I think it's platapuses but I really don't know. I know it is octipi with octopuses and fish or fishes are both correct but I may not be the correct one to ask as I didn't go to college. There was that war thing and all. I am actually proud of that as I think to much education removes some of your creativity.
An engineer such as a boat engineer would not think to use acrylic to make a bracket for something that goes in a boat bilge because acrylic would not be a material they are taught about. They like things like stainless steel, wood and aluminum.
My skimmer is also a 5' model and in my life I only actually bought one skimmer. It was the first one Sanders came out with in the 70s. It was made from green plastic and was a counter current model. It worked very well but was small. Over the years I designed and built dozens of different models before finally settling on the one I have now. It has the capacity to have different venturi models installed and occasionally I get a bug and design a new valve. Some of them even had two air intakes. It is probably not the most efficient skimmer but I like making things and can design it better for "my" own preferences. I am an inventer and own two aquarium related patents. Yesterday I was on Skype (I love that thing) with an engineer as we were re designing a part of the Majano Wand to make it more efficient and just better. We are really just tweeking it a little as most devices get tweeked as they are in use for a few years and potential problems become noticed. That happened to cars as I used to be an auto mechanic for GM. Now as you said cars last forever. I used to make money in my driveway changing ball joints and brakes. Ball joints last the life of the car ans brakes can go 40 or 50 thousand miles. You don't even have to change spark plugs now for 60 or 70 thousand miles and even then, there is nothing wrong with them.
The new problem with cars is that they are computer controlled so when your "Check Engine" light comes on, it could be a real pain to find the errant module that is giving you the problem and sometimes those modules require you to take the car apart to replace. As a mechanic I used to build my own cars, now that is very difficult and expensive. It used to only require that you lived near a junk yard.
It amazes me the amount of money people spend on their tanks. I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. To spend 5 or 6 hundred bucks on a skimmer or controller, I would end up divorced or out on the street. I also realize my tank is no where near the nicest tank on here but in my defense, it was never meant to be. It was also never meant to be TOTM or anything else. I am not going for the best or prettiest, I don't want the most colorful corals or a tank full of sticks. It is, and always was, just a hobby, an experiment. Something that I enjoy for myself. No one else, as it was started before any other tank so there was never anyone to impress anyway. I go for unusual creatures, I want to see them spawn and thrive. I have already had all the tangs, angels, and moorish Idols that I need. They are common and everyone has them. I like clingfish, mandarins, pipefish, cusk eels, possum wrasses, odd looking gobies, wierd crustaceans and of course Supermodels.
I collected this guy
One of my designs that will soon be marketed.
Baby octipi or octipuses.
Skimmer.
Mini Majano Wand
Cookie Monster.
Piggy
