Tank turned 49 this year
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
Well-Known Member
This "guy" is turning into a guy. "he" was a female but now is a male. You can't tell too much by this picture because he was "making a funny face". But his upper lip is longer than his bottom lip and that is a sign of Maleness. In fish I guess, not in ma, who by the way was always a male. I know that also happens to Salmon so maybe he met some Salmon when he lived in the sea.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
It seems I can't keep these small Queen Anthias as the 4 of them are gone. The slightly larger ones with the bright yellow stripe and the one with the muted yellow stripe are doing very well and have been in there for a month to 3 or 4 months so far. I think they will live their normal lifespan.
These small purple ones didn't live to long. They either jump out or just disappear, I guess from not having enough of the right food even though I fed them new born shrimp a couple of times a day. Some fish "I" just can't keep long but many people can keep them. Luckily, they never die from disease. I also can't keep banded pipefish very long. But copperbands I have no problems with as they are large eaters and seem to be able to store food. I got this one as a baby and now she is the size of a hub cap.
Not in my fully stocked reef anyway. You really need a species tank for them and some fish and you need to have a constant supply of tiny, preferably living food. I do like those kinds of tanks but I only have my one 100 gallon reef tank (which I think is really a 90 but was sold as a 100)
If you have no life, I mean if you can spend all day tinkering with your tank, you can easily keep any kind of fish, but if you are active and are out all the time, forgetaboutit.
We were out late last night with other people for dinner as we do a lot and when I got home, the lights were off in my tank, so they didn't eat. They will be mad at me this morning but I will be going out before the lights come on, so they won't have breakfast either.
But I will be home to give them lunch so they will still be talking to me.
WE also stay out in the boat late and those days the fish don't eat, unless I collect something for them for desert.
Not eating for a one, two, three days or more won't hurt most fish. But for planktivores, they just don't have the storage capacity to cope with thea and they starve. It's a fact of fish life.
I try to be here all the time, but I can't.
When I travel, I am sure I will lose some of those types of fish as I can't ask my Supermodel tank sitter to do what I do which is hatch brine shrimp every day, strain them and put them in a feeder twice a day, collect mud from my white worm culture and separate out the white worms, suck up blackworms and baster them to both sides of the tank so all the fish get a chance to eat them before the copperband and blue wrasse gets it all.
Supermodels have other things to do such as do things that Supermodels need to do to continue to look like a Supermodel.
I only ask her to put a pre made frozen food package, that I make, into the defrosting cup and dispenser I have hanging on the tank, and I only ask her to do that every other day. There is some frozen baby brine and cyclopese in there which those fish eat, but it's not enough and I normally target feed some fish like the Janss Pipefish which live in a cave with a possum wrasse.
I am sure those fish will find some food but with about 25 fast feeders they won't get enough. I also have a small perchlet that I target feed.
These are the guys that seem very hardy.
I didn't do to well with this guy either. I have only a few SPS corals or the types of corals he eats and with all the other special feeders I have I couldn't spend the time that this beautiful fish needs to keep him long term. A few months is not long term so I will say I sucked at keeping him.
These small purple ones didn't live to long. They either jump out or just disappear, I guess from not having enough of the right food even though I fed them new born shrimp a couple of times a day. Some fish "I" just can't keep long but many people can keep them. Luckily, they never die from disease. I also can't keep banded pipefish very long. But copperbands I have no problems with as they are large eaters and seem to be able to store food. I got this one as a baby and now she is the size of a hub cap.
Not in my fully stocked reef anyway. You really need a species tank for them and some fish and you need to have a constant supply of tiny, preferably living food. I do like those kinds of tanks but I only have my one 100 gallon reef tank (which I think is really a 90 but was sold as a 100)
If you have no life, I mean if you can spend all day tinkering with your tank, you can easily keep any kind of fish, but if you are active and are out all the time, forgetaboutit.
We were out late last night with other people for dinner as we do a lot and when I got home, the lights were off in my tank, so they didn't eat. They will be mad at me this morning but I will be going out before the lights come on, so they won't have breakfast either.
But I will be home to give them lunch so they will still be talking to me.
WE also stay out in the boat late and those days the fish don't eat, unless I collect something for them for desert.
Not eating for a one, two, three days or more won't hurt most fish. But for planktivores, they just don't have the storage capacity to cope with thea and they starve. It's a fact of fish life.
