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Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
NJRC Member
We had some friends on our boat last night for diner and there was a mildew smell in the head (bathroom) I changed the screens on the windows last week and apparently didn't seal the window very tight and the heavy rain we had this week soaked in to all the towels and they got moldy so we had to take everything home to wash. My wife is an extreme fanatic about cleanliness so now we have to go and bleach everything even though it is about 60 degrees and windy.
Anyway, while she is doing that I will collect some grass shrimp which there are thousands around my boat. I probably can't collect amphipods yet because there is no seaweeds yet growing there where they congregate to and I am not going to my collection tide pool today because it is to cold and I don't feel like jumping into 50 degree water.
I also probably won't collect any mud because I don't take that from my marina as those bacteria are always high from PCBs, LSD, Quaaludes, fuel oil, anthrax and now, Clorox. (from my wife's cleaning)
But as soon as it gets back at least into the 70s I can get some mud.
Anyway, while she is doing that I will collect some grass shrimp which there are thousands around my boat. I probably can't collect amphipods yet because there is no seaweeds yet growing there where they congregate to and I am not going to my collection tide pool today because it is to cold and I don't feel like jumping into 50 degree water.
I also probably won't collect any mud because I don't take that from my marina as those bacteria are always high from PCBs, LSD, Quaaludes, fuel oil, anthrax and now, Clorox. (from my wife's cleaning)
But as soon as it gets back at least into the 70s I can get some mud.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Today I had to do some maintenance because I could use my algae scrubber as a produce stand and my three powerheads are not even putting out enough flow to make a bowlegged pod get out of breath. I haven't changed water in so long that I dropped a net in there and it is still standing up.
So I took off the algae screen and clogged my sink cleaning it. Then I reached in to grab the powerhead and BAM, POW, ZZZZZZZZ, BBBUZZZZzzzz. I am embarrassed to say I got a huge shock. It was so huge it threw me back, out the front door, across the street into the path of a 1967 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.
OK, I may have ad libbed a little, but I did hit the couch on my knees. Being an electrician (and a real Man) these things don't normally bother me but I did immediately look in the mirror to see if my hair started to grow back. Only out of my nose it seems. There is nothing wrong with my powerhead, the problem is with me. When I built my very cool water cooled LED light fixture I added about 10 bare wires sticking straight up an inch or so that I use as test points in case an LED goes out. But, I know I am not supposed to have one arm in the water while my other arm is touching one of those live wires. My nervous system generally frowns on that sort of thing. As you know, electricians do things in their own homes that we would never do in some one else's house. You should see my panel.
All is well and most of my fish stopped laughing.
I don't need an excuse to post Greta.
So I took off the algae screen and clogged my sink cleaning it. Then I reached in to grab the powerhead and BAM, POW, ZZZZZZZZ, BBBUZZZZzzzz. I am embarrassed to say I got a huge shock. It was so huge it threw me back, out the front door, across the street into the path of a 1967 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.
OK, I may have ad libbed a little, but I did hit the couch on my knees. Being an electrician (and a real Man) these things don't normally bother me but I did immediately look in the mirror to see if my hair started to grow back. Only out of my nose it seems. There is nothing wrong with my powerhead, the problem is with me. When I built my very cool water cooled LED light fixture I added about 10 bare wires sticking straight up an inch or so that I use as test points in case an LED goes out. But, I know I am not supposed to have one arm in the water while my other arm is touching one of those live wires. My nervous system generally frowns on that sort of thing. As you know, electricians do things in their own homes that we would never do in some one else's house. You should see my panel.
All is well and most of my fish stopped laughing.
I don't need an excuse to post Greta.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Now I am running my Diatom filter. I do this maybe once a year mainly because it is raining so I can't go on my boat. I turned it on and rust shot out all over the place so I know it is working perfectly.
I stirred up my gravel and now the front glass looks like sheet metal so I know it's cleaning like it is supposed to.
All is well.
I stirred up my gravel and now the front glass looks like sheet metal so I know it's cleaning like it is supposed to.
All is well.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I may build another Steam Punk anglerfish. I am not sure as I have enough steampunk for the art show in August but once the Steam Punk Bug bites you, you just have to keep going.
