Tank turned 49 this year

Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
My tank is really ignored now that I am selling my house. I have been throwing things out like crazy and drawing prints for my new condo to change things around as they are building it. It's about 60 miles away so it takes a little time to get out there. I can't possibly fit all my existing stuff there so much of it goes in the garbage. I have so many sets of tools because I was a mechanic and still do all the work on my cars and boat and I was a plumber and electrician so I have tools for everything. Carpentry is one of my hobbies and carpentry tools are big and heavy and I am taking all of that. But I don't need 4 ratchet sets or 40 screwdrivers so I am donating most of it to my neighbors and friends. I already gave away all of my SCUBA stuff and a lot of my fish stuff including an Eheim filter. My garbage cans weigh a ton so I gave the sanitation guys a big tip because I feel sorry for them.
It's open house this Saturday so I may sell my home then. That would be nice but I can't move out until the other place is built. My fish are mad at me because they get fed at all different times if they get fed at all.
I try not to look them in the eye. I am sure I will lose some fish and maybe all my corals during this move but I hope not.
 
Pat24601

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, I think moving a tank never goes well. It’s a matter of hoping it goes the least badly it can. In part, that’s because moves are immensely stressful by themselves and fish aren’t really the top priority, but in part it’s just because moving Fish sucks as you know.

You’ve got a better chance than most with your experience. Hope it goes well.
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
subsea said:
Paul,

What size tank? Details like reverse flow under gravel.
Click to expand...

Over the years @Paul B has detailed just about everything in his tank on this thread. I know the thread is now 120 pages long, but it's worth going through it. Take note of the things that will work well in your system. You need not read every post in full.

There are a lot of unique features to his tank. Many are worth copying, other were done just to prove it could be done, and are not that practical for others.
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
Subsea, the reverse UG filter is just like any UG filter but the water flows through it from bottom to top instead of top to bottom. Here I am using my algae scrubber (when it was new and very clean). I collect the water at the bottom of the scrubber and it goes into a manifold that has 3 tubes at the bottom that feed the UG filter very slowly. The secret is very slow flow.
My new tank, if all goes well will be 125 gallons. My existing tank is 90 or 100 gallons. I never measured it.



Quote:
"other were done just to prove it could be done, and are not that practical for others."

Like the water cooled LED lights.
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
I have not seen this guy for months and figured he shed and got eaten by the hoards of bristleworms I have in my tank. Thats what usually happens to any crustaceans in my tank when they shed. But this little fella showed up yesterday no worse for the wear. I think I still have four more of them in the back someplace.

 
S

subsea

Member
I copied the reverse flow ug filter on some 40G breeder tanks, it worked, but was not set up long enough to prove anything.

For long term operation of a sand bed deeper than 1”, reverse flow prevents detritus from sinking deep and clogging sandbed. With certain facultative bacteria, there most efficient nutrient recycling occurs in a reduced oxygen environment in which a nitrate molecule is consumed, with a free nitrogen gas molecule produced, to be exchanged at the surface. This is 100% nutrient export that requires no action by hobbiest.

What did you do with growth on ATS? Harvest and remove for nutrient export or did you allow your fish to graze on it for nutrient recycling.
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
I threw it in the sink and scrubbed off the algae like I normally do. :cool:

In spite of my practically ignoring my tank lately, everything looks great. My Bangai is still living although he has not eaten anything in about a month and his age is severely slowing him down. He still gets around but slower and has no interest in the things he used to like, He is also near sighted or practically blind but he is way past his lifespan so I wish him a peaceful demise whenever it comes.
My four pipefish are still enjoying the tank and all eating a little too much. The copperband is still my largest eater by far and it is hard to keep enough clams for him. The bluestripes, mandarins, clownfish and striped cardinals are still spawning and the two purple Queen Anthias are constantly catching tiny particles from the water column.
I really enjoy the Janss and dragon face pipefish and after I move, (if I am lucky enough to move the tank) I would like to get a few more.
My wife is in a lot of pain which is almost unbearable and I am trying to help her as much as I can but there is nothing I can do. She may have to go again for Gamma Knife surgery to treat Trigeminal Neuralgia due to the MS.
This is making me very sad as I can't help her.
 
S

subsea

Member
Paul, just being the person that you are helps.

It was only after a divorce from a 38 year marriage that I realized, I can’t fix everything. I am not sure I can fix myself anymore, much less someone else.

Keep on trucking my brother. You inspire many people. I am in the middle of reading your book.

Your wit and humor are priceless,
One vet to another.
 
Pat24601

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
I hear ya @Paul B . I went through very serious health issues with my wife and that feeling of just being so helpless when you want so bad to make things better is terrible. I can’t even describe it to someone who hasn’t been there.

I certainly hope for the best for both you and her.
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
New
Thanks Scuba, she already lost 12 lbs as she can't eat. She went through this once before and it is just one of the many bad parts of MS
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
After we came back from DR (MRI, Blood etc.) I put her in bed and noticed my skimmer was just making large bubbles. I actually noticed this 2 weeks ago but I have been busy so I couldn't mess with it. I just took apart the venturi valve and it was filled with tube worm shells so I cleaned it out. I don't know if they grew there or got sucked up in the intake but it was completely clogged. I run ozone which it seems bristle worms enjoy because there is a tiny one doing the Macarana in my skimmer.
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
That is easy to do so I piped everything to be fail safe as much as I can. No clog will overflow anything. It is easy for me because I don't have a sump. :D
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I fed my tank as usual. Clams, mysis, new born brine shrimp and live worms. Of course all the fish, especially the copperband rushed out and try to eat everything before the next fish gets it. My Janss pipefish also but he has a tiny mouth and can't eat much food unless it is very tiny, but the competition was fierce and I guess he was hungry so he darted through the hoard of fish like a javelin almost spearing the copperband to grab a mysis shrimp. I watched in horror because I knew that mysis was to large for him. I was right, he started to choke. If he had hands he would have put them on his throat, the international symbol for choking. He was in trouble and I could see the tail of the mysis sticking out his gill. He was trying to gag, but fish don't gag well and they don't have a tongue to push the food out. I rolled up my sleeves, ready to go in to give him the Heimlich maneuver, or worse, a tracheotomy. But I was to slow, he made his way behind the rocks. I crawled around the back of the tank with a flashlight only to see him twisting and gagging. The eyes on the bristle worms were wide open in anticipation of a long skinny meal. I couldn't watch any longer so I had a glass of Grand Marnier and watched a re run of Star Trek.
This morning I fully expected to see him in pieces sticking out from under a hermit crab shell.
The lights came on and there he was. Smiling and looking for more mysis.

You could see the Janss in this Video.
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
For a tank you have been "neglecting" that still looks really good. Keep up the good work.

My own tank is looking more like an algae farm due to a problem a couple of months back.
 
Pat24601

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear things are tough. Glad to hear the fish is OK, although I realize that’s the least of your concerns.
 
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