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Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
NJRC Member
Yes Diana. The inside was paper on top of wood and the paper deteriorated beyond recognition. It was so bad I vacuumed it out. I also ordered a picture of a "Lady" from the time period to replace the one that was stuck inside the lid. All those trunks had a picture of a Lady there. I found a vintage picture that was actually used on those trunks and should get it today. I lined the inside with cedar planks, it took 45 feet of 1 X 6 cedar to complete it which makes it heavy so it is now on wheels.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Last night was fabulous. No, my Copperband butterfly didn't have babies and Christie Brinkley didn't knock on my door to borrow a cup of Instant Ocean salt.
It was almost better than that.
We went to a wine pairing with very old friends which I didn't really want to go to. I figured it would be in some restaurant and it was just to nice to do that.
To our surprise it was in an apple orchard right next to the trees. It was a beautiful night and the food was about the best I have ever had and I eat at a lot of restaurants.
The Chef was there to explain every bite of the four course dinner and the Vintner, who was a very nice young Lady explained each of the many wines we had that were all made in local wineries from grapes grown a few hundred yards from where we ate.
(If calling someone a Young lady is not PC, Don't read my threads because that was to me, and just about every one else a sign of respect for a thousand years)
The fresh tuna steak was caught and brought to the local dock a couple of miles away and the meat for the fillet Mignon was also raised there.
Diana, you would have loved it as it made you feel as if you were in Tuscan Italy.
It was almost better than that.
We went to a wine pairing with very old friends which I didn't really want to go to. I figured it would be in some restaurant and it was just to nice to do that.
To our surprise it was in an apple orchard right next to the trees. It was a beautiful night and the food was about the best I have ever had and I eat at a lot of restaurants.
The Chef was there to explain every bite of the four course dinner and the Vintner, who was a very nice young Lady explained each of the many wines we had that were all made in local wineries from grapes grown a few hundred yards from where we ate.
(If calling someone a Young lady is not PC, Don't read my threads because that was to me, and just about every one else a sign of respect for a thousand years)
The fresh tuna steak was caught and brought to the local dock a couple of miles away and the meat for the fillet Mignon was also raised there.
Diana, you would have loved it as it made you feel as if you were in Tuscan Italy.
Not to say I never had a good meal out. As I most certainly have. But I’ll take a home cooked meal 7 days a week. Suppose I just may be lucky. Mom was a fabulous cook. Wife is a fabulous cook. Most of family are fabulous cooks. Even I have been known to put together a fairly nice meal. Sounds like the whole experience was wonderful. But let me know if Christy Brinkley stops by for some salt
Paul B
NJRC Member
I haven't seen Christie yet but she does live near here and I have Oogled, I mean seen her in the past.
I even seen Billy a few times.
I am Italian, Sicilian to be exact and we do eat a lot of great dinners. But we don't generally eat them in an apple orchard with a semi world famous chef cooking it there and the Vintner who made the wine next to him
We eat a lot of fish and we just now found a place where we can get it right off the ships. As you know if fish isn't consumed a day or two after it was caught, it is cat food.
When the herbs and vegetables are picked a few minutes before you eat them, it also makes a big difference.
People here that live near farms, ranches or the sea are lucky to be able to get fresh food which I missed in Western Long Island where I used to live. When I was growing up we always had fresh fish because my Dad had a sea food business and we used to get the fish right from the ships in the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. Now that place is a tourist attraction and the fish comes into Brooklyn by truck. Not very romantic, or fresh.
Just the experience of eating in an orchard added so much ambiance, much more than when we eat on our boat out of a cooler or at the pool where I am going now as it is 150 degrees here now.
I even seen Billy a few times.
I am Italian, Sicilian to be exact and we do eat a lot of great dinners. But we don't generally eat them in an apple orchard with a semi world famous chef cooking it there and the Vintner who made the wine next to him
We eat a lot of fish and we just now found a place where we can get it right off the ships. As you know if fish isn't consumed a day or two after it was caught, it is cat food.
When the herbs and vegetables are picked a few minutes before you eat them, it also makes a big difference.
People here that live near farms, ranches or the sea are lucky to be able to get fresh food which I missed in Western Long Island where I used to live. When I was growing up we always had fresh fish because my Dad had a sea food business and we used to get the fish right from the ships in the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. Now that place is a tourist attraction and the fish comes into Brooklyn by truck. Not very romantic, or fresh.
Just the experience of eating in an orchard added so much ambiance, much more than when we eat on our boat out of a cooler or at the pool where I am going now as it is 150 degrees here now.
