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Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
NJRC Member
Yesterday I went to a party on a rooftop of one of the oldest hotels in Manhattan,
(Not my Idea) But they had a raw bar and if they have a raw bar, I am there. This was a birthday party for my Son N Laws Mother.
There was maybe 60 people there and I got to meet some artists and show off some pictures of my Steam Punk stuff. My Grand Kids were also there. I don't know what this thing costs but they charge you $57.00 "extra" per person to have raw oysters there.
An oyster costs about two bucks so I am not sure how they figure that ridiculous price and I don't think most people even eat raw oysters which is fine for me because that is one of my favorite foods.
My Daughter of course was there and she is actually shorter than me.
Here she is wearing 8" shoes. No, I am not kidding, it looked like she had cinder blocks taped to her feet. The soles were about 2" and the heels were 8".
Like Duh, how do you walk in such things?
(Not my Idea) But they had a raw bar and if they have a raw bar, I am there. This was a birthday party for my Son N Laws Mother.
There was maybe 60 people there and I got to meet some artists and show off some pictures of my Steam Punk stuff. My Grand Kids were also there. I don't know what this thing costs but they charge you $57.00 "extra" per person to have raw oysters there.
An oyster costs about two bucks so I am not sure how they figure that ridiculous price and I don't think most people even eat raw oysters which is fine for me because that is one of my favorite foods.
My Daughter of course was there and she is actually shorter than me.
Here she is wearing 8" shoes. No, I am not kidding, it looked like she had cinder blocks taped to her feet. The soles were about 2" and the heels were 8".
Like Duh, how do you walk in such things?
Njtiget, thanks for posting. You are correct she can see Tom Sellic on TV but she can look at me every day.
My test kits are so old they came in wooden boxes. Wood is the stuff we make trees out of. The instructions read to keep in a cool chariot.
I can't get some of the reagents out of the bottle, which is made out of Bakelite and the rest I can't get the cork out.
Survey says 75% of the people don't know what Bakelite is.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I am looking for a new (or used) outboard for my 7 1/2' dinghy. I bought one two years ago but it is from China and a piece of garbage. It is a 2 1/2hp 2 stroke something I can't pronounce but the main problem is that it is air cooled. Air cooled anything run by gas is silly. I want a water cooled, 2 stroke 3 1/2 or 4 hp motor not from China because I want it to actually run without blowing up after one season.
I will probably get a used one because I only use it maybe 2 or 3 hours a year so I don't want to spend over $1,000.00 for it. I can probably get a used 2 stroke for 3 or 4 hundred.
I want a 2 stroke because they are lighter and smaller as I am not interested in gas economy when I am using less than one gallon a year. I can go for the extra fifty cents in gas a year.
2 stroke motors are so simple a 5 year old girl could pull it apart in ten minutes with a pliers and a comb from a Barbie Doll. Maybe Airline Hostess Barbie or Supermodel Barbie.
On my first boat I had a 140hp 2 stroke motor but one day it blew up.
We were out with some old people (who at that time were much younger than I am now). It was a beautiful night and all of a sudden I heard this "Pop". The engine stopped. I tried to start it but there was no sound.
I took off the engine cover and saw all these parts fall into the ocean. The connecting rod came right through the side of the block knocking the starter off the engine and I could see daylight coming right through the cylinder.
I had a pliers and maybe a screwdriver with me and my wife said to me, "Can you fix it?"
I said, Yes I can, after I buy a new power head for about $5,000.00 and spend a few days installing it.
That is exactly what I did but it took all summer to get the new power head.
Of course I had to buy new pistons, rings, reed valves and everything else except for maybe the propeller.
I will probably get a used one because I only use it maybe 2 or 3 hours a year so I don't want to spend over $1,000.00 for it. I can probably get a used 2 stroke for 3 or 4 hundred.
I want a 2 stroke because they are lighter and smaller as I am not interested in gas economy when I am using less than one gallon a year. I can go for the extra fifty cents in gas a year.
2 stroke motors are so simple a 5 year old girl could pull it apart in ten minutes with a pliers and a comb from a Barbie Doll. Maybe Airline Hostess Barbie or Supermodel Barbie.
On my first boat I had a 140hp 2 stroke motor but one day it blew up.
We were out with some old people (who at that time were much younger than I am now). It was a beautiful night and all of a sudden I heard this "Pop". The engine stopped. I tried to start it but there was no sound.
I took off the engine cover and saw all these parts fall into the ocean. The connecting rod came right through the side of the block knocking the starter off the engine and I could see daylight coming right through the cylinder.
