- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
The same thing happens to us, especially when we age. :bigeyes2:
Tank Thread Tank reached 38 years old...in 2009!
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
According to Wikipedia, Bangai cardinals only live one to two years in the sea and a little longer in captivity which I assume is the reason one of mine has the beginnings of cataracts. I have them longer than that and will hope for the best.
Quote:
Unlike many other species of marine fish, the Banggai cardinalfish lacks a planktonic stage in its life history.[4] The species has a short life span, reaching around four years in optimal conditions in captivity, and perhaps 1 to 2 years in the wild.[4]
Quote:
Unlike many other species of marine fish, the Banggai cardinalfish lacks a planktonic stage in its life history.[4] The species has a short life span, reaching around four years in optimal conditions in captivity, and perhaps 1 to 2 years in the wild.[4]
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I am happy to report I found my clingfish. No, not dead and dried up on the floor like a prune, but happy and healthy near the place he used to hang out. After I removed a large rock that he used to call home, I couldn't find him for over a week.
But I fed the tank some clams today and he couldn't resist. I saw him dart out for some sushi. Now he settled in in a spot where I can continue target feeding him as he is to lazy to hunt for food himself.
But I fed the tank some clams today and he couldn't resist. I saw him dart out for some sushi. Now he settled in in a spot where I can continue target feeding him as he is to lazy to hunt for food himself.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I have too many bristleworms and too many big bristleworms. They are not normally a problem unless they crawl into bed with you but they are a problem to certain invertebrates. Especially ones that shed like crabs and shrimp. I also have lost baby clams to them many times. My large arrow crab recently shed and I still can't find him, but I know it was bristle worms as I can tell by their smile. The worms wait behind a rock and trip the helpless crab when he walks by.
I designed a few traps for the worms and I normally catch 4 or 5 a night. But now most of my tiny hermit crabs grew into golf ball size creatures and if I look at my tank at night I find 4 of them with the bristle worm trap on their shoulders carrying it around the tank. This is annoying because the trap only works when it is on the gravel. The crabs are all fighting with each other, taking turns trying to get the clam bait out of the trap. Now I am looking for a bowling ball I can use as a weight to keep the crabs from carrying the trap. AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH
I designed a few traps for the worms and I normally catch 4 or 5 a night. But now most of my tiny hermit crabs grew into golf ball size creatures and if I look at my tank at night I find 4 of them with the bristle worm trap on their shoulders carrying it around the tank. This is annoying because the trap only works when it is on the gravel. The crabs are all fighting with each other, taking turns trying to get the clam bait out of the trap. Now I am looking for a bowling ball I can use as a weight to keep the crabs from carrying the trap. AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I really need to trim this sponge if anyone wants it. And this rock. The rock is live and still in water.
This sponge is now hitting my front glass.
Leo from here wanted it but we can't seem to get together for the exchange and I need to trim it
This sponge is now hitting my front glass.
Leo from here wanted it but we can't seem to get together for the exchange and I need to trim it
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Tank is doing well, everything is happy and healthy. Cleaning the algae scrubber every couple of weeks is a pain and a little time consuming. The water cooled LED lights are still functioning as I expected.
Clingfish and bangai cardinals seem happy.
The biggest feeder is by far the copperband. That thing will eat all the food I put in there by himself if I didn't target feed everything.
Almost all the gorgonians are growing out of the water and if I get time I will trim them and glue the pieces someplace.
I am also thinking (not to seriously) of removing the algae trough and scraping it out. There is no algae in it as it is filled with small corals and tube worms. I would assume it is a great nursery for the numerous amphipods I have in there. I only collected amphipods twice this year and I hope to go collecting maybe once more. If not I at least want to collect some more mud, but I can get that from the shore anywhere without going to a tide pool.
The reverse undergravel filter is the oldest thing in the tank and was in there from the start. I still think of that as the heart of my system and if I started a new tank tomorrow (not likely) I would add a reverse undergravel filter.
What's not to like? Of course I doubt I could still get dolomite.
I wonder what will happen to this tank when I finally take it down. It has to come down at some point because I am not exactly 16 any more.
I was also thinking (again not very seriously) about removing my skimmer temporally to fill with vinegar and clean. That has only happened once many years ago. It is bolted to my stand so it is not really a five minute job.