I try to be here all the time, but I can't.
When I travel, I am sure I will lose some of those types of fish as I can't ask my Supermodel tank sitter to do what I do which is hatch brine shrimp every day, strain them and put them in a feeder twice a day, collect mud from my white worm culture and separate out the white worms, suck up blackworms and baster them to both sides of the tank so all the fish get a chance to eat them before the copperband and blue wrasse gets it all.
Supermodels have other things to do such as do things that Supermodels need to do to continue to look like a Supermodel.
I only ask her to put a pre made frozen food package, that I make, into the defrosting cup and dispenser I have hanging on the tank, and I only ask her to do that every other day. There is some frozen baby brine and cyclopese in there which those fish eat, but it's not enough and I normally target feed some fish like the Janss Pipefish which live in a cave with a possum wrasse.
I am sure those fish will find some food but with about 25 fast feeders they won't get enough. I also have a small perchlet that I target feed.
These are the guys that seem very hardy.
I didn't do to well with this guy either. I have only a few SPS corals or the types of corals he eats and with all the other special feeders I have I couldn't spend the time that this beautiful fish needs to keep him long term. A few months is not long term so I will say I sucked at keeping him.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I see a "problem" coming soon to my tank. The 3- 1" tubes that feed my reverse UG filter have been growing those worm tubes for decades and there is no simple way to remove the growth. My vertical algae scrubber uses gravity to feed the manifold where the tubes emerge from the bottom and feed the UG filter. The manifold normally only has 1/4" of water in it as the water goes down the 3 tubes as soon as it goes into the manifold. But for the last few days, that manifold has been filling with a few inches of water. I never built an overflow on to it because the water always instantly drained down the tubes. If the manifold overflows the way it is now designed, the water will be pumped on to the floor which my wife frowns on. The fish also frown on that as the tank would completely empty.
Now I have a few things I need to do very soon.
The first thing I will do is drill a hole a few inches up in the manifold in case it fills, the water will just flow back into the tank.
The next thing I will do is make a tiny "Rotor Rooter" snake to twist down through the tight bend the tubes make near the gravel. I will try to grind up the growth in small enough pieces that they get deposited under the UG filter plates.
I can't remove those tubes without breaking many year old coral growth to get to the back of my tank so I will try not to go that route.
I can't remember when I removed those tubes for cleaning but it may have been 20 years ago before I had a lot of things growing back there. There was a time when I could remove the corals and rocks, but now it is mostly montipora which are very delicate and I would rather not break.
The thing gets fed from the big white pipe that is the bottom of the algae scrubber. It's things like this that keep me interested in the hobby. If nothing happened, I would get bored.
Now I have a few things I need to do very soon.
The first thing I will do is drill a hole a few inches up in the manifold in case it fills, the water will just flow back into the tank.
The next thing I will do is make a tiny "Rotor Rooter" snake to twist down through the tight bend the tubes make near the gravel. I will try to grind up the growth in small enough pieces that they get deposited under the UG filter plates.
I can't remove those tubes without breaking many year old coral growth to get to the back of my tank so I will try not to go that route.
I can't remember when I removed those tubes for cleaning but it may have been 20 years ago before I had a lot of things growing back there. There was a time when I could remove the corals and rocks, but now it is mostly montipora which are very delicate and I would rather not break.
The thing gets fed from the big white pipe that is the bottom of the algae scrubber. It's things like this that keep me interested in the hobby. If nothing happened, I would get bored.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I couple of weeks ago my wife and I are invited to go out on my friends boat with him and his wife. Great, let someone else use some gas for once.
He has the same size boat as I have but some people really shouldn't be allowed to own a boat.
We get on the boat and his wife tells me that everything is wrong with the boat even though it is very new. They only use it once or twice a year and they bought it new for like $130,000.00.
So it costs them like $10,000.00 every time they use it so far.
We are supposed to go to Connecticut which is about an hour ride. I figure "everything: is wrong with the boat so I will ask a simple question. (It's the Boat Captain in me)
I asked if he has flares.
He says "Of course I have flares"
I ask if they are expired?
His wife tells me, "they don't know because they are in that cabinet, and they can't open it".
OK, great. I force open the cabinet and ask for some WD-40 so they can open it easily.
He tells me the mechanic is fixing "something electronic" on the boat.