I had a pliers and maybe a screwdriver with me and my wife said to me, "Can you fix it?"
I said, Yes I can, after I buy a new power head for about $5,000.00 and spend a few days installing it.
That is exactly what I did but it took all summer to get the new power head.
Of course I had to buy new pistons, rings, reed valves and everything else except for maybe the propeller.
Paul B
NJRC Member
My new pair of Janss Pipefish seem to be doing fine. I needed to really step up my brine shrimp hatching operation and I am probably still woefully to short to provide enough food for all the planktavores I have
If I get time (and that won't happen until the winter) I will build another shrimp hatchery that I can fill in between the times I fill this one now, which is every day. But the shrimp take about 36 hours to hatch so I play RAP music near their hatchery which cracks their eggs and they get out faster. Then they cram themselves as far from the music as they can so I can easily get them.
If I get time (and that won't happen until the winter) I will build another shrimp hatchery that I can fill in between the times I fill this one now, which is every day. But the shrimp take about 36 hours to hatch so I play RAP music near their hatchery which cracks their eggs and they get out faster. Then they cram themselves as far from the music as they can so I can easily get them.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I will tell you about a Jiboni. A few years ago I went to an optometrist, or optomoligist, I forget, but it is the one who tests your eyes for glasses so I guess they have to go to about as much schooling as a guy who takes up the hem on a Supermodels dress.
But I don't really know.
Anyway when I would look to the side, I would see double. That was fine if I was looking at a beautiful woman, because I would see two of them, but if I was trying to change lanes, I would see two tractor trailers coming at me and I wouldn't know which one to get out of the way of.
So this "Jiboni" is examining me and he notices this so he turns to my wife and says. Your husband has a Brain Tumor.
This coming from an eye glass guy.
My wife immediately goes into panic mode and gets the horrors calling my life insurance company and sizing me up for a suit.
So he says I have to go for an MRI of my head.
I go for the MRI, then a brain tumor test where you look into this black box and you have to push the button when you see little Supermodels running across the screen like comets.
I did all that and what do you know, No brain tumor (Thank God)
Not that I got upset anyway because like I said he was "Jiboni" eye glass guy.
It turned out to be a slight weak muscle in my eye and I needed eye muscle surgery.
So I go to Manhattan to the Eye hospital and this normally only happens to little children so the doctor comes in with one of those flashlights on his head with a "Big Bird puppet" hanging on to it.
I go in for the surgery and of course I have to get naked, I ask if they are sure they are working on the right end of me and they assured me they were.
So they wheel me into the operating room and stick me on this aluminum table which I think they just removed a case of Bud Light from because it was ice cold. Then the nurse sticks me with the IV which she just took out of the same place they stored the Bud Light so I am shaking because I am freezing as there are parts of me that are not used to being on such a cold table.
(I know I told this story on here but I am not sure if it was last week or last decade so if I just posted it, go and watch Oprah, I think she is giving away cat chow to homeless bowlegged cats on welfare)
The nurse (who of course has her face covered with the surgical mask) sees me shivering and she comes over to hold my hand. She says "Oh Honey, don't be nervous, this is a simple procedure"
I said "Nervous!" how could I be nervous? I am laying on a table naked, surrounded by 7 beautiful Babes!
They all laughed so hard they almost lost their masks.
Then the Dr. comes in and he says, "you have him on the table backwards" which didn't give me a lot of confidence. Now I was shaking because I figured they would mistakenly remove my gall bladder through my nose or some other "important" part that I may need.
But I don't really know.
Anyway when I would look to the side, I would see double. That was fine if I was looking at a beautiful woman, because I would see two of them, but if I was trying to change lanes, I would see two tractor trailers coming at me and I wouldn't know which one to get out of the way of.
So this "Jiboni" is examining me and he notices this so he turns to my wife and says. Your husband has a Brain Tumor.
This coming from an eye glass guy.
My wife immediately goes into panic mode and gets the horrors calling my life insurance company and sizing me up for a suit.
So he says I have to go for an MRI of my head.
I go for the MRI, then a brain tumor test where you look into this black box and you have to push the button when you see little Supermodels running across the screen like comets.
I did all that and what do you know, No brain tumor (Thank God)
Not that I got upset anyway because like I said he was "Jiboni" eye glass guy.
It turned out to be a slight weak muscle in my eye and I needed eye muscle surgery.
So I go to Manhattan to the Eye hospital and this normally only happens to little children so the doctor comes in with one of those flashlights on his head with a "Big Bird puppet" hanging on to it.
I go in for the surgery and of course I have to get naked, I ask if they are sure they are working on the right end of me and they assured me they were.