Paul B
NJRC Member
This morning I felt really energized, probably because I only had one Grand Marnier last night before bed.
So I figured I would do more exercise this morning. I felt like going to the beach, down and up those 165 steps but I also wanted to bike ride. Actually, like most people I hate to exercise. But my wife gets after me about staying in shape.
No, not the shape I am in, more like Brad Pitts shape but although they sell live pigs near here, I haven't seen any of them flying yet.
So I get on my bicycle and head to the beach. The beach isn't far but it's up hill both ways.
It must have been early because I didn't see anyone walking dogs or going to work. Then I remembered it's Sunday.
I get to the beach door. Yes we lock our beach so no one steals it. I left the bike there and stared at the steps and the beautiful ocean at the bottom, below the clouds. ;Meh
I start walking down the stairs and this time I don't count them as I normally do just to pass the time and see if I can still count. I pass a few deer and rabbits which I always say good morning to. I don't know if they are the same deer all the time as they don't seem to recognize me and probably just think "Oh great, here comes that bald Geezer messing up the serineness.
There is huge vegetation on both sides of the stairs which are elevated above the cliff.
I was thinking today, who was the guy who had to cut through this thick stuff to mark out where to put these stairs and did he have tick insurance. You can't even get down this cliff without having mountain climbing gear because it is so steep that if you step away from the stairs, the mountain starts to fall down into the sea. ;Woot
I get to the bottom and sit on a bench there. They should put one of those CPR things there for Geezers like me but I stay a while and look out at the Sound searching for sharks.
Last week they saw a huge fin sticking out of the water. I don't know if it was a fin connected to a shark or a Catalina gobi but I saw video's of it. I used to SCUBA dive here and never saw anything.
Walking up was hard, I think because I had so many ticks on me they were weighing me down. ;Shifty
I had to stop a few times, to say good bye to the deer and rabbits but also t catch my breath that I lost 30 years ago.
I got to the top and found my bicycle. In my old neighborhood I just would have found a note thanking me for the bike.
I got on the bike and headed home, uphill again.
But I didn't go home, I don't know why but I rode past my house at an unbelievable rate, OK, it wasn't that fast but there was a young Lady running with one of those running carriages pushing a baby and I didn't want her to think she was in better shape than I was in, but she was. Even the baby was.
I kept going, farther and farther all the way (about a mile, OK 3/4s of a mile) to where I couldn't go any more without getting flattened by a tractor trailer. I felt like Bruce Jenner. Well, not "Exactly". I am still a man and will remain that way. Mostly because I don't know what dress size I am.
Then I came back home, passing the baby again who was shaking his fists at me (it could have been a pacifier) and I am ready to go out for breakfast.
I still can't get in more than a third of these stairs, you need to be in a hot air balloon for that.
So I figured I would do more exercise this morning. I felt like going to the beach, down and up those 165 steps but I also wanted to bike ride. Actually, like most people I hate to exercise. But my wife gets after me about staying in shape.
No, not the shape I am in, more like Brad Pitts shape but although they sell live pigs near here, I haven't seen any of them flying yet.
So I get on my bicycle and head to the beach. The beach isn't far but it's up hill both ways.
It must have been early because I didn't see anyone walking dogs or going to work. Then I remembered it's Sunday.
I get to the beach door. Yes we lock our beach so no one steals it. I left the bike there and stared at the steps and the beautiful ocean at the bottom, below the clouds. ;Meh
I start walking down the stairs and this time I don't count them as I normally do just to pass the time and see if I can still count. I pass a few deer and rabbits which I always say good morning to. I don't know if they are the same deer all the time as they don't seem to recognize me and probably just think "Oh great, here comes that bald Geezer messing up the serineness.
There is huge vegetation on both sides of the stairs which are elevated above the cliff.
I was thinking today, who was the guy who had to cut through this thick stuff to mark out where to put these stairs and did he have tick insurance. You can't even get down this cliff without having mountain climbing gear because it is so steep that if you step away from the stairs, the mountain starts to fall down into the sea. ;Woot
I get to the bottom and sit on a bench there. They should put one of those CPR things there for Geezers like me but I stay a while and look out at the Sound searching for sharks.
Last week they saw a huge fin sticking out of the water. I don't know if it was a fin connected to a shark or a Catalina gobi but I saw video's of it. I used to SCUBA dive here and never saw anything.
Walking up was hard, I think because I had so many ticks on me they were weighing me down. ;Shifty
I had to stop a few times, to say good bye to the deer and rabbits but also t catch my breath that I lost 30 years ago.
I got to the top and found my bicycle. In my old neighborhood I just would have found a note thanking me for the bike.