I ask, "What is he fixing?"
He doesn't know. That makes me feel great now that we are taking this thing for an hour ride to another state, Thoughts of "Gilligans Island" flash through my head.
I say, what do you mean "You don't know what he is fixing?"
"I don't know but he fixed it temporarily". Temporarily with what! Like a paperclip!
OK so we head out. I say, put on some music!
"The radio doesn't work" Of course not!
I say I think we are in for a storm so we should not go to Connecticut (or anywhere else further than the lines tied to the dock)
So his wife convinces him to stay in the harbor.
The storm I predicted hits us with a fury. I yell, "Drop the Anchor".
(In a storm, the first thing you are supposed to do is drop the anchor so you don't crash into the other boats moored there.)
So I see him climb out to the front of the boat and start to kick the anchor.
I ask, "What are you doing? " Don't you just push the button near the steering wheel to drop the anchor?
Of course, but first I have to "kick it".
Why, are you mad at it?
He asks, "Don't you have to kick your anchor?"
No, I don't. Why would I? I said "Does the Captain of the aircraft carrier Enterprise have to kick the anchor?"
He said, it doesn't go down unless you kick it. I ask if he ever read the manual. He told me that the boat came with too many manuals and he doesn't like to read manuals.
I said "It Shows!"
So he kicks the anchor a few times until it falls into the sea. We ride out the storm and get ready to leave for port. Now it is pitch black and about 10:00pm. He is driving with the plastic front window wrapped around his face and trying to see through the inky darkness. We are traversing through many boats and moorings. I said, "Don't you have a floodlight?"
He says "Of Course", I say "Where is it?" He says "In my garage" I said "I hope it's on".
Then I stupidly ask, Why don't you just follow the dotted lines back on the Chart Plotter?
(The chart plotter on a boat puts dots on the screen that follow the boats course, this way, when you want to return, you just follow the dots so you know exactly how to get back.)
He asks "What Dots?"
I look at his chart plotter and the entire screen is white. Since he has the boat he never deleted the dots so they kept adding up until now the screen is pure white as it is "all" dots.
I said Why didn't you delete the previous courses? He says "You can do that?" Like Duh, and I almost went to Connecticut with this Jiboni. (He is one of my closest friends)
Now we are getting near his dock and I see a wooden work boat, then about 35 feet back a nice Yacht and we had to "park" in between them. Our wives are in the cabin probably discussing cellulite or anti perspirants that don't leave stains on silk and all of a sudden, it was like the Titanic. CRASH, we hit the work boat. Our boat runs up on to it and slides back into the water.
I said, "Would you like me to dock this for you?" He said, Would you please.
So tomorrow I am going there to fix his radio, chart plotter, anchor, cabinet and everything else wrong with the thing.
His boat is very similar to mine but a foot longer.
He has the same size boat as I have but some people really shouldn't be allowed to own a boat.
We get on the boat and his wife tells me that everything is wrong with the boat even though it is very new. They only use it once or twice a year and they bought it new for like $130,000.00.
So it costs them like $10,000.00 every time they use it so far.
We are supposed to go to Connecticut which is about an hour ride. I figure "everything: is wrong with the boat so I will ask a simple question. (It's the Boat Captain in me)
I asked if he has flares.
He says "Of course I have flares"
I ask if they are expired?
His wife tells me, "they don't know because they are in that cabinet, and they can't open it".
OK, great. I force open the cabinet and ask for some WD-40 so they can open it easily.
He tells me the mechanic is fixing "something electronic" on the boat.
I ask, "What is he fixing?"
He doesn't know. That makes me feel great now that we are taking this thing for an hour ride to another state, Thoughts of "Gilligans Island" flash through my head.
I say, what do you mean "You don't know what he is fixing?"
"I don't know but he fixed it temporarily". Temporarily with what! Like a paperclip!
OK so we head out. I say, put on some music!
"The radio doesn't work" Of course not!
I say I think we are in for a storm so we should not go to Connecticut (or anywhere else further than the lines tied to the dock)
So his wife convinces him to stay in the harbor.
The storm I predicted hits us with a fury. I yell, "Drop the Anchor".
(In a storm, the first thing you are supposed to do is drop the anchor so you don't crash into the other boats moored there.)
So I see him climb out to the front of the boat and start to kick the anchor.
