Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

My friend Sue just texted me. Tommy was restoring a toy ride on truck for his Grand Kids. His new hobby was finding stuff in front of people's house for trash and he would clean it up and sell it.

He was so happy with this hobby. She asked me if I would restore it for their Grand Kids. Of course I told her it would be an Honor.

Tommy will be buried (eventually) a few miles from here in a Military cemetery so I will be able to visit his grave often.

 

[atoll]

That's nice on both counts, being able to visit your friends grave and to resort the toy for his grandchildren Paul. I am sure you will do a great job of it and please post some pic's when done.I am sure it will be treasured by the children for years to come.

 

[Paul B]

WE are still in a funk but getting back to fish. After I lost my copperband my tank is having a big aiptasia invasion.
Those things don't normally bother me but lately a lot of things are bothering me so I wanted to take it out on something and all I have that I am not particularly fond of are aiptasia.

I looked around and found one of my old prototypes of a majano wand. I plugged it in and I was surprised it worked.

I killed a bunch of them and it was gratifying. Some came back so I killed them again. Now I feel much better and hope some return so I can yet again kill them. (The thing is not designed to kill aiptasia so if you have those, don't buy one)


These guys are much more than friends but I am not sure where they are spawning or even how they spawn because I don't remember ever having Rainsford gobies spawning or ever having two of them but for a year they stood on complete opposite ends of the 6' tank. Now they hang out all the time

 

[atoll]

I have pats in my overflow and sump but my CB like yours did keeps them out of the DT. They are all white which goes to show they dont need light at all to thrive. Awful things in truth and inky good for CB and one or 2 more other fish.

 

[atoll]

586 Threads on the disease forum. How many saltwater diseases can there be out there in their tanks.

 

[Paul B]

Today we are working on writing our friends Eulogy. We know each other so long and did so many things together and Tommy was so funny that we don't know where to start. To many memories.

 

[Victoria M]

Hugs friend.

 

[Rybren]

Writing my wife's eulogy was the hardest thing that I've ever had to do.

 

[Paul B]

I know and I remember when you did that. Sorry.

 

[Victoria M]

Writing my wife's eulogy was the hardest thing that I've ever had to do.

I remember too. Hugs.

 

[mmw64]

My Great friend Tommy passed away last night.

I'm so sorry Paul.

 

[Paul B]

Kate Smith just before we got into WW2 singing the first ever airing of God Bless America.
I listen to this all the time and if this doesn't give you chills, you must be some kind of Snowflake or you are not Patriotic enough.

Kate Smith was the most well known singer in the world at the time, even more so than Justin Bieber.

Imagine hearing this just before we entered the war. You can see Ronald Reagan and a bunch of old time stars in here.

Notice the huge orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/TnQDW-NMaRs?rel=0

 

[Paul B]

WE had a "little" scare yesterday and this morning. Yesterday my wife and I took a walk and about 5 minutes into the walk I started to get itchy.
Like all over. I felt like I had fire ants doing the macarana all over me and also in places I didn't know I had. :oops:

Of course we walk up to this couple that we always wanted to make friends with and we were talking to them for like ten minutes. I was dying to scratch
"all over" but I didn't want these people to think I had cooties, amphipods or black ich.

The itchyness was unbearable and I know I was squirming so they may have thought I was a Mime, contortionist or Mick Jagger.
I put one foot on top of the other like I was resting my leg, but I was trying to scratch between my toes. It didn't work.

Eventually we left them and I told my wife "We have to go home".

She said Why! Whats the matter? Are you sick? With this virus around everyone is paranoid.

At home I told her what was going on and she insisted on inspecting me. I had this rash all over my body. I generally don't get rashes and I am not allergic to anything. So she rubs this stuff on me which was probably meat tenderizer and the itching subsided a "little".

I figured I would lay down. Yesterday we put this new blanket on the bed, right out of the package.
As I am laying there listening to Vintage Linda Ronstadt, I notice my tongue feels big. I have a big mouth but my tongue usually stays the same size.

My tongue was scraping against the teeth in back of my mouth and It seemed like I was having just a little trouble breathing. Just a little, not enough for me to call a SWAT team or "The Good Doctor" or even "Doctor Who " (it's an English thing, don't worry to much about it)

Now my Girly man emotions kick in and I am getting a touch worried.