I got on the bike and headed home, uphill again.
But I didn't go home, I don't know why but I rode past my house at an unbelievable rate, OK, it wasn't that fast but there was a young Lady running with one of those running carriages pushing a baby and I didn't want her to think she was in better shape than I was in, but she was. Even the baby was.
I kept going, farther and farther all the way (about a mile, OK 3/4s of a mile) to where I couldn't go any more without getting flattened by a tractor trailer. I felt like Bruce Jenner. Well, not "Exactly". I am still a man and will remain that way. Mostly because I don't know what dress size I am.
Then I came back home, passing the baby again who was shaking his fists at me (it could have been a pacifier) and I am ready to go out for breakfast.
I still can't get in more than a third of these stairs, you need to be in a hot air balloon for that.
I find this a bit unusual coming from you, Paul, considering your own tank has all those glass bottles in it. After all, if you can expect to find glass bottles in the ocean and fish make homes in then, it would seem quite possible to find PVC pipe and fittings in the ocean and fish making homes in them. A container could have fallen off a ship or something.
Take care.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I have my car all packed up with empty containers to collect water in the morning, maybe do a little porgy fishing. I have enough storage in my Jeep to collect about 40 gallons (If I don't break a spring)
My nitrates creeped up to about 30 and I would like to lower them to like 29.
Of course after I get it home I may need to diatom filter it depending on how murky it is and how much mud is in it as I am taking it from a boat ramp about 6" deep.
I also will need to strain out any trailer axles, tires or broken back lights.
Hypodermic needles, bikini tops, oil cans and Nancy Pelosi Pez dispensers will go right in my tank just for interest and I am trying to get National Geographic to come over and do a story on my tank. Or just me, but so far they have not contacted me.
I am not sure why.
My nitrates creeped up to about 30 and I would like to lower them to like 29.
Of course after I get it home I may need to diatom filter it depending on how murky it is and how much mud is in it as I am taking it from a boat ramp about 6" deep.
I also will need to strain out any trailer axles, tires or broken back lights.
Hypodermic needles, bikini tops, oil cans and Nancy Pelosi Pez dispensers will go right in my tank just for interest and I am trying to get National Geographic to come over and do a story on my tank. Or just me, but so far they have not contacted me.
I am not sure why.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Last night there was a huge threat of thunder storms. As a matter of fact, my phone kept giving me this annoying noise with an announcement of the storm, flooding, lightning, meteorites, brimstone and everything else they could warn you about. I couldn't listen to the radio because it was all warnings, I thought we were being attacked by Bayone New Jersey.
So I decided to go to the beach and collect water.
It was very dark but wasn't raining yet. I backed up near the sea but I couldn't get to close because the waves were breaking like the "Perfect Storm" where George Cloony was in that boat that sunk with all the swordfish and I just waxed my car and didn't want it getting dirty.
(I am not speaking to Mr. Clooney but that is another story and I can't tell it here)
There were quite a few people on the beach watching the lightning as it was getting closer but I think most of them were watching us. (My friend came with me)
I had the back of my Jeep open and I reeled out the 70' of hose and threw the end with the pump on it into the angry Sea.
This wasn't as easy as it seems because the water was so rough, and it was so windy that the pump kept flying back at me and this was a boat ramp lined with huge rocks that the pump kept banging on the rocks and it was hard to get it into deep enough water to pump.
As the waves came crashing in there was water, but when they went out, the pump was dry and just sucking in sand fleas and cigarette butts. I even had to pull in the pump once to bang it on a rock to get the thing going as it was clogged with gravel and probably terrified amphipods.
I had to walk out on the rocks into the water, luckily I had the foresight to wear my bathing suit. Not just because I knew I would get wet, but I wanted to Bring Sexy back.
I turned on the pump and it started to suck water from the sea, it also sucked in loads of seaweed and sand. The water didn't look to good but my fish are not Sissys so they will have to deal with it.
After all, I am doing all the work, they just have to live in it and like it.
We noticed the few people still on the beach looking at us and two of them started to walk over. I tried to think up a witty story to tell them, but I had nothing. One was a girl.
He said "We on the beach are curious. What the H-ell are you doing?"
I said, we are getting water for a fish tank.
He said "Oh, we thought you were testing something like those storm chasers who drive into tornadoes."
I could tell the girl thought I looked Sexy.
(Oh, get over it)
Now our containers were getting full and we had the capacity to take 40 gallons and I was determined to do that unless the lightning came right into my Jeep and hit the radio changing the station from vintage Linda Ronstadt to Justin Beiber which would immediately end the moment.
