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

[Paul B]

Next week I plan on collecting some water as I have no idea when I changed it last so I am sure it is due. I have some fake seawater here but I have not put in any real water since last year and I really need to do that. I did add thousands of amphipods and quite a bit of mud but before it gets really cold, I want to get some real water. There is a Coast Guard Station not to far and it is the perfect place to collect because it is on the Atlantic and they have a pier. I can just lower a bucket into the water and get all I want without having to go out into the water myself. I go out in my boat a few times a year but my boat is in the Sound and the ocean water is just so much cleared with far less organics.
I will only collect 20 gallons because it gets heavier every year. If I get ambitious again before the winter really gets here, I will get some more. Any day on the water is a good day, no matter what I am doing.
And besides, there is always a good chance to spot a Supermodel near the sea.

 

[Paul B]

I really need to build a new LED fixture as mine is covered in salt spray and I have to keep changing LEDs. I designed a new unit and hopefully I will start it next week as I don't know how long the existing one will work. That one was just a prototype and now I see some mistakes I made like not having a splash shield. I can keep my existing drivers so the new 6' fixture should only cost about $120.00-$150.00.
I was looking at ready made fixtures to go over a 6' long tank and like are you kidding me! People actually pay that much to light up a fish tank? It's like over $1,000.00.
I would have to be completely brain dead to buy something like that, but I guess people shell out that much for a light.
I guess I am lucky that I can build the thing but if I couldn't, I would have to use whale oil lamps as I don't want to spend that much for a light. That's almost a third the price for a trip to Hawaii.

 

[Paul B]

OMG my Ozonizer croaked. This is about the third or fourth one I have had. I have parts from other ones but it is not the electronics but the reaction chamber. I will try to build another one but they make those very delicate and I am not sure if I can make one. If not, I will have to get a used one from someone. So now I need a new light and ozonizer. I really need a lot of time to build this stuff and this is not a good time of the year for this stuff to break. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHYYYYYY

 

[Paul B]

I rebuilt that LED fixture almost as good as new. I had to change 8 LEDs that were either dim or out completely.
Today I collected 15 gallons of NSW and after it warms up I will dump that in. I like to diatom filter it when it looks a little cloudy like this looks because it has a lot of particles and bacteria in it but I don't have any diatom powder so I just filtered it through a coffee filter which is no where near as good, but the fish will get over it. I think my bluestripes will spawn soon.

 

[Paul B]

Choosing my clean up crew and the cove I collected them in

 

[Paul B]

Yesterday I fed my fish and I heard a big splash. My banana fish jumped into the algae trough, then back into the tank, then out of the tank on to my foot then on the floor. Then as I was trying to catch him he went left, I went left, he went right, I went right. I didn't have any music playing but I would swear he was doing the macarana. I finally caught him and threw him back in the tank. Now he is sitting there with a big smirk on his face and is eating like a pic as if this happens to him every day. He thinks he is a big shot now.

 

[Waleedwale1]

Hey if I was a fish that went carpet surfing and came back to tell the story Id think I was a big shot too!

 

[Paul B]

I guess you are right. If I wasn't there, he would be a dust mummy now which is the same thing that happened to his mate. I guess they think they are flying fish

 

[Paul B]

This is the first time in decades that I don't have a Hippo Tang in my tank. I also don't have any percula clownfish. I just don't like percula's and have had to many of them. Besides my fireclown would chase it out of the tank. I do like hippo tangs but after a few years in my tank they always get HLLE and look like dirt. They live forever but always get that after 5 or 6 years. I gave up carbon a few years ago and that is one out of a hundred theories about what is the cause of HLLE so maybe the next time I go to a LFS I will get one. I now see loads of them as large as a guarter or smaller and I like to get fish as babies. I think hippo's, copperbands and moorish Idols are the three nicest looking fish there is. Lately I have been in a pipefish mode and have a few of those, Also for the last 15 years or so I have been going for more interesting, smaller fish. I don't particularly like tangs or angels (except for hippo's) If I see a shrimpfish, clingfish, lanternfish, or pinecone fish I have to have it but you rarely see those.

 

[Paul B]

Today I went to my favorite LFS to see if they got in a female dragon faced pipefish but no luck yet. I want to spawn mine and he looks depressed. On sunday they are supposed to get in 4 corythoichtys which are very cool but have a weird name. They are pipefish that look similar to dragon face pipefish so if they get in a pair, I will get them. You need to buy pipefish right out of the shippers bags because if they go into the store's tank for a day, forget about it as stores never feed them. You need to hatch brine shrimp for that and in a store that ain't gonna happen. I think my blue stripes will breed soon and they are always my favorite. There was a pair of those at the LFS today but I can't put in 2 pairs as the males fight. The females just gossip and talk about stretch marks and cellulite.

(You reading this Andy?)

 

[Paul B]

Tomorrow is my 41st wedding anniversary

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Tomorrow is my 41st wedding anniversary

Happy Anniversary !!!!!!

By the way we got 3 Dragon Faced Pipefish on Thursday:approve:

 

[rhdoug]

Wait...your tank is older than your marriage??? Wow, congrats to you and the Mrs, and many more to come! Next year is #30 for us, we are just kids.

 

[Paul B]

Congrats to you also. Yes I had my tank before I was married.

 

[rhdoug]

:smile:Wow, and she still married you? Did she have a clue what she was getting into?:fish::fish:

 

[Paul B]

Probably not, I met her when she was 12 and I dated her older cousin. I am 6 years older than my wife. She grew into a real Babe so I married her when she was 18, before anyone else put their moves on her. As soon as I got back from Viet Nam I jumped at the chance. How could I not marry this? :tank:

 

[rhdoug]

You are a lucky man Paul, you did the right thing jumping quickly! Sounds like you 2 have a great family. Keep it up, and thank you for serving.

 

[Paul B]

Thank you, I think she still likes me too.

 

[Paul B]

I added another dragon faced pipefish who immediately went over and hangs out with the other one. Hopefully they are different sexes as it is hard to tell with dragonface pipes but I bet they can tell. I think the females smell better but I can't be sure. I ramped up my brine shrimp hatchery because I have so many fish that eat them. My male mandarin stopped spawning because I can't hatch food fast enough for all these fish but I will double my production.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Paul, I have 6 Flame Pipes (DORYRHAMPHUS PESSULIFERUS) coming in tomorrow