Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Kmst80]

I had two surgeries yesterday. They took a small cancer thing off my lower eyelid which I probably was born with.

Anyway the first surgery at 9:30 am they called me the night before to tell me to have a big breakfast and stay hydrated by drinking water.

OK but right after that, the second doctor who was an eyelid plastic surgeon called me to tell me not to eat or drink anything from the night before. It's a good thing they called because I would have eaten 7 pancakes with eggs.

The second surgery happened about 5:00pm even though my appointment was for 11:30 am. So we sat there, kind of hungry for 5 1/2 hours before they took me in to the "little room" where they put you to "get ready".

The nurse comes in and tells me to take off all my clothes. I told her the last time a woman asked me that, I got married.

So I am naked with the paper gown and the anesthesiologist, doctor, nurse and the guy who sweeps the floor come in to ask questions.

The eye lid, plastic surgeon asks me which eye it is?
Now I just came from the surgeon who removed the thing from my left eyelid and didn't close the wound because this guy is supposed to do that and it is all bloody and swollen.

I asked him to "Look closer". OK I see it is your left eye. Now I am thinking maybe this guy is a podiatrist or audiologist.

I jokingly said to him, can you make me look like Brad Pitt. He said, no problem, but just that one lower eyelid.

The anesthesiologist asks me if I have ever been under general anesthesia before and this is after I just said to him that this will be my 31st surgery.

So as we are talking they say ok all done. I said: "Whats done"?. The surgery is over and you did great.

If you have ever had surgery, the stuff they put you out with is so good that you don't even know you were out for an hour. This happened for my last three surgeries. You don't even realize you had an operation until you get up off the gurney and notice you are naked and the cold is going to parts on you that never get cold.

Now I am home and except for looking like I got hit in the face with a baseball bat, all is well except my left lower eyelid looks like Brad Pitts eyelid. :rolleyes:

Just need to wink with your left eyelid at Jennifer Aniston now ;)

 

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[Paul B]

Turbo, that is absolutely fantastical. I really love it. Very nice. :D I am working on something very slightly similar which will be all brass and copper. I already acquired the metals and I had to buy some special tools because it will be all banged into shape but it is coming along.

It is supposed to be a copperband butterfly but very loosely. The side is open as much of the fish will be and you will be able to see the brass skeleton.

Thats the plan anyway but the snout of the fish is proving to be a little difficult to fashion out of copper. I am liking it so far but if it doesn't come out as I want, it will be an anglerfish. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Paul B]

This little purple fish is nearing the end of his life. I don't even remember what kind of fish he is or how old he is but I think I have him from my last house and I moved here 5 years ago. I also think he was an adult when I got him.

He slowed down a lot and he is a little thin except for his stomach, sort of like me. His eyes are not as bright as they used to be but he still swims around and eats. He also has a few rips in his fins as his immune system can't repair it very fast now.
Small fish like this usually don't live to 10 years but I am not sure. I do know he is past his prime and maybe in a few weeks will disappear.

This is how all fish look when they are coming to the end of their lifespan. I think he will live a couple more months but thats about it.

 

[Rybren]

This little purple fish is nearing the end of his life. I don't even remember what kind of fish he is or how old he is but I think I have him from my last house and I moved here 5 years ago. I also think he was an adult when I got him.

He slowed down a lot and he is a little thin except for his stomach, sort of like me. His eyes are not as bright as they used to be but he still swims around and eats. He also has a few rips in his fins as his immune system can't repair it very fast now.
Small fish like this usually don't live to 10 years but I am not sure. I do know he is past his prime and maybe in a few weeks will disappear.

This is how all fish look when they are coming to the end of their lifespan. I think he will live a couple more months but thats about it.

That's a really interesting looking fish Paul. I'm sure it's lived a lot longer with you than it would have anywhere else.

 

[i cant think]

This little purple fish is nearing the end of his life. I don't even remember what kind of fish he is or how old he is but I think I have him from my last house and I moved here 5 years ago. I also think he was an adult when I got him.

