Tank birthday, 55+ years

Paul B · Dec 6, 2021

This guy is finished and went to the art gallery. :)

Paul B · Dec 8, 2021

The last time I cut out much of that encrusting sponge in my tank I overdid it and killed most of my SPS corals that I have been trying to grow for years. It isn't bad as I like LPS much better anyway.

I probably won't be replacing those SPS because at my age, it isn't important and my tank is still filled with corals and life in general. I also think I have over 30 mostly interesting fish.

My wife is requiring more help from me every day now so I am left with less time for tank stuff. I still keep it up, change some water, dose and feed. But I don't get to crazy any more. If I see something I like, and it is different or interesting, I will buy it but I am not looking for a showcase tank. I actually never did and always thought of my tank as an experiment.

I have been lucky that I haven't done something really stupid to crash it yet. But the day is young. :oops:

Paul B · Dec 10, 2021

Two days ago I took my wife to her PT person and of course I have to go to my favorite LFS near there. This is the filthy place who has been there for 50 years. I didn't want to get any fish because I have way to many now but there was this long nose butterfly there who was looking at me as if to say "I heard you have a really comfortable tank and I would love it if you would take me home". How could I resist?
I think he was about $30.00. Most places charge double for them but I am not sure why.

He had a little ich, maybe flukes but he is fine now and made friends with my copperband who is about the same size. I lost my last long nose and a few other fish when I cut way to much sponge out and let a lot of sponge poison exude into the water.

Now I am only trimming a little sponge at a time and am working on a Laser to see if I can more surgically trim it but that is a little while away.

I also bought rock about 10" long covered in polyps. I wanted 3 or 4 more of those little green clown gobies because they are tiny and don't add much stress to the tank but he didn't have any. He gives them to me for 6 bucks.
I have 4 or 5 of them now.

This is my last one.

Paul B · Dec 10, 2021

Merry Christmas

Rybren · Dec 10, 2021

Paul B said:
Merry Christmas

And Happy Almost Birthday!

Paul B · Dec 11, 2021

Thank you Rybren. I usually forget Christmas is my birthday. It dawns on me by around March or April. :rolleyes:

Paul B · Dec 13, 2021

I just found this from 2014

Today my wife and I picked to start our fall cleaning. I do the finished basement where my reef is. I wash all the walls, baseboards, floors. Remove anything on the walls and clean that. take everything out of the closets and clean them, remove ceiling light diffusers and clean those etc. Anyway I was cleaning the rim of my tank and my heart dropped.

On the bottom edge of the paneling where the tank is, I saw my prized pipefish. OH NO. Not Betsy. Part of a mated pair that took me so long to find and finally buy. How could this happen? Not the bluestripe pipefish that I am so proud of. Not the little girl that greets me every morning as I squirt in new born brine shrimp and she gives me that little smile. Not her!

So I gently picked up her stiff body and caressed it.

I looked close to see the expression on her face, to see if she died in pain or just passed away from a broken heart.
As I stared at her little face I thought. Wait a minute, that isn't a face. That isn't even a pipefish. It's a blue piece of wire insulation. I looked up at the tank and there she was.
Betsy was laughing at me like a hyena. If she had knees she would be slapping them. Now I know why I need reading glasses. :oops:

atoll · Dec 14, 2021

Went to visit my daughter and grandchildren yesterday a 2.1/2 hour drive.
Sunday I got my new lights, not put them on yet. Got home at 9pm yesterday and my new nem had decided to find my MP40 in the far LH bottom corner of the tank. All fish dead apart from my pair of clowns and a yellow wrasse. hundreds of pounds of fish not that it's the cost if course. My corals look fine however.
I hardly ever leave the house for so long, 10 hours in total.
Last time I had any major problem was 4 years ago when I went away for a long weekend but not as bad as this.
Some lovely fish I have had for quite some time now gone. Am numb and in shock, no wonder so many give up after a disaster. Seems things wait their chance to strike.

Paul B · Dec 14, 2021

OMG, what the heck happened!!

I guess when you say "hundreds of pounds of fish" you are referring to money, not weight.

Hundreds of pounds of fish here is quite a lot of fish. :oops:

Paul B · Dec 14, 2021

I live near the sea and this is what it looks like at 6:00am when I walk. I turned on my flashlight here for the picture.

atoll · Dec 14, 2021

Paul B said:
OMG, what the heck happened!!

I guess when you say "hundreds of pounds of fish" you are referring to money, not weight.

Hundreds of pounds of fish here is quite a lot of fish. :oops:

My new anemone decided it didnt like where I put it, went walk about looking for my MP40 powerhead and found it in the rear bottom corner.
Pounds as in £ UK money.

cancun · Dec 14, 2021

Paul B said:
Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and happy birthday! I hope you and your wife are doing well! Your tank looks great by the way! I love your book by the way, has taught me a lot! ;) :D

-XENOMORPH- · Dec 15, 2021

Hey Paul B, a random question for you, what's ur thoughts on a u.v. sterilizer? I know they only mutate free floating items in water column, but I am curious what someone with your experience thinks of them. Thanks, if u reply.

Paul B · Dec 15, 2021

-XENOMORPH- Good Morning. I don't personally like UV sterilizers because I don't feel it is a good thing to kill bacteria. I also don't believe a fish tank UV will kill many, if any parasites but I don't really want to kill those either.

I feel if you feel the need to limit parasites a diatom filter would be a better bet as it won't actually kill anything including bacteria but it will remove most parasites.

Remember UV sterilizers will also kill viruses with bacteria and viruses along with bacteria "work" together to make a normal, natural system and they both target parasites.

Snoopy 67 · Dec 15, 2021

Paul,
Leave the light on lest a car does not see you walking or take you for an alien before the sun comes up.
Happy early birthday. That place you got your fish-- is it "the hut"?
I'm in the process of removing rocks & stripping that dang sponge off.

Paul B · Dec 15, 2021

Yes, Aqua Hut

Bill Urbanski · Dec 16, 2021

Paul B said:
Yes, Aqua Hut

Paul. When you say trimming spong killed fish can you elaborate please? I just added a blue plating sponge and have a lot of other natural sponge. I never plan on trimming it so I'm confused. Thanks.

Paul B · Dec 17, 2021

Bill the blue encrusting sponge I have is very invasive and I have to keep trimming it or it covers the corals. It is like thick leather and when I cut it, it exudes something. I can even smell it.
If I don't cut to much, it is fine but if I remove to much, it kills and stresses the corals and if I really cut to much I can kill the fish.

It's this stuff.