This stuff keeps me up at night. I used to think about Supermodels, now I think about Supermodels swimming with Steam Punk fish. I guess its an aging process.
If I build another fish I will make it with more Pizazz.
The Supermodel counselor at the VA told me that building stuff and staying awake is probably part of my PTSD. Who knew!
If I didn't have to sleep I could do this kind of stuff all night. It's kind of a curse. Sort of like reefing.
[
This stuff keeps me up at night. I used to think about Supermodels, now I think about Supermodels swimming with Steam Punk fish. I guess its an aging process.
If I build another fish I will make it with more Pizazz.
The Supermodel counselor at the VA told me that building stuff and staying awake is probably part of my PTSD. Who knew!
If I didn't have to sleep I could do this kind of stuff all night. It's kind of a curse. Sort of like reefing.
[
Paul, your above picture link is bad.
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It must have been me! My little swimming guys in my bottom banner were also not there. However, once I cleared my cache and rebooted, I see it all. We've good. 
Paul B
NJRC Member
As we age we normally gets aches and pains which are good because they let us know we are still alive. If we didn't feel anything that is because we are dead and no one wants that, or at least no dead people ever complained so we don't know how that experience will be, but most of us will find out in due time.
I have had this backache for about six months. Most people have backaches because we were designed wrong, kind of like seahorses.
I just figured my back ache was a muscle thing, but I am retired and it's not like I have been throwing Supermodels up on my shoulders to impress them. I actually never did that and Supermodels don't weigh enough to hurt your back anyway.
So after the 6 months my back is getting worse and I went to a lung doctor to see if it was a lung thing because it is higher on my back than normal, run of the mill backaches. Luckily, it is not my lungs. The lung guy, (or pulmonologist) said I have so much asbestos in my lungs that I could probably run through a burning house and nothing would happen to me. The asbestos is not affecting me right now because all the Agent Orange in there has it encapsulated which is fine.
He says I need to go to a muscular/skeleton guy.
I need an MRI.
I get an appointment with this Doctor and I like him very much. I bring the MRI and he says, OMG all the nerves in your lumbar region are inflamed and your disks are bulging. That is fairly normal for a guy who worked construction for forty years. I am sure accountants, lawyers, and people who make those little things on the ends of your shoelaces also get this, but I am only talking about me right now, let them write their own story.
(By the way, This story is going to be very anticlimactic as nothing exciting is going to happen. I figured I would mention that in case you don't want to read any more.)
He says he thinks he can fix this, temporarily anyway, but I will have it for the rest of my life. At my age, that will probably not be that long anyway so I am not worried.
He wants to stick needles in my spine and inject me with Grand Marnier. Or something that sounds very much like that. If that doesn't work, he will stick me with a larger dose and if that doesn't work, a larger dose. I said, why not stick me with the whole bottle of the stuff right away and forget about all the Sissy stuff in between. Maybe you can force it in there with a funnel and a plunger.
He didn't like that idea because I would imagine, this way he can charge my insurance three or four times. I also don't think he knew what a plunger was.
Anyway, if that doesn't work, he will give me an epidural, like they give pregnant ladies. I don't feel pregnant and I thought that was only a temporary pain thing for the Mother but what do I know!
I will let you know how it goes, I may enjoy the journey.
(I told you it was anticlimactic)
I have had this backache for about six months. Most people have backaches because we were designed wrong, kind of like seahorses.
I just figured my back ache was a muscle thing, but I am retired and it's not like I have been throwing Supermodels up on my shoulders to impress them. I actually never did that and Supermodels don't weigh enough to hurt your back anyway.
So after the 6 months my back is getting worse and I went to a lung doctor to see if it was a lung thing because it is higher on my back than normal, run of the mill backaches. Luckily, it is not my lungs. The lung guy, (or pulmonologist) said I have so much asbestos in my lungs that I could probably run through a burning house and nothing would happen to me. The asbestos is not affecting me right now because all the Agent Orange in there has it encapsulated which is fine.
He says I need to go to a muscular/skeleton guy.
I need an MRI.
