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Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
NJRC Member
Diana, it is amazing, most (but not all) people under 40 are snowflakes who just think about facebook, twitter etc.
I don't even know what twitter is and don't want to. I also never take a selfie because in my house I have a mirror so I know what I look like and I have no reason to send a picture of myself while eating, brushing my teeth or bungee jumping to millions of people who don't care one way or the other if I get eaten by a sea slug or hermit crab with rickets.
We did so many things when we were 40, but a lot people today don't do anything.
We would get everyone out on our boats, tie them together and have a big party all night. Dive for lobsters and bar be cue them on the sand and dance all night.
Or we would rent a tiny Island with 20 people and party. Maybe hike up in the mountains in the snow with ropes so we could get down the mountain.
Go down the rapids, ice skate on a mountain lake. SCUBA dive on a lake looking for muskets or in the sea on shipwrecks, something, anything.
Our Daughter plays games "on her phone" with people on the other side of the world. Like seriously!! Thats fun!
Spend hours on Facebook. Like Wow!! Thats a trip.
I don't even know what twitter is and don't want to. I also never take a selfie because in my house I have a mirror so I know what I look like and I have no reason to send a picture of myself while eating, brushing my teeth or bungee jumping to millions of people who don't care one way or the other if I get eaten by a sea slug or hermit crab with rickets.
We did so many things when we were 40, but a lot people today don't do anything.
We would get everyone out on our boats, tie them together and have a big party all night. Dive for lobsters and bar be cue them on the sand and dance all night.
Or we would rent a tiny Island with 20 people and party. Maybe hike up in the mountains in the snow with ropes so we could get down the mountain.
Go down the rapids, ice skate on a mountain lake. SCUBA dive on a lake looking for muskets or in the sea on shipwrecks, something, anything.
Our Daughter plays games "on her phone" with people on the other side of the world. Like seriously!! Thats fun!
Spend hours on Facebook. Like Wow!! Thats a trip.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Today I picked up a female blue stripe pipefish and a bleeny. They are in my tank and seem happy. The pipefish insists on hanging out right next to the snout of my much larger Janss pipefish which constantly tries to bite the little one in half. I guess there is not much intelligence in that tiny pipefish brain. I feel like saying "just swim away stupid".
I only have a couple more weeks to donate the profits from my book to the MS Society because I want to do it before the end of the year.
My wife is on the phone now trying to figure out how we go about doing that because we want all of it to go to research and not the office staff, rent etc.
We ran a few MS Bike tours and did the same thing.
I don't get much profits from the book because it is a limited audience and will never sell like the Bible.
( most people also don't want to hear about the advantages of undergravel filters)
But I will kick in a few hundred so it is worthwhile. I am giving them 100% of the profits which isn't much but it is what it is and before the year is over, I would like to thank the people who bought one.
I only have a couple more weeks to donate the profits from my book to the MS Society because I want to do it before the end of the year.
My wife is on the phone now trying to figure out how we go about doing that because we want all of it to go to research and not the office staff, rent etc.
We ran a few MS Bike tours and did the same thing.
I don't get much profits from the book because it is a limited audience and will never sell like the Bible.
( most people also don't want to hear about the advantages of undergravel filters)
But I will kick in a few hundred so it is worthwhile. I am giving them 100% of the profits which isn't much but it is what it is and before the year is over, I would like to thank the people who bought one.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Today I went to Lowes and Home Depot to buy a 5' flag pole for my American Flag. The old pole broke.
Then I spent a good amount of time on Amazon looking for one but all I can find are poles made in China.
I would rather not have a flag than hang my American made, American Flag on a pole made in China.
The bracket also broke so I built my own. Now I have to build my own pole which is disappointing because a country such as the USA which I fought for can't even make a flag pole any more no matter how much you would spend.
I am not a happy camper.
Then I spent a good amount of time on Amazon looking for one but all I can find are poles made in China.
I would rather not have a flag than hang my American made, American Flag on a pole made in China.
The bracket also broke so I built my own. Now I have to build my own pole which is disappointing because a country such as the USA which I fought for can't even make a flag pole any more no matter how much you would spend.
I am not a happy camper.
Paul B
NJRC Member
My copperband hasn't eaten on over a week but still looks perfect and hunts food all day even though she can't figure out how to bite it. Healthy fish can go for weeks or even months without eating. Copperbands can't go that long because they are not a really fat, lethargic fish.