He slowed down a lot and he is a little thin except for his stomach, sort of like me. His eyes are not as bright as they used to be but he still swims around and eats. He also has a few rips in his fins as his immune system can't repair it very fast now.
Small fish like this usually don't live to 10 years but I am not sure. I do know he is past his prime and maybe in a few weeks will disappear.

This is how all fish look when they are coming to the end of their lifespan. I think he will live a couple more months but thats about it.

He’s a beautiful fish and if you’re interested, he looks to be a Pseudochromis aldabraensis or Arabian Neon Dottyback.

 

[Paul B]

I think it's a purple dottyback. :)

 

[ReefGrammie]

What a pretty fish! You are a good fish keeper. :)

 

[Paul B]

Thank you ReefGramie. I'm not a good fishkeeper, they just like being here. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Paul B]

I am not sure what to do with my tank. Everything is healthy including unfortunately the photosynthetic sponge that is taking over everything. Nothing eats it.

I am afraid to change water because those new nutrients makes it grow faster but the lack of nutrients the tank has now due to the sponge removing everything from the water is having a negative effect on the corals which are all soft.

I trim it when it covers gorgonians and other corals but it exudes toxins when I do that.
I added "Phosguard" to remove silicates but that didn't seem to have much effect so I am still experimenting. This is a hard problem to correct and this will be my last tank so I don't want to remove everything and soak the rock in fresh water to try to kill the stuff. I am not even sure if that would work.

But this is an interesting situation that will keep me thinking for a long time. :)

 

[besskurz]

I'm by far somebody qualified to give any advices... but I read your post and I was searching.. I found that angelfish (queen) does eat sponges and some some breeds of boxfish.
I never thought about having boxfish due to the toxin risk.. and queen angels are very expensive though.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks but they don't eat this photosynthetic sponge. I can just about cut it with a razor blade. Unfortunately, They eat other, softer sponges.

 

[Paul B]

Playing with new camera.

 

[Tamberav]

I know a blackout will kill it but what to do with the other inhabitants :thinking-face:

I put some purple sponge in my fuge and the macro grew above it... blocking the light and it certainly turned white and died.

Cover up the rock with some sort of black plastic reef safe sheet? :thinking-face: Will that much dying off be a problem though? Do it in batches and run carbon? idk.

 

[Paul B]

Good Morning Tamberav. I thought about that but it is a daunting task. I was also thinking of removing a large rock one a week or so and soaking it in freshwater for 2 minutes, then putting it back in the tank. That shouldn't kill the corals but may kill the sponge. (I doubt it)

I built much of my rock and some of it is 18" long so very hard to remove without wrecking the entire tank.



This is the second largest "rock" I built (18") out of real rock and cement. There is a bigger one.

There is a woman "sponge expert" that is studying these sponges who I have been trying to get in touch with but for the last couple of years I can't find her. Hopefully she has some incites on the stuff that may be helpful.

Unfortunately, in a healthy tank, even the sponge is healthy. :confounded-face:

 

[Paul B]

This morning walk in front of my house.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Good morning Paul. Wishing you and the super model all the best today!

 

[Cthulukelele]

This morning walk in front of my house.

What a beautiful sight!!

 

[Cthulukelele]

I just want to say silently reading through your build thread over the last few years has really been an inspiration to me and pushed me to want to do whatever I can to make sure my fish all get to live full, happy lives. Thanks for being such a wealth of knowledge to all of us getting started.

 

[Paul B]

That sunrise is natural and not Photoshopped because, well, I don't know how to do that. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

I stepped out and saw it so I i immediately too a picture. I normally walk about a mile away for a better shot and I did, but it disappeared so when you see that sky, you need to shoot it right away.

Cthulukelele. Thank you. That was a very nice thing to say. Most people just want me to lay in a bed of fire coral and stick myself in the eye with a long spined sea urchin,,,,,twice.