Tank birthday, 55+ years

[MikeyZo]

Prayers for Dale. Hope she’s ok. How does that contraption work Paul?

 

[jsmkmavity]

I am so glad you got the lift in time for this latest fall. I hope the doctors find nothing broken or torn tomorrow. I also hope whatever you are trying on your tank works.

 

[Paul B]

Prayers for Dale. Hope she’s ok. How does that contraption work Paul?

The seat part goes all the way down to within 2" from the floor. Then you push the button and there is a linear actuator built in that raises the chair seat to 20" so I can get her up.

 

[Aqua Ultraviolet]

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.

Congratulations on 40 years. That’s a remarkable run, especially with a reverse undergravel setup and dolomite substrate that most of us moved away from decades ago. It’s a good reminder that stability and consistent husbandry count for more than whatever equipment is popular. The longnose butterfly looks great too. Thanks for sharing it, and thanks for your service. I’d love to see an update when you hit the 40-year mark.

 

[Freenow54]

Congratulations on 40 years. That’s a remarkable run, especially with a reverse undergravel setup and dolomite substrate that most of us moved away from decades ago. It’s a good reminder that stability and consistent husbandry count for more than whatever equipment is popular. The longnose butterfly looks great too. Thanks for sharing it, and thanks for your service. I’d love to see an update when you hit the 40-year mark.

I am starting a new tank when mother nature decides its time for snow , and time is there. I intend to use, and have both ready to do the reverse filter with as close to dolomite as I could find

 

[Paul B]

Thanks for sharing it, and thanks for your service. I’d love to see an update when you hit the 40-year mark.

LOL thats an old title to this thread. It was up dated last week because the tank has been running for 55 years as of 2026

This thread was started many years ago.

 

[Paul B]

However, I don't recall any articles on fish spawning in any of those magazines apart from clowns.

I spawned blue devils in 1973

I looked into that , but still want to try to avoid the knife. Appears pretty straight forward .

Don't be a Sissy. Surgeries are a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Besides, it's not really surgery. They make a small hole in you and with radiation they burn those nerves and they don't grow back

 

[Freenow54]

I spawned blue devils in 1973

Don't be a Sissy. Surgeries are a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Besides, it's not really surgery. They make a small hole in you and with radiation they burn those nerves and they don't grow back

 

[Freenow54]

Definatly seems a resolve. The one I am talking about with leg pain . They cut a widow in your back push the nerve bundle aside that the disk is pressing on an give it a trim . sometimes they accidently cut the spinal cord , and just sew it back up . Wrap you in a towel , and send you home

 

[Freenow54]

I don't think they have that here yet. They tend to be very slow because it has to get approval from bureaucrats who No one knows their credentials. Funny they expedited the vaccines during covid though . Money involved ? I just gargled bleach

 

[Freenow54]

So I did a little investigating . It is a thing here A friend of yours mentioned he had it done, and I made an assumption. Its called radio frequency ablation on AI . You never know. It seems when the medical machine gets their hooks in you, you become a lab rat

 

[Paul B]

. sometimes they accidently cut the spinal cord ,

That only happens if you get the doctor from Amazon or if you have socialized medicine. We get to pick whatever doctor we want, and for me, it's free and I don't have to wait more than a week or two for it.

I have 3 insurances and they are all free. I could get it done by the Veterans Administration, Medicare or my Union.

 

[Freenow54]

That only happens if you get the doctor from Amazon or if you have socialized medicine. We get to pick whatever doctor we want, and for me, it's free and I don't have to wait more than a week or two for it.

I have 3 insurances and they are all free. I could get it done by the Veterans Administration, Medicare or my Union.

Yes we in Ontario pay for our insurances , but as you pointed out its slow , and is limited for selective surgery like making your butt smaller . Also you have to jump through hoops with your personnel MD to get recommended to a specialist granted. But I have done 3 end runs around mine to date . They don't know who they are dealing with you pit one against the other . I also pay monthly for mine because I am retired and being a hiring hall, and retired companies don't contribute to mine any more. The other Union sold us down the river 30 years ago giving up retirement benefits ,for what I don't know. The Government here pulled the teeth out of the Unions years ago , and are pounding in the final nail as we speak with back to work Legislation . Communists for sure