I get an appointment with this Doctor and I like him very much. I bring the MRI and he says, OMG all the nerves in your lumbar region are inflamed and your disks are bulging. That is fairly normal for a guy who worked construction for forty years. I am sure accountants, lawyers, and people who make those little things on the ends of your shoelaces also get this, but I am only talking about me right now, let them write their own story.
(By the way, This story is going to be very anticlimactic as nothing exciting is going to happen. I figured I would mention that in case you don't want to read any more.)
He says he thinks he can fix this, temporarily anyway, but I will have it for the rest of my life. At my age, that will probably not be that long anyway so I am not worried.
He wants to stick needles in my spine and inject me with Grand Marnier. Or something that sounds very much like that. If that doesn't work, he will stick me with a larger dose and if that doesn't work, a larger dose. I said, why not stick me with the whole bottle of the stuff right away and forget about all the Sissy stuff in between. Maybe you can force it in there with a funnel and a plunger.
He didn't like that idea because I would imagine, this way he can charge my insurance three or four times. I also don't think he knew what a plunger was.
Anyway, if that doesn't work, he will give me an epidural, like they give pregnant ladies. I don't feel pregnant and I thought that was only a temporary pain thing for the Mother but what do I know!
I will let you know how it goes, I may enjoy the journey.
(I told you it was anticlimactic)
Paul B
NJRC Member
I received the new copper toilet bowl float and I aged it last night because it comes shiny copper and that is not the look I am looking for. Now it has a nice patina on it with green streaks.
I also have a much larger tesla globe which will be a quarter of the fish. I hope to build this one more elaborate as I have a little more experience and more stuff, gears and such.
I will post pictures as I make the thing.
As for my reef, I thought I was missing a flasher wrasse but I found her hiding place. She hangs out on the top of the tank behind the three UG filter tubes. The only time a fish would hide there is when they are bullied so I assume the other one is chasing her up there whenever she comes out. I can't be sure because she never comes out. Now that I know where she is, at least I can feed her but I am not sure how long she can live there. There is no way to catch her so I doubt she will live long.
Every thing else looks fine
I also have a much larger tesla globe which will be a quarter of the fish. I hope to build this one more elaborate as I have a little more experience and more stuff, gears and such.
I will post pictures as I make the thing.
As for my reef, I thought I was missing a flasher wrasse but I found her hiding place. She hangs out on the top of the tank behind the three UG filter tubes. The only time a fish would hide there is when they are bullied so I assume the other one is chasing her up there whenever she comes out. I can't be sure because she never comes out. Now that I know where she is, at least I can feed her but I am not sure how long she can live there. There is no way to catch her so I doubt she will live long.
Every thing else looks fine
Paul B
NJRC Member
Today I got 2 new fish. One is something that is the size of a clown gobi but has a poisonous spine and is polka dotted. I forgot what it is. I also got a new Possum wrasse. Now out of the 25 or so fish I have probably 8 of them are hiders and I will only see them once a year around the third of October about 2 or 3:00 in the afternoon. I don't really care if I see the fish or not as long as I know they are in there, or at least were in there. I once had a beautiful cusk eel for 18 years and almost never saw it. I killed it by accident when I removed some rock from the tank, and he was in it. I never fed it or took it out to dinner but occasionally if I went down stairs in the dark with a flashlight, (possibly searching for Supermodels) I would see him sneaking around the back of the tank.
Now I have cling fish, possum wrasses, perchlet, flasher wrasse, possibly a garden eel, a weird white pipefish and 3 or 4 others which I have no idea if they are still there, on the floor or went on vacation.
Those types of fish are my favorites. Anyone can have a clownfish that sits in front of the tank starring at you or an angelfish. The sea and heaven is full of angels. I go for the oddballs. I once dated a girl who looked like a flounder because any body can date a beautiful girl. The good thing about dating a girl that looks like a flounder is that if she swims away, Who cares!
Now I have cling fish, possum wrasses, perchlet, flasher wrasse, possibly a garden eel, a weird white pipefish and 3 or 4 others which I have no idea if they are still there, on the floor or went on vacation.
