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

[Paul B]

Meridith, I see you there. Looks delicious doesn't it?

 

[melypr1985]

Meridith, I see you there. Looks delicious doesn't it?

It does indeed! I would definitely not cycle a tank with that shrimp... it must be eaten! lol

 

[Harold Green]

Paul I know the feeling. Except it isn't even my boat. My youngest son brought his magna 19 up to the farm and I've been helping him to redeck it along with new vinyl. Since he only gets up here for a day every two weeks or so it's taking forever to finish. Meanwhile I have an acre of fruit trees that I generally have to work on several times a week. I've got a small lake next to the house full of fish and I'm getting too lazy to go out and catch one for dinner. And with all my free time I'm replacing the 44g cube in my dinning room with a 54 corner bow. Which means I'm in the middle of building a new stand for it. Aah the enjoyment of being retired.

 

[zoo]

congratulations my tank is only 19 years old. 44 years is amazing. my first tank was started around 1996 from collected animals from working on my uncles shrimping boat now, I have 6 more coral tanks but still love my Texas gulf coast tank. Every year I catch new exotic fish around offshore islands with my 10' cast net. I have never bought one creature for my 125 all collected and most let go after they grow or I get bored. I use filtered water straight from my dock so I have never needed to do a water change until hurricane Ike. I was lucky the lexan top and concrete saved my tank. I'am a marine biologist now but I still learn new things every day, that's why I love this hobby. I'am 29 so if live long enough I hope to have as much fun and life adventures as you.
I have so much respect for you, keep reefing!!!

 

[Reefrookie220]

I'll just say that 44 years is a lifetime for an aquarium. Congrats

On a side note, where can one find details of this book and when is it expected to git shelves?

 

[beaslbob]

As a newbee to saltwater you are an inspiration and I wish I had the courage to run my tank like you. With all the information out there on what you should do, have to do, and not do it gets so confusing and frustrating for someone coming into the hobby. I totally agree with many of your thoughts that we do to much to the tanks and fish which bring on a lot of the diseases. But as someone who has no experience we read something that tells us we should have quarantined, we should have medicated, we should TTM, we need all the lasted high tech equipment, we conform to what the general populous has to say. Of coarse we need to clean and add water and do some maintenance but the ocean isn't sterile so why should our tanks be. Don't you worry about arguing with people about your theories. You rock for an old dude

IMHO it doesn't take "courage".

All Paul has done is the basic "old school" approach where you setup a balanced stable system.

For instance, back in '79 when this rocking old dude started algae was actually considered a sign of a healthy aquarium and the lack of algae was considered a sign of a sterile unstable system that was unhealthy for both fish and any corals.

IMHO is actually takes less "guts" (and skill) to setup such a system. But then $5 worth of algae to replace $1,000s of other stuff today is considered "dangerous and experimental" methods that got this poster banned on several saltwater boards.

Meanwhile Paul and (to a much lesser extent) I just continue "experimenting".

my .02

 

[Paul B]

[QUOTE=". Aah the enjoyment of being retired.[/QUOTE]

As I always point out, on my way home from Manhattan on my last day of work, I had to stop at a plastic surgeon's office to have my face made better to fit my smile.
On that day, it was exactly 1:30. That morning I called my union to see what time I had to work to have enough hours that year to get retirement credits for the year.
1:30. So at exactly that time, I stopped turning the screw. Dropped my tools off the top of the ladder. Told the apprentice, they were his, and I came down. The woman manager in the office said, what are you doing? I said, I don't work here any more. She asked what I meant. I said, I am retired, and left. (there were people there to finish the job) That was the happiest day of my life. Working is so yesterday.

Merideth, that restaurant is a great place. It is a tiny Italian restaurant over 100 years old. I go there by boat almost every Friday because they have clams on the half shell (my favorite meal) for $6.00 a dozen. My marina charges $18.00 for the same thing.

Zoo, that is great. My first few tanks were also run with local animals and that local tank has been set up as long as my reef, but not continousely. I take it down all the time and set it up when I collect something interesting as I am out in my boat 4 or 5 times a week in the summer.

Reefrookie220. The book will be sold by Saltwater Smarts where I am also a writer. http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/relax-have-fun-its-a-hobby-5280/
My Daughter wants to throw me a book signing party at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island which I think is a little ambitious but if you want to come, you are welcome. Of course I don't think the subway from Brooklyn goes to Tennessee. I will let you know when it is out. Probably in a month or so as that is what they tell me. I am game for any kind of party, book or no book.

