Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Subsea]

What writer? It's all true. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Paul,
For posterity sake, recall the squirrel episode,

And hug your beautiful wife. She is stellar.

What is Stellar ecosystem?
Stellar empowers builders to unlock human and economic potential. It combines a powerful, decentralized blockchain network with a global ecosystem of innovators to create opportunities as borderless as ideas.

 

[Paul B]

For posterity sake, recall the squirrel episode,

I doubt I could find it. :astonished-face:

I personally like the wasp story the best and these are all true stories.....Kind of. :cool:

 

[Paul B]

OK, I found the squirrel story. I don't think it's very interesting but I will re post it since you asked. :anguished-face: Is this the story?

I just came back from my very Manly "run". Very slow run. But anyway I don't want to dwell on that. On my way back, I was running pretty "fast". Actually probably slower than my walking, but off in the distance, on the street I see this squirrel. He was sitting in the street holding a nut and most likely thinking about where he is going to hide this nut so in the spring he would have something to feed his six kids.

I hear this blood curdling SQUAWK.........I look up.......I see this huge eagle. OK I think it was a hawk. Definitely not a pigeon, and it swoops down towards the squirrel.....

The squirrel hears it and looks up........It was to late. I heard the doomed creature SCREAM amidst the loud CAW CAW of the devil bird. :oops:

6 or 7 other crows were on the power lines cheering and it was deafening. I had to put my hands over my ears, (after I put down my sweatshirt, hat, walking stick and phone)

Right now that unfortunate squirrel is being served up as breakfast. :confounded-face:

It brought back memories of that Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds".

It also, for some reason brought back a memory of one of my old girlfriends. She was Greek. A real Greek Goddess, Grecian curls and all.
Her Greek name was so long that it had every letter in the alphabet,,,,,Twice. Her last name alone just ended with "Etc." so they didn't have to make up more letters.

Her Mother really used to go out on a dark night and offer up tea leaves to the moon. I think she was praying that I wouldn't marry her Daughter. She eventually dumped me for a guy with a shorter name. :oops:

 

[Paul B]

I also like the Mens store story better. All these stories are true. Sort of.

We really need gender specific stores. because Men, like me have no patience. How many times do us men go into a store and there is a woman in front of us checking out. and she doesn't have exact change and searches in her bag for 15 minutes looking for it. My wife does that.

I say just give her a 20 and forget abut it. It isn't worth the wait.
Once my wife sent me into a Mall, a place where I would "never" go, to return something. I would just throw the thing out no matter what it cost. I get that "Mall look" :oops:

So I was on line thinking of what disease I would rather have that waiting here on line. Maybe irritable Bowell. :face-with-thermometer: Then, I figured the wait wasn't going to be to long because there were only two Ladies in front of me.

The first lady walked up to the cashier and also wanted to exchange something so she put it on the counter and explained to the salesgirl if she had this thing in yellow. :confused:

Now the two of them had to go look through the aisles for this yellow thing and couldn't find it. So now of course they had to order it so she had to look through a prism of colors to find the right yellow to match her shoes. If I had a chain saw I would have cut my head off. :eek:

Finally she was done. So there is only one lady in front of me so I figured I was almost out of there. Wrong.
She put the item on the counter and gave the salesgirl her credit card. It didn't work. Then she gave her a different credit card which also didn't work.

Now of course they have to call the bank because it just worked a while ago when she got her hair colored to pink.
The bank put her on hold as I was putting gas in the chain saw.
Then the sales girl and the customer realize they know each other and their kids went to the same school. Now they are showing each other pictures of their kids and their dogs.
I looked around for a file to sharpen the teeth on the saw.so I would get a clean cut on my neck.

Then it was my turn. I put the thing on the counter, told the girl to keep it and have a nice day and I walked out.

In a Men store we wouldn't have any of those problems.
There would be a girl, it doesn't matter what she looks like or if she had a nice personality because she doesn't have to say anything. She would be holding a pool cue stick.

The real man would say something like where are the "cro Bars". She would smile and point the pool cue in the direction of the cro bars. She would also have a box near her feet where the real man would put some money. Maybe five or ten bucks depending on what he is buying. That is not sexist . (A Ladies store could hire a man for this) It is so the store doesn't have to waste time paying this girl and she should make a good living and be paid in cash so she doesn't have to claim it on her taxes. :)

The real Man would then go to the cro bar aisle (because in a real Mans store only manly things would be sold, no incense burners, bed sheets or pink cell phone cases.) :confused:

At the cro bar aisle the price would be marked on each cro bar in red permanent marker and it would be priced in whole numbers, no 99 cents or anything silly like that.
If it is supposed to be $49.99, it is fifty bucks. $37. 23 would round out to $37.00 or $40.00. Real men don't need change as I always leave it on the counter or put it in one of those boxes that say homeless dogs, homeless Aardvarks, homeless Veterans, whatever is closest to me.

Then when we had the cro bar that we wanted we would look for that girl at the door.
Just inside the door would be a bucket. We would throw approximately how much we owe the store into the bucket.