Nothing like collecting water in a storm while blasting Blue Bayou.
I couldn't keep my hat on and we could barely keep the jeep from sliding sideways on the sand due to the wind (and Linda Ronstadt, actually, not that the wind picked up, I think In a Godda Divida was playing)
The wind was picking up, Linda was singing louder, the lightning was getting closer and I looked Sexier as now I was all wet from the splashing. The on lookers were starting to move to their cars as they seemed like Girly, Sissy Mary people.
But we persevered and still needed more water.
We looked out to sea and there was this smallish boat trying to head into the wind. Now that was a Real Man. A very stupid real Man, but a man none the less. He took shelter behind an oil tanker unloading from a platform about a mile out.
Now it started to rain, not much at first, just enough to make it interesting. The lightning was hitting the water all over the place and coming in sideways lighting up the sky like the last creshendo of a
Bochelli concert.
I thought I saw a guy who looked a little like Benjamin Franklin flying a kite.
We still had more capacity and continued pumping as the waves grew larger.
I was surprised the pump didn't clog again as the water was raging so much.
Now we were all filled up just as the rain hit, and by "hit" I mean a deluge. Noah's flood was just a pond compared to this. I have seen Monsoons and this was a monsoon.
I quickly dragged the pump back over the rocks trying to keep standing upright while I impressed the people in the cars filming us for National Geographic.
I wanted to look like Lloyd Bridges in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" where he fights the giant squid with a scizzors and a cell phone. I think I captured the moment.
We got in the car and tried to go, but the windshield wipers wouldn't go fast enough and the wheels were slipping on the sand. Fiddler crabs were running in circles with a completely horrified look on their faces.
Finally we got off the ramp and headed home through knee deep water.
I got to my garage and closed the door. Then I pumped the water into vats and it is now being diatom filtered to remove the seaweed and sand as it looks like Miso soup.
I will change it today and see if anything lives.
So I decided to go to the beach and collect water.
It was very dark but wasn't raining yet. I backed up near the sea but I couldn't get to close because the waves were breaking like the "Perfect Storm" where George Cloony was in that boat that sunk with all the swordfish and I just waxed my car and didn't want it getting dirty.
(I am not speaking to Mr. Clooney but that is another story and I can't tell it here)
There were quite a few people on the beach watching the lightning as it was getting closer but I think most of them were watching us. (My friend came with me)
I had the back of my Jeep open and I reeled out the 70' of hose and threw the end with the pump on it into the angry Sea.
This wasn't as easy as it seems because the water was so rough, and it was so windy that the pump kept flying back at me and this was a boat ramp lined with huge rocks that the pump kept banging on the rocks and it was hard to get it into deep enough water to pump.
As the waves came crashing in there was water, but when they went out, the pump was dry and just sucking in sand fleas and cigarette butts. I even had to pull in the pump once to bang it on a rock to get the thing going as it was clogged with gravel and probably terrified amphipods.
I had to walk out on the rocks into the water, luckily I had the foresight to wear my bathing suit. Not just because I knew I would get wet, but I wanted to Bring Sexy back.
I turned on the pump and it started to suck water from the sea, it also sucked in loads of seaweed and sand. The water didn't look to good but my fish are not Sissys so they will have to deal with it.
After all, I am doing all the work, they just have to live in it and like it.
We noticed the few people still on the beach looking at us and two of them started to walk over. I tried to think up a witty story to tell them, but I had nothing. One was a girl.
He said "We on the beach are curious. What the H-ell are you doing?"
I said, we are getting water for a fish tank.
He said "Oh, we thought you were testing something like those storm chasers who drive into tornadoes."
I could tell the girl thought I looked Sexy.
Now our containers were getting full and we had the capacity to take 40 gallons and I was determined to do that unless the lightning came right into my Jeep and hit the radio changing the station from vintage Linda Ronstadt to Justin Beiber which would immediately end the moment.
Nothing like collecting water in a storm while blasting Blue Bayou.
I couldn't keep my hat on and we could barely keep the jeep from sliding sideways on the sand due to the wind (and Linda Ronstadt, actually, not that the wind picked up, I think In a Godda Divida was playing)
The wind was picking up, Linda was singing louder, the lightning was getting closer and I looked Sexier as now I was all wet from the splashing. The on lookers were starting to move to their cars as they seemed like Girly, Sissy Mary people.
But we persevered and still needed more water.
We looked out to sea and there was this smallish boat trying to head into the wind. Now that was a Real Man. A very stupid real Man, but a man none the less. He took shelter behind an oil tanker unloading from a platform about a mile out.