Those types of fish are my favorites. Anyone can have a clownfish that sits in front of the tank starring at you or an angelfish. The sea and heaven is full of angels. I go for the oddballs. I once dated a girl who looked like a flounder because any body can date a beautiful girl. The good thing about dating a girl that looks like a flounder is that if she swims away, Who cares!
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Paul B
NJRC Member
I think my male Bangai cardinal is finally going to die of old age. I really thought he would die six months ago with his mate but he is still looking great. But he stopped eating and that is the first sign of dying of old age.
I will see how long he hangs on. I am thinking a week but I did say that before and he rallied and kept on living.
I will see how long he hangs on. I am thinking a week but I did say that before and he rallied and kept on living.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I went down to my boat yesterday to install a pair of hatch lifts so I could lift the engine hatch cover without breaking my back. It needs to be opened a lot because the table is stored down there as well as the vacuum, some oil and spare food in case a Supermodel drops by. But that doesn't take up hardly any room. So I bring the linear actuators, wires, switch, tools, Gater aid, beer etc.
I had to design my own brackets out of 1 1/4" thick acrylic because they needed to be mounted on a vertical part of the bilge. I got the two of them mounted and wanted to try them out with a temporary wire to make sure they were aligned correctly because they automatically stop at the end of the travel and it was a little difficult to get them properly installed due to all the stuff in the way down there.
So I get into the engine compartment and take a pair of wires with alligator clips on them and clip them to the battery, Then I crouch down and connect the other end of the wires to the actuators so the hatch would close. Being I am not a Jiboni, I first got one of the guys who works in the marina to stand there next to the boat because if this doesn't work, I will be stuck down there and there is barely enough room for me to fit. You can't lift the hatch by hand with the actuators installed.
I didn't mention that a few days ago I had this back procedure done where they stuck 6 ice picks, I mean needles in my back, guided by an X ray so he didn't go through my lung, spinal cord or ear lobe.
Anyway, I slowly crouch down as the lid closes and all is well.
I get as low as I can and the thing closes and boy is it dark. Yes, I did bring a flashlight, not being a Jiboni thing again. I can see it goes down perfectly. The only thing I failed to remember is that to open the thing, I need to reverse the connections on the battery. That is an easy thing. It's easy if the battery is in front of you. But the batteries are behind me and I can barely take a breath much less turn around.
I can scream through the cover at the guy next to the boat but all he can do is call 911 so the fire department will come with the "jaws of life" to rip my boat apart and I didn't think that would be prudent at this juncture. I also discovered that the sound deadening material that they have attached to the hatch cover so you can't hear the engines also prevents people hearing the "Jiboni" down there screaming.
Oh I forgot to mention, yesterday it was 93 degrees.
So I think fast. I can't turn around to reverse the connections on the battery, but I can pull the pins out on the actuators so they disconnect from the hatch. If I only brought down my needle nose pliers.
I search around in the bilge, but my neck is bent against the hatch so I have limited sight. I find a piece of wire. Using the light, I carefully push the wire into the hole where the clevis pin is and push out the pin. The actuator falls free. Great. But there is still the other one, behind me.
Oh great, I still have to turn around, and if I could turn around, I could just reverse the wires, oh, what to do.
I managed to bend my leg under one of the engines which would have been so much easier if my leg had an extra knee in my shin. Then I stuck my head against the gas tank and twisted my other leg under the other engine. Now I am thinking, if this doesn't work, the "Jaws of Life" would even be useless and they would have to bury me in the boat and that would be very expensive for my wife. Sweat is dripping off me so fast that the bilge pumps started.
I bend my leg out from under the engine and twist it around so I can stick it under the other engine. Now I am in a real awkward position but one arm is able to reach the batteries.
I remove one alligator clip and am very careful because if the two alligator clips touch, there will be an explosion and the wire would melt possibly causing a fire and with my head against the gas tank, that was not the outcome I was looking for.
I manage to get the alligator clip connected to the battery and the hatch starts to lift. I take a breath of air and see the guy standing there who says. I was starting to get worried.
I said, are you kidding, that was a piece of cake.
The thicker "rod" is one of the actuators I installed.