Soon she will slow down and lose the sheen on her scales, her eyes will dull and she will become disoriented.
I would like to buy another small one, maybe with a similar size long nosed butterfly but my copperband doesn't play well with other butterflies so I will have to wait until she dies.
She is a large, striking fish and I will miss her but I think she lived a full life. I won't necropsy her because without a CAT-fish scan, I an quite sure I won't find anything wrong with her and it is very hard to study the brain on such a fish. I doubt I would be able to pick out a brain tumor or Parkensons either.
Soon she will slow down and lose the sheen on her scales, her eyes will dull and she will become disoriented.
I would like to buy another small one, maybe with a similar size long nosed butterfly but my copperband doesn't play well with other butterflies so I will have to wait until she dies.
She is a large, striking fish and I will miss her but I think she lived a full life. I won't necropsy her because without a CAT-fish scan, I an quite sure I won't find anything wrong with her and it is very hard to study the brain on such a fish. I doubt I would be able to pick out a brain tumor or Parkensons either.
Paul B
NJRC Member
My tank is doing great and the few SPS that I thought would croak are growing "arms" all over the place.
My old copperband who I have not seen eat in a month is also fine and doesn't look like he lost any weight, kind of like me.
I am also surprised my janss pipefish is still living as I never thought that fish would make it but I have him maybe 4 years or so. I never remember these things. But I do know that in 14 months my tank will be running for 50 years.
I am kind of proud of that. I am also proud that I got to this age.
The only paired fish I have continuously spawn, thats fireclowns and watchman gobies. One of them is obviously a Watchgirl.
My Hippo tang is beautiful (because I never quarantined, medicated, dipped or sang to) She is a little fat but doesn't have a mark on her. I have also never fed her any greens, just clams, worms and LRS food like everything gets but I do have some algae growing although I have never seen her eat any of that. I wish she would.
I "think" I have two possum wrasses but they hide so good that I have never seen the two of them at the same time so I am not sure if I have one or two.
My new Starburst Anthius only comes out into the open if I shut the lights, don't play Rap music and put a bag over my face. If I get back to that LFS that has them I will get another one as they are kind of nice and not very common like those silly tangs that I find boring.
I also have a very large long spined urchin that I think I got as a tiny baby. I have no recollection of buying it but It must have been ten years ago. I think I got it in a place in Flushing and I have not been there in at least that long.
My female bluestripe pipefish is very well and I would like to get her a male but my much bigger Janss pipefish doesn't play well with male pipefish of any species and he killed my last one.
The Janss Pipefish is about 4 times larger than the bluestripes.
I also need a male for my female Mandarin. Her mate died probably of old age. I think they only live about 10 years but I lost his birth certificate so I don't know.
I really should write down when I get these fish.
For Christmas my Son N Law gave me a book about the Dawn of man and how we evolved over a few million years.
I actually love this kind of stuff especially the fact that we are the last of dozens of Hominids that were "almost" human.
I feel some people today still fit into that category but I won't go into that.
I find it amazing when these anthropologists find a relic like I was just reading about. They found a "piece" of a tooth
and a tiny piece of bone fragment from a femur.
From that they named the "Guy" with a Latin name. He was from Africa so maybe his name was Latin like Homer or Moses as opposed to Jim, Bill, Eddie or Bubba
They surmised he walked upright, probably with a Manly swagger, wore stylish clothes, ate buffalo wings and hot dogs.
Preferred red wine, was a decent dancer. Didn't like Rap music, preferring the classics and his Mother was a Sagittarius.
Then they had an artist rendering of the guy and he looked like Ringo Starr.
I am amazed they can get all of this from a tooth and bone fragment.
My wife has been a lot of pain lately and tomorrow is going to get fitted for a leg brace which is supposed to help her walk better. I hope so but unfortunately it will do nothing for the pain and fatigue.
Maybe some of the money I gave the MS society will hasten a treatment in our lifetime.
My old copperband who I have not seen eat in a month is also fine and doesn't look like he lost any weight, kind of like me.
I am also surprised my janss pipefish is still living as I never thought that fish would make it but I have him maybe 4 years or so. I never remember these things. But I do know that in 14 months my tank will be running for 50 years.
I am kind of proud of that. I am also proud that I got to this age.
The only paired fish I have continuously spawn, thats fireclowns and watchman gobies. One of them is obviously a Watchgirl.
