Tank birthday, 47+ years

Paul B · Dec 25, 2021

Thank you guys. (and, or girls) :)

I truely hope everyone has a really great New Year with no Covid or any other illnesses.

Fudsey · Dec 25, 2021

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Paul ! !

Paul B · Dec 25, 2021

Thank you Fudsey :)

Paul B · Dec 30, 2021

I need to do some right hand activities as I tore my left rotator cuff. I have an appointment with the surgeon but I know it is torn. This will be the 5th or 6th time I tore a rotator cuff so I know exactly what it feels like. :confused:

It's also a good thing I don't have any hair because it would be hard combing it. Changing water on my tank will have to be performed by my hermit crabs (a very little at a time)

If you go through life and never tore or broken anything, you didn't do enough. :)

This will be my 28th or 29th surgery but all for Manly things like crashing, fighting, or dancing. :rolleyes: No silly things like facelifts, nose jobs or tummy tucks.

I had this appointment for a month as these guys are like Gods. I picked this guy to do it because he is a Veteran and was a combat medic in Afghanistan. I didn't want someone who got all his experience operating on in grown toenails.

I could probably do it myself if I could stand my screaming, After all I do have a large assortment of toggle bolts and other hardware. :D

Daniel@R2R · Dec 31, 2021

Paul, just thinking about people I am grateful for in this hobby, and wanted to make a post here to let you know that I am very grateful to and for you as someone who has helped our community in so many ways. Hope you have a wonderful New Year!

Paul B · Jan 1, 2022

Thank you Daniel :)

Paul B · Jan 1, 2022

Thank you Daniel. I wish the same for you :)

OMG, I just tested the salinity in my tank and it is so low I could keep kissing gouramies and tadpoles. ;Wideyed

I just added a bunch of salt into my reverse undergravel filter. I am sure the bristle worms under there are getting the horrors. ;Jawdrop

Paul B · Jan 1, 2022

Unfortunately, this little Lady croaked like I knew she would. She was egg bound which I found out over many years is very common.

I actually lost most of the female dragonettes I had, probably 4 or 5 of them to this.
She actually exploded spilling eggs all over the place to the delight of my mandarins.

Paul B · Jan 3, 2022

I added a mountain of salt to my Reverse Undergravel filter over about a day to bring up my salinity from 0.015 to almost 0.025. :p

Everybody is happy and healthy even though many people would have done this over like 6 months doing one teaspoon a day. :cool:

(this picture is stretched)

Paul B · Jan 4, 2022

I just got back from my favorite LFS and came out with two dragon faced pipefish, a female ruby red dragonette to replace mine that was egg bound and exploded and about an 11 inch piece of rock covered in Zoa's.

The pipes were ten bucks each and the ruby red was $16.00. The Zoa rock was about $45.00 or so. I will take pictures when I get a chance. :p

Paul B · Jan 5, 2022

Eagle_Steve · Jan 5, 2022

Paul B said:
I added a mountain of salt to my Reverse Undergravel filter over about a day to bring up my salinity from 0.015 to almost 0.025. :p

Everybody is happy and healthy even though many people would have done this over like 6 months doing one teaspoon a day. :cool:

(this picture is stretched)

I call that a tide change lol. But agree, some take way too long to bring salinity back up when low.

Paul B · Jan 6, 2022

The tide pool where I used to collect small fish, amphipods etc goes from full salt to almost full fresh every 6 hours every day and the fish and crabs look fine.
It's fed by a lake during low tide and the sea at high tide.

Thats a little drastic for a reef but fish and corals are a lot more robust than we give them credit for.

Troyntu · Jan 11, 2022

Cool tank. My father in law has a reef tank up and running for the last 38 years.

Paul B · Jan 12, 2022

Your Father N Law is probably a Cool guy. :)

I am going to be cool in a few minutes because I am going for my morning 2 mile walk and it is windy and 20 degrees out. ;Wideyed

Paul B · Jan 13, 2022

I just came back from a shoulder surgeon. I tore my rotator cuff for the 6th time. Not on only one arm. Both arms. I have enough hardware in my knees and shoulders to open a hardware store.

A good ACE hardware store not a rinky dink one that is mainly for home owners. Very small home owners. I am waiting for an MRI but after 29 surgeries I know what a torn rotator cuff feels like. If I could stand my screaming I would fix it myself as I have a glue gun, coral glue and stapler. :D

The bone Doc I went to was a combat surgeon in Afghanistan. I picked him because I wanted a Veteran and not a horse doctor. :oops:

He will wait for the MIR results but he said he may not be able to fix it because there may not be any real estate left for him to put in some new toggle bolts. If that is the case, He would have to replace the entire shoulder. :rolleyes:

That sounds like fun and it will compliment my aluminum knee so I am looking for the diagnosis.

Eagle_Steve · Jan 13, 2022

Paul B said:
I just came back from a shoulder surgeon. I tore my rotator cuff for the 6th time. Not on only one arm. Both arms. I have enough hardware in my knees and shoulders to open a hardware store.

A good ACE hardware store not a rinky dink one that is mainly for home owners. Very small home owners. I am waiting for an MRI but after 29 surgeries I know what a torn rotator cuff feels like. If I could stand my screaming I would fix it myself as I have a glue gun, coral glue and stapler. :D

The bone Doc I went to was a combat surgeon in Afghanistan. I picked him because I wanted a Veteran and not a horse doctor. :oops:

He will wait for the MIR results but he said he may not be able to fix it because there may not be any real estate left for him to put in some new toggle bolts. If that is the case, He would have to replace the entire shoulder. :rolleyes:

That sounds like fun and it will compliment my aluminum knee so I am looking for the diagnosis.

Hope it all works out for the best.

From someone who now considers himself the "million shekel man" with all the metal I have in me, I feel ya. Would be nice just to shove some axle grease in the joints, duct tape cartilage back together and call it a day.

Paul B · Jan 13, 2022

Yes it would. He gave me a cortizone shot but with so many old surgeries I would rather just take a bath in the stuff or add it to my wife's chicken soup. :)

If you lived a bunch of years and didn't break or tear most of your parts, you didn't do enough.

Daniel@R2R · Jan 13, 2022

Paul B said:
I just came back from a shoulder surgeon. I tore my rotator cuff for the 6th time. Not on only one arm. Both arms. I have enough hardware in my knees and shoulders to open a hardware store.

A good ACE hardware store not a rinky dink one that is mainly for home owners. Very small home owners. I am waiting for an MRI but after 29 surgeries I know what a torn rotator cuff feels like. If I could stand my screaming I would fix it myself as I have a glue gun, coral glue and stapler. :D

The bone Doc I went to was a combat surgeon in Afghanistan. I picked him because I wanted a Veteran and not a horse doctor. :oops:

He will wait for the MIR results but he said he may not be able to fix it because there may not be any real estate left for him to put in some new toggle bolts. If that is the case, He would have to replace the entire shoulder. :rolleyes:

That sounds like fun and it will compliment my aluminum knee so I am looking for the diagnosis.

Man, that sounds rough. Praying for you as you go through the process. I love that your usual witty outlook is still firmly in place. Hoping your recovery goes smoothly, Paul.