Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Jekyl]

I've been fortunate so it skews my view of it but finding life that I didn't add on purpose to my tank has been my favorite part so far. Little bit of panic while researching to find out what I'm actually looking at then the thrill of feeling like I own an actual ecosystem.

 

[ScottR]

@Paul B ~ what don’t you put in your tank? As I recall with my horrible, early dementia memory: screws, bottles, batteries?, random beach things, and mashed potatoes?

 

[Scape]

40 years! Legendy!, would be great to hear some of the experiences you've faced over the years!

 

[Paul B]

Scott, generally if it comes from the sea, I will put it in my tank so I guess If I found a German U Boat, it would go in there.
I may have to widen my door a little.

We as aquarists unfortunately listen too much to the general, inside the box thinking as I used to do. Things like iron is bad or NSW is bad.

If you ever dive on an old sunken ship you will see more life stuck to that ship than the surrounding waters. I wonder why. It's probably not that the corals are nostalgic and like old ships. They like iron.
Corals have algae in their bodies and algae lives on iron.
It's not like they saw the movie "The Posidon Adventure" or " Titanic". The sea is loaded with iron.

People worry about oil and gas from NSW. That stuff floats so you would see it and not collect it.
IMO people worry too much about parameters and not enough about food and bacteria which is what the fish are thinking about.

You will hear that you have to go five miles out and take water from 10' down. But the day before that same water was right on the beach and a Pomeranian puppy was peeing in it. And a few months before it was in France or California where everything gives you cancer. In California, even reading about cancer gives you cancer. I am surprised they allow you to have a fish tank there as I am sure that gives you cancer. ;Wideyed

Fish worry that they will be quarantined and not get the living bacteria they need, or the fish oil they need. They are horrified that they will be fed dry food like flakes. Depending on their political preference, they may not want to see signed pictures of Nancy Pelosi near their tank. Or maybe Matt Damon or Don Knots is more their speed. I don't know.

Fish are extremely robust and probably never get sick in the sea. We make them sick. If we just leave them alone and feed them what they are supposed to eat, and expose them to what they are supposed to be exposed to. they will be fine. They were fine in the sea when we were not there.

Dipping, medication, quarantining, flakes, and Rap music is what gives them the horrors.

Ascape. I have seen some things. I even worked some Victoria Secret photo shoots, but I digress. Underwater I also saw a lot of things, no Mermaids but loads of ship wrecks and shopping carts.
I also saw a town underwater and some tractors, trains, motorcycles, whales and plenty of sharks, moorish Idols, porcupine puffers and just about every thing else you can see. If you haven't figured it out, I am old, a Geezer.
But I think I have led a full life and saw just about everything I wanted to see and went every where I wanted to go.

Except Easter Island and the Galapagoes. But I am still on the right side of the grass and in great shape except for knees. But there is a lot more titanium in the world so I just need a little piece of that for my other knee and I will be as good as new.

Tahiti. You can just about see a moorish Idol at the bottom center. They are a very common fish as are sharks in the South Pacific. They are like guppies there.

There are so many sharks that on the back of the dive boats you have to time them going past so you don't jump on them as they frown on that.

We also went to a "tiny" Island off Bora Bora (like 100 yards tiny) and from sitting on the beach there were so many shark fins sticking out of the water that it looked just like those cartoons you see in the paper where an accountant and Christie Brinkley are stranded on this tiny Island with just a palm tree and all the accountant is thinking about is the stock market report. I of course would be thinking of my fish tank.

 

[andyg1960]

Love (and always have loved) your outlook, Paul. Maybe it’s my Long Island upbringing.

 

[Paul B]

Yeah, I still got that.

 

[Paul B]

We went out to a nice dinner on the water 2 days ago and I got stuck. The boat had two problems but luckily we got home without swimming which was good because the restaurant is 15 miles away.

The ignition switch shorted out causing the starter to engage when I put the boat in reverse. I have never seen that before and neither did the mechanic in my marina.
The neutral safety switch , which prevents you from starting the boat (and your car) in gear powers the start circuit so you can start the engine in neutral. But the switch shorted out causing the starter to engage while running the engine.

I fixed that at the dock before we left so that only delayed us for 15 minutes.

The boat ran fine for the trip and one engine stalled at the restaurant.
I couldn't start it so I docked on one engine.

We had a nice dinner and we started to come home on one engine. One engine doesn't get the boat up on plane (on top of the water) so the boat goes like a displacement boat (battleship, tug boat, etc) and only went 8 mph. The boat normally can go about 30 mph.
After a couple of miles I got the other engine started and we made it back to my dock.

