Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

( think was called atockle backs )

Where you live, those are sticklebacks.

 

[Paul B]

Before my sunrise walk this morning I put those two tadpoles in a bag and when I passed their pond I returned them to the water to see their friends. Now they can grow up in peace until that pond starts to dry up and they find themselves on the street under a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser driven by a retired Nun on her way home from confession.

 

[Subsea]

I just went to this little pond across the street to get some floating water plants for my garden terrarium thing and accidentally picked up 2 bullfrog tadpoles. There are so many frogs in that pond that it looks like Kermits home coming party. I will let them go in a couple of hours.

For me, collecting added another dimension to this hobby. I started my first salt water tank some few months after @Paul B. In Sept 1971, I had just entered the Texas Maritime Academy after 4yrs in USAF. It was amusing to see the “cadet core” marching with shaved heads and spit shined shoes. We didn’t spit shine our boots in the jungles of Cambodia.

Texas Maritime Academy was located on Pelican Island, in the shadow of Galveston, it was a saltwater marsh that provided excellent fishing. When the fishing was slack, the area provided excellent collecting opportunities. Grass shrimp & green mollies were in abundance in the marsh grasses. Jutting out into the Guf of Mexico from Galveston beaches, rock jetties provided fishing for flounder, speckled trout and amber jack during the warm months. The rock jetties also provide perfect habitat for collecting peppermint shrimp and curlyque anemone. Even when fishing wasn’t good, collecting always provided something of interest.

 

[Paul B]

Lets Remember. Today is 9/11 when the United States was attacked and 2,996 people were murdered.
Almost exactly at this time.

 

[fishybizzness]

Never forget!

 

[Paul B]

 

[CoralB]

Saying Good Bye to our boat. We have had a boat for 43 years. It was time to move on.

Nothing marks the progression of life more than the things we have to give up . Sorry for the loss of something you obviously enjoyed, but Paul today their are companies out their today that allows you to rent a boat for the day and relieves you of the hassle of maintenance, maintance , and storage / ongoing costs of ownership . Slip fees etc. just book the day , rent the boat and when you step off the boat you hand the keys to someone who takes care of the negative aspects of boat ownership . Win win and you don’t have to completely say goodbye to this part of your life which you seem to love . Hope this helps you lighten the act of making transition to the feeling of loss of something you enjoy .

 

[CoralB]

Lets Remember. Today is 9/11 when the United States was attacked and 2,996 people were murdered.
Almost exactly at this time.

 

[CoralB]

Nothing marks the progression of life more than the things we have to give up . Sorry for the loss of something you obviously enjoyed, but Paul today their are companies out their today that allows you to rent a boat for the day and relieves you of the hassle of maintenance, maintance , and storage / ongoing costs of ownership . Slip fees etc. just book the day , rent the boat and when you step off the boat you hand the keys to someone who takes care of the negative aspects of boat ownership . Win win and you don’t have to completely say goodbye to this part of your life which you seem to love . Hope this helps you lighten the act of making transition to the feeling of loss of something you enjoy .

Our loves and hobbies I believe is what keeps us upright and gives us purpose to forge on . For the money you will save you could even hire a private charter . Also in mightbe time for a new book while your enjoying the fourth quarter .

 

[Paul B]

LOL, I actually have a Captains license and can hire a boat. Maybe some day I will.

 

[CoralB]

LOL, I actually have a Captains license and can hire a boat. Maybe some day I will.

That’s the spirit !! Live life , life lived , no regrets !!!

 

[ying yang]

Where you live, those are sticklebacks.

Ha ha yeah was typo,stickle backs meant

 

[ying yang]

Not sure what to say,apart from such a terrible day 9/11 .
Can remember when it happenned,was in my early 20's In a pub and football on TV stopped for the news off a plane in first building then another.
Hopefully nothing ever again happens to any country .

 

[Paul B]

The table is finished and looks fine. Here it is with the red under table lights on.

 

[Paul B]

I just collected 50 gallons of water in the sea. It is raining and rough today so the water is full of chopped up seaweed, mud and small pieces of Columbus underwear.

I already had to clean the diatom filter 4 times and I am not done. This is the dirtiest water I have ever collected and I never even had to clean the diatom filter more than once.

Also the silicate is off the chart so I need to remove that before I use it because that is what is fueling my sponges which is almost taking over the tank.

 

[Paul B]

That 50 gallons of water I collected yesterday is now crystal clear and I am removing the silicates with "Phosguard". I had to order more of the stuff because I ran out and it isn't very expensive. I only use it on new NSW so it lasts me over a year.

If all the silicates are out by tomorrow I will heat it up and change about 40 gallons. I keep 10 gallons aside for emergencies like floods etc. of if I catch some weird creature in the sea that I want to study for a while.

A small amount of the water and sand I didn't filter because I like to throw that in my tank right from the sea for the bacteria and microfauna as I feel that a lack of new bacteria is the cause of many tank crashes. I also add garden soil for the same purpose and always have.

 

[Paul B]

This fireclown is getting better with age, Unlike me.

Here he is today at about 30 years old.



This is what he looked like a few years ago. Notice the "bags" under his eye. He (or She) doesn't have that any more.

 

[Subsea]

This fireclown is getting better with age, Unlike me.

Here he is today at about 30 years old.



This is what he looked like a few years ago. Notice the "bags" under his eye. He (or She) doesn't have that any more.

30 years!!! What a testimony to longevity of livestock. Diversity of micro fauna & fana provide stability in our ecosystem.

 

[Paul B]

His mate is a couple of years younger.

 

[Paul B]

I finally changed that 40 gallons of water. It is really getting to heavy for me now.