Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer

[Paul B]

This morning like yesterday it is cool and windy. Not great weather to go amphipod collecting but I went anyway because the rocky coast is on my morning walk. I only go walking at about 6:00 am and at that time no one will see this fish Geek walking around with a pail turning over rocks like a 5 year old.



Last week you could put your shoe in the muddy water under rocks and come up with a thousand amphipods, but today was different.
Almost every rock had under it crabs. Japanese Shore crabs which are an invasive species and took over just about every inch of real estate so they are here to stay.

But the adult amphipods were gone. Not one. I don't know if it was to cold (71 degrees) I doubt it, or it was Prom night.
I couldn't collect even one adult amphipod but I got a lot of mud and these limpets which are extremely common.



They won't live more than a few months in my tank but occasionally I collect them just because I can. I may throw them back in the sea in a few weeks.

Looking closely at that muddy water, now that I am home, I see that I did collect multides of baby amphipods and other microscope creatures which will all go in my tank. I also see that I collected many very tiny Japanese Shore crabs which I will not add to my tank. They are not very harmful and grow to about an inch but I don't want them and may put them in a small tank just for the coolness factor or I may mail them back to Japan.

I mainly want the mud which contains all sorts of bacteria which I feel is beneficial to my tank and probably also harbors what many hobbyists would consider pathogens. These will not harm anything and will only help to boost the immunity of my fish.

 

[Paul B]

 

[Paul B]

It's a beautiful morning so I went out at 5:30 to watch the sunrise out of the sea. That never gets old.



Interestingly, in the background of that picture where you see that last hill go into the water, there are 5 WW1 shipwrecks half way up the beach. They were not military ships and now just some wooden hull planks remain.

Sometimes I walk there and it is a 3 mile walk round trip.
The seagulls also enjoyed it.




I turned over some rocks and found a baby eel. I didn't take it.

 

[Paul B]

If anyone is missing an 18" piece of a dock,, I found it.

 

[Paul B]

 

[reefsandrotts]

View attachment 51915

They'd wither up in the corner like an aptasia hit with the wand

 

[mrehfeld]

They'd wither up in the corner like an aptasia hit with the wand

Love that wand! Worth every penny

 

[Paul B]

I'm glad you like it. It is built in Florida but everyone wants it produced in China for less money. The manufacturer raised the price every year and now it is no longer profitable so we think we found a new American manufacturer but if it has to be made overseas, I will not allow my name to be associated with it and the company will be sold.

 

[Paul B]

On this mornings walk I encountered this Heron. She was just standing there but didn't let me get close. I wanted to get a close up because she reminded me of one of my old girlfriends.




But just like my girlfriend, as I got closer, she flew away.

 

[Paul B]

On this mornings walk I encountered this Heron. She was just standing there but didn't let me get close. I wanted to get a close up because she reminded me of one of my old girlfriends.

View attachment 51958


But just like my girlfriend, as I got closer, she flew away.

View attachment 51959

 

[mrehfeld]

I'm glad you like it. It is built in Florida but everyone wants it produced in China for less money. The manufacturer raised the price every year and now it is no longer profitable so we think we found a new American manufacturer but if it has to be made overseas, I will not allow my name to be associated with it and the company will be sold.

It seems it is the way these days. It is admirable to make a stand, if not here then where. I wish you and your all the best.

 

[Paul B]

My Daughter is out of surgery and the Doc said she did well. They inserted a 3" titanium plate in her wrist and set the bones in her arm and hand.
The nerve block is probably worn off by now so I don't know how she is but from my vast surgery experiences, she is in quite a bit if pain.

 

[diana a]

Oh my gosh! Did they give her pain meds to take home? Prayers

 

[Paul B]

Yes, she has pain meds. I tried to steal some from her but she wouldn't let me have any.

She is doing well and not in to much pain. Her 2 kids are "helping" her....Somewhat.

I think we will both be in casts at the same time as my surgery is in about 10 days so I hope to do as well as her.

This will be my 33rd surgery (I think) If these doctors did it correctly the first time, we wouldn't need so many surgeries.

We are trying to get our Daughter to stay here a few days, at least before I go in, but I don't think she is going to do it.

 

[Paul B]

Dental Hygiene is important for everyone.
Cleaning the teeth on a friendly Great White Shark. (I think he is a Vegan)

 

[diana a]

Wow look at the tracker.

 

[momof6kids]

Dental Hygiene is important for everyone.
Cleaning the teeth on a friendly Great White Shark. (I think he is a Vegan)


View attachment 52007

This reminds me of the years my husband, sons and sons-in-law competed in the Mako Mania competition. They would sit around deciding who would be doing what on the boat, and I overheard them talking one year about how a juvenile great white shark and a Mako shark looked almost identical. And that it is illegal to boat a great white, that there is a big fine and you can actually go to jail for it. Unless you have a permit. And that there was only one difference between a juvenile great white and a Mako. It was the teeth. I walked in and asked, "And whose job is it to open the mouth and see what you were capturing."

 

[Paul B]

I am in a conundrum. This leather coral grew to a foot high and it is hitting the front glass and wants to stick to it.

I need to move it but it grew on a DIY rock that takes up about a quarter of my tank so I will have to remove many pounds of rock to re locate it.

It needs to be done but I have to work my way up to it. I also will get a new shoulder in 2 weeks so everything will be on hold that requires my left arm.

 

[MadReefer]

I am in a conundrum. This leather coral grew to a foot high and it is hitting the front glass and wants to stick to it.

I need to move it but it grew on a DIY rock that takes up about a quarter of my tank so I will have to remove many pounds of rock to re locate it.

It needs to be done but I have to work my way up to it. I also will get a new shoulder in 2 weeks so everything will be on hold that requires my left arm.

View attachment 52012

Just slice and dice it and attach to another rock.

 

[Paul B]

I could do that but I like the size of it for somewhere near the center of the tank. I do have it growing in other places but pieces broke off by themselves and grew there. I am sure in a year this thing will also be invasive and will cover my tank. I think this leather will be easier to eliminate than Devil Sponge.