Today I hope to go down there to do some work on it. The season is almost over and I am not sure I can salvage any more boat time this year but I am going to try.

I will install spark plugs but I am also going to remove one of the exhaust risers because when I couldn't start it, it backfired a couple of times which "may" mean that some seawater was getting into the engine. The only place that could happen is at the exhaust manifold.
(a head gasket will also do that but they don't "usually" go on a boat)

If the exhaust riser is clogged and corroded, I will replace all four of them. But if it is just a little caked with gunk, I will take it home and scrape it out and hopefully get another month of boating before I change them in the fall.

They are heavy and I am older now so it is not a job I relish, but I really don't trust people to do anything because I know that after they do it, I will have to do it myself anyway.
There is little room to stand in my bilge and my new knee doesn't work well but my other knee is worse and I can't twist it at all so this normally not very hard job will be an adventure. But I am not a snowflake and like challenges. If it were easy, any Girly Man could do it and Girly men never do this. All they do is call for reservations and call mechanics. ;Wideyed

It's those four steel things with the four bolts in each one on either side of the engines. That is only the small top part as they go all the way down about 16" and from the front to the back of the engines.

 

[andyg1960]

Good thing you’re handy, Paul. I lived on Long Island until I was In my mid 20’s and we had a 36’ sportfshing boat. My dad was very old-school and wanted a wooden boat so he had this boat built by a custom boat builder in Keyport New Jersey. We did a lot of great fishing on that boat. It was beautiful with the flybridge and teak decks. Whenever there was a mechanical issue it was my job to get down in the engine area and figure it out. When I was younger the smells down there combined with the motion made me seasick but I eventually grew out of that. I miss it now like I miss my dad. Living in central North Carolina it’s not quite as easy to do that type of fishing anymore, but I did get down to the keys recently I did some fishing so that helped. I grew up in Freeport by the way.

 

[Paul B]

Andy, as you know Freeport isn't that far from me, about half an hour. I actually like doing my own work, of course if I had knees that actually bent like they used to, it would be easier.
I also like the smell of gas, oil and bilge water.
I have my old, mechanic clothes on and I will dive into there in about an hour.
I have to drain the engine of seawater then remove just the riser on the manifold.
I am just looking today and won't do the entire job yet.

My Dad was also handy as far as I can remember as I was 10 when he died but so far, I "almost" never hired anyone to do anything. Sometimes, like when I had to store my boat at a different marina last winter they won't let you work on your boat as they want the $175.00 an hour for labor.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Paul,
The bilge on your boat is cleaner than my house! How is that possible? My little boat is just one 4.3 with an Alpha 1 outdrive. I can't trust anyone in town to work on the boat anymore but that is one long story I won't trouble you with!

I just dropped off my boat for my son and family to use over the Labor Day weekend on Lake Roosevelt.

Had a chance to purchase a 28' Four Winns this year but my truck was right at the limit to pull it.

 

[Paul B]

I don't know, but this boat spent it's 18 year lifespan in salt water. I get down in there all the time with a bottle of "Lestoil".
I hate grease. I cut up 2 plastic milk crates on an angle so they fit level under each engine. On top of each of those I wired those grease absorbent mats so no grease gets on the floor.
It's still a choir to keep it clean, but I do.

I got the riser off the manifold and it is not as bad as I figured it would be. It was clogged but most of it I was able to get out with a screwdriver and a powerwasher. This one was getting very hot and thats why. I can probably get five more years out of it.

The other three risers don't get to hot so I won't mess with them today. Now I just need to get gaskets and put the thing back together.

I also installed spark plugs.

 

[Paul B]

After I came home from taking apart the boat I came home to relax. My wife went to her friends house so it was nice and peaceful. I poured a nice glass of Grand Marnier and laid on the couch.
I asked Alexa to put on peaceful rain sounds and I almost drifted off to sleep.

Then the rain sounds started to get violent and I told Alexa to cancel.
I started to drift off.
The sounds got louder. I yelled :
"ALEXA. CANCEL"
She said, "There is nothing to cancel."

Just then I heard this very loud, very annoying noise from my cell phone and like in stereo, from my house phone at the same time.

"SEVERE TORNADO ALERT IN EFECT, DANGEROUS LIGHTNING, HURRICAIN FORCE WINDS, STAY INSIDE, DON'T EVEN THINK OF GOING OUT EVEN IF THERE IS A 50% OFF PURPLE TANG SALE AT THE LFS".

I look out the window and it was dark. It looked like I was trying to see through sheet metal, not that cheap 18 gauge sheet metal like they sell in Home Depot, I mean Manly 12 gauge, galvanized sheet metal like they make Greyhound busses out of.