I make the mistake of telling my wife who immediately goes into panic mode and wanted to give me CPR and get out the paddles.
She calls our Daughter in Vermont because her husband and Daughter have allergies to everything except air, and not all air.

She tells me to take Bennedril. All I have is our Grand Daughters Bennedril and she is 7. The largest does on the bottle was for a 10 year old so I take about two doses.

In ten minutes I am as Loopy as the people on Circ De Solei . I can't stand up so I go lay on the bed.

My tongue gets bigger. OOOOOooooooNNooooooo. I'm gonna die and Humble won't be able to come here to take my fish. But if he does he will quarantine them in tree stump remover and they will get nightmares.

I look up symptoms of Corona Virus and a big tongue. A rash are about the only things that the virus "doesn't " cause.

So We call my Doctor on the slim chance that he can see me. Here in New York nothing is open, you can't even open a clam.

But the nurse, who I know answered and she said, as long as you don't have Corona Virus symptoms, the Doctor will see you.
Of course If I had Corona Virus symptoms the doctor won't see me and I will have to go to a fortune teller or Lady GaGa concert.

I go there and the guy immediately sees the rash, takes blood, looks in my mouth, listens to my heart and lungs and doesn't have the slightest idea what is wrong with me but says he is getting a lot of patients now that have this from eating meat.

(I have learned that unless you have an arrow sticking out of your head or a crow bar stuck in your nether regions, they won't really know what the diagnosis is)

I almost never eat meat and didn't eat any in a week or so. He gives me a prescription for Prednisone.

Meantime Our Daughter is freeking out because she doesn't want me to go out of the house. It would be hard for the doctor to take blood through my computer screen unless I got really close to it and maybe stuck a USB cable in my arm.

So, I am still alive but the Bennedril is still making me walk like Uncle Festus from the Adams Family.

We think we figured it out. The new blanket my wife put on the bed was the only thing different we did. We bought it last year and one of my hobbies is removing those tags that say "Don't remove under penalty of the law"
So I am not sure where it came from.

 

[atoll]

Did you tell your doctor ( not OUR doctor who) that you have a marine fish tank and you have corals and put your hands in it? He might suspect something from your tank that is why many people recommend using arm length gloves. I have such gloves somewhere but like you am a geezer and never wear them, am not even sure where they are.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Glad you are still able to write and make jokes. I diagnose a full recovery...but then I never diagnose anything to anyone's satisfaction. So good luck with that!

 

[Victoria M]

Paul? Wee worried about you. Please tell me all the bedding was removed and washed. I can not send you any CP for ich as “they” are scarfing it all up. So a copper bath will have to do.

 

[Paul B]

that is why many people recommend using arm length gloves.

Atoll, those gloves are for Sissy Girly men. I did stick my "bare" hands in the tank and cut some sponges, but I didn't want to tell the Dr. about that or he may want to have me commited.
Besides, I have been doing that since before Ringo Starr was born. :rolleyes:

 

[Rexless]

In a couple of weeks my reef will will have reached 40 years old.
Unfortunately I don't remember when I was 40 but I remember when I set it up. I was a skinny 22 year old just back from Viet Nam.
It is still running very well, still using the same reverse UG filter, same dolomite substrait but none of the fish are original. The oldest one, a fireclown is just over 16, all of the older fish died in an accident that was due to my carelessness.
The tank is mostly LPS, gorgonians, giant mushrooms and a few leathers.
There are only three SPS corals, two of which have been with me for a few years and are growing nicely.
I am not sure is any of the original NSW from the Long Island Sound is still in there or any of the original amphipods but maybe much later generations.
I still can't take a decent picture and the tank is not as blue as these pictures but it is what it is.

AWESOME Milestone!! Much respect to you Sir!!

 

[Paul B]

Victoria, my wife spent the entire day washing sheets and blankets, she is still at it. We are only guessing it was the blanket but it is the only thing we can think of as I didn't even eat anything yesterday except muffins that I baked and I make them all the time.

I am still a little itchy so I won't go out in public. :rolleyes:

 

[atoll]

Ringo is no star I can tell you. I can also tell you what he really is but I might get banned from here and coming from Liverpool believe me when I tell you there are many from my city who will tell you similar. Not the most respected of the Beatles.