Tank Thread Tank reached 38 years old...in 2009!

[Paul B]

It costs me at least $4.00 a year

 

[Paul B]

I spent about an hour on my tank today which is much more then I ever do. I decided to remove half of the screen in the algae trough because there was no algae growing just tubeworms and corals which completely filled the trough almost preventing the water from getting through. I had to pry up the screen with a large screwdriver because it was completely cemented to the bottom with coral and coralline algae. Underneath the thing looked like a bristle worm farm. I removed those as they were large and I am sure on the side I didn't touch there are dozens more. The stuff I removed would have made a great starter culture for a new tank. I threw it behind the rocks in my tank because I didn't have the heart to dump all those tube worms and brittle stars.
The part I cleaned I replaced the screen with a new one but this time I placed a cotton cloth on top of it. I have been experimenting with cotton cloths for a few months by draping a cloth over the side of the trough so that just a little water gets wicked up into the cloth and drips into the tank. That experiment was a huge success and that cloth is covered almost 1/2" thick with algae.
When I get time, probably in the winter I plan on taking advantage of that experiment and completely removing my algae trough and re-designing it so that the algae is not submerged. I just want water spraying on it but I want it to be exposed to the air. I think this is going to have a fantastic outcome.
Just my opinion of course.

 

[Paul B]

Today my wife and I did a little boating as we always do in the summer and I took the dinghy to shore to do a little collecting just before the storm rolled in. We just made it back in time but I managed to get a bucket full of amphipods. This is the first collecting of the year and I hope to go again this week depending on the weather. I like to dump thousands of amphipods along with some mud in the early summer. My tank depends on it.

 

[Paul B]

Because of salt creep and some defective LEDs I had to take my fixture apart and re do a lot of the solder joints, drill and tap about 50 holes and replace the fans. I really should have put a splash shield on this thing when I built it. If I ever get time, I will build another fixture.

 

[Paul B]

After about 16 years one of my fireclowns feels he must bond with an anemone. I don't have any anemones so he is using a very large (and expensive) Duncan for a host. The Duncan is not amused and has not opened in a couple of weeks. I would like to spear the fireclown but probably would miss and make a hole in the bottom of the tank. Her 24 year old mate just looks at her and laughs. I am glad he doesn't need an anemone and just stays in his cognac bottle.

 

[Paul B]

Last night we again took my boat to the Statue of Liberty as we do a couple of times every year. I still get teery when I get near her. It was a nice trip and we stopped for dinner at a sea side restaurant in Queens. These pictures are from last year but it is the same scene so just make believe I took them last night.

 

[Paul B]

I couldn't find my male blue stripe pipefish or my male ruby red dragonette for a week. Then they both showed up. I have no idea where they went or if they left together to go on vacation or get a bite to eat. But they are back. Maybe it was osmosis, I have no idea.

 

[Paul B]

Today I went down to my boat to do some important stuff (relax).
I noticed plenty of grass shrimp around the boat and I collected a bunch. After looking at the expression on their faces I could tell that they would rather stay in the marina than my tank so I said good bye and set them free. They are happy.
So I had a beer, and read the newspaper before going in the cabin, turning on the air conditioner and pondered the universe (took a nap).
Tomorrow, if it doesn't rain I will take my Grand Kids to my favorite tide pool to do a little collecting.

 

[Paul B]

My montipora's are growing back nicely along with everything else.

A good friend of mine is getting married so he took his tank down and gave me 4 wrasses including these beauties.

 

[Paul B]

I added this marine Betta today. I took his picture while I was acclimating him because now that he is in my tank, I doubt I will ever see the entire fish again as they are hiders. (Thanks Andy)

 

[Paul B]

And Andy. He eats all the live blackworms you want to give him.

 

[Paul B]

I just came back from collecting 30 gallons of NSW and I would swear this stuff gets heavier every time I collect it. Normally I don't do much to it except heat it and add a little ASW because the salinity here in New York is low for some reason but it is very turbid with all sorts of black particles in it so I had to diatom filter it. I only had a very little bit of diatom powder on hand so I didn't do as good a job as I would have liked but now it is crystal clear and I am just waiting for it to heat up before I dump it in. I even checked the nitrates and they are zero, calcium is 440.
I took it from the Coast Guard Station near Jones Beach. Near here.

 

[Paul B]

Last night was the best fireworks display for me personally (since the By Centinial)
We were anchored out in a bay in the Long Island Sound about 100 yards from the fireworks barge so they exploded over our heads. Our closest, life long friends were with us, But the best part is that from there, we could see Manhattan, Queens the Bronx, Connecticut and Long island so we were completely surrounded by fireworks besides the ones over our heads. At the end I blasted "God Bless America" and all the boats blow their horns. There were quite a few boats and thousands of spectators on the shores. Of course I got stopped by the Coast Guard on my way beck because one of my navigation lights went out, but I replaced the bulb in a few minutes and all is well. I hope everyone had a great time.

 

[Paul B]

How cute is my Daughter for the Fourth?

 

[duromega]

very cute

 

[Paul B]

I took a video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ysdngGagoU

 

[rhdoug]

I enjoyed your video Paul, is that clown the one you've had forever? Shrimp and goby pair are great too. You've got great flow in that tank, it's rockin!

 

[Paul B]

Thanks Randy. Yes that clownfish is about 24 or something like that, his mate is about 16 or 17, I forget.
This video has some of the other fish at the feeder that were not available in that video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsGrL9nxJPs

 

[rhdoug]

That looks great, the blue mandarins, red blennys, and the blue and orange pipefish!! So much color! What is that fish that sticks his snout into the upper right corner at the end?

 

[Paul B]

Shrimpfish