Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

GettaReef, I feel that a thriving pod population is important as well as supplimental feeding of new born brine. There won't be enough of one type of food available in a tank especially if you have a few of those types of fish.

Thanks Fish76

 

[Paul B]

I took some pictures. :typing:

 

[Eienna]

Your tank never fails to make me drool. Always some serious eye candy.

 

[kevantheman35]

Looks better every time I see it, we'll done Paul

 

[gettaReef]

Lookin good! I read your articles/instructions for making the DIY baby brine feeder and the hatchery box on saltwatersmarts, and plan to try both out. Thanks for putting that info out there

 

[Paul B]

Thank you, I am writing a book so all that stuff will be in one place as I forget where it is myself. Eienna, don't drool over your tank or it will over flow :rapture::smokin:

 

[Eienna]

LOL I've done that before...but I think it was tears XP

 

[fishroomlady]

great looking tank Paul and some great pics!

 

[Paul B]

Thanks fishroomlady

 

[Paul B]

I just realized that I can't properly maintain my tank now that I have so many pipefish. Normally once a year I stir up the substrait where I can reach and suck out everything with a diatom filter but I can't do that with the pipefish, especially the blue stripe pipefish as they never live through that. I assume their tiny gills get clogged as I have always lost them when I make those needed typhoons. I will have to forego the typhoons as long as I have the five pipefish and see how it goes. The tank is running very well with the corals growing nicely so there is no rush to do any maintenance even though I think it has been well over a year since I did any. I can tell when a typhoon is needed and so far all is well.

 

[SpartaReef]

I think you shoul dhave someone film you while you do this so we can see how you do it.

 

[Paul B]

I asked Steven Speilburg to film it but he was busy. It looks like this. I didn't make a video so put your face near the screen and move your head back and forth as you hum "We all Live in a Yellow Submarine" and you will get the same effect.

 

[Paul B]

I have been collecting pipefish in New York all my life but these seem different. A friend of mine collected these on the south shore of Long Island and he kept them in a bucket for over a month. He gave them to me because my tank is set up for pipefish already and he didn't think they would make it in his tank with his powerheads. I have them in a small tank just to see how they eat and they are sucking down new born brine shrimp as fast as I can hatch them. After they fatten up a little on shrimp, I will put them in my reef. Probably in a day or two. The ones I collect look different and I never had luck with them so I hope these four make it.

 

[Paul B]

I visited my Mother N Law today in a nursing home and I have always noticed this tank there. It is about 300 gallons, has some koi that must be about 5lbs each, a huge alligator catfish about 14" long, giant dino's, African Cichlids all swimming around a plastic coral reef.

 

[Paul B]

My pictures never come out well because I don't do photoshop so my pictures are what my tank looks like. I know many people "enhance" the colors of their corals because from many years of SCUBA diving I know what colors corals are and very few of them are neon, fluorescent colored. Some are fairly colorful but we have all seen pictures of tanks that look like Disney movies such as the Little Mermaid. (I love that movie)
My tank is doing very well and I never seem to have problems, I am not sure why. I am also not sure why so many people have so many problems. Maybe after so many years a tank just knows what it is supposed to do. Maybe it's the reverse UG filter or the retired Supermodels that I have come over to help me take care of the tank. (I wish)
I have been writing a book because I am sure in a few years I will start to forget everything and since I started this just when the salt water hobby started, I want to pass on some of that information.
Also my wife of 41 years has MS so I am not sure what the future brings or how long I will be able to take care of the tank as I will have other, more important tasks to do.
Most of my fish are still spawning, my worm keeping device is working well as is my brine shrimp hatchery that I use every day. The flock of pipefish I have are all doing well and they are the most challenging. The rest of the fish can take care of themselves and if they could reach the freezer door, I wouldn't even have to feed them. This week I changed 25 gallons of water, that is the most water I have ever changed at once. I changed that much because I dropped to much salt in the bucket so I had to add water. The corals didn't mind.

 

[SpartaReef]

tank looks beautiful.

Praying for your wife

 

[gettaReef]

Your tanks is looking fabulous! Do you have any information out there on your reverse UG filter and worm keeping devise? I'm just curious. I wish you the best in whichever direction your life turns

 

[Paul B]

There is plenty of information on here about those things but I am not sure where it al is right now. This thread is 3 years old but if you search for more threads by me or search for undergravel or blackworms you should fine it. If not, let me know and I will look for it. I ma also a writer for an online blog or magazine but I don't think I am allowed to link it here.

 

[Paul B]

Just playing with some color filters

 

[MrDJeep123]

Just playing with some color filters

Reminds me of when the sun used to shine through my tank.