Tank turned 49 this year
- Thread starter Paul B
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Paul B
Well-Known Member
I had my second hand surgery yesterday because I guess the first one was only practice. Now they tell me they have it down to a science. My right hand is bandaged from my knuckles almost to my elbow. It is amazing how many times you need your right hand during the day. Luckily I am used to this from my last hand surgery 3 months ago. If this works, I will be as good as new. Not as good as I was 30 years ago, but good enough. It's a good thing that I don't have to comb my hair but holding a tooth brush is a little of a challenge, but nothing I can't manage. I just put the brush in the vise, bite on it and move my face back and forth. Today I cleaned the glass on my tank and noticed that everything is still alive. I saw some fish I thought were gone as that seems to happen a lot lately. I am not sure if I am just senile and the fish have always been there or they go into another dimension for a while. But they are all back and eating all the clams and worms I can buy. I can't open clams for a while so they will have to live on Mysis and cake for a couple of weeks.
My algae scrubber keeps getting full of slimy algae but I cleaned it the day before surgery so I am good for a couple of weeks.
I have a speaking engagement in September that I am excited about because it is in Boston and we have friends there that we will visit.
This is in the mangrove roots on Key Largo.
My algae scrubber keeps getting full of slimy algae but I cleaned it the day before surgery so I am good for a couple of weeks.
I have a speaking engagement in September that I am excited about because it is in Boston and we have friends there that we will visit.
This is in the mangrove roots on Key Largo.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I have been experimenting with this little anemone crab for a couple of months by giving him a live blackworm every day. At first he just looked at me like I was crazy and continued filter feeding. But now he comes out for the worm as soon as he sees the feeder and grabs the worm. He also gave up living on corals and prefers to stay in this spot on the rock. He doesn't seem to filter feed any more which is good because these crabs don't usually live long in a tank. I assume they don't usually get enough food. But I will see how long he will live on worms. I want to get a few more of them so they will mate.
This is him when I got him.
This is him when I got him.
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Paul B
Well-Known Member
That little orange pygmy hawkfish comes out "near" the front now. I am not sure why he is getting over his fear of other company as he is not bad looking. My male bluestripe disappears for a week at a time and I always think I lost him, but again, today he came out in the front, smiling and pregnant as always. For a few days I couldn't find one of my bangai cardinals or my clingfish. I really don't know where these fish go and why they go there. But today after a nice meal of clams and blackworms, they all showed up. It looks like my bangai has a mouth full of eggs which is why he can stay hidden as he doesn't have to eat. My tank is not that big but it is 6' long and built into a wall under a staircase so about 3/4s of the back of the tank I don't have access to and never know what goes on back there. They may be having a Hoedown or flea market but whatever they do, they stay there for a week at a time. There is food everywhere in my tank because I don't believe in sterility. I am also not one to worry if I dump things in from the sea as I don't have to quarantine because I keep my fish immune. (Yes I realize many people think I am lucky, it is what it is) But having a little mulm and algae in some places in the tank goes a long way in keeping fish healthy. Especially if you want to keep mandarins, bleenies and pipefish. That stuff you buy commercially to feed them once a day is often not enough so it is nice to have someplace for them to hunt and maybe find a snack. I also realize many of us worry about nitrates and such. I think we should get over that if we want healthy fish. Deal with nitrates separately if you care about that, but don't starve your fish as most fish in captivity are starving. Like I always say, healthy fish are spawning fish as fish in the sea "always" spawn. I mean constantly. And if they are not in spawning condition, they are not very healthy as that is a totally un natural condition for any fish to be in. Unless of course it is a male. Then he should be chasing girls.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
My Bangai cardinals are full size. Actually a little larger than what their adult size of 3" is supposed to be according to Wikipedia encyclopedia. His dorsal streamer that goes off the picture is about 3" long. These fish are about as healthy as they can be in a tank. I can determine that by the fact that they are spawning, they are immune and they are old. These fish do look a lot better when they are young because their fins are longer. As they grow, their bodies grow faster than their fins. They are a very nice fish and about as peaceful a fish as you can get. I wish they would breed more of them commercially because they are so easy to breed and even the babies are very easy to grow. Probably the easiest fish to propagate sort of like guppies.