The rain was coming down as if it was being dumped out of Cadillac trunks and not those new Sissy Cadillac's. I mean a 1957 Pink Cadillac that had trunks you could put three Toyota's in and still have room for the full size spare tire.

The lightning was deafening. I looked at my tank and all the fish were huddled in the corner with a wide eyed look on their faces kind of like Nancy Pelosi sometimes gets. They even let the anemone and long spined urchin squeeze in with them.

There is a huge tree across the street from my house and the branches were bending like Mick Jagger's legs "AND" my car was parked under it.

OMG, I grabbed the keys and ran out there to move it. The lightning looked like Poseidon's Trident
and the rain was pushing me down just by it's sheer weight but I knew I had to move the car so the limbs wouldn't fall on it.

I get in the car and I am soaked in places I haven't seen or felt in decades.

I get the car started and the windshield wipers don't move fast enough but I manage to get the car in front of my garage where there are no trees.

;Wideyed
I count to three and run out of the car and in one quick movement I spin around and close the door.

The only problem was that in my haste, while I was spinning around, I threw the keys backwards where they flew, very fast towards the car.

I said OOOOOHHHNNNNNnnooooo because as everyone knows keys are now like little expensive High def, flat screen TVs and cost as much. They are also not water proof.

OMG!!

I can't kneel down because my knees are like fine crystal about to break so I lay down flat on the pavement in an inch of water. I can't see because of the rain and the lightning is screwing up my vision, not to mention that it's LIGHTNING!!!! and you are not supposed to be laying in a lake while it is crashing all around you.

But I remembered that I am not a Snowflake so the lightning will only tickle me.

I look under the car and can't see the keys. Then I run around to the other side of the car and lay on the ground. No keys. I now inch my way like a nudibranch to the rear tires and reach my hand under the tires but NO KEYS!!!

Then I remembered that I have my cell phone in my pocket and my pocket is as wet as a 10 gallon pico reef that was just set up and is cycling, not with a live shrimp, but a dead one. ;Bucktooth
I got up and threw the phone in the car.

I opened the garage and got a big push broom and I am pulling water from under the car hoping they would somehow emerge, but no keys.

Now I am frantic and the lightning is getting closer. My life was flashing before my eyes and all I could think about was my poor horrified fish. How will they get along with out me.

Now five minutes have gone by and I still can't find the keys. I know I couldn't have thrown them too far and they don't float so they have to be someplace. But where?

Finally I think to look in a place where I know they couldn't be. On top of the car.

Yep, sitting there right on top.

I quickly brought them in and took out the battery and now they are drying but I don't know if they will work. Time will tell.

 

[Alexreefer]

After I came home from taking apart the boat I came home to relax. My wife went to her friends house so it was nice and peaceful. I poured a nice glass of Grand Marnier and laid on the couch.
I asked Alexa to put on peaceful rain sounds and I almost drifted off to sleep.

Then the rain sounds started to get violent and I told Alexa to cancel.
I started to drift off.
The sounds got louder. I yelled :
"ALEXA. CANCEL"
She said, "There is nothing to cancel."

Just then I heard this very loud, very annoying noise from my cell phone and like in stereo, from my house phone at the same time.

"SEVERE TORNADO ALERT IN EFECT, DANGEROUS LIGHTNING, HURRICAIN FORCE WINDS, STAY INSIDE, DON'T EVEN THINK OF GOING OUT EVEN IF THERE IS A 50% OFF PURPLE TANG SALE AT THE LFS".

I look out the window and it was dark. It looked like I was trying to see through sheet metal, not that cheap 18 gauge sheet metal like they sell in Home Depot, I mean Manly 12 gauge, galvanized sheet metal like they make Greyhound busses out of.

The rain was coming down as if it was being dumped out of Cadillac trunks and not those new Sissy Cadillac's. I mean a 1957 Pink Cadillac that had trunks you could put three Toyota's in and still have room for the full size spare tire.

The lightning was deafening. I looked at my tank and all the fish were huddled in the corner with a wide eyed look on their faces kind of like Nancy Pelosi sometimes gets. They even let the anemone and long spined urchin squeeze in with them.

There is a huge tree across the street from my house and the branches were bending like Mick Jagger's legs "AND" my car was parked under it.

OMG, I grabbed the keys and ran out there to move it. The lightning looked like Poseidon's Trident
and the rain was pushing me down just by it's sheer weight but I knew I had to move the car so the limbs wouldn't fall on it.

I get in the car and I am soaked in places I haven't seen or felt in decades.