My Hippo tang is beautiful (because I never quarantined, medicated, dipped or sang to) She is a little fat but doesn't have a mark on her. I have also never fed her any greens, just clams, worms and LRS food like everything gets but I do have some algae growing although I have never seen her eat any of that. I wish she would.
I "think" I have two possum wrasses but they hide so good that I have never seen the two of them at the same time so I am not sure if I have one or two.
My new Starburst Anthius only comes out into the open if I shut the lights, don't play Rap music and put a bag over my face. If I get back to that LFS that has them I will get another one as they are kind of nice and not very common like those silly tangs that I find boring.
I also have a very large long spined urchin that I think I got as a tiny baby. I have no recollection of buying it but It must have been ten years ago. I think I got it in a place in Flushing and I have not been there in at least that long.
My female bluestripe pipefish is very well and I would like to get her a male but my much bigger Janss pipefish doesn't play well with male pipefish of any species and he killed my last one.
The Janss Pipefish is about 4 times larger than the bluestripes.
I also need a male for my female Mandarin. Her mate died probably of old age. I think they only live about 10 years but I lost his birth certificate so I don't know.
I really should write down when I get these fish.
For Christmas my Son N Law gave me a book about the Dawn of man and how we evolved over a few million years.
I actually love this kind of stuff especially the fact that we are the last of dozens of Hominids that were "almost" human.
I feel some people today still fit into that category but I won't go into that.
I find it amazing when these anthropologists find a relic like I was just reading about. They found a "piece" of a tooth
and a tiny piece of bone fragment from a femur.
From that they named the "Guy" with a Latin name. He was from Africa so maybe his name was Latin like Homer or Moses as opposed to Jim, Bill, Eddie or Bubba
They surmised he walked upright, probably with a Manly swagger, wore stylish clothes, ate buffalo wings and hot dogs.
Preferred red wine, was a decent dancer. Didn't like Rap music, preferring the classics and his Mother was a Sagittarius.
Then they had an artist rendering of the guy and he looked like Ringo Starr.
I am amazed they can get all of this from a tooth and bone fragment.
My wife has been a lot of pain lately and tomorrow is going to get fitted for a leg brace which is supposed to help her walk better. I hope so but unfortunately it will do nothing for the pain and fatigue.
Maybe some of the money I gave the MS society will hasten a treatment in our lifetime.
Paul B
NJRC Member
It's over 60 degrees here and I almost went swimming as I just came back from collecting water which is 40 degrees.
I am diatom filtering it now because it is full f seaweed. It was very windy and the pump didn't want to stay underwater in the surf so it kept coming back on to the beach.
I also couldn't back up to the water so I had to pump it into five gallon jugs and carry it back 100' to my Jeep.
Sometimes when I put all that weight in the Jeep I almost get stuck as the sand is very fine.
I am diatom filtering it now because it is full f seaweed. It was very windy and the pump didn't want to stay underwater in the surf so it kept coming back on to the beach.
I also couldn't back up to the water so I had to pump it into five gallon jugs and carry it back 100' to my Jeep.
Sometimes when I put all that weight in the Jeep I almost get stuck as the sand is very fine.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Today I took my wife for her MRI and on the way home I always stop at an LFS near there.
The place is really going down hill and they never have anything anymore.
I go in there with a pocket full of money and can't buy anything because they have the same old common stuff.
I ended up with a bunch of emerald crabs just because I felt like I had to buy something even though I will never see emerald crabs in my tank. I bought 8 of them.
I want a dragon faced pipefish, another possum wrasse, another Janss pipefish, a male mandarin, a male bluestripe pipefish and another sunburst anthius.
I don't need no yellow tangs, blue devils, wrasses or other common fish.
I ended up with crabs.
I can't even get a stinkin gorgonian. Nothing. How do these places stay in business with no livestock?
The place is really going down hill and they never have anything anymore.
I go in there with a pocket full of money and can't buy anything because they have the same old common stuff.
I ended up with a bunch of emerald crabs just because I felt like I had to buy something even though I will never see emerald crabs in my tank. I bought 8 of them.
I want a dragon faced pipefish, another possum wrasse, another Janss pipefish, a male mandarin, a male bluestripe pipefish and another sunburst anthius.
I don't need no yellow tangs, blue devils, wrasses or other common fish.
I ended up with crabs.
I can't even get a stinkin gorgonian. Nothing. How do these places stay in business with no livestock?