So they wheel me into the operating room and stick me on this aluminum table which I think they just removed a case of Bud Light from because it was ice cold. Then the nurse sticks me with the IV which she just took out of the same place they stored the Bud Light so I am shaking because I am freezing as there are parts of me that are not used to being on such a cold table.
(I know I told this story on here but I am not sure if it was last week or last decade so if I just posted it, go and watch Oprah, I think she is giving away cat chow to homeless bowlegged cats on welfare)
The nurse (who of course has her face covered with the surgical mask) sees me shivering and she comes over to hold my hand. She says "Oh Honey, don't be nervous, this is a simple procedure"
I said "Nervous!" how could I be nervous? I am laying on a table naked, surrounded by 7 beautiful Babes!
They all laughed so hard they almost lost their masks.
Then the Dr. comes in and he says, "you have him on the table backwards" which didn't give me a lot of confidence. Now I was shaking because I figured they would mistakenly remove my gall bladder through my nose or some other "important" part that I may need.
Paul B
NJRC Member
We took the boat to the Bronx last night for dinner to my favorite clam place and on the way back to Long Island as I was driving I held the phone behind me and without looking I took this. I think it was kind of cool.
To make this post about fish (because I know I don't do that a lot) There were a lot of fish jumping but I doubt they were copperband butterflies.
To make this post about fish (because I know I don't do that a lot) There were a lot of fish jumping but I doubt they were copperband butterflies.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Paul B
NJRC Member
These Purple Queen Anthias are extremely cool and colorful but they do require a little different care than say a tang or manta ray. Well, actually Manta Rays do kind of eat in a similar way, kind of but these Anthias require tiny food and although they will eat it when there is no current they seem to really enjoy eating in a swift current.
I feed them new born brine shrimp every day but I also add either frozen new born brine shrimp, cyclopeze, fish eggs or really anything tiny. I am not sure how they can see the food moving so fast but there are tiny things they won't eat. At first they will only eat live food but they eventually get the idea and I am certain that in time they will sit at the table with me and eat linguini and clams.
I need to hatch shrimp every day because I have about 10 fish that depend on that diet including mandarins and five pipefish.
I don't have a picture of the Manta Ray.
I feed them new born brine shrimp every day but I also add either frozen new born brine shrimp, cyclopeze, fish eggs or really anything tiny. I am not sure how they can see the food moving so fast but there are tiny things they won't eat. At first they will only eat live food but they eventually get the idea and I am certain that in time they will sit at the table with me and eat linguini and clams.
I need to hatch shrimp every day because I have about 10 fish that depend on that diet including mandarins and five pipefish.
I don't have a picture of the Manta Ray.
Paul B
NJRC Member
This "guy" is turning into a guy. "he" was a female but now is a male. You can't tell too much by this picture because he was "making a funny face". But his upper lip is longer than his bottom lip and that is a sign of Maleness. In fish I guess, not in ma, who by the way was always a male. I know that also happens to Salmon so maybe he met some Salmon when he lived in the sea.
Paul B
NJRC Member
It seems I can't keep these small Queen Anthias as the 4 of them are gone. The slightly larger ones with the bright yellow stripe and the one with the muted yellow stripe are doing very well and have been in there for a month to 3 or 4 months so far. I think they will live their normal lifespan.
These small purple ones didn't live to long. They either jump out or just disappear, I guess from not having enough of the right food even though I fed them new born shrimp a couple of times a day. Some fish "I" just can't keep long but many people can keep them. Luckily, they never die from disease. I also can't keep banded pipefish very long. But copperbands I have no problems with as they are large eaters and seem to be able to store food. I got this one as a baby and now she is the size of a hub cap.
Not in my fully stocked reef anyway. You really need a species tank for them and some fish and you need to have a constant supply of tiny, preferably living food. I do like those kinds of tanks but I only have my one 100 gallon reef tank (which I think is really a 90 but was sold as a 100)
If you have no life, I mean if you can spend all day tinkering with your tank, you can easily keep any kind of fish, but if you are active and are out all the time, forgetaboutit.
We were out late last night with other people for dinner as we do a lot and when I got home, the lights were off in my tank, so they didn't eat. They will be mad at me this morning but I will be going out before the lights come on, so they won't have breakfast either.
But I will be home to give them lunch so they will still be talking to me.
WE also stay out in the boat late and those days the fish don't eat, unless I collect something for them for desert.
Not eating for a one, two, three days or more won't hurt most fish. But for planktivores, they just don't have the storage capacity to cope with thea and they starve. It's a fact of fish life.
I try to be here all the time, but I can't.
