Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

Atoll, I don't get notifications on any site, and I like it like that. If I want to see something, I just look for it and if I don't find it, I sit back while looking at my tank as I sip some really good Brandy.

Today we have a little of a heat wave. 20 degrees so my beach walk was a little "sweaty".

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Atoll, I don't get notifications on any site, and I like it like that. If I want to see something, I just look for it and if I don't find it, I sit back while looking at my tank as I sip some really good Brandy.

Today we have a little of a heat wave. 20 degrees so my beach walk was a little "sweaty".

 

[Paul B]

It's a little warmer today so the ice receded from our shore a lot.

Because of this, it revealed the icebergs that sunk the titanic over 120 years ago.

This is amazing.

 

[Paul B]

I haven't posted anything about my tank in a while, with my wife's illness, all the doctor's appointments, and all the snow we had. I also haven't done much maintenance on the tank, but I do feed them almost every day. When I don't have the time to properly feed the tank, I at least throw in a few live whiteworms just for my long-nose butterfly.

Those things have such tiny mouths that I want to make sure she eats at least a little every day and she sucks down the worms even before they hit the water, so the rest of the fish don't get much of a chance.



These guys are very tough to feed, but I only have to feed them once a week or so. When they don't feel like eating, they hang around in the back somewhere under a rock, like a few people I know.



It's very hard to feed them because this filefish is on their food before they even know the food is there. They are very slow and need to look at the food for a few minutes to see if they want it or not, so I have to keep feeding the fish on the other end of the tank to make sure these guys eat.



These guys are no trouble at all and will probably eat a piece of paper if it has a picture of a clam or worm on it.
None of my fish ever saw nori.





Mandarins are the easiest fish and require no care or feeding from me as they take care of themselves and I never bought a pod in my life. I think that's ridiculous.



I love all these little fish and I have them in all different colors. They eat anything tiny and are like eight or ten bucks. I don't know how many I have but many of them spawn.





















These guys cost a little more. Maybe $25.00, I don't remember as they are old.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

so beautiful!

 

[MikeyZo]

Can I get a full tank shot? Lol

 

[vlangel]

That is an adorable pic of the blenny and goby in what looks like a toadstool! 2 species that act like best buddies! I like your pair of possum wrasses!

 

[Paul B]

I just quickly turned around and took this. About 30 of the fish are hiding.

 

[vlangel]

Looks great Paul!

 

[Paul B]

That is an adorable pic of the blenny and goby in what looks like a toadstool! 2 species that act like best buddies! I like your pair of possum wrasses!

One of those Possum Wrasses is old. It was from my last house so over 9 or 10 years old.
The other one is only maybe 5. You can see their black stripes fading. They have them while young, then gradually lose them even though many people think they are a different species.

This is one of them when young.

 

[atoll]

I haven't posted anything about my tank in a while, with my wife's illness, all the doctor's appointments, and all the snow we had. I also haven't done much maintenance on the tank, but I do feed them almost every day. When I don't have the time to properly feed the tank, I at least throw in a few live whiteworms just for my long-nose butterfly.

Those things have such tiny mouths that I want to make sure she eats at least a little every day and she sucks down the worms even before they hit the water, so the rest of the fish don't get much of a chance.



These guys are very tough to feed, but I only have to feed them once a week or so. When they don't feel like eating, they hang around in the back somewhere under a rock, like a few people I know.



It's very hard to feed them because this filefish is on their food before they even know the food is there. They are very slow and need to look at the food for a few minutes to see if they want it or not, so I have to keep feeding the fish on the other end of the tank to make sure these guys eat.



These guys are no trouble at all and will probably eat a piece of paper if it has a picture of a clam or worm on it.
None of my fish ever saw nori.





Mandarins are the easiest fish and require no care or feeding from me as they take care of themselves and I never bought a pod in my life. I think that's ridiculous.



I love all these little fish and I have them in all different colors. They eat anything tiny and are like eight or ten bucks. I don't know how many I have but many of them spawn.





















These guys cost a little more. Maybe $25.00, I don't remember as they are old.

Way to go. Big tank small fish.... mainly.

 

[Subsea]

Paul,
You are an inspiration. The quality of your photography is only excelled by the beauty of your fish. However, your pragmatism is magnetic and your humor is insanely funny. Thank you for both.

You were instrumental with my conversion to UG filter reverse flow from Jaubert Plenum with deep sand bed. I siphoned out 200 pounds of sand over a 10 day period. going from 6” to 2”. I did this at the same time as conversion to Cryptic & mud refugium and never looked back. However because my focus has always been seaweed, initially as a way to feed the hungry of the world so, I built a dual purpose 20’ by 40’ greenhouse, that was to grow seaweed to eat and a live rock grow out system which I seeded with 500 pounds of diver collected live rock and used 2000 pounds of Texas holy rock which is dense limestone deposits in an ancient inland sea which is now Edwards Plateau. I draw water from Middle Trinity Aquifier at 1000’ with a TDS of 950ppm. While I use RODI for evaporation makeup, when I mix for partial water change, I mix straight up with untreated Aquifier water. I now UV my drinking water due to a black Cyanobacteria which has plagued fresh water pond & pool operators in Austin. The Black Cyanobacteria contaminated my phytoplankton culture, which apparently has nutritional value as my filter feeders cleaned it up. When dosed in 75G twenty five year mature tank, I could not see the back glass at 18” and in 4 hours water was crystal clear. It astounded me in two ways; not only in how fast water cleared up but I got a sustainable harvest every 10 days. I should have known that something was wrong as I have phytoplankton culture manuals. In a thread that I had posted, it was pointed out by European reefers that I was growing black Cyanobacteria and they feed it to their reef tanks. So, go figure.

My photography skills are weak and my aquariums need cleaning. It’s Spring planting season and I am behind on too many “irons in the fire”. However, check out some pieces of Gulf Live Rock that I received 2 weeks ago.

 

[vlangel]

One of those Possum Wrasses is old. It was from my last house so over 9 or 10 years old.
The other one is only maybe 5. You can see their black stripes fading. They have them while young, then gradually lose them even though many people think they are a different species.

This is one of them when young.

I like possum wrasses and I didn't know about the juvenile coloring as opposed to what they look as they age. I plan to get a possum wrasse someday and that is very useful info so thank you for sharing.

 

[Paul B]

Sub, that black cyano sounds gross. I'm glad it s not affecting your beautiful tank. and I think your photography is better than mine.

The only criticism I can offer, is when you post a long story, every few sentences, hit the return button to leave a space so it's easier to read.

 

[MikeyZo]

Well, here’s mine

 

[Paul B]

Mikey, your photos are much better than mine and your corals are too.

 

[MikeyZo]

I’d trade for your tank any day

 

[MikeyZo]

Side note, I love those Pom Pom crabs. They have a cool personality, waving their anemone around. I actually had one molt and then I didn’t see it for like a week and a half. I thought it died. I felt bad because my son loved that thing so I went out and bought another. Lo and behold, now I have two lol

 

[Paul B]

I haven't built a Steampunk piece in quite a while, and with so much stuff lying around, I built one in the last few days. It isn't 100% finished but it has a glass dome over the top and I need to install a switch and maybe a few more LEDS. I also want to put more "tinsel" on the small fan so you can see it running better.

I will take a video when it is ready. I'm not sure if I will sell it or keep it. I don't really have any really nice pieces because they all sold. I only have a futuristic blimp and a fish.

 

[MikeyZo]

That’s awesome!