Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer

[Paul B]

Today I am rebuilding a new algae scrubber that will be vertical which will feed the reverse UG filter. That is the plan anyway. I will not remove the horizontal algae trough because that also acts as a refugium and it loaded with amphipods that I collect in the summer. It is completed except I didn't yet build the LED light that will light the thing. I have to custom build it because I need a certain size and it has to be an inch thick, no more. All of this needs to go next to the LED DIY fixture that moves up and down for maintenance and I am running out of room for all these things. My surface skimmer is also removed for re design so I have a film on the top of the water. But I like doing these things as it is all part of my hobby so I don't consider it work.

 

[Paul B]

I finished the experimental algae scrubber and installed it. The window screen on the bottom is temporary just to make sure there are no splashes. Remember, I have no sump so this is over the tank. This contraption also feeds my reverse UG filter which you can see in the clear plastic "manifold" in the back where the lower screen PVC tube tubing enters. I didn't want to have a separate pump just for this experiment. I don't have the light yet so this one is just temporary. It needs some time to build up a film on the screen so the water flows evenly down and doesn't run in small rivers. I normally coat the screen with cement as algae grows much faster on that, but I didn't have time. I may take it apart and do it tomorrow.

 

[myrjon]

looks good . mine works well . big difference.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks. This is just another experiment because I already grow algae in that trough on the left side of the picture. That trough also disapates any residual Ozone from the skimmer and acts as a refugium so I need to leave it there. I experimented with it last year and draped a piece of rag over the side of it and it is completely covered in algae so I wanted it to grow someplace else. As I said, this also feeds my reverse UG filter from the pipe at the bottom that catches the water and directs it into that manifold. So far, no splashing. I just need to build the light.

 

[Paul B]

I made the black top shield to prevent water shooting out the sides. I still need to protect the ends so that doesn't happen.

 

[Paul B]

I took my algae scrubber apart so I could smear cement mortar on the screen. I found out years ago that algae loves mortar. When it cures in a few days, I will put it back in and build the LED fixture to illuminate it.

 

[Paul B]

Today I went to an Orthopedic surgeon for a knee pain. I already had 4 or 5 knee surgeries and 3 or 4 shoulder surgeries, but if you worked construction for 40 years and didn't wear out your joints, you were doing it wrong, weren't working hard enough or you are a Sissy or Girly Man. Joint surgeries are the result of hard work.

But that doesn't matter. I love going to this guy for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, he has a Supermodel assistant. And this time he also had a Supermodel X Ray technician. Those are of course important considerations when you are considering surgery. But also both the Dr. (who is one of the Dr's for the NY Jets) and the Supermodel Assistant, like fish and want to start a salt water tank. I coincidently brought my new book with me to show off a little. He has been talking about starting a salt water tank from 7 or 8 surgeries ago. But he had freshwater fish and keeps killing them and the Supermodel Assistant keeps killing Betta's, and to kill a Betta you need to lay it in the street and have a school bus run over it, twice as those things will live in damp sawdust.

So now it is the regular spiel, MRIs and all that and he will operate to fix a torn meniscus. I feel like I am a torn meniscus magnet as my meniscuses must be made out of tissue paper. I would like them to replace the entire knee. I wouldn't have to go for an expensive titanium model and would settle for a pressure treated one from Home Depot but most of my knees are not torn up enough to replace them. I am sure I could get a hair replacement but that probably costs even more.

 

[Paul B]

My good friend gave me this 330 watt LED light because most of it didn't work. I fixed it but they really don't want you to fix these things. First of all there are over 325 tiny screws holding the LED board to the heat sink. Those alone is a real pain to remove. Then you pry the thing apart and tear the wires. I found an open in one of the LEDs and replaced it. Unfortunately I can't use this fixture the shape it is because my tank is long
(6') and skinny. I will see if I can re build it into a 5' long 4" wide fixture. I can use it as a spare or just change my existing light as it is way underpowered.


Here it is with a third of the LEDs lit.

 

[Paul B]

I am in a picture mood. The pipe in the back is very pregnant.

 

[Paul B]

Fireclowns preparing to spawn. The larger one is in his 20s and the smaller one is about 17. These two have been spawning since they were babies..

 

[Paul B]

They spawned right after I took this. I didn't download that video yet. This is the first time they spawned in a place where I could film it.