Sometimes more, sometimes less. At the end of the day it will almost even out and everyone is happy.
If the store ends up with more money than they are supposed to get, they give it to the girl at the door.
This solves a multitude of problems and there are no lines in a Mens store. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

I sometimes go food shopping with my wife and it is painful. It takes hours because she has to read every ingredient. Then she puts it in the carriage and in 5 minutes finds something better so she makes me put that first thing back.

Men have a different way of shopping. The first rule is never let the cart stop. If it stops you are finished.
Go in the store and head straight for whatever you want. Don't look at the colored donuts near the door or the paper towels on sale. Just head for the hamburgers, beer or whatever it is.

As you approach the item, raise your arm and in one quick movement grab the item and keep going. Then head to the next item. If you accidentally skip something, forget about it as you probably don't need it. Never go back. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:
Then search for the aisle that is the least crowded. Put the stuff on the belt as quickly as you can and estimate how much the stuff will cost. As soon as she scans everything put down a few bucks more than it is worth and run out without looking back.
Thats the way a Man shops.

Ladies should also have their own stores where no men are allowed. (Except the one at the door) They could have chairs, benches, tables with caramel lattes or anything else to make them comfortable. Then they could talk and show pictures of their kids or dogs. Everyone is happy and if the man is waiting home he makes dinner.

 

[Paul B]

My reef slightly overflowed yesterday. I knew because I put in my magnet glass cleaner and water overflowed down the front glass.

I quickly removed 5 gallons of water. I tested the salinity and it was so low that I could keep bullfrogs or Duck Billed Platypuses. It was my fault because I cleaned the strainer on my skimmer intake (I don't use a sump so everything is in my tank)

When I did that, I moved the ATO gravity fed fill valve.

Luckily, when I designed this thing I made it so if the valve sticks, very little water will go into the tank because only a few drops more than what the tank needs due to evaporation gets in.

The water was up to the brim, but didn't go over. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

I added some salt and now it is to salty. My corals like this variation because they are all reaching for the stars and never looked better. The fish are also mostly spawning. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[BurgerFish]

@Paul B

Do you defeat the sponge?

Happy new year to you and your magnificent tank.

 

[Paul B]

Yes, I defeated the sponge completely it seems. Then the tank went through a horrible diatom explosion where it covered everything and went up to the top of the tank, I defeated that and then thick layers of algae covered everything and is just now abating.

I did not lose any complete corals but I did have to trim a lot of algae encrusted pieces so many of my corals are only half size now. They are soft corals so they will grow fast.

The entire process took an entire year. That sponge gave me the horrors. :anguished-face:

I fixed everything using my diatom filter. If it were not for that, I would have had to have gotten out of th hobby and maybe raise daffodils or albino 3 toed frogs. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Paul B]

I think I want to talk about health because today I am all excited. People health, not fish as that has been done to death and IMO fish should never get sick, we make them sick.

But since this is my thread and very few people read it I am going to discuss our health a little. Of course I am not a doctor and don't play one on You Tube but I lived a long time and this last Christmas I turned 75 years old.

Yes, the world was here 75 years ago and it was much better then, but thats for another thread and the opinions would curl your toes.

Many hobbyists seem to be afraid of their fish getting sick and I can understand that. For quite a few years I also worried about that. Not any more but more importantly I have been trying to get myself and my wife, who has MS into better shape without relying to much on medications.

Except for arthritis that most of us get especially if we had a physical job and didn't sit in front of a computer all day looking at the ceiling going Doot da Doo- Doot da Do, all day.

This morning I stepped on a scale and realized that in the 5 years I have been living out on the east end of Long Island, I lost 30 pounds. I wasn't a Moose when I moved here but obviously I needed to lose 30 lbs. My wife nagged me for almost all of the 50 years we have been married to lose weight so I decided to do it and it was no problem. I am a good Italian cook and I cook a lot. I also like to eat so I eat a lot. I like a drink now and again or at least once a day so I have that.

But every morning just before the sun comes out I walk. I walk for almost an hour even in the pouring rain, driving snow or freezing temperatures. It seemed to work. But I wanted to lose more and also feel better. I have been taking acid blocking medication for as long as I can remember and I didn't want to because like copper and Prizapro, the stuff is poison.

My wife used to get terrible pains at night so her doctor gave her pills. Most older people take pills for everything just like many of us use medications on our fish all the time. But it may not be needed and natural is almost always better.

I make my wife what she calls "Jumping Juice" once a month and she drinks a little every day. If she forgets, she is in pain at night but the juice fixes that with no meds. It's just beets, tart cherry juice, ginger, berries and a few other easy, cheap things.

We take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar twice a day. It cured my acid and bloating and as an added benefit, I lost more weight. It was supposed to do that but I am not gullible so never believed it.

The only other thing we do is take a spoonful of something else I make. It's whole garlic cloves, "local" honey and fresh ginger. You leave it in a jar for a couple of months and it tastes like candy.