Agreed. Lately I've been ordering more off the net and paying shipping. I have a well established tank at this point and I'm pretty good with my livestock, so its been about 8-9 months since I actually purchased a fish and I dont anticipate any fish purchases soon.
Same with corals. I have a bunch which are filling in after a couple years and I don't want to crowd them out. Those that I've bought that don't do well in my tanks don't get purchased again.
Often these shops seem to cater more to the new aquarium owner or to those who practice bad husbandry and lose fish and corals on a regular basis.
Recently I lost my zoa colonies, but I was also treating the tank for a turf algae break out. I have no plans to run out and repurchase zoas for at least another 6 months to ensure I have all concerns under control.
The experienced aquarium keeper is the bane of the local fish shops... and then there's pricing.
Going into a shop to purchase corals is getting exorbitant. A few months back I broke up a number of 'named' zoa colonies and either gave them away or sold the rarer ones at $3 a head. I was out of them quickly as the shops were selling the same at $15-30 per head.
I can see this hobby easily becoming based on trade. The shops seem to be blind to the fact that established and knowledgable hobbits (my spell correct did that, I like it, I'll let it be) can work amongst themselves to establish a fantastic tank at prices well below retail pricing. When I do decide to get back in the zoa game I plan to work with club members initially.
I understand these shops have overhead, and I know they are vital to the hobby, but when I walk in and find corals marked up hundreds of percent above cost (I know the owner of a very well known and established coral wholesaler) I tend to buy less than I normally would. And I only buy then to help support the shop.
A few months back I found the Jebao SOW-15 wavemakers on line for $72. I called a shop, 30 mins away, that stocked them and had them in inventory for a few bucks more (somewhere around $80). I asked if they would match prices, they said no. So I saved myself the ride and ordered 4 from Amazon, which were delivered in 24 hours and saved me a ride and $30.
Another instance when in market for a hybrid T5 and bulbs. I looked at BRS which was $25 cheaper on the T5 unit and $2-5 cheaper on bulbs than the LFS. I explained this to the LFS and they stated they would not match prices, they had the unit in stock which I could pick up same day, and could have the bulbs in 48=72 hours. I went with BRS and had the unit and bulbs in hand a few days later and $50-60 cheaper.
I think, unless these stores begin to drastically re-evaluate their position as a brick and mortar v. internet (Amazon, Live Aquaria, MD, BRS, etc), they may be slowly fading.
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Paul B
NJRC Member
Mark, I never bought livestock online as I was always surrounded by LFSs and they had a selection. I also used to be able to tell them to get me something. Now, years later, I moved and am no longer near those places and the one I am near, there are all new people and don't know anything or even heard of the things I want.
I don't buy many fish but they all die of old age eventually which is why I need to replace my male mandarin and blue stripe male pipefish. Those guys have a short lifespan of like 3 or 4 years and mandarins only live about 10. For me anyway.
I don't buy many fish but they all die of old age eventually which is why I need to replace my male mandarin and blue stripe male pipefish. Those guys have a short lifespan of like 3 or 4 years and mandarins only live about 10. For me anyway.
Paul B
NJRC Member
One of my 30 year old powerheads croaked last night so my skimmer and algae scrubber was dry. No water was going into the reverse UG filter either.
I took the thing apart and repaired it with some shrink tubing which is the repair they need every 30 years.
I think this was made in Germany and I really don't want to buy a pump from China so I am hoping to get a few more decades out of it. If I can find another piece of stainless steel for the shaft, I will change it.
I think I have 5 or 6 of those old pumps, most of them still running but you need to watch the old ones as they sometimes stop.
They are not doing anything important so nothing will happen. You really don't need a skimmer, under gravel filter or algae scrubber running 100% of the time.
I took the thing apart and repaired it with some shrink tubing which is the repair they need every 30 years.
I think this was made in Germany and I really don't want to buy a pump from China so I am hoping to get a few more decades out of it. If I can find another piece of stainless steel for the shaft, I will change it.
I think I have 5 or 6 of those old pumps, most of them still running but you need to watch the old ones as they sometimes stop.
They are not doing anything important so nothing will happen. You really don't need a skimmer, under gravel filter or algae scrubber running 100% of the time.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I just came back from my knee Doctor. Kevorkian.
My knee surgery is postponed for at least 6 months so now we can go to a Valentines party.
That is not the reason we cancelled it though.
It seems that even though the last surgery didn't work, a new one may make it worse due to neuroma.
