I just realized my reef is 44 years old this month.

[Paul B]

Do what I do. Ignore it and go and take care of your healthy and beautiful fish. I have been dealing with "Xs" for decades. But oddly, I never posted on a disease forum about my fish having ich, velvet, volure, corduroy or any silly disease like that. There is no reason our fish should get sick, they don't get sick in the ocean. These forums are 90% about disease. Would you want to live in a town where 90% of the people developed spots right after they moved in, then they were quarantined for 72 days, then dosed in medications, then subjected to hypo (difficult I know for a human but work with me) Then they croaked? I myself stay healthy because I learned about bacteria, I also take fish oil and exercise.
It is so simple to get and keep our fish healthy, it's almost a no brainer. I am not that smart, many people on here are much smarter than I am and some of them have more degrees than a thermometer, but "smartness" is not the issue. Common sense is. We worry so much about introducing a bacteria or parasite to a creature that was born into a soup of bacteria and parasites and got along fine until we tried to eliminate those things. Interesting isn't it?
I used to get E Mails all the time yelling at me for telling people that parasites may actually be good for fish and quarantining "may" not be the best way to go. In some cases quarantining must be done but it depends on what type of tank you want to have and how much you want to put into it. It also depends on if you want your fish spawning and living out their normal lifespan without fear of disease.
My theory, that I have been developing for decades wasn't always the same. I used to have the same thoughts as most people but something happened. I saw the light. I think it was an LED, but a light none the less. We are gradually changing our thinking and realizing that bacteria, parasites and Supermodels are a healthy part of our lives. (especially Supermodels) We evolved with parasites and if they were large enough to see, we would probably put a leash on them, make them wear booties, trim their hair, put a ribbon around their ears and parade them around in shows. Go ahead, tell me we wouldn't do that?!
I don't use germ soap, let the germs use that as it is a silly invention unless you are a surgeon who wants to cut out a piece of my liver. But for anyone else we need germs. There is a reason we and everything around us is covered in them. If you could see them, you would not touch anything. Yes, they are looking up at you right now from your keyboard. No matter how much you clean it, they are there laughing at you. If you listen closely you will hear them.

This is a monkey named Judy looking for something in my pocket. What does this have to do with this thread? Absolutely nothing but I want to see if I can get an X

 

[Joey waid]

Your a mad fish scientist. You wanted a X, but no X for you!!

 

[Paul B]

I can't even get an X! Now that's a problem.
Today we have a dilemma. We want to go on our boat but it is very windy and not really a boating day. I could sit here and clean the glass on my tank as I can't see the fish. I hate it when I have a few things I want to do and can't decide what the best course of action would be. What would be the most fun? Certainly cleaning the glass could not really be called fun unless (like me) you are a real fish Geek. Boating is fun, but not in a partial hurricane. We were out late last night, and the night before and the night before etc. So we have been getting great use of the boat and the season is almost over. If we go out in the boat I won't collect anything except maybe some mud, because I threw out my old dinghy and the new one I ordered didn't get here yet. I really don't feel like swimming to a muddy tide pool as it is in the 60s and very rough. My fish can eat cake for a while.

 

[Joey waid]

I've been trying to muster up the strength to cut grass....

 

[Paul B]

I have been trying to muster the strength to call my gardener to tell him to cut the grass.

 

[gettaReef]

....those abs! You yourself used to be (lol I'm sure the wife thinks you still are) a male supermodel

 

[Paul B]

I was thinking of eating nothing but "C" Rations for a year so I could get those abs again. But I think I would also have to fill a million sand bags and that ain't gonna happen

 

[Paul B]

Anyone want any of this sponge? (free) I need to trim it as it is hitting the glass. It has been in my tank more years than I can remember but it needs trimming.


Also this live rock. I acquired some rock from the ocean and had to remove these. They are still in water. I am on Long Island NY and I don't want to mail it.