Beaslbob is correct. It takes no courage to run a tank as I run mine. When the hobby started that was the only way to run a tank and I was too lazy to change. I was born to experiment and I almost crashed my tank a few times doing it. It doesn't matter as long as I am having fun and possably learning something. I am very excited that I figured out the immunity factor in aquariums before I become senile. I can't believe in all the years people are still playing around with trying to cure fish when all they have to do is keep them immune like they are in the sea. Maybe I will have my only bottle of copper gold plated as a remembrance of when I also used to let my fish get sick, then try to cure them. Like work, I don't do that any more.
Taken from my boat in front of the Statue of Liberty. I worked on the construction of many of those buildings in lower Manhattan and I thought I would never have to see them again. Then my Daughter got married and moved right behind them in this picture.
That building on the extreme right I put a 37,000lb generator in that set back you see on the 22 floor. I had to hire the largest mobile crane in the world to do it and insure the subway beneath the street from collapsing.

 

[gettaReef]

Great news regarding the "possible" release of your book in a month or so. I will be purchasing a copy the minute it comes out. Wish I could make it to the release party and get my very own Paul B signed copy, but it's a long drive/expensive flight from middle USA (Iowa). Can't wait!

 

[Paul B]

GettaReef, I have an old Army friend in Iowa. He used to live on Rural Route 1. I haven't seen him in 45 years. We called him Cookie Man and he was the strongest guy I have ever met.

 

[gettaReef]

My bet is he grew up on a farm, as many here do. There's no better workout than being a farm hand

 

[Reefrookie220]

@Paul B I've been to New York only one time, I hid myself in the back of an honors student field trip with the excuse that I thought it was the football bus. We were in little Italy when Italy won the world cup....had a great time would love to come back.

 

[Paul B]

My family comes from Little Italy. There are hardly any Italians there any more. My Daughter lives near there.
Gettareef, he did grow up on a farm in Waverly Iowa. He loved to bail hay.

 

[moulton1853]

My family comes from Little Italy. There are hardly any Italians there any more

I loved little Italy but haven't been there in 23 years. Went to a restaurant, can't remember the name, where they brought out these huge plates family style and there were pictures plastered everywhere on the walls of celebrities. Turned out it was owned by the guy who played the grandfather in the Munsters. He's gone now so I assume his place would be too, but it was the best Italian food I had!

 

[Paul B]

There are still Italian Restaurants there for the tourists, but the place is now basically Asian. My family and almost all Italian families settled there around 1900. My family was all from a small fishing village in Sicily.
I rarely go to Little Italy any more and don't drive through there if I can help it. The streets were built for carts and are narrow and very crowded. New York has much nicer places than down town Manhattan, a place I abhor.
I worked there for 40 years. Eastern Long Island or for the mountains and lakes, upstate New York are so much nicer.

 

[moulton1853]

I hear ya. I live in upstate between Buffalo and Rochester. I am about 40 minutes from Letchworth Park and 40 minutes away from Lake Ontario. Love NYC but would never live out that way.

 

[beaslbob]

My family comes from Little Italy. There are hardly any Italians there any more. My Daughter lives near there.
Gettareef, he did grow up on a farm in Waverly Iowa. He loved to bail hay.

fwiw the Everly brothers started on family owned radio station in waverly IA.

I think.


LOL.

 

[Paul B]

Thats interesting.

 

[Reefrookie220]

Being the history buff that I am, @Paul B , I'd love to sit down and just listen, ask some questions sure, but mostly listen, a man with a 44 year old tank and built with his hands part of New York and watched it evolve has some stories!

 

[Paul B]

Reefrookie220, the hobby actually started in England almost 200 years ago and the salt hobby started in Germany in the late 60s. It came to the states in 1971. At least thats when salt water fish became available in Manhattan.
Here is a story I wrote on the history of the hobby if you are interested.
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/brief-history-saltwater-aquarium-hobby-3213/

 

[beaslbob]

In '70 or 80 or so I remember a FAMA article describing very early efforts here in the US on doing a saltwater tank.

the author reported they had made sever unsuccessful tries then had a tank in a front window of the shop and just let the algae grow.

Funny thing was the fish lived because of the algae.