I feel great and if I could get new bones, I would probably be able to fly. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

I used to look like Tim Conway, but now I look just like Brad Pitt. :p

My thoughts on fish are nearly the same which is why I don't have to ever quarantine or medicate as I think that is counter productive.
I wish good health and a Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Paul, great to hear good results for better health. Doctors used to study preventative medicine as part of their training. Now the pharmaceutical companies have gotten into education and developed a pill for this or that so that is what Doctors are taught. The old Doctors knew about preventing lots of disease due to diet and exercise but people are basically lazy and would rather roll a pill. Being overweight is a major health problem in this country and is the basis for many of the diseases we have today including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and ect. You are onto one of the best cures for lots of things and that is controlling your weight and keep exercising! Well done and Happy New Years. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rybren]

Happy New Year Paul. Keep on doing what you're doing. It obviously works.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Happy 47th Birthday fish tank!!! And Happy New Year Paul. Great post about health. I’m 66 years old. My wife Has the flu. And yesterday I picked up 4 prescriptions for her. I’m sure one of them has got to have some “ginger” in it. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes: Enjoy your day.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

I agree with you. I am older (76) and my husband is 80. Neither of us take medication. several years ago, my husband was prescribed stuff for Cholesterol, he got some side effects which he hated , so stopped taking it. Side effect disappeared and he is fine, and doctor is no longer trying to give him pills. We are probably very lucky, but I do think you are right, the least pill, the better.

 

[Paul B]

I am taking my wife to the hospital now for a small surgical procedure. We have to be there at 6:00 and it's an hour away so she is rushing. I was up anyway because sleep eludes me and I am normally up trying to design something silly. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Subsea]

I am taking my wife to the hospital now for a small surgical procedure. We have to be there at 6:00 and it's an hour away so she is rushing. I was up anyway because sleep eludes me and I am normally up trying to design something silly. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Paul,
I Pray that God’s Grace Be with you and yours.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks Sub. We just got home. It seems the surgery was a success but it will take a little time to tell. She is sleeping now
Thanks

 

[Paul B]

I like this small diatom filter so much that I put it on the tank almost every day just to look at it. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

It's on it now. I just stick the suction hose in the tank to start the siphon and plug it in.

I may build another one just because I can even though I now have 2 of them.

 

[atoll]

Happy New Year Paul to you and Family. May 2024 be a better year for all.

 

[Paul B]

several years ago, my husband was prescribed stuff for Cholesterol, he got some side effects which he hated

I also take those silly Cholesterol pills but I think I will also throw them out. Maybe feed some to my firefish. They are 33 years old and they annoy me as I can't put my hand in the tank. They are also "constantly" spawning and it annoys me. They think they are teenagers.

(Yes I am Jealous) :confused:

My cholesterol has never been high but the doctor tells me that because my Dad had a severe heart attack and died when he was 47, (I was 10) I should take cholesterol pills. So I guess if he got hit by a New York City subway train and died, I should have walked to work for 48 years. :grimacing-face:

They didn't do an autopsy on my Dad so we really don't know why he was just standing there and fell to the floor and died. But that is actually common in men in their 40s. He also had a fish market and ate nothing but the healthiest, oiliest fish all his life. Go figure.

He was seemingly very healthy, could swim for miles and was a Golden Gloves Boxer.
Also very calm and peaceful but my Mom used to say, he is very nice but don't touch his nose as he was not afraid of anything or anyone. Growing up on the docks of New York City in the 20s will do that to you.

My Dad probably had an aneurysm or defect in his aorta that he was born with. Who knows.

(My Wife's Dad also died of the same thing, the same way, at the same age and they are buried facing each other in the same cemetery.)

I get a stress test every few years where you run on a treadmill as fast as you can while your overweight Cardiologist monitors you.

During the test he keeps saying "Fabulous, just fabulous", and the last time I took the test I told him, " you know you could give up some of those Jelly beans you have on your desk and jump up here to see how you do". :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Thats my Dad on the left when he was 17 and his Dad on the right in his fish market.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

The death of your dad must have been a terrible shock for you and your mom. The only positive thing is that your dad never knew what hit him and did not suffer. Seeing a love one dying slowly and suffering is so hard.

 

[Paul B]

It certainly wasn't one of my better memories for me or my Brother. My neighbor took us out of school, I was in 5th grade and they told me the news. My Mom was about the same age and had to work in a sweat shop on the east side of Manhattan. Most people didn't have life insurance or even social security in those days and my Mom had a new mortgage as we just bought the house 8 years before. She also took in laundry and sewed to make extra money.

The only good thing I got out of it was it made me very independant and a very hard worker. I always made my own money and never took anything from anyone. At 24 I paid for our wedding and we had a big New York wedding on the Long Island Sound.

My wife's ring cost my entire salary from my year in Viet Nam.

Unfortunately sometimes it takes a tragedy for people to get motivated but if you have nothing, it is easy to get motivated. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Nemo that is so true. My wife and myself watched as both our Moms died in hospice and we were there by their side. My Mom died of old age at 99 and didn't really suffer but my wife's mom had COPD and suffocated in front of us and there was nothing any of us could do.

All we could hope for is a peaceful death in our sleep at an old age.