 

[Paul B]

Tank is doing well, everything is happy and healthy. Cleaning the algae scrubber every couple of weeks is a pain and a little time consuming. The water cooled LED lights are still functioning as I expected.
Clingfish and bangai cardinals seem happy.
The biggest feeder is by far the copperband. That thing will eat all the food I put in there by himself if I didn't target feed everything.
Almost all the gorgonians are growing out of the water and if I get time I will trim them and glue the pieces someplace.
I am also thinking (not to seriously) of removing the algae trough and scraping it out. There is no algae in it as it is filled with small corals and tube worms. I would assume it is a great nursery for the numerous amphipods I have in there. I only collected amphipods twice this year and I hope to go collecting maybe once more. If not I at least want to collect some more mud, but I can get that from the shore anywhere without going to a tide pool.
The reverse undergravel filter is the oldest thing in the tank and was in there from the start. I still think of that as the heart of my system and if I started a new tank tomorrow (not likely) I would add a reverse undergravel filter.
What's not to like? Of course I doubt I could still get dolomite.
I wonder what will happen to this tank when I finally take it down. It has to come down at some point because I am not exactly 16 any more.
I was also thinking (again not very seriously) about removing my skimmer temporally to fill with vinegar and clean. That has only happened once many years ago. It is bolted to my stand so it is not really a five minute job.
Recently I re-designed and re-built the venture valve and this new one (which costs about a buck) works much better. I have 3 air pumps running my skimmer because it is about 5' tall and there is to much back pressure for the venture to suck enough air in so I supplement it with air pumps and I couldn't find one strong enough. I also use it with Ozone but I run it full power and removed the sensor from the tank as it wasn't doing anything anyway.

 

[kass03]

Always love seeing your posts Paul. I think my tank was 29 years old when I transferred it to a 75g about 4 yrs ago. It was scary moving it but everything survived.
I remember those diatom filters. My LFS would let me borrow theirs.
Love your tank and how you take care of everything.

 

[armspar]

I kneel to you

 

[Paul B]

Please don't kneel .
Kass, I moved my tank when I moved in 1979. I bought my house then so we moved 9 miles from our tiny apartment. I put everything in buckets and transferred it to a new tank in my house. There were no live corals then so it was easy.

 

[Paul B]

I know I posted this but here is my tank just after I moved to this house in about 1979 or so. I was building the basement around it as you can tell by nothing finished. You can also see the white bleached corals we used in those days for decoration. I picked them up in the Caribbean or furniture stores where they displayed them on tables and such.


Here it is finished. I think this was a few years ago.

 

[filbie70]

Anyone want any of this sponge? (free) I need to trim it as it is hitting the glass. It has been in my tank more years than I can remember but it needs trimming.


Also this live rock. I acquired some rock from the ocean and had to remove these. They are still in water. I am on Long Island NY and I don't want to mail it.

I would love to have a clipping of your sponge. WOW 44 years. That's amazing.

 

[Paul B]

Come and get it. But you have to take that large rock too.

 

[Paul B]

Yesterday I had to euthanize my female bangai cardinal. She was at the end of her life and could no longer swim. I saw this coming for a couple of mobnths and she lived out her life happy and healthy. They only live 3 or 4 years. Her mate is also near his end. The pair stopped spawning and slowed down a lot and ate very little near the end.

I can tell when it starts happening.

I wrote an article about it if you are interested.

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/how-to-tell-marine-fish-dying-old-age-5782/

 

[gettaReef]

Bummer, sorry to hear that

 

[Paul B]

Yes, but he lived out his full life span so that is all anyone can hope for.

 

[Paul B]

I still can't get rid of that stupid sponge or those live rocks so I will trim the sponge and throw it out. The rocks I will just dry and keep for future projects.

I went to Boston to speak this week and I think my fish like the Supermodel who watches my tank better than they like me.

My arrow crab will shed tonight but I am worried for him because the larger bristle worms have been licking their chops waiting for this.

Everything else is doing great, even the Bangai cardinal who is near the end of his lifespan. He still eats but not like he used to. That is the first sigh of dying of old age. I am not sure what I will replace that pair with but I definitely want a pair of something that will spawn.

 

[becks]

Paul are your gorgians photosynthesis or non photosynthesis? If they are nps what's your feeding regime?