47 year old tank

[YHSublime]

Tom, it must be my magnetic personality. 

But she was a Sweetheart and extremely nice and polite.    

 

So many people told us the same thing which makes my wife very happy.  About 8 or 10 people told us this house has so much love in it and it shows in how we take care of it and decorate it.

There is probably no cleaner home as my wife and I move all the furniture away from the walls twice a year and clean behind it.  Then she takes out every drawer and cleans and oils the back and bottom of them including the drawer slides.  We take all the light fixtures apart and clean the glass including the 15 track lights we have.  We remove everything from every closet and clean or paint the shelves.  My wife is a little nuts when it comes to cleaning, but it's better than being a slob 

 

I do the same thing, but when you have pets, you have to, and everything is still messy the next day. 

[paul b]

Thats why the only pets I have is fish.  And a camel but he is house trained. 

[paul b]

All still immune here, all is well.  I took down my blackworm tank for the move.  I think we sold the house and their inspector is coming over today to inspect things.  Even he will find my fish immune although all the outlets and "creative" electrical work he may not appreciate or understand.
But I will try to convince him that all of that will be gone when I take everything out of the tank and attempt to move it 60 miles.
This will be a good test of immunity because I am buying a new tank and filling it with NSW from the beach near my home there and will just warm it up before I throw in any fish and coral that survive the move.

They will go from very old water with 160 nitrates to very new water with no nitrates which may upset their stomach a little.  I will add some of the old water to keep some of any bacteria and parasites that are in there just for kicks.

The water will come from here.  I suppose it will warm up a little before then or my powerheads will make a lot of noise.

[paul b]

Thanks. Their inspector came today to inspect my house. He crawled through crawl spaces, squeezed behind things, searched in places i didn't even know I had. When he was finished he said to me. "I never saw a house like this, I can't find even one thing to write, everything is perfect". I was very happy because he said the same thing to the prospective buyers. He also said, He would buy this house if he could. I was an electrician most of my career but I was also a plumber so i did everything myself including raising the dormer and building the bathrooms, kitchens and all of the built in furniture. I also put in new plumbing, boiler, solar panels, central vacuum, alarm system, wiring and everything else. I didn't think he would find anything wrong and I am very proud of that. :D
In a few days we will go to contract. But my fish are getting very nervous as it is still very cold here and they have no sense of humor. :eek2:

[paul b]

  The inspector has a fish tank so he understood my thousand outlets.

I will be ordering a new 125 gallon tank soon but I am still torn if I want a new fangled sump yet.  I am not sure if I want the thing drilled with that overflow in the corner.  I know I will be trying to fish my bluestripe pipefish and clown gobies out of there every two days.

 

I am planning to add a lot more small "interesting fish" like I have now rather than boring angels and tangs although I need to add at least one Naso tang for all the people who say it won't live there because of all the parasites.  The things we need to do to prove things. 

 

I just hope I can catch it to give it away after it gets a foot long.

I bought the redwood to build the stand out of but we still have snow on the ground here and my radial saw is covered with parts of the "industrial bed" I just built so I don't have room to work yet.  It should only take a few hours to build.  I also have to build it so I can take it apart to fit in my car so I can get it out there.

[madweazl]

Our inspector is checking the house on Tuesday, hopefully there isn't much drama (couple little issues I'm aware of but hopefully nothing I'm not). 

 

If nothing else, the sump sure is handy for housing heaters and other junk. 

[paul b]

I am very glad he didn't find anything wrong with my house.  The bank rep is coming in a day or so then we can go to contract. 

 

Most of my tank build will be me hauling buckets of water out of the ocean.  If I get time (I am waiting for varnish to dry now on the "guts" of the bed I built before I can put on a second coat)

I want to make a 12 volt bilge pump with a FIFTY FOOT hose on it along with a wire to connect to my car so I can throw it in the ocean and pump water into buckets in my car.  I can back up to here and be just about in the water but it is rough so I will have to walk out on this little pier to collect.
The last time I went here to collect Dorothy Hammil was taking up all the room skating in figure 8s.  (Google her)

I will need some time to warm that water up or else I will have to wrap each fish in bubble wrap to stay warm and they frown on that.