When the hatch closes, it hits the top of the air cleaners on the engines so it is a little tight.
I had to design my own brackets out of 1 1/4" thick acrylic because they needed to be mounted on a vertical part of the bilge. I got the two of them mounted and wanted to try them out with a temporary wire to make sure they were aligned correctly because they automatically stop at the end of the travel and it was a little difficult to get them properly installed due to all the stuff in the way down there.
So I get into the engine compartment and take a pair of wires with alligator clips on them and clip them to the battery, Then I crouch down and connect the other end of the wires to the actuators so the hatch would close. Being I am not a Jiboni, I first got one of the guys who works in the marina to stand there next to the boat because if this doesn't work, I will be stuck down there and there is barely enough room for me to fit. You can't lift the hatch by hand with the actuators installed.
I didn't mention that a few days ago I had this back procedure done where they stuck 6 ice picks, I mean needles in my back, guided by an X ray so he didn't go through my lung, spinal cord or ear lobe.
Anyway, I slowly crouch down as the lid closes and all is well.
I get as low as I can and the thing closes and boy is it dark. Yes, I did bring a flashlight, not being a Jiboni thing again. I can see it goes down perfectly. The only thing I failed to remember is that to open the thing, I need to reverse the connections on the battery. That is an easy thing. It's easy if the battery is in front of you. But the batteries are behind me and I can barely take a breath much less turn around.
I can scream through the cover at the guy next to the boat but all he can do is call 911 so the fire department will come with the "jaws of life" to rip my boat apart and I didn't think that would be prudent at this juncture. I also discovered that the sound deadening material that they have attached to the hatch cover so you can't hear the engines also prevents people hearing the "Jiboni" down there screaming.
Oh I forgot to mention, yesterday it was 93 degrees.
So I think fast. I can't turn around to reverse the connections on the battery, but I can pull the pins out on the actuators so they disconnect from the hatch. If I only brought down my needle nose pliers.
I search around in the bilge, but my neck is bent against the hatch so I have limited sight. I find a piece of wire. Using the light, I carefully push the wire into the hole where the clevis pin is and push out the pin. The actuator falls free. Great. But there is still the other one, behind me.
Oh great, I still have to turn around, and if I could turn around, I could just reverse the wires, oh, what to do.
I managed to bend my leg under one of the engines which would have been so much easier if my leg had an extra knee in my shin. Then I stuck my head against the gas tank and twisted my other leg under the other engine. Now I am thinking, if this doesn't work, the "Jaws of Life" would even be useless and they would have to bury me in the boat and that would be very expensive for my wife. Sweat is dripping off me so fast that the bilge pumps started.
I bend my leg out from under the engine and twist it around so I can stick it under the other engine. Now I am in a real awkward position but one arm is able to reach the batteries.
I remove one alligator clip and am very careful because if the two alligator clips touch, there will be an explosion and the wire would melt possibly causing a fire and with my head against the gas tank, that was not the outcome I was looking for.
I manage to get the alligator clip connected to the battery and the hatch starts to lift. I take a breath of air and see the guy standing there who says. I was starting to get worried.
I said, are you kidding, that was a piece of cake.
The thicker "rod" is one of the actuators I installed.
When the hatch closes, it hits the top of the air cleaners on the engines so it is a little tight.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I just came home from collecting in my favorite tide pool. I collected 55,372 amphipods give or take five. I dumped them in my tan with the associated mud, sticks, seaweed, snails, worms, barnacles and Godzilla larvae. Probably 73 diseases in there also. But my fish think they died and went to fish heaven. They are chasing amphipods all over the place and are in their glory. This is the first time this year I had the opportunity to collect as the weather and tide were perfect. The amphipods are swarming all over the place. I still have a bunch in my tank from last year but now their cousins and friends are in there . I may have over done it as I think if I weighed them, there re more amphipods by weight then fish.
Here is a five second amphipod video. This is about one fiftieth of what I dumped in today.
Here is a five second amphipod video. This is about one fiftieth of what I dumped in today.