When I travel, I am sure I will lose some of those types of fish as I can't ask my Supermodel tank sitter to do what I do which is hatch brine shrimp every day, strain them and put them in a feeder twice a day, collect mud from my white worm culture and separate out the white worms, suck up blackworms and baster them to both sides of the tank so all the fish get a chance to eat them before the copperband and blue wrasse gets it all.
Supermodels have other things to do such as do things that Supermodels need to do to continue to look like a Supermodel.
I only ask her to put a pre made frozen food package, that I make, into the defrosting cup and dispenser I have hanging on the tank, and I only ask her to do that every other day. There is some frozen baby brine and cyclopese in there which those fish eat, but it's not enough and I normally target feed some fish like the Janss Pipefish which live in a cave with a possum wrasse.
I am sure those fish will find some food but with about 25 fast feeders they won't get enough. I also have a small perchlet that I target feed.
These are the guys that seem very hardy.
I didn't do to well with this guy either. I have only a few SPS corals or the types of corals he eats and with all the other special feeders I have I couldn't spend the time that this beautiful fish needs to keep him long term. A few months is not long term so I will say I sucked at keeping him.
These small purple ones didn't live to long. They either jump out or just disappear, I guess from not having enough of the right food even though I fed them new born shrimp a couple of times a day. Some fish "I" just can't keep long but many people can keep them. Luckily, they never die from disease. I also can't keep banded pipefish very long. But copperbands I have no problems with as they are large eaters and seem to be able to store food. I got this one as a baby and now she is the size of a hub cap.
Not in my fully stocked reef anyway. You really need a species tank for them and some fish and you need to have a constant supply of tiny, preferably living food. I do like those kinds of tanks but I only have my one 100 gallon reef tank (which I think is really a 90 but was sold as a 100)
If you have no life, I mean if you can spend all day tinkering with your tank, you can easily keep any kind of fish, but if you are active and are out all the time, forgetaboutit.
We were out late last night with other people for dinner as we do a lot and when I got home, the lights were off in my tank, so they didn't eat. They will be mad at me this morning but I will be going out before the lights come on, so they won't have breakfast either.
But I will be home to give them lunch so they will still be talking to me.
WE also stay out in the boat late and those days the fish don't eat, unless I collect something for them for desert.
Not eating for a one, two, three days or more won't hurt most fish. But for planktivores, they just don't have the storage capacity to cope with thea and they starve. It's a fact of fish life.
I try to be here all the time, but I can't.
When I travel, I am sure I will lose some of those types of fish as I can't ask my Supermodel tank sitter to do what I do which is hatch brine shrimp every day, strain them and put them in a feeder twice a day, collect mud from my white worm culture and separate out the white worms, suck up blackworms and baster them to both sides of the tank so all the fish get a chance to eat them before the copperband and blue wrasse gets it all.
Supermodels have other things to do such as do things that Supermodels need to do to continue to look like a Supermodel.
I only ask her to put a pre made frozen food package, that I make, into the defrosting cup and dispenser I have hanging on the tank, and I only ask her to do that every other day. There is some frozen baby brine and cyclopese in there which those fish eat, but it's not enough and I normally target feed some fish like the Janss Pipefish which live in a cave with a possum wrasse.
I am sure those fish will find some food but with about 25 fast feeders they won't get enough. I also have a small perchlet that I target feed.
These are the guys that seem very hardy.
I didn't do to well with this guy either. I have only a few SPS corals or the types of corals he eats and with all the other special feeders I have I couldn't spend the time that this beautiful fish needs to keep him long term. A few months is not long term so I will say I sucked at keeping him.
Paul B
NJRC Member
I see a "problem" coming soon to my tank. The 3- 1" tubes that feed my reverse UG filter have been growing those worm tubes for decades and there is no simple way to remove the growth. My vertical algae scrubber uses gravity to feed the manifold where the tubes emerge from the bottom and feed the UG filter. The manifold normally only has 1/4" of water in it as the water goes down the 3 tubes as soon as it goes into the manifold. But for the last few days, that manifold has been filling with a few inches of water. I never built an overflow on to it because the water always instantly drained down the tubes. If the manifold overflows the way it is now designed, the water will be pumped on to the floor which my wife frowns on. The fish also frown on that as the tank would completely empty.
Now I have a few things I need to do very soon.
The first thing I will do is drill a hole a few inches up in the manifold in case it fills, the water will just flow back into the tank.
The next thing I will do is make a tiny "Rotor Rooter" snake to twist down through the tight bend the tubes make near the gravel. I will try to grind up the growth in small enough pieces that they get deposited under the UG filter plates.