I ask, "What are you doing? " Don't you just push the button near the steering wheel to drop the anchor?
Of course, but first I have to "kick it".
Why, are you mad at it?
He asks, "Don't you have to kick your anchor?"
No, I don't. Why would I? I said "Does the Captain of the aircraft carrier Enterprise have to kick the anchor?"
He said, it doesn't go down unless you kick it. I ask if he ever read the manual. He told me that the boat came with too many manuals and he doesn't like to read manuals.
I said "It Shows!"
So he kicks the anchor a few times until it falls into the sea. We ride out the storm and get ready to leave for port. Now it is pitch black and about 10:00pm. He is driving with the plastic front window wrapped around his face and trying to see through the inky darkness. We are traversing through many boats and moorings. I said, "Don't you have a floodlight?"
He says "Of Course", I say "Where is it?" He says "In my garage" I said "I hope it's on".
Then I stupidly ask, Why don't you just follow the dotted lines back on the Chart Plotter?
(The chart plotter on a boat puts dots on the screen that follow the boats course, this way, when you want to return, you just follow the dots so you know exactly how to get back.)
He asks "What Dots?"
I look at his chart plotter and the entire screen is white. Since he has the boat he never deleted the dots so they kept adding up until now the screen is pure white as it is "all" dots.
I said Why didn't you delete the previous courses? He says "You can do that?" Like Duh, and I almost went to Connecticut with this Jiboni. (He is one of my closest friends)
Now we are getting near his dock and I see a wooden work boat, then about 35 feet back a nice Yacht and we had to "park" in between them. Our wives are in the cabin probably discussing cellulite or anti perspirants that don't leave stains on silk and all of a sudden, it was like the Titanic. CRASH, we hit the work boat. Our boat runs up on to it and slides back into the water.
I said, "Would you like me to dock this for you?" He said, Would you please.
So tomorrow I am going there to fix his radio, chart plotter, anchor, cabinet and everything else wrong with the thing.
His boat is very similar to mine but a foot longer.
always enjoy the reads...
Paul B
Well-Known Member
We are having people on the boat so we went to the market.
We call that market "Angel Eyes". We gave it that name because a few years ago we were shopping there and I was off looking at asparagus, rudabaker, or Oldsmobile fenders and I see this guy talking to my wife.
I sashay over there and he says to me, Is this beautiful Lady with you? I said yes she is. He says: You are a very lucky man because I can tell that she has "Angel eyes, and the eyes are the windows to your soul".
AS I was about to puke he goes on to say that he used to be a male model but now he "porked" up to have a 32" waist.
Like I never used that male model or angel eye line before.
Then I picked up my wife from the floor in the place where she had melted and we went off to buy tomatoes.
We call that market "Angel Eyes". We gave it that name because a few years ago we were shopping there and I was off looking at asparagus, rudabaker, or Oldsmobile fenders and I see this guy talking to my wife.
I sashay over there and he says to me, Is this beautiful Lady with you? I said yes she is. He says: You are a very lucky man because I can tell that she has "Angel eyes, and the eyes are the windows to your soul".
AS I was about to puke he goes on to say that he used to be a male model but now he "porked" up to have a 32" waist.
Like I never used that male model or angel eye line before.
Then I picked up my wife from the floor in the place where she had melted and we went off to buy tomatoes.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Janss Pipefish having lunch with friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchIXRIDE2A&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchIXRIDE2A&feature=youtu.be
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I had a blue wrasse that grew too large so I wanted to give him back to the store. I made a small fish hook by heating a small needle and bending it into a hook. I caught him in a few seconds and brought him back.
I wanted a smaller fish so I just told the guy to give me a flasher wrasse. I stupidly didn't look at the wrasse and when I put him in my tank he sunk like a brick. I looked closer and noticed he was covered in Parasites.
Great.
I felt bad for the little guy and since he couldn't swim I was able to catch him and take him out.
I don't keep hospital tanks so I had to empty out my small mangrove tank to put the fish in. I also have a bottle of copper and formalin from the 70s so I put him in there doth a drop of that.
He is in bad shape and I don't expect him to live the night but I was in a hurry and it is totally my fault.
Here is a video of me catching that wrasse with a hook,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCc-9qTsR_w&feature=youtu.be
I wanted a smaller fish so I just told the guy to give me a flasher wrasse. I stupidly didn't look at the wrasse and when I put him in my tank he sunk like a brick. I looked closer and noticed he was covered in Parasites.
