as he has been there for about 30 years and he is a friend of mine.
If I can't get worms, I won't stay in the hobby.
If I can't get worms, I won't stay in the hobby.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I feel bad for my copperband. He looks bored, I wish I had a mate for him (or her) I tried adding another one but he almost killer her (or him) OK, I am not going to put those () in anymore, you know what I mean.
He grew a little large and the corals, especially the torches grew a little to big so he has to navigate around everything and I think he is tired of making all those sharp turns. He was about a quarter of his size when I got him.
Sometimes I see him standing on his tail with his nose up in the air right in front of the arrow crab who he thinks is a cleaner shrimp. The arrow crab just looks at him with a puzzled look on his face as if to say "Hey Dude, Do I look like a Sissy cleaner shrimp?" He is also my biggest expense as he can suck down a load of worms, and they don't give them to me for free.
I am not sure how banana fish spawn but I think one is in a nest in the back but I can't get a good look. They are a really nice fish and one of the most colorful with those bright neon yellow stripes. When fish are spawning their colors really pop and I can usually tell if a fish is spawning just by looking at them, or reading their texts.
My pair of pistol shrimp are also probably spawning but I will never know that as they spend most of their time under the gravel. Their symbiotic watchman is also my biggest fish next to the copperband.
My clown gobies continue to spawn and kill my acropora's, but it is what it is. Who needs acro's anyway?
I am getting an urge to put something in the tank, but I am not sure yet. Not a living thing as it is overpacked now , but maybe a big chain or a real anchor from my boat. The only other fish I want is a red pipefish that is supposed to come in tomorrow. I don't know exactly what that looks like, but it sounds weird and that is what I go for. I don't do tangs and angels.
(yes Andy, I am waiting for that fish) :biggrinpa
He grew a little large and the corals, especially the torches grew a little to big so he has to navigate around everything and I think he is tired of making all those sharp turns. He was about a quarter of his size when I got him.
Sometimes I see him standing on his tail with his nose up in the air right in front of the arrow crab who he thinks is a cleaner shrimp. The arrow crab just looks at him with a puzzled look on his face as if to say "Hey Dude, Do I look like a Sissy cleaner shrimp?" He is also my biggest expense as he can suck down a load of worms, and they don't give them to me for free.
I am not sure how banana fish spawn but I think one is in a nest in the back but I can't get a good look. They are a really nice fish and one of the most colorful with those bright neon yellow stripes. When fish are spawning their colors really pop and I can usually tell if a fish is spawning just by looking at them, or reading their texts.
My pair of pistol shrimp are also probably spawning but I will never know that as they spend most of their time under the gravel. Their symbiotic watchman is also my biggest fish next to the copperband.
My clown gobies continue to spawn and kill my acropora's, but it is what it is. Who needs acro's anyway?
I am getting an urge to put something in the tank, but I am not sure yet. Not a living thing as it is overpacked now , but maybe a big chain or a real anchor from my boat. The only other fish I want is a red pipefish that is supposed to come in tomorrow. I don't know exactly what that looks like, but it sounds weird and that is what I go for. I don't do tangs and angels.
(yes Andy, I am waiting for that fish) :biggrinpa
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