Tank birthday, 47+ years

[BurgerFish]

@Paul B

Good day Paul, what do you think about sandless tank?

Thanks

 

[Paul B]

Burgerfish, I don't think to much of them. I don't like sand at al for a reef and prefer gravel because I want oxygen to go all through the tank right down to the bottom glass.

I think bare bottom tanks are silly and counter productive because bacteria that run our tanks live on an in the substrate and not much can live on one dimensional glass.

Just my opinion and I realize many people have beautiful, healthy tanks with that system. I just feel it would be better and more natural with a substrate,

 

[Paul B]

Nice view of the back of my tank and my impeccable electrical work. :oops:

That orange bucket has a DIY leak detector for my DIY skimmer (not likely) There is a "probe" in the bucket connected to the GFCI outlet so if it gets wet, it turns off the power to the pump that feeds the skimmer. I use that method anywhere I feel there may be a leak and shutting off power will "fix" the problem. Very simple (if illegal but who cares) I normally use that system on my hot water heater, it turns off an electric valve that feeds the boiler if it detects water under it.

 

[Paul B]

A film crew from Long Island News 12 is coming here on February 17th to film the meeting of me and Cathleen. I don't know when it will air yet. :)

Maybe they will want to make a movie. Brad Pitt can play me and Scarlet Johansen can play Cathleen the girl who sent me the Christmas card in Vietnam

 

[Paul B]

So this year I am changing the way I donate the money from my book to the MS society. I used to wait until I got $500.00, then I would donate that. But I can't figure out Amazons web site so I will just wait until the end of the year when they send me the W2 form for my taxes.

I just got it and the book made $640.00 this year after I donated that first $500.00 so that is what I will donate. I will post the receipt when they send it to me.
I want people to know I am not keeping any of it.

 

[reddogf5]

Paul, how much flow do you look for through your UG filter?

 

[Paul B]

Paul, how much flow do you look for through your UG filter?

250 GPH down each of the 3 tubes. I want it very slow.

 

[reddogf5]

250 GPH down each of the 3 tubes. I want it very slow.

Thanks, what is the footprint of your tank? I thought I recalled something like 6 feet long, how wide?

 

[Paul B]

It's 18" wide. 125 gallon standard tank. Why do you want to know that?

 

[reddogf5]

It's 18" wide. 125 gallon standard tank. Why do you want to know that?

I want to implement your UG filter concept in a different sized tank, I think getting a similar velocity is the important part, so flow rate divided by area gives the velocity, then multiply by the footprint of the different tank and I know roughly how much pump it needs.

 

[Paul B]

OK. don't run it faster like many people advise. It will clog. You will never be able to run it fast enough to push the detritus out of the gravel so don't even try.

 

[Paul B]

OOOOoohhhhhhNNNNNNooooooo.......I was "playing" behind my reef tank putting a 5 gallon office water cooler bottle (empty) on a shelf. It fell off into my 5' skimmer. Instant flood. OMG, I thought the skimmer broke as water was spurting out really fast.

It is the DIY acrylic chamber that is connected to the skimmer and sets the height of the water in the skimmer.
I built it a few years ago from 1/4" Plexiglas but I didn't build it strong enough to have a 5 gallon bucket bang into it from a height.

The seam on the side of the thing opened up. I had to remove it and now I am waiting for the acrylic solvent to set.
It also feeds water to my reverse undergravel filter and algae scrubber so those things will be off line today.

 

[vlangel]

OOOOoohhhhhhNNNNNNooooooo.......I was "playing" behind my reef tank putting a 5 gallon office water cooler bottle (empty) on a shelf. It fell off into my 5' skimmer. Instant flood. OMG, I thought the skimmer broke as water was spurting out really fast.

It is the DIY acrylic chamber that is connected to the skimmer and sets the height of the water in the skimmer.
I built it a few years ago from 1/4" Plexiglas but I didn't build it strong enough to have a 5 gallon bucket bang into it from a height.

The seam on the side of the thing opened up. I had to remove it and now I am waiting for the acrylic solvent to set.
It also feeds water to my reverse undergravel filter and algae scrubber so those things will be off line today.

Uhhg, I hate it when those unforseen mishaps disrupt our lives. It's never convenient and usually a pain in the butt. I am sure that your ingenuity will get things back to perking.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks. I repaired the thing but need to wait a few hours to put it back into service.

It has an adjustable "bulkhead" inside that can be raised or lowered and being it is on the outflow of the skimmer, the water in this device sets the height of the water in the skimmer.

 

[Paul B]

Yesterday I went to my favorite 50 year old LFS. When I got there he was running out to Home Depot. He had a flood. This place is so old and there is always so much water on the floor I am not sure how he knew he had a leak unless he saw a couple of lipstick tangs swimming between his feet. :oops:
It seems something clogged a return line (probably a lipstick or Naso tang) and the tanks overflowed. They overflowed on to a big water pump that looked like Columbus brought over as ballast on the Santa Maria, but it could have been the Nina.

He had a guy there repairing the thing. He said he was a pool guy and was just shopping in the store. I am glad he got there first or it would have been me sitting in the flood on the floor with all the tangs and hermit crabs.

AS I finished shopping, the guy plugged in the pump and it made a big spark, so I quickly left. :D He knows I am an electrician. :oops:

 

[Paul B]

We are having a bunch of company for dinner tonight so I have been cooking and baking all day. I am making Manhattan clam chowder for the people who like (and asked) for that.

The other couple don't eat sea food, (must be Communists) so we are making them meatloaf. I also baked 2 loaves of rosemary olive oil bread Italian bread and made Bruschetta which will go on this bread after I slightly toast it.

For a side on the meatloaf I am making Rosemary, lemon potatoes. :D

Rice pudding for dessert

 

[vlangel]

We are having a bunch of company for dinner tonight so I have been cooking and baking all day. I am making Manhattan clam chowder for the people who like (and asked) for that.

The other couple don't eat sea food, (must be Communists) so we are making them meatloaf. I also baked 2 loaves of rosemary olive oil bread Italian bread and made Bruschetta which will go on this bread after I slightly toast it.

For a side on the meatloaf I am making Rosemary, lemon potatoes. :D

Rice pudding for dessert

Ha ha Paul, I made meatloaf for my hubby last night, but he only got canned peas as a side, no homemade bread and Oreos for dessert. He is liable to dump me for you unless I really sweet talk him!
Actually I forgot, I made fried zucchini too so maybe I am safe.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Ha ha Paul, I made meatloaf for my hubby last night, but he only got canned peas as a side, no homemade bread and Oreos for dessert. He is liable to dump me for you unless I really sweet talk him!
Actually I forgot, I made fried zucchini too so maybe I am safe.

Paul will woo him with clam chowder and meatloaf and fancy metal fish, and right when he thinks that they are bonding and he will have a metal fish for his end table, BOOM!!!

Paul will explain that the fish are no longer being made and what is left is not for sale... depression will ensue and the meatloaf won't be enough to fix the funk. I am the founding member of the support group. Membership is free.

 

[vlangel]

Paul will woo him with clam chowder and meatloaf and fancy metal fish, and right when he thinks that they are bonding and he will have a metal fish for his end table, BOOM!!!

Paul will explain that the fish are no longer being made and what is left is not for sale... depression will ensue and the meatloaf won't be enough to fix the funk. I am the founding member of the support group. Membership is free.

Oh dear, maybe I better enlist him in your support group pronto!

 

[907_Reefer]

meatloaf won't be enough to fix the funk.

I mean, it will be debatable.