Great.
I felt bad for the little guy and since he couldn't swim I was able to catch him and take him out.
I don't keep hospital tanks so I had to empty out my small mangrove tank to put the fish in. I also have a bottle of copper and formalin from the 70s so I put him in there doth a drop of that.
He is in bad shape and I don't expect him to live the night but I was in a hurry and it is totally my fault.
Here is a video of me catching that wrasse with a hook,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCc-9qTsR_w&feature=youtu.be
Paul B
Well-Known Member
That wrasse croaked (as I figured he would) There is a point where no matter what you do, it's too late, kind of like if a fish jumps on the floor and you don't find him for a week or two, it's too late.
No problem, I kind of have too many fish anyway which Is why I needed to remove that wrasse. My Bangai is still kicking and he is much older than his lifespan dictates he should be but he looks great and it took no time for him to learn how to use a walker.
The rest of my fish are doing very good and now I only need to use half the food because that wrasse ate all the larger pieces of clam which my copperband used to fight him for. Now the copperband is smiling from gill to gill even though it is hard to tell because his mouth is pretty far from his gills.
My Janss pipefish eats anything small enough for him to fit in his mouth as they don't chew and don't have any teeth. I can still chew and almost all my teeth are really mine except a few implants that cost more than my tank (and my car)
That flasher wrasse I put in my reef yesterday was covered in parasites which is a good thing as some of them may have fell off and are happily dog paddling around my tank looking for a meal, but they will be disappointed when they find out my fish are immune from them. (so far anyway).
My bluestripe pipefish are also past their lifespan and still spawning so I know they are healthy. The Janss keeps chasing the male and he is getting annoyed as there is not usually fights in my tank as I interrogate the fish before I add them. The Janss lied.
I really need to change some water but I have this really Manly degenerated disk in my back and it is a little painful for me to lift buckets, but I will devise something or just fill the tank with damp saw dust which is lighter.
No problem, I kind of have too many fish anyway which Is why I needed to remove that wrasse. My Bangai is still kicking and he is much older than his lifespan dictates he should be but he looks great and it took no time for him to learn how to use a walker.
The rest of my fish are doing very good and now I only need to use half the food because that wrasse ate all the larger pieces of clam which my copperband used to fight him for. Now the copperband is smiling from gill to gill even though it is hard to tell because his mouth is pretty far from his gills.
My Janss pipefish eats anything small enough for him to fit in his mouth as they don't chew and don't have any teeth. I can still chew and almost all my teeth are really mine except a few implants that cost more than my tank (and my car)
That flasher wrasse I put in my reef yesterday was covered in parasites which is a good thing as some of them may have fell off and are happily dog paddling around my tank looking for a meal, but they will be disappointed when they find out my fish are immune from them. (so far anyway).
My bluestripe pipefish are also past their lifespan and still spawning so I know they are healthy. The Janss keeps chasing the male and he is getting annoyed as there is not usually fights in my tank as I interrogate the fish before I add them. The Janss lied.
I really need to change some water but I have this really Manly degenerated disk in my back and it is a little painful for me to lift buckets, but I will devise something or just fill the tank with damp saw dust which is lighter.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
I want to talk about good... no!... Great friends. I have really great friends that I have had since high school and even grammar school. There is nothing like having close friends as we are able to choose our friends but we were betrothed to our family which sometimes is good, sometimes not so good.
Here is one of my combat buddies from Viet Nam. We have been friends longer than I know my wife and I am married for 44 years. I also lost many friends in Nam.
I would do anything for my friends and would have a very hard time If I moved to another state as I see my friends all the time and we went through a lot together.
We raised our kids together and now we all have Grand Kids. When we were in our 20s and 30s we would all get together with our small boats and go out to a lake or a bay in the ocean and sink each other then have a great time.
When I got drafted, 14 girls took me out to dinner, including my friends wife here in the picture. Eventually all those girls married and that became our crowd.
Our kids don't seem to know how to have good times like we did because most of their time is spent indoors and they would never think to go with a bunch of friends camping, hiking or rafting. They go to the Caribbean and such as they have more money than we did, but I know we had a much better time.
We once rented an Island with 6 tree houses on it and stayed in them a week until a hurricane hit which made it really interesting because the one place you want to be in during a storm, is a tree.