Recently I re-designed and re-built the venture valve and this new one (which costs about a buck) works much better. I have 3 air pumps running my skimmer because it is about 5' tall and there is to much back pressure for the venture to suck enough air in so I supplement it with air pumps and I couldn't find one strong enough. I also use it with Ozone but I run it full power and removed the sensor from the tank as it wasn't doing anything anyway.
Clingfish and bangai cardinals seem happy.
The biggest feeder is by far the copperband. That thing will eat all the food I put in there by himself if I didn't target feed everything.
Almost all the gorgonians are growing out of the water and if I get time I will trim them and glue the pieces someplace.
I am also thinking (not to seriously) of removing the algae trough and scraping it out. There is no algae in it as it is filled with small corals and tube worms. I would assume it is a great nursery for the numerous amphipods I have in there. I only collected amphipods twice this year and I hope to go collecting maybe once more. If not I at least want to collect some more mud, but I can get that from the shore anywhere without going to a tide pool.
The reverse undergravel filter is the oldest thing in the tank and was in there from the start. I still think of that as the heart of my system and if I started a new tank tomorrow (not likely) I would add a reverse undergravel filter.
What's not to like? Of course I doubt I could still get dolomite.
I wonder what will happen to this tank when I finally take it down. It has to come down at some point because I am not exactly 16 any more.
I was also thinking (again not very seriously) about removing my skimmer temporally to fill with vinegar and clean. That has only happened once many years ago. It is bolted to my stand so it is not really a five minute job.
Recently I re-designed and re-built the venture valve and this new one (which costs about a buck) works much better. I have 3 air pumps running my skimmer because it is about 5' tall and there is to much back pressure for the venture to suck enough air in so I supplement it with air pumps and I couldn't find one strong enough. I also use it with Ozone but I run it full power and removed the sensor from the tank as it wasn't doing anything anyway.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Yesterday I had to euthanize my female bangai cardinal. She was at the end of her life and could no longer swim. I saw this coming for a couple of months and she lived out her life happy and healthy. They only live 3 or 4 years. Her mate is also near his end. The pair stopped spawning and slowed down a lot and ate very little near the end.
I can tell when it starts happening.
I wrote an article about it if you are interested.
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/how-to-tell-marine-fish-dying-old-age-5782/
I can tell when it starts happening.
I wrote an article about it if you are interested.
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/how-to-tell-marine-fish-dying-old-age-5782/
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- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I still can't get rid of that stupid sponge or those live rocks so I will trim the sponge and throw it out. The rocks I will just dry and keep for future projects.
I went to Boston to speak this week and I think my fish like the Supermodel who watches my tank better than they like me.
My arrow crab will shed tonight but I am worried for him because the larger bristle worms have been licking their chops waiting for this.
Everything else is doing great, even the Bangai cardinal who is near the end of his lifespan. He still eats but not like he used to. That is the first sigh of dying of old age. I am not sure what I will replace that pair with but I definitely want a pair of something that will spawn.
I went to Boston to speak this week and I think my fish like the Supermodel who watches my tank better than they like me.
My arrow crab will shed tonight but I am worried for him because the larger bristle worms have been licking their chops waiting for this.
Everything else is doing great, even the Bangai cardinal who is near the end of his lifespan. He still eats but not like he used to. That is the first sigh of dying of old age. I am not sure what I will replace that pair with but I definitely want a pair of something that will spawn.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Cool. where in New Hyde Park do you live? I live on Imperial and Terrace in the Incorporated Village.
I'm more east by the Nathan's Hot Dog!
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
OK, I know where that is. I ate across the street from there yesterday in the Sushi place.
- Location
- Ronkonkoma, NY
Hi Paul
I'm getting longnose filefish in late tomorrow if you still want them
I'm getting longnose filefish in late tomorrow if you still want them
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Yes, but can you call me if you get it? I also want some more gorgonians as you know, I am gorgonian crazy. I also want more of this thing to the left of the acropora. You gave me two of them and they doubled in size.
Will you be there tomorrow?
Will you be there tomorrow?
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
This mushroom has been in my tank for years. I don't even remember how many years because it grew from another mushroom which grew from another one.