I already had 5 surgeries on that knee before they changed it so I think I will give it a rest for a while and see what happens.
The recovery is the same as my last surgery, like a year and he isn't giving me any good feelings if it will make it better or possibly worse.
Christie Brinkley hasn't invited me to any dances so I can be in some pain for a while. I don't mind as long as no more of my hair falls out.
On my way home I hit a LFS. This one always has great,unusual stuff even though it is the filthiest place I have been since Viet Nam.
Those are the kinds of places I like to go because they have stuff hiding under the mulm that they didn't even know they had and they are very cheap.
I bought 4 fish and they are already swimming around doing the Macarana.
My knee surgery is postponed for at least 6 months so now we can go to a Valentines party.
That is not the reason we cancelled it though.
It seems that even though the last surgery didn't work, a new one may make it worse due to neuroma.
I already had 5 surgeries on that knee before they changed it so I think I will give it a rest for a while and see what happens.
The recovery is the same as my last surgery, like a year and he isn't giving me any good feelings if it will make it better or possibly worse.
Christie Brinkley hasn't invited me to any dances so I can be in some pain for a while. I don't mind as long as no more of my hair falls out.
On my way home I hit a LFS. This one always has great,unusual stuff even though it is the filthiest place I have been since Viet Nam.
Those are the kinds of places I like to go because they have stuff hiding under the mulm that they didn't even know they had and they are very cheap.
I bought 4 fish and they are already swimming around doing the Macarana.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Some kind of black, 2" long thing that I never seen before. I think he said it was an anthius but doesn't look like one. If it comes out from wherever he is, I will try and get a picture.
I also got a citron goby, a Queen Anthius and I totally forgot what the other thing is.
Let me lookfor it as I don't pay to much attention to this stuff.
Oh I remember. It was a small red stripped looking thing that I also never seen before. If I see something odd that is rare and I never saw it, I need it no matter what it is or how much it cost. But this stuff was relitively cheap. Probably because the guy didn't know he had these fish and don't know what they are.
I also got a citron goby, a Queen Anthius and I totally forgot what the other thing is.
Let me lookfor it as I don't pay to much attention to this stuff.
Oh I remember. It was a small red stripped looking thing that I also never seen before. If I see something odd that is rare and I never saw it, I need it no matter what it is or how much it cost. But this stuff was relitively cheap. Probably because the guy didn't know he had these fish and don't know what they are.
Paul B
NJRC Member
My first post on some forums was in 2011: I was on other forums, when they invented forums.
In 14 months my reef will be 50 years old. I wonder if in another 10 years I will still be on here saying it is 60 years old.
Probably not, as I am already a Geezer and in 10 years I will be a Super Geezer.
But I will probably be drooling in a nursing home being cared for by retired Supermodel Geezer Babes :love:
That actually may not be too bad.
Of course since I don't quarantine, my tank is a time bomb and I think that is at the edge of time for a time bomb and it definitely will crash by then, especially from those parasites that can fly 10'.
I know my ich magnet hipo tang will never be able to live that long.
In 14 months my reef will be 50 years old. I wonder if in another 10 years I will still be on here saying it is 60 years old.
Probably not, as I am already a Geezer and in 10 years I will be a Super Geezer.
But I will probably be drooling in a nursing home being cared for by retired Supermodel Geezer Babes :love:
That actually may not be too bad.
Of course since I don't quarantine, my tank is a time bomb and I think that is at the edge of time for a time bomb and it definitely will crash by then, especially from those parasites that can fly 10'.
I know my ich magnet hipo tang will never be able to live that long.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I finally got my resin printer to print. All the problems were my fault. I had to upgrade my computer and remove a piece of plastic from under the printing platform that read:
"REMOVE BEFORE PRINTING"
like Duh. So I designed and printed this test gear. It won't be able to function as a real, working gear but that to is my fault and perfectly fine. This was mostly a test. The gear is slightly crooked and so is a couple of teeth. The entire thing is also a little oblong but that is all my fault in the designing and can easily fix that, I think.
Those supports get cut off.
"REMOVE BEFORE PRINTING"
like Duh. So I designed and printed this test gear. It won't be able to function as a real, working gear but that to is my fault and perfectly fine. This was mostly a test. The gear is slightly crooked and so is a couple of teeth. The entire thing is also a little oblong but that is all my fault in the designing and can easily fix that, I think.
Those supports get cut off.
