Tank Thread Tank reached 38 years old...in 2009!

[LongIslandAndy]

Hi Paul
They came in and looked good. Here is the latin name Doryrhamphus pessuliferus and a picture

 

[Paul B]

OK, I've seen those. I will take one.

 

[Paul B]

Andy he is smiling in my reef and had a nice lunch of about two million new born brine shrimp. Between him and the dragon face pipe I had to ramp up production of shrimp. I doubled my production.

 

[Paul B]

Notice how fat this banana fish is now compared to two weeks ago.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Nice work Paul

 

[Paul B]

Thanks Andy. Someone asked me these questions on another forum but I am tired of typing so I am also putting it here. Make believe someone asked me this.

I've heard that pipefish are difficult to keep in an active reef tank because, like seahorses, they can't compete for the food. How do you overcome this problem?

Like many things in this hobby, I don't think of that as a problem but just something you need to do to keep such a fish. There is no competition because pipefish don't eat what the other fish are eating. They only eat pods or new born brine shrimp. I have an auto feeder that dispenses pellets, not for the fish, but to feed the pods. Pipefish, unlike Supermodels want to eat all day but they won't find enough pods because I have to many pod eaters so I hatch brine shrimp every day. I put some in the feeder I built and the rest I shoot at the pipefish with the pumps off. They are not a buy and forget fish and have no sense of humor.

Also, supermodels aren't worth the trouble (so I've heard). Their hair always clogs the drains and they require constant small feedings throughout the day. I guess they're kind of like anthias.

I worked with a few Supermodels and some Anthias have a better personality and all Anthias eat more. Also anthias hair doesn't clog my pumps.
(about if I use RO/DI water: I usually use RO/DI water unless I run out, then I use chicken soup.
About the calcium I use: I use "Dow Flake" ice melter but I can't get the powder any more. I can get pellets but I have not tested them yet. I am almost out of the powder so I need to test the pellets next month. Maybe I will test them on an anthias or a Supermodel.
Here is a video of the dragon face pipefish eating new born shrimp.

This is a video of the rest of the fish eating live worms.

This is a video of the fish eating shrimp from the feeder.

This is a video of the whole tank, but it gives me a headache.
You can see the bluestripe in here eating from the feeder.

These are the feeders I use for everything.

Here is a video of me running on the beach in my Speedo. Ok forget that one.:uhoh3:

 

[Paul B]

I am all excited now as my boat is in the water, has a full tank of gas and is ready to go. I may go out tomorrow for some clams, not that I will catch them, but there is a restaurant in the Bronx on the water that serves clams on the half shell for $6.00 a dozen, that is like a third of what they normally go for and I just can't resist. Of course it costs $60.00 in boat gas to get there, but it is still a bargain. A boat is a very expensive hobby and it costs you plenty weather you use it or not so you may as well use it.
The summers here in New York are not very long so I need to get out as much as I can.
I also want to go collecting amphipods because in about 2 weeks will be prime amphipod hunting season. Every year I ask fish Geeks if they want to come but they usually say yes, then stiff me so I am not asking this year. I will just pick up some Fish Geek Supermodels and have a ball. Supermodels love sloshing around in a muddy tide pool to collect grass shrimp and amphipods and my reef depends on these excursions. :lobster:

 

[ohana888]

I also want to go collecting amphipods because in about 2 weeks will be prime amphipod hunting season. Every year I ask fish Geeks if they want to come but they usually say yes, then stiff me so I am not asking this year. I will just pick up some Fish Geek Supermodels and have a ball. Supermodels love sloshing around in a muddy tide pool to collect grass shrimp and amphipods and my reef depends on these excursions. :lobster:

LMK and we'll be there! :flower:

 

[Paul B]

The tank now has 3 pipefish in it. I can't find the pair of bluestripes but I am fairly certain the Korilia powerhead ate them before I found the problem and corrected it.
Now that that is fixed, I would like to get another pair of them. I doubled my production of new born brine shrimp because the pair of mandarins, scooter dragonette, pair of multi stripe pipefish and dragonface pipe eat an awful lot of shrimp. The multi stripes do not know about the shrimp feeder or they are to stupid go eat from there but we are still learning and they will get it.
If I had an unlimited number of brine shrimp eggs I would fill the tank with seahorses which has always been a goal of mine. But they only live a few years and that is a set back, but pipefish breed more readily than most fish.
My copperband has gotten a little larger than I would like, but it is not really his fault so I won't punish him by taking away TV or anything. He enjoys National Geographic.
The pair of clown gobies are also still spawning and killing the acro's. But who cares?
I "may" go out in my boat tomorrow to collect some amphipods, grass shrimp and most importantly, mud. But my wife is still in a lot of pain so I am not sure I will go.
I have not tried the boat out yet this year but if I collect I need someone to stay in the boat while I go to the tide pool, not that there are that many boat robbers or anything.

 

[TommyP]

Paul, is it hard to culture shrimps? Do you have a write up or a link that I can read?

 

[Paul B]

Paul, is it hard to culture shrimps? Do you have a write up or a link that I can read?

Do you mean brine shrimp, or grass shrimp?
Brine shrimp are simple to hatch, you put the eggs in salt water, and they hatch in about 36 hours, aeration gives you a better hatch. I built a shrimp egg separator so the shells stay on one side and the shrimp swim to the other to watch TV.
This is the hatchery and shell separator.
If you are talking about grass shrimp, no you can't culture them, they are just illiterate and no amount of reading the classics will get any culture into those things.



There is a grass shrimp in here, trust me.

 

[TommyP]

Speaking of brine, thank you. I see the grass shrimp!

After they hatch can I suck them up with a turkey baster and spray them directly into the DT for some snacks?

Where do I get the eggs

 

[Paul B]

Yes you can. Most LFSs sell shrimp eggs. You need to seperate the eggs from the shells after they hatch. They are attracted to light.

 

[TommyP]

Yes you can. Most LFSs sell shrimp eggs. You need to seperate the eggs from the shells after they hatch. They are attracted to light.

thanks for the advice.

 

[Paul B]

Unfortunately for the fast growing Montipora, the torch corals grow faster and sting them to death very quickly. Oh Well he should have grown the other way.

 

[Paul B]

Early this morning I had to call an ambulance for my wife. She needs surgery to remove a cyst on her spine that has been extremely painful but last night was to much. We had an appointment to see a surgeon today but she couldn't wait so they admitted her and hopefully soon she can have the surgery and get some relief as this has been going on for 3 months.

 

[Montireef]

So sorry about that, mate. I hope she soon comes back home with successful surgery done and no pains anymore.

 

[Paul B]

My wife's operation lasted for five hours. It was over about 10:00PM last night. She was out of recovery at 4:00am this morning. Everything went well. They fused the disk in her lower spine with titanium rods. In a lot of pain now but that is to be expected
Thanks paul

 

[lnevo]

Praying for a speedy recovery. Glad to hear the surgery went well!

 

[Paul B]

This seaweed is growing in a marina near mine and as soon as I can leave my wife for a little while (she just came home from the hospital and has to use a walker for a while until she can walk on her own)
I want to collect some and see if it will grow in my tank. Of course it will probably take over the entire tank but who cares? That would be so cool. I have not seen this type of algae before and it may be new to the western Long Island Sound.