We once got a bunch of us together and went up to these caves in the mountains called the Ice Caves which are closed in the winter because of snow and ice. We brought ropes and lowered ourselves down and had a great time.
To get there we drove until our cars got stuck in the snow, no 4 wheel drives then.
I feel sorry for the younger generation because I think electronics rule their lives which is a shame. Put away the stupid phone and get some fresh air. Call up some friends and do something.
Of course I am not talking about everybody and many of us have a great time.
[/
Here is one of my combat buddies from Viet Nam. We have been friends longer than I know my wife and I am married for 44 years. I also lost many friends in Nam.
I would do anything for my friends and would have a very hard time If I moved to another state as I see my friends all the time and we went through a lot together.
We raised our kids together and now we all have Grand Kids. When we were in our 20s and 30s we would all get together with our small boats and go out to a lake or a bay in the ocean and sink each other then have a great time.
When I got drafted, 14 girls took me out to dinner, including my friends wife here in the picture. Eventually all those girls married and that became our crowd.
Our kids don't seem to know how to have good times like we did because most of their time is spent indoors and they would never think to go with a bunch of friends camping, hiking or rafting. They go to the Caribbean and such as they have more money than we did, but I know we had a much better time.
We once rented an Island with 6 tree houses on it and stayed in them a week until a hurricane hit which made it really interesting because the one place you want to be in during a storm, is a tree.
We once got a bunch of us together and went up to these caves in the mountains called the Ice Caves which are closed in the winter because of snow and ice. We brought ropes and lowered ourselves down and had a great time.
To get there we drove until our cars got stuck in the snow, no 4 wheel drives then.
I feel sorry for the younger generation because I think electronics rule their lives which is a shame. Put away the stupid phone and get some fresh air. Call up some friends and do something.
Of course I am not talking about everybody and many of us have a great time.
[/
Pat24601
Well-Known Member
I want to talk about good... no!... Great friends. I have really great friends that I have had since high school and even grammar school. There is nothing like having close friends as we are able to choose our friends but we were betrothed to our family which sometimes is good, sometimes not so good.
Here is one of my combat buddies from Viet Nam. We have been friends longer than I know my wife and I am married for 44 years. I also lost many friends in Nam.
I would do anything for my friends and would have a very hard time If I moved to another state as I see my friends all the time and we went through a lot together.
We raised our kids together and now we all have Grand Kids. When we were in our 20s and 30s we would all get together with our small boats and go out to a lake or a bay in the ocean and sink each other then have a great time.
When I got drafted, 14 girls took me out to dinner, including my friends wife here in the picture. Eventually all those girls married and that became our crowd.
Our kids don't seem to know how to have good times like we did because most of their time is spent indoors and they would never think to go with a bunch of friends camping, hiking or rafting. They go to the Caribbean and such as they have more money than we did, but I know we had a much better time.
We once rented an Island with 6 tree houses on it and stayed in them a week until a hurricane hit which made it really interesting because the one place you want to be in during a storm, is a tree.
We once got a bunch of us together and went up to these caves in the mountains called the Ice Caves which are closed in the winter because of snow and ice. We brought ropes and lowered ourselves down and had a great time.
To get there we drove until our cars got stuck in the snow, no 4 wheel drives then.
I feel sorry for the younger generation because I think electronics rule their lives which is a shame. Put away the stupid phone and get some fresh air. Call up some friends and do something.
Of course I am not talking about everybody and many of us have a great time.
One of my big efforts with my kids is to get them into physical things rather than electronics. That's part of the appeal of fish (among other things). It's hard.
Of course, I say this as I type on an iPad. The irony isn't lost on me.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
There is a chance that I may have to take my tank down. I don't know yet. I need back surgery, which I assume is better than front surgery. I have a real man condition from doing Real Man heavy work all my life and I don't mean carrying Supermodels on my shoulder as they don't weigh much. I have 5 or 6 degenerative disks with compression fractures and everything is inflamed and some nerves are crushed. (sissy nerves)
I don't know yet as I am still going for shots in my spine with vodka/Grand Marnier/Prizapro but that isn't working real great yet.
I need to fix this so I can take care of my wife and she is all upset.