Yesterday I noticed it had all but disappeared for no apparent cause. One minute it is there, the next it is gone. There is still a little piece of it left but a tiny one. This mushroom would expand during the day to about 8 or 9" across and at night shrink a little.
Now it is almost gone but everything else is fine.
This is one of the things I find so fascinating in this hobby. How life can just appear and disappear after many years for no known reason. I am sure the mushroom knows, but I certainly don't.
Now I am not going to test the parameters, change the water or offer up tea leaves to the moon. It is what it is and sometimes creatures die. I am not sure if this one died or moved to the back of the tank because the parts that are left look perfectly healthy. This also gives me an excuse to put something else in that place where this guy was.
(PS. I just looked at my tank which is now lit with a small red light and the mandarins are spawning again. I love this stuff)
Very cool.
Yesterday I noticed it had all but disappeared for no apparent cause. One minute it is there, the next it is gone. There is still a little piece of it left but a tiny one. This mushroom would expand during the day to about 8 or 9" across and at night shrink a little.
Now it is almost gone but everything else is fine.
This is one of the things I find so fascinating in this hobby. How life can just appear and disappear after many years for no known reason. I am sure the mushroom knows, but I certainly don't.
Now I am not going to test the parameters, change the water or offer up tea leaves to the moon. It is what it is and sometimes creatures die. I am not sure if this one died or moved to the back of the tank because the parts that are left look perfectly healthy. This also gives me an excuse to put something else in that place where this guy was.
(PS. I just looked at my tank which is now lit with a small red light and the mandarins are spawning again. I love this stuff)
Very cool.
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- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Yesterday I bought a new coral to put in the place where that mushroom disappeared. While gluing it in I found some of the mushroom. It multiplied into a bunch of quarter sized pieces which I also glued in because they were under rocks in the dark. Now I am going to have to many.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
This weekend my Wife and I took our Grand Daughter to Sesame Place in Pennsylvania which is about 100 miles from our house on Long Island. We had to pick up Greta in Downtown Manhattan where she lives. So we leave our house on Friday way before rush hour at 1:30 in the afternoon. (Greta is four and we had to wait for her to get out of pre school)
So it is raining and we get Grata an hour late because we were stuck in traffic for 2 hours for the 20 mile ride from our house.
We go 3 blocks in Manhattan and stop in traffic. And when I mean "stop" I mean literally stop, for one hour and forty minutes on one block. We didn't move an inch in that time. People were barbecuing, changing their oil, Shaving and washing their clothes on the side of the street.
After that time, we finally move. A foot.
Yes, a foot. I get out and ask a Cop what the problem is. He says, "What problem, it is always like this". Seriously!
Another hour goes by we finally get into the Holland Tunnel which goes to Jersey.
The traffic was "moving" through the tunnel about as fast as a lettuce slug runs on ice or about 2 mph.
Now we spent about 5 hours "driving" and we are only a half a mile from Greta's house.
We get into New Jersey on the New Jersey Turnpike which is like a 10 lane highway and "cruse" along at about 5mph for most of the remainder of the trip.
We arrived there at 8:00pm.
7 1/2 hours in the car. To put that into perspective a few weeks ago we went to the Caribbean in 5 hours, Europe is just a little longer and we went to Hawaii in 16 hours which is on the other side of the earth (almost) Now I know why they don't let you install torpedoes in cars.
I worked in Manhattan for 40 years and hated every minute of it. I know people come from all over the world to see Manhattan and I am at a loss to know why. There is nothing there but buildings, filthy subways filled with rats and as I mentioned, traffic. I personally feel they should put a fence around it and burn it. After they relocate all the people of course.
So we stay the night in a hotel and the next day go to Sesame Place.
Yaaa. She is all excited in her Annie costume.
I crammed myself into all the rides with her and I did not exactly fit in any of them. My expression tells it all.
So it is raining and we get Grata an hour late because we were stuck in traffic for 2 hours for the 20 mile ride from our house.
We go 3 blocks in Manhattan and stop in traffic. And when I mean "stop" I mean literally stop, for one hour and forty minutes on one block. We didn't move an inch in that time. People were barbecuing, changing their oil, Shaving and washing their clothes on the side of the street.
