Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

I have a chain saw.

 

[Paul B]

Just playing.

 

[Paul B]

Someone likes my algae.

 

[Paul B]

Another walk yesterday

 

[atoll]

Paul have you ever considered a little dog you could take on your walks?
This is our Ben out on one through Wepre Park Woods. He's 2.5 years old now, videotaken last summer.

And a couple more recent ones of him.

 

[Paul B]

No, not really, I am not a dog person but I am an animal lover and have had many animals. But no dogs or cats as our lifestyle won't allow for it.

We always traveled a lot and the friends we had with dogs or cats had big problems coming along, especially if it was for a few days like on our boat which we were on quite often.

 

[atoll]

No, not really, I am not a dog person but I am an animal lover and have had many animals. But no dogs or cats as our lifestyle won't allow for it.

We always traveled a lot and the friends we had with dogs or cats had big problems coming along, especially if it was for a few days like on our boat which we were on quite often.

Yeah that can be a problem for sure. I did warn my wife it would be difficult to travel and go on holiday once we had him. Wouldn't swap him for the world of course and his such a great character. Everybody knows him around heer and knows his name very few know mine lol

 

[C4ctus99]

Morning y’al. @Paul B in going to be (finally) setting up a RUGF in the next week, provided I don’t use up all my time elsewhere

I’m trying to figure out what to use for the substrate, I am trying to do a budget build and live 20 minutes from the beach, but from what I had heard, regular sand clogs up the filters. I have about 20lbs of course aragonite, do you think I could layer it from courser to regular sand? Maybe if I have a good shell layer (smaller shells) then sand on top?

 

[Paul B]

No not really. Layering only lasts a couple of weeks. You can use the beach sand if you strain it so you only get particles about the size of rice. Not to small or it will clog. You can also use crushed coral.

 

[C4ctus99]

Okay cool. I’m not far enough south in Florida to have access to that coral sand. I was hoping to try and source as much of this build as I could locally/naturally but there may not be sand that course around here.

Does the course sand affect wrasses and their burrowing?

 

[C4ctus99]

Okay cool. I’m not far enough south in Florida to have access to that coral sand. I was hoping to try and source as much of this build as I could locally/naturally but there may not be sand that course around here.

Does the course sand affect wrasses and their burrowing?

 

[Paul B]

Not unless it is very course.

You could see my gravel here. Its as big as rice.

 

[C4ctus99]

Not unless it is very course.

You could see my gravel here. Its as big as rice.

Those fish are gorgeous! How do your sandsifters do with such large granules?

 

[C4ctus99]

Also, I have some Portland cement and 57 lime rock, what’s the best way you’ve found for making rocks for your tank?

 

[tbrown]

Also, I have some Portland cement and 57 lime rock, what’s the best way you’ve found for making rocks for your tank?

When I make it, I use Portland cement and aragonite sand only. Mix it between 1 part cement to 2 parts sand and 1 part cement to 1 part sand. Add some water softener salt crystals to add some extra cavities.

 

[tbrown]

Also, be aware it may take several weeks to months of freshwater soaks to leach so you don't end up with pH or alkalinity spikes.

 

[Paul B]

I use Sakrete Mortar mix when I make rocks. I have an article on here how I build some of them.

Build your own rock for practically free

Make your own rock When the hobby started there was no live rock for sale, as a matter of fact, there wasn’t even dead rock for sale. We used dead, white bleached pieces of coral to decorate our tanks and we bought that in a furniture store...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[C4ctus99]

Thanks for all the help! Also one last question… how do you feed whole gut foods to small fish? I’ve got two clowns <2” and it’ll have to be finely minced or something cause their mouths aren’t small…

Also love how you may be retired, but wake up time is still the same! Did y’all start work at 7am normally?

 

[Paul B]

I like to feed chopped up clams or mussels because the clam is mostly guts.

I started work in Manhattan normally at 7:00 am so I took the 5:59 train and if I was working not to far from Penn Station, I walked to wherever I was working. I was a construction electrician so wherever we were building a building, thats where I went.

 

[Paul B]

Our Grand Daughter, Greta came to visit us old people for a few days.