Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

Paul. does this bring back memories?

Yes, unfortunately none good. I did that many times from Hueys and crashed twice in a LOH and A Chnook.
That was never a pleasant way to start your day. I don't know what year that was but the Animals came out with that record when I was there. That looks like the high country on the Cambodian border where I spent the year. Those guys were lucky that wasn't a Hot LZ or those door gunners would be raking the bush with those 60 cals.
I also remember those Phantom Jets flying tree top level dropping napalm or HE
The kids of today have no idea what war is like, and I hope they never find out.

 

[Paul B]

I looked at that video again and something looks off. Our choppers didn't have blinking red lights on them and the Huey's look like an older model for that year. Weird!

Some of it may be real footage but I think most of it was staged, maybe filmed for a movie. Especially the close ups and the parts where they are landing and there is a photographer on the ground filming the event. :rolleyes:

 

[atoll]

I looked at that video again and something looks off. Our choppers didn't have blinking red lights on them and the Huey's look like an older model for that year. Weird!

That's because it's not a documentary film but a war film Paul. Probably shots for the film mixed with some real footage of the time.

 

[Paul B]

I think so because some of it looks like Nam.

 

[atoll]

I think so because some of it looks like Nam.

The film is called Hamburger Hill.

 

[Paul B]

There is a place there called that. I was never there. I spent my time north west on the Cambodian border and in Cambodia. I don't remember where Hamburger hill was. It was a long time before last Tuesday and that is normally how far my memory goes back. :rolleyes:

 

[atoll]

There is a place there called that. I was never there. I spent my time north west on the Cambodian border and in Cambodia. I don't remember where Hamburger hill was. It was a long time before last Tuesday and that is normally how far my memory goes back. :rolleyes:

Your memory goes back farther than mine :confused:

 

[Paul B]

Im a Geezer. :eek:

 

[Rybren]

Im a Geezer. :eek:

From one geezer to another; yes, you are. :rolleyes:

 

[Paul B]

Unfortunately I think I will have to do another big water change and I just did one not very long ago. I don't know what my nitrates are but they are way up there due to too many fish and I want them spawning. But I am sure I am feeding to much and due to my impending move, I have been ignoring the tank almost completely. A couple of SPS have a little algae growing on them so their tips died. That is not to bad because SPS should not live in my tank anyway as the water conditions are probably the same as a cesspool in Bayone New Jersey.
My algae scrubber is so full of algae that people have been ringing my door bell asking if I have spinach to sell. I also have not stirred the gravel in I don't remember but it could have been over a year or two ago so I need to do that. Maybe I will stir it up just before I change water so I can suck some of the muck out.
The fish are all fine but I ran out of live blackworms a week ago so they are mad at me. Blackworms are a little harder to get because of the drought in California so I would imagine the worms there are thirsty and on strike. For some reason, they want to save the water for people.
If I have time, I will go and collect some real water but it is very cold now and I am not that ambitious to get wet.
I

 

[Paul B]

I just collected some Atlantic water and I am thawing out. now.
I collected 15 gallons because thats all I care to carry and I was getting frostbite. I tested the water for nitrate which is zero and the salinity is a little low but that reading doesn't mean much now because the water is about 39 degrees. After it heats up I will re test it and probably add some salt.
I have to filter this water through my diatom filter because it is very green and has a lot of floating particles in it. After going through the diatom, it is crystal clear. I also mixed up another another 30 gallons which comes to 45 gallons. That is much more water than I have ever changed but I want to bring my nitrates down to at least where I can read them because I don't think I will have another opportunity to change any water for many months due to my move. I will be too busy to change water. That is if the tank survives the move. If it doesn't I will have a lot of salt water to soak my feet in. :rolleyes:

 

[Paul B]

Is this thing on? Where is everybody? You are not all out collecting water are you?
I am making some nice juicy tuna steaks for dinner but I don't have enough for everyone. It doesn't seem like anyone is around anyway!

 

[dricc]

I don't think I want to collect water out of Boston harbor but the tuna steaks sound good!

 

[Chasmodes]

I know the feeling. Sometimes, in my thread, I feel like I'm babbling to myself. But, I have to keep the faith that there are people following along, just like I do on your thread. I don't always post, but I look forward to each post everyone does on here. Sometimes, others post what I'd post before I do, or sometimes I just don't know what to say or have anything of value to add. I guess I figured it was best to be quiet rather than type "...duh..." :confused:

 

[Chasmodes]

Come to think of it though, Paul, I did have a question, probably a stupid one. But, why not just dump the seawater that you collected into your tank without filtering it? Wouldn't the phytoplankton and zooplankton help feed your corals and inverts, and maybe your pod eating fish?

 

[Paul B]

I normally do that except for two reasons. The water now is about 39 degrees and my fish frown on that.
The other reason is that at this time of the year, the floating stuff in the water is not plankton of any kind, it is mostly sand, rotting vegitation and debris that washed into the sea from the docks and mud flats here on the south shore due to the high winds and wave action. It won't hurt anything but it is ugly and would float around in my tank until the second Tuesday after Christmas (which is also my birthday, not the second Tuesday, but Christmas Day)
In the summer, I just dump it in after a little warming.
It is cleaned up now because of my diatom filter and I am warming it up. I have it sitting in front of the fireplace with my wife's fur coat on and I added a little egg nog to help it along.

 

[Chasmodes]

OK, that makes perfect sense. I figured that you'd bring the temps up and not make popsicles out of your pipefish :)

BTW, I also meant to ask, have you seen your clingfish lately?

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Hey Paul ... I'm intrigued by your Bluestripe pipefish pair and have asked my lfs if he could get a pair for me in the near future. Told me it's usually collected from Africa ... ??

 

[Paul B]

Kevin I think the clingfish is toast. I have no idea what happened to him but when I take the tank down, I will probably see him clinging to the bottom of the tank or the wall. :rolleyes:

SeaMunnKey Bluestripes are my favorite pipefish and very easy to keep as long as you don't keep a Sissy sterile tank. I am not sure where they come from but you don't have to go to Africa to get them. They are fairly common and cheap. Like $20.00

I just completed the biggest water change I ever did in the life of the tank. It was difficult because I am not 20 years old any more and for some reason, water keeps getting heavier. Maybe it's from all that nuclear energy we use and they throw out that contaminated heavy water. 15 gallons of this was NSW.
I changed 55 gallons and I think there are only about 60 or 70 gallons in my tank as it is full of rocks. There was only about 5" of water left and my copperband was having the horrors and scratching 911 in the glass.
I stirred up the gravel as best I could with my diatom filter (which you can still see in the picture) and siphoned out the muck and mud, hopefully no pipefish, anemone crabs or beer cans.
I will let the diatom run until it goes on fire or shuts off the lights in my neighborhood then I will cal it a success.... Well almost. I had to manipulate the diatom outflow hose to stir up the bottom at the same time I was siphoning out water using a large diameter hose into pails. During that time I had to keep changing buckets but there were so many buckets, that I couldn't get around.
I only broke a few..... OK, Most of my corals, especially the montipora's but I feel they will croak during my move anyway. I will glue them someplace when I have time.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

SeaMunnKey Bluestripes are my favorite pipefish and very easy to keep as long as you don't keep a Sissy sterile tank. I am not sure where they come from but you don't have to go to Africa to get them. They are fairly common and cheap. Like $20.00

Definitely not a sissy sterile tank but weekend water changes for sure cuz I don't run a skimmer ... yet. Got a plumb ready sump but have not been "activated" ... I'm just lazy. And you know what .... I wanna get myself a Diatom filter just to polish my water. Yeah wanna see the fish slide across the seabed ... ;)