They do require a lot of meaty food and it is hard to feed them correctly in a tank with coral because of this fact. Their huge mouth can fit large pieces of clam which is what I normally feed them but they will eat anything meaty. They are a very slow fish and you really should put their food right near their face. I also think this one may be getting cataracts or the fish equivalent. This happens to a lot of fish with big eyes in a tank. Squirrelfish and puffers are susceptible as they age too because in the sea they spend most of their time under overhangs. (Squirrelfish are almost always under something) If you keep them in a dimmer tank for a while it seems to clear up. I Don't think it is severe and I can't catch these fish so I will just let them live out their life as they are. I am not sure how long they live but I would imagine (and this is just a very wild guess) 8 or 9 years for a cardinal this size. If someone has them for a long time I would like to know as I can't find that out. have had these types of cardinals since they were discovered but I don't keep records and the fishes memory is probably better than mine.
They do require a lot of meaty food and it is hard to feed them correctly in a tank with coral because of this fact. Their huge mouth can fit large pieces of clam which is what I normally feed them but they will eat anything meaty. They are a very slow fish and you really should put their food right near their face. I also think this one may be getting cataracts or the fish equivalent. This happens to a lot of fish with big eyes in a tank. Squirrelfish and puffers are susceptible as they age too because in the sea they spend most of their time under overhangs. (Squirrelfish are almost always under something) If you keep them in a dimmer tank for a while it seems to clear up. I Don't think it is severe and I can't catch these fish so I will just let them live out their life as they are. I am not sure how long they live but I would imagine (and this is just a very wild guess) 8 or 9 years for a cardinal this size. If someone has them for a long time I would like to know as I can't find that out. have had these types of cardinals since they were discovered but I don't keep records and the fishes memory is probably better than mine.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Fireclowns spawned again last night. I think they spawn every month or five weeks.
I don't get to excited when clowns spawn because they will spawn by eating cardboard as long as you put a picture of a worm on it.
I am a little excited that he is about 25 years old and she is about 17 or so. I really don't know how long they live but it's probably around 30 years.
I don't get to excited when clowns spawn because they will spawn by eating cardboard as long as you put a picture of a worm on it.
I am a little excited that he is about 25 years old and she is about 17 or so. I really don't know how long they live but it's probably around 30 years.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I designed a slightly different venture valve for my DIY skimmer than the one I was using. My existing one used a neoprene washer inside and after many years it rotted. This one has a better design inside and has a smooth bore and a better method of producing small bubbles. I know it works better because as soon as I turned it on, my skimmer overflowed all over the place. It cost about a buck.
rostervandross
Active Member
Paul do you try to keep pairs of fish mostly where you can? None of my fish are spawning, but I have mostly singles. I have a pair of clowns but no anemone, used to have a pair of zebra gobies until one went down into the filter sock - I couldn't tell if they were spawning and they lived in a burrow under a rock.
Nice Venturi , I just had to uncrust the inside of mine after it completely plugged up. I am on the look out for a new skimmer for a second tank I'm building, is a/your build it yourself skimmer comparable in cost to a manufactured one?
Nice Venturi , I just had to uncrust the inside of mine after it completely plugged up. I am on the look out for a new skimmer for a second tank I'm building, is a/your build it yourself skimmer comparable in cost to a manufactured one?
Paul B
Well-Known Member
My DIY skimmer probably cost me less than $15.00 to build not counting the two pumps it needs to run. The venture valve was about 80 cents. I try to get my fish in pairs but usually I will get one, then after I figure out what sex it is, I try to get a mate. All the fish I have that can mate in a tank, do as they have mates. I also don't have any anemones, my fireclowns don't seem to mind and I don't think they ever saw an anemone as I bought them as babies.
I have to uncrust mine all the time. Most of the time I just shut off the air flow to the venture for a minute and suck some water into it. That usually softens up the crud and I don't have to take it apart.
I have to uncrust mine all the time. Most of the time I just shut off the air flow to the venture for a minute and suck some water into it. That usually softens up the crud and I don't have to take it apart.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
My 2 year old Cobalt, how ever you spell it, died. I really hate these things. Not just that one but all new pumps. My original, (American Made) pumps lasted for over 20 years, some 30 and some are still running from the 70s, non stop 24/7 with no problems.
This one that died. This one worked well for the short time I had it. It was a low voltage DC job. I tested the power supply and it is good. Then I cut the wire just before it went into the motor and it was getting power so I know it is toast.
I have a pump running my skimmer that is under my tank so I never see the thing. It is the oldest pump I have and I don't know the model and I can't see me crawling under there with a flashlight to look at it. If I shined a light on it, it may explode.