I get the car started and the windshield wipers don't move fast enough but I manage to get the car in front of my garage where there are no trees.

;Wideyed
I count to three and run out of the car and in one quick movement I spin around and close the door.

The only problem was that in my haste, while I was spinning around, I threw the keys backwards where they flew, very fast towards the car.

I said OOOOOHHHNNNNNnnooooo because as everyone knows keys are now like little expensive High def, flat screen TVs and cost as much. They are also not water proof.

OMG!!

I can't kneel down because my knees are like fine crystal about to break so I lay down flat on the pavement in an inch of water. I can't see because of the rain and the lightning is screwing up my vision, not to mention that it's LIGHTNING!!!! and you are not supposed to be laying in a lake while it is crashing all around you.

But I remembered that I am not a Snowflake so the lightning will only tickle me.

I look under the car and can't see the keys. Then I run around to the other side of the car and lay on the ground. No keys. I now inch my way like a nudibranch to the rear tires and reach my hand under the tires but NO KEYS!!!

Then I remembered that I have my cell phone in my pocket and my pocket is as wet as a 10 gallon pico reef that was just set up and is cycling, not with a live shrimp, but a dead one. ;Bucktooth
I got up and threw the phone in the car.

I opened the garage and got a big push broom and I am pulling water from under the car hoping they would somehow emerge, but no keys.

Now I am frantic and the lightning is getting closer. My life was flashing before my eyes and all I could think about was my poor horrified fish. How will they get along with out me.

Now five minutes have gone by and I still can't find the keys. I know I couldn't have thrown them too far and they don't float so they have to be someplace. But where?

Finally I think to look in a place where I know they couldn't be. On top of the car.

Yep, sitting there right on top.

I quickly brought them in and took out the battery and now they are drying but I don't know if they will work. Time will tell.

Wow! Amazing story, always love your outlook and can find a way to make everything entertaining!

 

[GBRsouth]

It's still a choir to keep it clean, but I do.

I know it's a typo, but the imagery it creates brings a smile. Bet you make them sing for their supper Paul! Perhaps "Bound for Botany Bay" would be appropriate!;Singing;Hilarious

 

[Jekyl]

The Nancy Pelosi line had me laughing out loud.

 

[Paul B]

I took the boat out for a test sail and it runs perfect. Last week one engine got stuck at a restaurant and it was hard to diagnose because after I got it started it ran fine. So I replaced the spark plugs, gas filters and re built one exhaust manifold. I ran it full speed for a couple of miles and so far it is perfect. I wanted to fix it to squeeze the last few days of summer out before I put it away.
There are a lot more restaurants here I haven't tried out on the water yet.

 

[Brew12]

Last week one engine got stuck at a restaurant

And the other engine just left it there!?!?! ;Wideyed

How rude! I thought they were a couple! ;Facepalm

 

[Paul B]

Actually the other engine got us part way back until I started the stuck engine.


I don't get it that people can't fix things. When I was a kid we all knew how to fix our car. We didn't have boats then. I wouldn't dream of bringing my car to someone to fix and I never did. Today, sometimes I need to bring it in to the dealer because much of the computer software is proprietary .

But for anything else like brakes, ball joints, shocks, tune ups etc. You have to be nuts to let someone do that.
I am not sure what they charge for brakes but you can put four of them on your car in an hour for like a hundred bucks and the brakes you can get are much better than original brakes from the car manufacturer. Then you will probably get a Jiboni for a "mechanic".

I just don't trust the work people do and I am of the thought that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

Like today, I re-built kind of the exhaust manifold on my boat. When I replaced the bolts, which are about a foot long, I ran a die over the threads to clean them up then I put anti seize lubricant on them so the next time I have to remove them, they come right out. No mechanic is going to take the time to do that. I also painted the manifold so it looks new.

 

[Brew12]

I agree with you Paul. My water heater sprung leak this weekend. I'll be changing it out tomorrow. Sweating copper piping isn't hard and I'm not paying someone $400 for something I can do in 2 hours with $30 in parts.

 

[Jekyl]

I can agree with the lack of societal hands on knowledge. My father was a mechanic for 30 years, grew up as a gear head. By the time I was 17 he made sure I could take apart an engine and put it back together. By the time I was 30 he taught me to basically build a house. Now here I am with my 7 year old trying to find the best way to prepare him for life. You know how? Same way my dad did. Already checking out classic cars to find which one to build first. Also due to my wonderful dad i own a property preservation company. Best believe as soon as he can swing a 21oz hammer he'll be smashing his thumbs the same way i did. Too much coddling leads to never learning how to succeed.