Tank birthday, 47+ years

Henry C

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what a milestone in this hobby... I congradulate you sir!!!! What do you think of the advancements that have been made in the hobby since u started? Have you seen things progress for the better?
 

dougers31

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That is just crazy! I can hardly believe a tank could last that long without issues(like silicone failing etc) Nice job! I do have a question... how old do you think your oldest coral is?
 

Poltermagda

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Great job maintaining the tank for 40 years, unfortunate about the accident that claimed your fish. Would you say that was the most disastrous event to happen to your tank in the 40 years?
 
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Paul B

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I bet you got some funny looks on the plane ride with the rock. Did you acquire all of your rock that way? How many trips did it take?
For many years my wife and I went to the Caribbean every year to have fun and dive. On most trips I brought back rock.
the plane crew didn't think twice about it, in those days you could bring back anything.

16 years for that clown huh.
He may have another 10 years in him.

Paul is your tank one that has the full metal frame around it?

No metal framed tanks disappeared about the time I got this tank or a little before.

I wonder if you have the worlds oldest established tank?

I have no Idea but It may be the oldest in the US being I started it the week salt water fish became available in manhattan.

you rember what brand the tank is?

I think it is "Perfecto" or something like that. This 100 gallon was considered large back then.

Most people don't even have that much dedication in there marriage, job,
That is true but I had the tank before I was married 39 years ago. I also just recently retired from my job after 39 years working as a construction electrician

Have you seen things progress for the better?

Some things are worse, there is still people thinking they can eliminate hair algae by using animals like seahares and they cure ich with cleaner fish. These wives tales have always been around and will always be around.
I think a DSB is a bad idea because it can't be maintained and it has a short lifespan, much shorter than almost all of our animals live.
LEDs are the thing of the future and will be on all tanks soon.

I can hardly believe a tank could last that long without issues(like silicone failing etc) Nice job! I do have a question... how old do you think your oldest coral is?
With so many peiople telling me about silicone I am afraid tio look under the tank.
My oldest coral is not that old. A few years ago I lost my old corals when my town added Zinc Orthophosphate in the water supply to control corrosion in the pipes. I also lost old clams that day. Now I have special resins to combat that because they add it all the time but if I change the water just when they add the Zinc, it is a problem.
Some things are worse. I think there is too much reliance on DSBs which I consider a bad idea as they have a lifespan. There is still too much incorrect information about ich and hair algae. People still add seahares and crabs for hair algae and cleaner fish for ich. Aint gonna work but these wives tales still prevail.
I think LEDs are the next big thing and soon all tanks will have them.

Would you say that was the most disastrous event to happen to your tank in the 40 years?
The last sentence I wrote
 
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fsu1dolfan

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Congrats Paul, 40 years is a major accomplishment. I can only hope i continue this hobby for atleast half that. I feel like we should be calling you the GodFather of reefs! LOL

So what was your brightest moment or memory with you tank?? And what was your worst??
 
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Paul B

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So what was your brightest moment or memory with you tank?? And what was your worst??
I love it when something spawns and I really love it when I see them hatch.
The worst memory was what I posted above when the town added Zinc to the water and killed my corals.

This was exciting when I had this pair of seahorses that I collected in the sea, the female is transfering the eggs to the males pouch. This happened in my reef where I sectioned off an area on one end for them. I removed the male and raised the babies.

scan0003-1.jpg
 
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Paul B

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She is about to lay eggs again. This large watchman gobi has been with me for many years along with her boyfriend. She has also laid eggs many times but all the times except once she laid them in places where I can't get to to take a picture. This time she picked a place in the back of the tank where I hope to get a picture of. She already uncovered my UG filter and is fat. I am hoping to see some eggs this week but you never know. She could also just have eaten too many Doritoes and just gotten fat.
Gobi004.jpg

This was another batch of eggs from her in another place where it is hard to get a picture
Gobieggs026.jpg
 

Lenny

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Would a RODI unit get rid of the zinc? What resin are you using? Congats on the tank! :bigsmile:
 
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Paul B

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Normally it does but a RO unit may only eliminate 98% of the zinc. I guess enough got through to kill the corals and it exhausted the resins in no time. That was the 2nd time that happened.
 
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Lenny

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Normally it does but a RO unit may only eliminate 98% of the zinc. I guess enough got through to kill the corals and it exhausted the resins in no time. That was the 2nd time that happened.

Is this a common practice for city water supplies? What resin are you using?
 

youngtimothy

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40 years is awesome you could probably write a book on all the things you've come across! I've ran into a few things in just 4 years but 40 wow!
 

newman24

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congrats!

How often did you do water changes back then compared to now?

Did you acclimate you livestock back then?

Did you cycle your tank or just add livestock?

How much were damsels back then?
 
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Paul B

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Thanks guys. It is common practice in Long Island to add zinc orthophosphate to the water supply to control corrosion in the pipes. All of Long Island uses well water and it corrodes brass very fast. The zinc forms a film on the inside of the pipes to protect them. The brass screws inside valves just crumble.
I have resins now that specifically remove zing, I get it from "The Filter Guys" I don't remember what type it is but I need to orser some more.
This zinc is what stopped my from using tap water like I did for many years. The first time they added the zinc I lost all my corals also and that was about 20 years ago. I don't think it is too much of a problem every day but if I happen to change water with a batch of water just after they add the chemical, my tank is in trouble. It seems that my RO/DI does not remove enough of it in those cases. It also happened to the large LFS a few blocks from my house the same time it happened to me.
Newman blue devils cost $7.00 in 1971 in Manhattan, thats like $50.00 today. I initially filled my tank with water from the Long Island Sound as there was no ASW for sale then. There was also no live rock or any rock, we used dead coral skeletons for decoration and we removed then every couple of weeks to bleach so they were pure white. All tanks looked like that.
I added livestock then like I do now but we had to keep copper in the water continousely because everything had ich. ZThe tanks were not very healthy due to not having enough bacteria and there was no salt water food available. There was nothing in print, no books and no computers so no internet. No fish forums, and no one with a salt tank, except me. I bought the first blue devils the week they became available for sale 40 years ago next month.
I change about 20% of the water 5 or 6 times a year and I only add homemade 2 part calcium and Lugols Iodine.
The first 5 years the tank was in smaller glass, here it is circa 1972. You can see the bleached corals and the blue devils.
I got them to live 7 years and they spawned for many of those years.
Oldtankandme.jpg

scan0012.jpg
 
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Captain Nemo

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WOW!!! That is awesome that you have been dedicated to this hobby that long and have seen it grow and change. You should have a medal for this!!!! since I cant give you a medal, here is + 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 to you for an awesome job and keeping a tank this long successfully!! Bravo! My hat is off to you!
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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