I ordered a new pump, I forget what kind and I don't think it matters because I think they are all made by the same guy in China. If I could find an American one, no matter how much it cost, I would buy it. But unfortunately there is no such thing and we are stuck with this kind of stuff.
Today I was cleaning out my garage and I came across a box that I had not seen in years. It was from our wedding shower. We have been married for 44 years so it is old. It is a avocado colored food mixer. In big letters it reads "Made in the USA" so I know it is old. It is still brand new in the box and was never taken out.
This thing is still running but it is only a few years old.
This one that died. This one worked well for the short time I had it. It was a low voltage DC job. I tested the power supply and it is good. Then I cut the wire just before it went into the motor and it was getting power so I know it is toast.
I have a pump running my skimmer that is under my tank so I never see the thing. It is the oldest pump I have and I don't know the model and I can't see me crawling under there with a flashlight to look at it. If I shined a light on it, it may explode.
I ordered a new pump, I forget what kind and I don't think it matters because I think they are all made by the same guy in China. If I could find an American one, no matter how much it cost, I would buy it. But unfortunately there is no such thing and we are stuck with this kind of stuff.
Today I was cleaning out my garage and I came across a box that I had not seen in years. It was from our wedding shower. We have been married for 44 years so it is old. It is a avocado colored food mixer. In big letters it reads "Made in the USA" so I know it is old. It is still brand new in the box and was never taken out.
This thing is still running but it is only a few years old.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I think I am going to go back to these. I had 5 or 6 of them and they all lasted over 20 years running continuously with no problems. You don't even hardly ever have to clean them. The Propeller ones like the one that failed need a lot of maintenance and they don't last long at all. They also cost more.
what brand & model are those? ^
Paul B
Well-Known Member
The square one is an Aquaclear 70. I don't remember what the other one is. I removed the suction cups as they are a silly invention for Sissies. I made an acrylic bracket that hangs over the edge of the tank and it holds that pump. I don't have to put my hands in the water to remove it.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I went to vote today in the New York primaries and when I went to the normal polling place, it was closed. So I called my town to ask where the voting place was. A woman got on the phone who barely spoke English and told me she didn't know where I should vote. This was the number you call for town information. So I went to my Village office and they said you vote right here. I said, How am I supposed to know that? She said, there is a sign on the pole out by the street. I went and looked. 100 yards away on a light pole there was this 8"X8" paper sign that said "No Parking, Polling place".
I think that's cruel.
I think that's cruel.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I will be on the radio this friday (4/22/16) at 10:00am. It is the CW Post station on 88.1FM. It's a New York station so probably 6 or 7 people can get it.
It is a Geezer station and I will be interviewed. Not really about fish, it's a station that caters to retired people (Geezers) and being I am retired and have so many interests, they will talk to me about how I spend my time as they want to get seniors interested in doing things after they retire instead of just watching TV and croaking. I am not really sure what we will discuss but I think it will be interesting.
It is a Geezer station and I will be interviewed. Not really about fish, it's a station that caters to retired people (Geezers) and being I am retired and have so many interests, they will talk to me about how I spend my time as they want to get seniors interested in doing things after they retire instead of just watching TV and croaking. I am not really sure what we will discuss but I think it will be interesting.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
We went to a really nice all inclusive in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. We went there because our Daughter and Son in Law wanted us to come with them (to babysit) and that was the perfect place for us and the kids. They have a kids club with everything a little kid would want like giant hippopotamuses that spouted water and other things like Supermodels for me to look at. ( I particularly liked the Supermodel that was the singer) The place was great but the diving was not worth it at all. I knew diving there was going to be a waste, and it was not worth the effort to get wet. But it was very cheap, I guess that's why.
They came to get me on the beach with their "Dive Boat". Their "dive boat" was basically a 21 foot row boat with an outboard engine. No place to put anything including tanks and equipment that just rolled around in the bilge water of this very bare boat. If you had sun glasses, a camera, fine china or your best crystal it had to live on the bottom of this tiny boat under the tanks. There was no room for your feet so you hung them overboard. There were about 8 of us on the boat including the "driver" and the divemaster/GPS/depthfinder who stood at the front and pointed left or right so the "driver" didn't run over any swimmers near the beach as we were going full speed.
I was a little concerned because I was by far the oldest guy on the boat (as I normally am) and I didn't see any way to climb back on the thing after the dive. The freeboard (part of the boat above the water) was about 3' and there was no way for me to rocket myself out of the sea like a penguin to get back on this "boat". I asked about that and the divemaster ran up on the beach and produced this thing made from electrical tubing that he said would work as a ladder.
