Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

I just added another pair of bluestripes. Here is the old, larger female with a new small male. There is also another small female.

 

[CJO]

Beautiful fish!

CJ

 

[Paul B]

Thanks, I have 3 of them and I may get two more females. They look like little javelins darting all over the place. The 2 new ones are not that colorful yet. I doubt they were fed in holding. You can't just put fish like these in a tank and leave them alone, unles it is a very old tank. They hunt pods but rely more on free swimming creatures for prey

 

[Paul B]

I have a dilemma. A couple of months ago I built this piece of rock (pictured) that was supposed to cascade over the right side of the tank and give me more room. It has a place on the end for a large coral and a place in the center for a smaller frag. I can't put it on the right side with out moving major rocks and corals which I am reluctant to do because I have to work with one arm. I have a place on the left side I think I could put it but I would also have to move major stuff including the large bottle the fireclown wants to mate in. That bottle also has 2 large pieces of corals growing off of it.
I could deal with that but then I still have to move the three largest gorgonians and I have no place to put them without them hitting the front glass. I don't want to do a major aquascape for two reasons, first, I just did that a couple of months ago and second, I can't do that with one hand.
This new piece of fake rock is about a foot tall and it extends out about a foot. I want it in there but it may have to wait a couple of months until I can at least raise my arm up to the top of the tank. I am sure I will be dropping everything if I tried to do it now. I hate waiting

You can see the left side of the tank in the beginning of this video. My tank is not very deep front to back. That acropora is about 2" from the glass as is almost everything else. I guess I need a larger tank or smaller rocks

 

[CJO]

Sorry about your arm. Patience is the name of the game- you of all people should know that! :)

CJ

 

[Paul B]

Yes I know, I don't do patience well. I just have too many hobbies and interests and this gives me the opportunity to figure out ways to do things with one working arm. I can get creative. It makes it more interesting.

I still get up before 6:00am and there are still never enough hours. I just love doing things and I have too many hobbies and sleep gets in the way. I also have another project I am working on. Getting ready for my first Grand Child. I am painting the room for him/her in my house for when they visit or we babysit. I almost finished the characters but still have to fill in the plants and trees.
We are leaving to go on a vacation to Europe soon and in the spring I have, like most people all the planting and vegetable garden to start. The boat requires a lot of work in the spring but I will need help with that. I can't pick up the outdrives so I will have to get the marina to install them after I change the impellers and paint them. I don't like anyone working on my boat but it is what it is.

Here is some of my Grand Child's room. There is a lot more to do. Those trees whill have real tree limbs coming out of the walls and going into the walls. Piggy will be on a swing with real ropes tied to the limbs sticking out of the ceiling. The other two walls are also done but I didn't take pictures yet.

I also lost ten lbs since I started. I normally swim 900 yards a week and knew I could not swim for months so I lost the weight or else I would end up gaining weight due to the no swimming. I still go to the gym but now I can only go on the reclining bicycle.

 

[slugwall]

I hate waiting too!!! but I try and make other projects on the side while I wait unpatiently! LOL...

Tanks looking great and keep up the good work!

 

[Paul_N]

Very nice work Paul! Truly a man of many talents.

 

[CJO]

Those paintings look great!

CJ

 

[Paul B]

Thanks, I am almost finished with another wall but I am not crazy the way a tree came out so I may do it again.

 

[Paul B]

I had a smaller clam in my tank up on the rocks and the urchin must have pushed it over and it fell onto the gravel. The large bristle worms ate the entire thing in a few minutes. I saw it one minute and figured would put it back up the next time I stuck my hands in the tank, but that was a bad idea. I will replace it but with a much better system to make sure it can't fall down. Anything that hits my gravel is eaten.

 

[CJO]

Wow. They're like piranha!

CJ

 

[Paul B]

This month my tank is 41 years old. I don't remember when I was 41 years old.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Very enjoyable as always Paul. Its sure nice to come and read through your thread and see someone who isn't worried about fragging or selling corals and who is enjoying their tank for the simple joy of the tank and its inhabitants. Hope you get another 41 years out of both it and you.

 

[secretreefer]

well said brutha! same for me, i've enjoyed reading this thread. made me realize that "whatever happens, happens" sometimes. i even started letting macro algae go in the tank.

 

[Paul B]

Hope you get another 41 years out of both it and you.

Thanks, 41 years will be easy for the tank, me, not so much.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

That is so crazy Paul! Congrats!

You have had a tank longer than I have been alive! WOW! I am such a noob! LOL!

 

[Paul B]

You have had a tank longer than I have been alive!

I get that alot.

 

[Paul B]

I finally got that new DIY rock into the tank, but I had to remove about 15lbs of rock to do it and make a mess. I am still working with one arm so it was a little job.
You can see it on the right side of the tank, it starts to the left of the large gorgonian under the back of the bottle and arcs up and to the left. It was supposed to span over the rocks freestanding but I really don't have the room. Maybe if I remove most of the rock someday but it aint going to happen now. I had to move some large cement stands to the left side of the tank and I was able to return all the rock to the tank. It is still a little cloudy and the corals are not fully open but here it is.

This is the rock I put it. It is over a foot high

Then I did some work on the other side of the tank. That acropora is too close to the glass and I can't move it back so I ether have to frag it or do more major work.

Now I will have to make a bristle worm trap because every rock I move is loaded with them. I don't mind them but there is just too many. I will build something that collects a lot of them at once.

 

[Sneary160]

You are truly an inspiration... I thought of selling my reef...but at only a year old I can't give in... After reading your thread I had to clean my tank and found my coral is exploding way more than I thought.. I am really considering going all LED and I love how everything you do is DIY ... You are truly an amazing individual who does not give up... I hope another young reefer like me reads this and becomes inspired..