If I get this done, and I may go to the hospital for special surgery in Manhattan, (We passed it in my boat yesterday and boating on the East River through Hells Gate was probably not too prudent with this condition) I may need a month of rehabilitation (which is sissy bending and twisting like ballet dancers) My tank won't last a month if I am not here, my pipefish especially frown on that.
I can't change the water now and probably not for a year so we will see how that works out.
Of course none of this may happen, they may say I am not candidate for surgery and should just run for President as I may be a candidate for that, but of course I would institute a draft where everyone would have to go into the army and that would include Men, Women, infants, Popes, and especially Liberals.
I don't know yet as I am still going for shots in my spine with vodka/Grand Marnier/Prizapro but that isn't working real great yet.
I need to fix this so I can take care of my wife and she is all upset.
If I get this done, and I may go to the hospital for special surgery in Manhattan, (We passed it in my boat yesterday and boating on the East River through Hells Gate was probably not too prudent with this condition) I may need a month of rehabilitation (which is sissy bending and twisting like ballet dancers) My tank won't last a month if I am not here, my pipefish especially frown on that.
I can't change the water now and probably not for a year so we will see how that works out.
Of course none of this may happen, they may say I am not candidate for surgery and should just run for President as I may be a candidate for that, but of course I would institute a draft where everyone would have to go into the army and that would include Men, Women, infants, Popes, and especially Liberals.
Hi Paul, I'm real sorry to hear about your back. I've been though some minor back problems and they are not fun at all.
I sure hope this doesn't come down to needing to take your tank down. It would be the end of an age. Whatever happens, I think I can safely say that everyone here supports you in any choices you need to make.
Take care, Dave
I sure hope this doesn't come down to needing to take your tank down. It would be the end of an age. Whatever happens, I think I can safely say that everyone here supports you in any choices you need to make.
Take care, Dave
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Thanks Dave. I am more worried about my wife (who also had back surgery and has a couple of rods in her back)
She has MS and needs help from me shopping and carrying groceries.
I realize I am not 16 any more and feel very lucky that the stuff that is wrong with me is minor and not life threatening. I have had 16 surgeries and all of them, thank God were from either having fun or working. (I was a commercial construction electrician in Manhattan building buildings and everything was 1,000lbs). None of them were from illnesses. Maybe I am immune like my fish.
Right now I am on pills for inflammation and they are making me a little woozy so If I could change my water, I may throw it in my wife's underwear drawer and she would frown on that.
My tank, as you know is different than other tanks and I can't just have someone throw food in there. I raise white worms and blackworms besides hatching shrimp every day. If I get this surgery I won't be able to do that, or compete in the Olympics in the gymnastic competition.
This will pass and If I have to give up my tank, so be it. I will try to keep it up as I would really like it to get to 50 years old in 4 years. I don't know why but that was always my goal.
Thanks again Dave for your concern as I appreciate it very much even though I don't often come off like that. My wife tells me all the time that sometimes I say the wrong things. Maybe it's my PTSD
Thank you and be well.
She has MS and needs help from me shopping and carrying groceries.
I realize I am not 16 any more and feel very lucky that the stuff that is wrong with me is minor and not life threatening. I have had 16 surgeries and all of them, thank God were from either having fun or working. (I was a commercial construction electrician in Manhattan building buildings and everything was 1,000lbs). None of them were from illnesses. Maybe I am immune like my fish.
Right now I am on pills for inflammation and they are making me a little woozy so If I could change my water, I may throw it in my wife's underwear drawer and she would frown on that.
My tank, as you know is different than other tanks and I can't just have someone throw food in there. I raise white worms and blackworms besides hatching shrimp every day. If I get this surgery I won't be able to do that, or compete in the Olympics in the gymnastic competition.
This will pass and If I have to give up my tank, so be it. I will try to keep it up as I would really like it to get to 50 years old in 4 years. I don't know why but that was always my goal.
Thanks again Dave for your concern as I appreciate it very much even though I don't often come off like that. My wife tells me all the time that sometimes I say the wrong things. Maybe it's my PTSD
Thank you and be well.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
My town was having a Salute to the Armed Forces and they asked me as a Veteran to come and display my Steam Punk stuff for the event. It was on the beach and very cool. There was also about 50 vintage cars there as well as bands etc.
That's the first time I wore my Dog Tags in almost 50 years. I am surprised I found them
That's the first time I wore my Dog Tags in almost 50 years. I am surprised I found them