So we get to the site and tried to put on the equipment. I have been diving long before any of these guys were born but I need at least 8" around me to put on the equipment. It's not like you could stand up due to the 6' waves that people were surfing on right next to us.
I get on the equipment and happily throw myself into the water very excited to be off the "dive boat". I bob around a while banging my regulator in my hand trying to get it to stop free flowing for fear that I would run out of air before I sunk.
So we go down to the bottom which they told me was 45' deep. It looked much shallower. The first thing I noticed, was,,, well,,,, nothing. There is nothing there. Sea fans, more sea fans, other sea fans behind the first sea fans and an occasional gorgonian. I did manage to see "1" cowfish, "1" sharp nosed puffer and "1" trigger fish. We spent much of the "dive" looking for a place to tie the dive buoy (Clorox Bottle) to the bottom. That was the most exciting part of the both dives.
We got back on the boat by using the "ladder" and sailed about 100 yards to the second dive site. The second dive was a little better and had many more gorgonians. And in places where there were no gorgonians, there were more gorgonians. It was like a gorgonian warehouse. I think I saw a parrotfish but it may have been wishful thinking.
I fell asleep a couple of times and had to be woken up as I was drifting toward the bottom. I could have just walked on the bottom to shore as it would have been easier than climbing up the "ladder".
My GoPro camera croaked after a few shots but that didn't matter because how many sea fan pictures do you really need?
Flying back to the beach full of tourists at top speed was exhilarating because there was one or two of them that we didn't scare to death.
This is me with the "three" fish that we saw. I was clearly calling for someone with a spear gun to shoot me.
And a gorgonian. I took this picture because I have a few of these gorgonians in my tank. Maybe they "escaped" from there.
They came to get me on the beach with their "Dive Boat". Their "dive boat" was basically a 21 foot row boat with an outboard engine. No place to put anything including tanks and equipment that just rolled around in the bilge water of this very bare boat. If you had sun glasses, a camera, fine china or your best crystal it had to live on the bottom of this tiny boat under the tanks. There was no room for your feet so you hung them overboard. There were about 8 of us on the boat including the "driver" and the divemaster/GPS/depthfinder who stood at the front and pointed left or right so the "driver" didn't run over any swimmers near the beach as we were going full speed.
I was a little concerned because I was by far the oldest guy on the boat (as I normally am) and I didn't see any way to climb back on the thing after the dive. The freeboard (part of the boat above the water) was about 3' and there was no way for me to rocket myself out of the sea like a penguin to get back on this "boat". I asked about that and the divemaster ran up on the beach and produced this thing made from electrical tubing that he said would work as a ladder.
So we get to the site and tried to put on the equipment. I have been diving long before any of these guys were born but I need at least 8" around me to put on the equipment. It's not like you could stand up due to the 6' waves that people were surfing on right next to us.
I get on the equipment and happily throw myself into the water very excited to be off the "dive boat". I bob around a while banging my regulator in my hand trying to get it to stop free flowing for fear that I would run out of air before I sunk.
So we go down to the bottom which they told me was 45' deep. It looked much shallower. The first thing I noticed, was,,, well,,,, nothing. There is nothing there. Sea fans, more sea fans, other sea fans behind the first sea fans and an occasional gorgonian. I did manage to see "1" cowfish, "1" sharp nosed puffer and "1" trigger fish. We spent much of the "dive" looking for a place to tie the dive buoy (Clorox Bottle) to the bottom. That was the most exciting part of the both dives.
We got back on the boat by using the "ladder" and sailed about 100 yards to the second dive site. The second dive was a little better and had many more gorgonians. And in places where there were no gorgonians, there were more gorgonians. It was like a gorgonian warehouse. I think I saw a parrotfish but it may have been wishful thinking.
I fell asleep a couple of times and had to be woken up as I was drifting toward the bottom. I could have just walked on the bottom to shore as it would have been easier than climbing up the "ladder".
My GoPro camera croaked after a few shots but that didn't matter because how many sea fan pictures do you really need?
Flying back to the beach full of tourists at top speed was exhilarating because there was one or two of them that we didn't scare to death.
This is me with the "three" fish that we saw. I was clearly calling for someone with a spear gun to shoot me.
And a gorgonian. I took this picture because I have a few of these gorgonians in my tank. Maybe they "escaped" from there.