Now it started to rain, not much at first, just enough to make it interesting. The lightning was hitting the water all over the place and coming in sideways lighting up the sky like the last creshendo of a
Bochelli concert.
I thought I saw a guy who looked a little like Benjamin Franklin flying a kite.
We still had more capacity and continued pumping as the waves grew larger.
I was surprised the pump didn't clog again as the water was raging so much.
Now we were all filled up just as the rain hit, and by "hit" I mean a deluge. Noah's flood was just a pond compared to this. I have seen Monsoons and this was a monsoon.
I quickly dragged the pump back over the rocks trying to keep standing upright while I impressed the people in the cars filming us for National Geographic.
I wanted to look like Lloyd Bridges in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" where he fights the giant squid with a scizzors and a cell phone. I think I captured the moment.
We got in the car and tried to go, but the windshield wipers wouldn't go fast enough and the wheels were slipping on the sand. Fiddler crabs were running in circles with a completely horrified look on their faces.
Finally we got off the ramp and headed home through knee deep water.
I got to my garage and closed the door. Then I pumped the water into vats and it is now being diatom filtered to remove the seaweed and sand as it looks like Miso soup.
I will change it today and see if anything lives.
Paul B
NJRC Member
That 40 gallons of NSW water I added was the largest water change I ever did in my life that I remember. My tank is 125 gallons so there is probably about 90 gallons of water in there so that was almost half of the water.
The seawater was 76 degrees so I just had to heat it up 2 degrees, but I did have to add some salt as the salinity was .016 or so. I don't know how the fish live around here with such low salinity and this is the Atlantic.
I think Aliens are coming at night or very early in the morning the days after holidays and sucking up the salt.
My fish and corals didn't react in any way that I could tell from the new water. The calcium of the Long Island Sound water was close to 400 but the alk was about 6 so I added a little.
I also can't find those tiny fish fry that I added a few weeks ago. They grew about twice or three times the size and I noticed one a couple of days ago but now I can't find any. Of course they may have grown larger and are in the rocks waiting to put on a little more weight so they can finish off my copperband butterfly. But more likely, my Janss pipefish found them and had a nice lunch.
If I go back there, I will collect more. I hope they carry different parasites because I like to keep adding new ones to keep up the immunity so I never have to go on those silly disease threads that start out reading "Help!!!!!> I got ich after 6 months of quarantining, dipping, medicating and fresh water dipping in insect repellent and Nair"
Tank is doing very well and the corals seem to be continuing to grow. One "arm" of a SPS bleached and I am not sure why but the rest of it and the rest continuue to smile.
The fish are extremely healthy and you can tell that by the very bright iridescent colors healthy fish have on their fins. That iridescences normally fades in captive fish unless they are fed correctly.
I am most surprised that my Janss Pipefish is still living as they are supposed to be difficult. I want another one.
I myself glow like that because I also drink this "elixir" that I invented for my wife for her MS Pain which seems to work better than pain pills. She calls it "Jumping Juice" but it is a little work to make.
The seawater was 76 degrees so I just had to heat it up 2 degrees, but I did have to add some salt as the salinity was .016 or so. I don't know how the fish live around here with such low salinity and this is the Atlantic.
I think Aliens are coming at night or very early in the morning the days after holidays and sucking up the salt.
My fish and corals didn't react in any way that I could tell from the new water. The calcium of the Long Island Sound water was close to 400 but the alk was about 6 so I added a little.
I also can't find those tiny fish fry that I added a few weeks ago. They grew about twice or three times the size and I noticed one a couple of days ago but now I can't find any. Of course they may have grown larger and are in the rocks waiting to put on a little more weight so they can finish off my copperband butterfly. But more likely, my Janss pipefish found them and had a nice lunch.
If I go back there, I will collect more. I hope they carry different parasites because I like to keep adding new ones to keep up the immunity so I never have to go on those silly disease threads that start out reading "Help!!!!!> I got ich after 6 months of quarantining, dipping, medicating and fresh water dipping in insect repellent and Nair"
Tank is doing very well and the corals seem to be continuing to grow. One "arm" of a SPS bleached and I am not sure why but the rest of it and the rest continuue to smile.
The fish are extremely healthy and you can tell that by the very bright iridescent colors healthy fish have on their fins. That iridescences normally fades in captive fish unless they are fed correctly.
I am most surprised that my Janss Pipefish is still living as they are supposed to be difficult. I want another one.
I myself glow like that because I also drink this "elixir" that I invented for my wife for her MS Pain which seems to work better than pain pills. She calls it "Jumping Juice" but it is a little work to make.
