Tank birthday, 40 years

[Paul B]

Love the spawning gobies.

Thanks, I think they are also fond of you.

 

[Donewiththisplace]

Wow truly amazing!!

Paul if you had to name the single biggest change in reefing in the past 40 years, what would it be??

and

What are we totally spoiled by today that you wish you had many years ago??

 

[DHaut]

Wow, now this is an inspiration!

 

[Paul B]

the single biggest change in reefing in the past 40 years, what would it be??

and

I think DSBs. I don't think that is a good thing but I think most people run one.

Oh, and computers. Also a lot of bad things happened because of computers because I think there is way too much bad information with a relatively small amount of good information.
I think when books were around (they are small things made of paper) the information was better because the person writing the book usually had some experience or they would not publish the book. That takes a lot of time and money.
Anyone can post on the internet and it is immediately read all over the world, then parts of it are taken out of context and rumors start, rumors that are hard to quell and they persist forever because there is no authority to dispute them. There are no experts in this "hobby" because it's a "hobby" There is no school for it and no degrees. A degree in marine biology does not help and may actually hurt. These animals do not act the same in a tank as they do in the sea and the composition of tank water is also not the same as the sea which takes care of itself.
Scientific studies also do not help much because scientific study is controlled by money so studies are short lived, a few months usually. Any tank should look great and be healthy for a few months even if you don't do anything or even change the water.
Experience is the only good teacher in any hobby. We still must of course read, I am a reading fanatic but we need a lot of common sense. If someone has a tank full of hair algae and someone says a sea hare ate all the algae overnight, that needs a closer look. The fact that hair algae disappears on it's own most of the time causes all of these algae "cure" rumors. People are adament that this or that cures ich or algae. Both of those "natural" things usually leave on their own. Ich is a different problem but there are all sorts of "cures" My favorite is cleaner shrimp.
The ich (if it was ich) left on it's own, the shrimp had nothing to do with it but you will never convince people of that so I gave up. After I am also not an expert, just an electrician with a fish tank.

 

[dubs]

wow 40 thats a along time conngratz

 

[Salty Dog]

very impressive, I have to say Ive only been in the hobby for 4 years and almost sold everything a few times. What a great thread from a true tank lover.

 

[bruce922]

Very impressive Paul!

 

[jadakiss]

very nice

 

[Paul B]

Thanks guys.

 

[Elflaco112]

40 years! wow longer than I've been living. Congrats on those 40 years.

This large watchman gobi has been with me for many years along with her boyfriend.

You have'nt married them yet? lol

 

[Paul B]

You have'nt married them yet? lol

Who says? I am a boat Captain and I performed the cerimony myself ten years ago.

 

[Paul B]

Playing with camera trying tio get a clear picture

 

[Paul B]

This week I ordered LED lights for my reef. I will start building the fixture tomorrow. It was a no brainer because my MH lamps are almost due to be replaced and that costs about $125.00 so for another $200.00 or so I can build a 36 light LED system that will have the same 14,000K as my MHs plus put out 25% more light for one quarter of the electricity. and probably a quarter of the heat. The electricity saved will pay for the system in less than a year.
I am very energy concious which is the reason I have an extreamly efficient gas boiler and solar panels on my roof.
This tank went from regular light bulbs to regular flourescent, to VHO, to MH with actinic to just MH and now it will be LEDs. I hope they don't invent anything else.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Paul what kind of LEDs you building and from were??
Make sure you have dimmers b/c with leds you can fry those coral if you dont take par readings. Just happen to me on my frag tank and lost a ton of stuff because it looked nice but just was to bright, Keep us posted

 

[tenMann2]

wow, 4 decades of dedication and commitment. that's just amazing. The tank looks great. Led's will be a great upgrade

 

[cowfish]

Still got the MI?

 

[Paul B]

The LED fixture is completed, now I just have to wait until the LEDs arrive, probably tomorrow.
This fixture is purposely made very light because it will be on pulleys and it is in a closet so you won't see it. The aluminum tubes are of course cut under the fans so the fans will pull heat through the tubes there by cooling the fixture.

Jarrett I have dimmers.

 

[tenMann2]

will that one pair of fans be enough to cool the whole fixture? or you'll have fans on each heat sink as well? did you cut the tubing all the way through or just the top section of the tubing?

 

[Quang]

I hope they don't invent anything else.

:funnypost

 

[LatinP]

The LED fixture is completed, now I just have to wait until the LEDs arrive, probably tomorrow.
This fixture is purposely made very light because it will be on pulleys and it is in a closet so you won't see it. The aluminum tubes are of course cut under the fans so the fans will pull heat through the tubes there by cooling the fixture.

Jarrett I have dimmers.

What LED system did you go with if you don't mind me asking or if you did a DIY which LEDs did you use?