I can't remove those tubes without breaking many year old coral growth to get to the back of my tank so I will try not to go that route.
I can't remember when I removed those tubes for cleaning but it may have been 20 years ago before I had a lot of things growing back there. There was a time when I could remove the corals and rocks, but now it is mostly montipora which are very delicate and I would rather not break.
The thing gets fed from the big white pipe that is the bottom of the algae scrubber. It's things like this that keep me interested in the hobby. If nothing happened, I would get bored.
Now I have a few things I need to do very soon.
The first thing I will do is drill a hole a few inches up in the manifold in case it fills, the water will just flow back into the tank.
The next thing I will do is make a tiny "Rotor Rooter" snake to twist down through the tight bend the tubes make near the gravel. I will try to grind up the growth in small enough pieces that they get deposited under the UG filter plates.
I can't remove those tubes without breaking many year old coral growth to get to the back of my tank so I will try not to go that route.
I can't remember when I removed those tubes for cleaning but it may have been 20 years ago before I had a lot of things growing back there. There was a time when I could remove the corals and rocks, but now it is mostly montipora which are very delicate and I would rather not break.
The thing gets fed from the big white pipe that is the bottom of the algae scrubber. It's things like this that keep me interested in the hobby. If nothing happened, I would get bored.
Paul B
NJRC Member
We are having people on the boat so we went to the market.
We call that market "Angel Eyes". We gave it that name because a few years ago we were shopping there and I was off looking at asparagus, rudabaker, or Oldsmobile fenders and I see this guy talking to my wife.
I sashay over there and he says to me, Is this beautiful Lady with you? I said yes she is. He says: You are a very lucky man because I can tell that she has "Angel eyes, and the eyes are the windows to your soul".
AS I was about to puke he goes on to say that he used to be a male model but now he "porked" up to have a 32" waist.
Like I never used that male model or angel eye line before. :agree:
Then I picked up my wife from the floor in the place where she had melted and we went off to buy tomatoes.
We call that market "Angel Eyes". We gave it that name because a few years ago we were shopping there and I was off looking at asparagus, rudabaker, or Oldsmobile fenders and I see this guy talking to my wife.
I sashay over there and he says to me, Is this beautiful Lady with you? I said yes she is. He says: You are a very lucky man because I can tell that she has "Angel eyes, and the eyes are the windows to your soul".
AS I was about to puke he goes on to say that he used to be a male model but now he "porked" up to have a 32" waist.
Like I never used that male model or angel eye line before. :agree:
Then I picked up my wife from the floor in the place where she had melted and we went off to buy tomatoes.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Janss Pipefish having lunch with friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchIXRIDE2A&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchIXRIDE2A&feature=youtu.be
Paul B
NJRC Member
I had a blue wrasse that grew too large so I wanted to give him back to the store. I made a small fish hook by heating a small needle and bending it into a hook. I caught him in a few seconds and brought him back.
I wanted a smaller fish so I just told the guy to give me a flasher wrasse. I stupidly didn't look at the wrasse and when I put him in my tank he sunk like a brick. I looked closer and noticed he was covered in Parasites.
Great.
I felt bad for the little guy and since he couldn't swim I was able to catch him and take him out.
I don't keep hospital tanks so I had to empty out my small mangrove tank to put the fish in. I also have a bottle of copper and formalin from the 70s so I put him in there doth a drop of that.
He is in bad shape and I don't expect him to live the night but I was in a hurry and it is totally my fault.
Here is a video of me catching that wrasse with a hook,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCc-9qTsR_w&feature=youtu.be
I wanted a smaller fish so I just told the guy to give me a flasher wrasse. I stupidly didn't look at the wrasse and when I put him in my tank he sunk like a brick. I looked closer and noticed he was covered in Parasites.
Great.
I felt bad for the little guy and since he couldn't swim I was able to catch him and take him out.
I don't keep hospital tanks so I had to empty out my small mangrove tank to put the fish in. I also have a bottle of copper and formalin from the 70s so I put him in there doth a drop of that.
He is in bad shape and I don't expect him to live the night but I was in a hurry and it is totally my fault.
Here is a video of me catching that wrasse with a hook,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCc-9qTsR_w&feature=youtu.be
Paul B
NJRC Member
My town was having a Salute to the Armed Forces and they asked me as a Veteran to come and display my Steam Punk stuff for the event. It was on the beach and very cool. There was also about 50 vintage cars there as well as bands etc.
That's the first time I wore my Dog Tags in almost 50 years. I am surprised I found them
That's the first time I wore my Dog Tags in almost 50 years. I am surprised I found them