After that time, we finally move. A foot.
Yes, a foot. I get out and ask a Cop what the problem is. He says, "What problem, it is always like this". Seriously!
Another hour goes by we finally get into the Holland Tunnel which goes to Jersey.
The traffic was "moving" through the tunnel about as fast as a lettuce slug runs on ice or about 2 mph.
Now we spent about 5 hours "driving" and we are only a half a mile from Greta's house.
We get into New Jersey on the New Jersey Turnpike which is like a 10 lane highway and "cruse" along at about 5mph for most of the remainder of the trip.
We arrived there at 8:00pm.
7 1/2 hours in the car. To put that into perspective a few weeks ago we went to the Caribbean in 5 hours, Europe is just a little longer and we went to Hawaii in 16 hours which is on the other side of the earth (almost) Now I know why they don't let you install torpedoes in cars.
I worked in Manhattan for 40 years and hated every minute of it. I know people come from all over the world to see Manhattan and I am at a loss to know why. There is nothing there but buildings, filthy subways filled with rats and as I mentioned, traffic. I personally feel they should put a fence around it and burn it. After they relocate all the people of course.
So we stay the night in a hotel and the next day go to Sesame Place.
Yaaa. She is all excited in her Annie costume.
I crammed myself into all the rides with her and I did not exactly fit in any of them. My expression tells it all.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
In a few weeks I am going to have some surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn bicep. This is the fourth time I tore this rotator cuff on my left arm and I think I had it done twice on my right arm.
(I also had maybe 5 knee surgeries) But these are Man surgeries and not Sissy surgeries so they don't bother me. I really enjoy the sleep too. (as well as the nurses)
I worked construction all my life and if you don't wear out your parts doing that, you didn't work hard enough.
I went to the surgeon today and told him to try to fix the thing this time so it stays fixed even if I pick up a heavy pint of beer. Maybe use some good toggle bolts that you don't get from Home Depot.
The recovery is three months after a month of physical therapy, which I kind of enjoy because the place I go has a couple of Supermodels working there.
Today I winterized my boat and put up the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations around my house. My wife used to help me but she has MS so I do it myself. I put up a lot of decorations for all of the holidays. I just like my house looking good. Next week I will also winterize my sprinkler system because after this operation I won't be able to use my left arm so I want to get all of that stuff done you need two arms for.
Years ago I devised a method to winterize my boat using a shop vacuum. I disconnect the water hoses and suck out all the salt water using the vacuum. Then I installed a small bilge pump in a five gallon bucket and pump antifreeze through the engines and exhaust manifolds. I also use this to pump water through the air conditioner and water system for the sinks and showers.
I am also changing water in my reef because I only do that every 3 or 4 months anyway.
My neighbors will also have to remove the snow for me so It all works out well :biggrin:
(I also had maybe 5 knee surgeries) But these are Man surgeries and not Sissy surgeries so they don't bother me. I really enjoy the sleep too. (as well as the nurses)
I worked construction all my life and if you don't wear out your parts doing that, you didn't work hard enough.
I went to the surgeon today and told him to try to fix the thing this time so it stays fixed even if I pick up a heavy pint of beer. Maybe use some good toggle bolts that you don't get from Home Depot.
The recovery is three months after a month of physical therapy, which I kind of enjoy because the place I go has a couple of Supermodels working there.
Today I winterized my boat and put up the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations around my house. My wife used to help me but she has MS so I do it myself. I put up a lot of decorations for all of the holidays. I just like my house looking good. Next week I will also winterize my sprinkler system because after this operation I won't be able to use my left arm so I want to get all of that stuff done you need two arms for.
Years ago I devised a method to winterize my boat using a shop vacuum. I disconnect the water hoses and suck out all the salt water using the vacuum. Then I installed a small bilge pump in a five gallon bucket and pump antifreeze through the engines and exhaust manifolds. I also use this to pump water through the air conditioner and water system for the sinks and showers.
I am also changing water in my reef because I only do that every 3 or 4 months anyway.
My neighbors will also have to remove the snow for me so It all works out well :biggrin:
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- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Today is also my 43rd wedding anniversary so I have a few things planned for my wife. !*)
- Location
- Ronkonkoma, NY
Happy Anniversary !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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