Tank birthday, 47+ years

Paul B · Nov 12, 2015

Fireclowns preparing to spawn. The larger one is in his 20s and the smaller one is about 17. These two have been spawning since they were babies..

Paul B · Nov 13, 2015

So far she seems fine. I hope it stays that way.

Laying eggs. Wait, I see one-------> ,<---------

Paul B · Nov 15, 2015

My reef is starting to grow a little algae. Not much, just on places where I glued things and a few other places. That is fine and I like it. It is a cycle and this "no algae" cycle has lasted for years. Usually I see some every couple of years. I want it to grow now because I need my new algae scrubber to grow some more algae. Right now it is just green but not enough to clean off yet. I also re designed the top of it because I was getting some dripping.
I am designing a new LED light fixture. It will be water cooled instead of air cooled like virtually every other one is. I am building it on a copper pipe frame and it will have fresh water going through it, then to a radiator to eliminate the heat. Do I need a water cooled light fixture? Of course not. But it is very cool. It will be very light, simple, cheap and easy to repair. It may also be good looking, and I like good looking. (I didn't mention Supermodels) Tomorrow If I have time I will buy the copper pipe for this project. I think I have everything else I need except for the pump. I need a small water pump that I can plumb into the system but I can't use a powerhead because this will be a closed system. I also need to build a thermal switch to shut off the system if the pump fails and heats up the pipe. I am also designing into it more LEDs that will be at a 90 degree angle from the rest of them to illuminate my algae scrubber. I will take some pictures when I do this. I am sure that by next year, all LED lighting systems will be water cooled. OK, Maybe not.

PS, so far my Grand Daughter Greta is doing great and shows no problems. Maybe the diet is working.

Paul B · Nov 20, 2015

My bluestripe is very pregnant again.

Paul B · Nov 22, 2015

My torch coral takes great pleasure in killing my montipora. I caught him with his fist on the thing.

Paul B · Nov 22, 2015

My screen is growing algae just not matured enough yet to get an even growth. But in time it will be fine. I also didn't build the light for it yet so it is just a silly, very dim LED

Paul B · Dec 15, 2015

Now that my water cooled light works I think I will build another one for my algae scrubber. I think this one will be an air cooled copper one because it will be to small for a water pump. I just need to buy a copper plate about 8" square and I am going to solder fins all over the back and add a small fan. I have a bunch of extra LEDs I can use.
Another fun project.

Paul B · Dec 17, 2015

Some of my fish at their feeder.

Paul B · Dec 18, 2015

Something I wrote about fish oil which I think is one of the best, if not under used substances we have in this hobby even though virtually no one uses it except me and maybe 2 other people.
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/in-praise-of-fish-oil-6127/comment-page-1/#comment-11060

Paul B · Dec 18, 2015

My closest friend and dive partner, Richie Natoli just moved to Key Largo and here is a couple of pictures he sent me, He also supplied many of the pictures for my book because although we have dove together for decades, he is a much better underwater photographer than I am.
Below water

And above

Paul B · Dec 31, 2015

Thanks guys.
I just love making typhoons with my diatom filter. I am not sure how the fish and corals like it though. But they will thank me later.

Paul B · Jan 2, 2016

My dopey air pump for my home made skimmer croaked. Even though it is a venture skimmer it needs an air pump because it is 5' tall and my home made venture valve needs a little "help" getting air that far down. I don't remember when I got this pump but I know I didn't buy it. Someone must have gave it to me many years ago. I can normally fix these things but the silly little one way valves cracked as did the housing they are in. It is a "Luft" air pump which puts out 7lbs of pressure which is what I need. They sell repair parts but of course not the parts I need. That would be silly because then, you could fix the thing. I ordered a new pump but fixed the old one just to spite the company. I repaired the cracks in the valve housing with Goop glue and attached acrylic, spring loaded one way valves to the diaphragm to by pass the damaged valves. The thing works "almost" as good as new. The air pump is behind the white "controller" ($8.00 light timer) on the very neat shelf. Try not to comment on my phone wire. Yes I do have a wireless phone there but that one is just covering the hole in the wall for now. It is also from the 70s.

Paul B · Jan 9, 2016

I recently acquired this beauty, the coral, not the fish. It's a blue "something" I don't normally remember names and was married to my wife for about 6 years before I stopped calling her "Hey".
I know by the color that it is not photosynthetic so it needs to be fed. Most tanks are far to clean to keep something like this (mine probably is also) so a couple of times a day I take one of these squeeze things and stir up a nice place in the gravel that I have not touched for a while and make a storm. The coral seems to enjoy this and I am hoping it is getting some nutrition out of this along with the clams with their juice I feed daily.

I use one of these to do the stirring.

Paul B · Jan 15, 2016

Just playing with the camera.

Paul B · Jan 16, 2016

How cool is this guy?

Paul B · Jan 19, 2016

Anthias and bluestripes at feeder. One bluestripe very pregnant

Paul B · Jan 20, 2016

My mandarins spawned again last night. I was going to film them, but I was watching TV and was to lazy to get up. This was from a spawning a few years ago so just make believe it was from last night because they do it the same every time.

Paul B · Feb 1, 2016

I love these guys

Paul B · Feb 5, 2016

I was just looking at my tank and Wow, I have way to many fish. A couple jumped out in the last few months but the rest of them just keep growing. They are all exuding health which is what they are supposed to do but the amount of food they need is really messing up my water. I don't know what the nitrates read because it is off the chart. I really don't care as I like healthy, spawning fish. I am going to try to count them.............
I came up with 20 but I am sure I missed some.
I also put a weird pipefish in there last week that I haven't seen but he is the type that crawls around the bottom so he is probably in the back someplace.
Yesterday I got a bunch of chowder clams so with those and quite a lot of live blackworms I am good with food for a couple of weeks. The bluestripe pipefish are spawning as is the bangai's, mandarins and fireclowns. The yellow wrasses look like they are trying to spawn and maybe they are when I am not looking.
I am very happy with my water cooled LED light and my water cooled lighted algae scrubber. Not that water cooled fixtures are any better, just cooler, in more ways than one. I never liked having the same lighting as everyone else.
I have been gradually through attrition changing the tank over from corals to more sponges and gorgonians. I just like them better and think you can get more interesting stuff than the run of the mill corals. I still have a lot of corals and won't be throwing any out but I want to see how many sponges and gorgs I can fit in there.
I got this beautiful blueberry gorg a few weeks ago and although I doubt it will live long, it is still extending.

These red things are sponges and there is a large blue sponge over that along with a bunch of gorgonians.