Tank birthday, 55+ years

GeoSquid · May 4, 2021

Paul - what is your definition of "real live rock"? Does it just have to have bacteria? The vats of "live rock" I see at most the fish stores around southern california look like they took some dead rock and just got it wet - and its $8/lb.

NoahLikesFish · May 4, 2021

Yeah that stuff is fake. Gulf rock is pretty good I think. You need the purpleiest and stinkiest stuff with all the hitchhikers. the big brand of LR these days are all scams. It’s just dyed

GeoSquid · May 4, 2021

Probably 10+ years ago I ordered some live rock rubble from FL that was quite inexpensive. It was full of sponges, barnacles, Halimeda algae and quite a few other things. I've looked at some of the live rock sellers online from FL now and it seems I would have to sell a kidney to pay for it. My current tank I started with dead rock, and most of it I made out of concrete, but added some algae and real ocean water. It's been a few years since then and my rock has a lot of growth now but not like the stuff I ordered from FL. I do have a couple sponges that came on corals, one is black and the other yellow. The yellow sponge seems to be spreading pretty good.
I was just wonder what Paul's definition of real live rock is. Usually, he has some different thoughts on our current subjects. Is it just bacteria that comes with live rock or the micro animals - what is the most important.

NoahLikesFish · May 4, 2021

Can I just find live rock in tamps bay from shore? I @m going to Tampa and my grandma will drive back up I could put it in a aerated bucket

Paul B · May 4, 2021

GeoSquid, it is rock that somewhat just came from the sea. It usually has sponges and other things growing all over it.

GeoSquid · May 4, 2021

Paul B said:
GeoSquid, it is rock that somewhat just came from the sea. It usually has sponges and other things growing all over it.

yah, that's what I figured. I was out surfing in San Diego next to a pier and saw some sponges growing on it. It was above the water line at low tide. I grabbed a chunk and stuck it in my wetsuite and dropped it in my tank when I got home. It didn't live very long. I think a lot of things from the colder pacific ocean don't last long at reef temps. Tidepool animals do fare better. I've collected hermits and turbo snails that do well....at least until my Picasso Trigger eats them.

Paul B · May 4, 2021

That sponge you added to your tank also added some beneficial bacteria that is not as picky as far as temperature goes. So it is a good thing. The stuff I add from New York also lives fine and it is cold here too. Not as cold as where you are but our water gets to about 35 in the winter.

GeoSquid · May 4, 2021

I know you add amphipods and mud from NY waters. Is there anything else you collect?

Paul B · May 4, 2021

Maybe a little seaweed. I like to shake the rocks with the amphipods on them in seawater for the pods and bacteria.
I also collect a little mud to throw in my tank for bacteria. Like a tablespoon.

GeoSquid · May 5, 2021

Here is one cool yellow hitchhiker sponge I got on a coral that has started taking off in the last few months.

Paul B · May 5, 2021

I baked some bread early this morning while I was walking. All ready for dinner tonight. :cool:

Uncle99 · May 5, 2021

NoahLikesFish said:
Can I just find live rock in tamps bay from shore? I @m going to Tampa and my grandma will drive back up I could put it in a aerated bucket

Nope

Paul B · May 8, 2021

This morning on my 2 mile walk I came across a few wild turkeys. They were walking from the golf course to a defunct farm across the street. That is why turkeys and chickens cross the road. To get to the other side.

The larger one was a Tom turkey, the other two were I assume Dick and Harry. :rolleyes:

I didn't have room in my freezer to keep them until next Thanksgiving and they were as large as Emu's so they let me go. :oops:

I couldn't get a clear picture because the weeds where they went to were to high and I was afraid of the creatures in there like Hummingbirds with those long beaks which they use to pull out your nose hairs after they lunge at your face with those huge claws.

Jekyl · May 11, 2021

Paul B said:
This morning on my 2 mile walk I came across a few wild turkeys. They were walking from the golf course to a defunct farm across the street. That is why turkeys and chickens cross the road. To get to the other side.

The larger one was a Tom turkey, the other two were I assume Dick and Harry. :rolleyes:

I didn't have room in my freezer to keep them until next Thanksgiving and they were as large as Emu's so they let me go. :oops:

I couldn't get a clear picture because the weeds where they went to were to high and I was afraid of the creatures in there like Hummingbirds with those long beaks which they use to pull out your nose hairs after they lunge at your face with those huge claws.

I've had wild turkey. It's not the best. Really needs a smoker or deep fryer to be any good. I also don't really care for dark meat.

85173 · May 11, 2021

Jekyl said:
I've had wild turkey. It's not the best. Really needs a smoker or deep fryer to be any good. I also don't really care for dark meat.

Then you really won't like emu! ;)

schuby · May 11, 2021

Jekyl said:
I've had wild turkey. It's not the best. Really needs a smoker or deep fryer to be any good. I also don't really care for dark meat.

What part of a bottle of wild turkey tastes like dark meat? ;)

Paul B · May 11, 2021

I flew all over Viet Nam in this drinking Wild Turkey. I think the "Dark Meat" part was at the bottom of the bottle.

That also may be why I used to lay on the skids of the thing :oops:

Paul B · May 11, 2021

I have been reading all these sand, bare bottom and DSB threads. I am surprised almost no one runs a reverse undergravel filter like I do. I know it is considered ancient school but it always worked fine for me. ;Bucktooth

My fish are doing great and had a nice Mother's day. I can't believe my Janss pipefish is still alive. The thing must be 8 years old which I thought would be way past it's lifespan. But what do I know. My silly female bluestripe pipefish is also about the same age or older.

Everything else in my tank is growing nicely and I really should test something one of these days. The alk and calcium could be way off the scale which may not be good but I have been very busy lately with other endeavors. My boat went in the water but the Govt, is making up some silly story about a data thing which is supposed to make gas more expensive. In other words, it will cost $500.00 to fill the boat with gas. :(

Luckily, it is still filled from last year so I can at least get to one pretty far restaurant and we have a lot of boat trips planned for the summer. :D

I didn't think I was going to keep my tank up and running this year but so far it is still running with no problems even though my wife is demanding more of my time due to her MS.

I give her a lot of credit as she does many things on her own like drive for haircuts and other places. I just don't want her driving on the highway.

She is a good driver. I taught her how to drive stick shift when she was 16 so she better be able to drive. :cool:

We are having company for dinner. One of my wife's friends and she is very Italian so I am baking bread and will grill fresh tuna steaks plus make my wife's favorite dish, escarole and beans.

Time to cook.
Have a great night. :D

Paul B · May 19, 2021

Good morning, Wonderful day. Yesterday I took another beach walk to see if I could find any more ancient artifacts.

Usually I have to chase the deer off here..

Astonishingly I found more hieroglyphs but I am not sure of their age or meaning.

I kept walking hoping to make a new and exciting discovery and I made a few. For instance, I learned how the Egyptians moved those huge stones in place for the pyramids.

They seemed to have just poked them into place with these long pipes probably made of bamboo or Tyrannosaurus leg bones.

Soon I found where they must have made camp as I discovered their clothes lines