Paul B
NJRC Member
So I went to my boat today and the first thing I notice is that the grass shrimp are swarming all over the place. That's great but I don't have time to collect shrimp. I open the engine hatch and spend a few minutes trying to figure how to bend myself down there in a position where I can remove the bad alternator without changing position too many times. For all you youngsters, this used to be a five minute job that 20 years ago I could have done with one eye closed, one hand tied behind my back while shucking a raw oyster with the other hand. As long as I had one foot free with no shoe on so my toes could wiggle it was a piece of cake.
Now with my almost pushing 70 year old bones that were in two helicopter crashes then spent 40 years doing industrial/commercial construction work and after 16 Manly operations for fixing broken things that I broke or tore doing Manly work and not texting or pushing papers, lifting paper clips or tickling computer keys, it is a little more difficult, but never impossible.
So I take the new alternator down there with me to make sure it is the right one. And it is. So I go to remove the largest wire. and what do you know. The wire comes right out of the "Sta Kon". (ring terminal)
Could this be the problem?
"Of course" it is the problem you Jiboni.
I probably broke this terminal while I was stuck down there installing those lifts, but I won't mention that.
So I spent 2 hours in traffic and spent $275.00 for an alternator that I don't need. All I need is a 22 cent ring terminal.
But this is a good thing.
I get a terminal out of my tool box, strip the wire and smear on some Anti corrosion schmutz. In the trade we call it "Penetrox". (Actually that's what it is called on the can) We use it to keep aluminum conduits from "Galling". (Grabbing when you are trying to screw two large aluminum conduits together) but it is also used as an anti corrosion coating and if you use it, the connection will last longer than the pyramids. Actually I think that's what the Egyptians used to build those things which is why they lasted so long. If the boat builder used that stuff on this connection, I would not be in the bilge putzing around with it. I would be home watching "As the World Turns".
On my way home, I went back to the south shore to return the alternator which happing to bring me near my favorite LFS. I now had all this money to burn so I bough t a purple gorgonian and this garden eel. I am sure this is the last time I will see this eel as the last one I added I didn't see for 5 seconds. He may be 3' long, happily living under my under gravel filter or dried up under my bed. I may never know.
Now with my almost pushing 70 year old bones that were in two helicopter crashes then spent 40 years doing industrial/commercial construction work and after 16 Manly operations for fixing broken things that I broke or tore doing Manly work and not texting or pushing papers, lifting paper clips or tickling computer keys, it is a little more difficult, but never impossible.
So I take the new alternator down there with me to make sure it is the right one. And it is. So I go to remove the largest wire. and what do you know. The wire comes right out of the "Sta Kon". (ring terminal)
Could this be the problem?
"Of course" it is the problem you Jiboni.
I probably broke this terminal while I was stuck down there installing those lifts, but I won't mention that.
So I spent 2 hours in traffic and spent $275.00 for an alternator that I don't need. All I need is a 22 cent ring terminal.
But this is a good thing.
I get a terminal out of my tool box, strip the wire and smear on some Anti corrosion schmutz. In the trade we call it "Penetrox". (Actually that's what it is called on the can) We use it to keep aluminum conduits from "Galling". (Grabbing when you are trying to screw two large aluminum conduits together) but it is also used as an anti corrosion coating and if you use it, the connection will last longer than the pyramids. Actually I think that's what the Egyptians used to build those things which is why they lasted so long. If the boat builder used that stuff on this connection, I would not be in the bilge putzing around with it. I would be home watching "As the World Turns".
On my way home, I went back to the south shore to return the alternator which happing to bring me near my favorite LFS. I now had all this money to burn so I bough t a purple gorgonian and this garden eel. I am sure this is the last time I will see this eel as the last one I added I didn't see for 5 seconds. He may be 3' long, happily living under my under gravel filter or dried up under my bed. I may never know.
I was trolling some old posts over at R2R and I found an interesting thread from a number of years ago regarding ceramic media.
About 9 or 10 posts in my eyes beheld a paragraph whose prose I instantly recognized, though there was hardly a mention of supermodels anywhere to be found.
About 9 or 10 posts in my eyes beheld a paragraph whose prose I instantly recognized, though there was hardly a mention of supermodels anywhere to be found.