 

[Paul B]

Laying eggs. Wait, I see one-------> ,<---------

 

[Paul B]

My reef is starting to grow a little algae. Not much, just on places where I glued things and a few other places. That is fine and I like it. It is a cycle and this "no algae" cycle has lasted for years. Usually I see some every couple of years. I want it to grow now because I need my new algae scrubber to grow some more algae. Right now it is just green but not enough to clean off yet. I also re designed the top of it because I was getting some dripping.
I am designing a new LED light fixture. It will be water cooled instead of air cooled like virtually every other one is. I am building it on a copper pipe frame and it will have fresh water going through it, then to a radiator to eliminate the heat. Do I need a water cooled light fixture? Of course not. But it is very cool. It will be very light, simple, cheap and easy to repair. It may also be good looking, and I like good looking. (I didn't mention Supermodels) Tomorrow If I have time I will buy the copper pipe for this project. I think I have everything else I need except for the pump. I need a small water pump that I can plumb into the system but I can't use a powerhead because this will be a closed system. I also need to build a thermal switch to shut off the system if the pump fails and heats up the pipe. I am also designing into it more LEDs that will be at a 90 degree angle from the rest of them to illuminate my algae scrubber. I will take some pictures when I do this. I am sure that by next year, all LED lighting systems will be water cooled. OK, Maybe not.

 

[Paul B]

My bluestripe is very pregnant again.

 

[Paul B]

My torch coral takes great pleasure in killing my montipora. I caught him with his fist on the thing.

 

[Paul B]

My screen is growing algae just not matured enough yet to get an even growth. But in time it will be fine. I also didn't build the light for it yet so it is just a silly, very dim LED

 

[Paul B]

Two days ago I had some knee and hand surgery, just some tune ups because if you worked construction all your life and didn't ruin your joints, you didn't do it right. Yesterday I got a call from the GYM where my wife goes and a piece of machinery fell on her and clonked her in the back of her head. She also has MS so she doesn't need any more brain problems. When I got there five minutes later they were putting her in the ambulance to take her to the hospital. She also had this huge bandage around her head because it was also a nice gash. She looked like Mahat Maghandi. WE decided to take her to her neurologist instead of the hospital because as we all know. If they take you to a large hospital (and we are surrounded by them here) with a cut, you will be there on the gurney for 4 or 5 hours before anyone even knows that you are there. They will be bringing you coffee, doughnuts, magazines, crossword puzzles and flowers but no doctors because they will all be drinking coffee and taking care of the hospital fish tank in the other wing, a mile away. So unless you get taken to the hospital in an ambulance and you have 2- three foot arrows sticking through your head and one in your foot, they are not going to see you for days. Besides, her neurologist is a friend of ours.

So we call the neurologist on his cell phone and of course he is in Chicago visiting his Grand Children. We live on long Island and the ambulance driver wouldn't drive her the 500 or so miles to Chicago. OK, no problem, there are a bunch of neurologists in his office so we go there. I am not supposed to drive because of the pain meds they have me on and my knee is bandaged up from my toes to my neck and my hand is also out of commission so if I wanted to feed my fish, I would have to do it one flake at a time. That is if I used flakes, and I don't. So I drive her anyway and they give her an MRI. Everything is good but neurologists don't do stitches so we had to go to another doctor. We went to one of those "Docs in a Box" places because as I said, you don't want to go to a hospital. They installed 8 staples in her head. I would have used toggle bolts but what do I know? She seems fine now and I had to increase my pain meds because my surgeon said the stuff he put in my knee and hand would wear off today, and he didn't lie. I am not really typing this because my hand doesn't work so there is an out of work Supermodel sitting on my lap typing as I point to the places on the screen where I want her to put the words. Also these pain pills are rather nice and I could be typing this on my cat and not even notice it. Even though I don't have a cat. At least I don't think so.

My two surgeries went well, (even though I realize this is all about my wife) I had a great staff and many of them were Supermodels which is important.

My operation was delayed for 2 hours because the Jiboni before me overslept and came in 2 hours late so he pushed everyone back for that time. They should have let me operate on him just for fun. So it has been an exciting 2 days and today I need to get back to doing some stuff on my tank. I need to figure out how to do a water change without actually lifting anything or standing. I also want to complete building my water cooled LED fixture but I need my wife to tape the soldering iron to one hand and a drill to the other. But I can do it because I am not a Girly Man.

 

[Paul B]

My urchin ate the top off of my mandarin and pipefish feeder. Great. Luckil I have more pieces of nylon stockings (no, not mine) that I can replace it with. Now to do this without getting my hand wet.

 

[Mark_C]

Hey! How's everyone in the 'Surgeries R Us' household? Hope you guys are recovering well.

BTW, a few months ago I had a weird thing happen, thought I was having a mild heart attack. I work in the health business so I told my boss I was off to the ER as I thought I was having a heart attack. He asked if it could wait until the end of the shift. Regardless, I got to the ER, walked up to the desk and when asked, I said, 'I may be having a heart attack'. I have never been through an ER so fast. I had beeping machines attached to me and docs milling about within minutes.
From now on, regardless of injury, I may start adding a tag line... 'Yes, I did cut myself on the plastic fork and it does look bad, oh, and I think I'm having a heart attack'.

 

[Paul B]

Heart attack is the thing you need to say, but eventually we will all say that and no one will get in because we will all seemingly will be having heart attacks.
We are all recovering, thanks.