I also want to build a large "rock" support the 6' length of the tank to support my entire reef structure off the bottom.  I don't see me getting that time and I also would have to soak it in water for a while.  If they would let me I would put a rope on it and throw it in my boat slip to cure, but that also ain't gonna happen.

 

I am planning on losing most if not all of my corals.  In my new place in the tank space there is no heat, almost no electric, no water, no drain so I have a little work to do before the tank will be functioning semi correctly.  But before I do anything with the tank except put water and fish in it I need to do a lot of other work in the place like install lights.  i didn't want the builders lights, I built my own along with the bed and some of the furniture so I have to put in all that stuff.  I will also be putting in an elevator as my condo is above the workshop and garage and my wife has MS so she doesn't do stairs well.  That is why I doubt I will have corals left.

 

I also have no tank light except for my present water cooled LEDs which are to small for that tank but for a while they will have to do.

Edited March 17, 2018 by paul b

[paul b]

Everything is a battle which is why I never hire anyone for anything if I can help it. I am trying to get this contract to sign to sell my house and I want to sell and the buyers want to buy but the lawyers make a big deal out of everything and complicate it to no end. There is no need to have any lawyers around when you buy a house. You should be able to go there with an M-11 wheelbarrow full of cash, dump it on the lawn and move in.

My real estate guy is from India and it is very hard to understand him. The buyers are from China and their real estate agent is from Hong Kong. Their lawyer is also from China and can't barely speak English. When these people get together with my lawyer who has no communication skills so the conversation, if you can call it that goes backwards, so much so that I can't tell If I am selling my house, buying my house or setting up an aquarium to raise Godzilla larvae.

We were supposed to get this contract 2 days ago but there was something written in there, probably in French that both lawyers had a problem with. So they called each other and now I am not sure where I am or if we will go back to the cold war.

My neighborhood here in New York is a mix of every nationality and culture and it is becoming mostly Asian and Indian which is fine. It's kind of interesting that I can go into the stores and buy stuff from all over the world. One of my Neighbors was born in China and he translates stuff to me that I sometimes find written in Chinese. My other neighbor is from India and he takes care of my house when I am away. The people behind me are from Sicily which is where my family is from and he barely speaks English so when we all get together on the corner to chat, it's like the league of Nations but we are all good friends. I love it.

But it doesn't help sell a house.  

[YHSublime]

There's a reality TV show in this situation that people would definitely watch. 

[paul b]

Not me!  It's snowing so hard here that I seen a chicken with a Cape-On. 

[paul b]

We were on an interesting tiny Caribbean Island last week and I started a thread about it in the Lounge or whatever they call Off Topic here.

[paul b]

I have been packing for the move which is supposed to happen at the beginning of May.  My tank looks particularly lousy as I have not touched it in quite a while.  I have broken montipora all over the place and my nice large frogspawn has been shrinking.  I can't remember when I added calcium so the thing must be starving.  But on a better note, the fish are great, no ich, no psorisis, no nothing and the fireclowns still spawn whenever I walk in front of the tank in my underwear.

I just about finished building our new bed which looks like a huge industrial pallet with big steel wheels.  I built the lights for over the kitchen Island and ordered parts to build the track lights over the rest of the kitchen.  I really looked for lights I liked but can't find any.  I prefer "different" and don't like the normal run of the mill stuff on Houzz, Amazon, Dirt Bags R Us or any other sites and Home Depot is way out of the equation.  I go there for fertilizer.

Everything in the house will be industrial or steampunk looking and you have a hard time buying that stuff so you have to build it yourself, besides, I like building stuff.

I made most of the pieces for my new tank stand but I can't put it together because it won't fit in my car so I may have to assemble it there.  I am not sure of the logistics of how I am going to move my tank as that all depends on the timing.  I am sure I will lose the corals but I will try not to.  If the fish don't jump out and they don't get a stroke in new NSW they may be OK.  I have a huge room with one light in the center and one outlet 15' away from the tank.  No drain and no fresh water near by so I will have to hook my RO up to a hose temporarilly.  I don't think I will have more than a day to set it up, collect 125 gallons of water 20 gallons at a time, warm it, drive 60 miles, carry all my livestock, clean my gravel in the ocean and get it all in the tank.  Remember I still won't have lights in my house and I have to assemble the bed and help my wife put away dishes, and everything else I accumulated in 40 years.  Our boat is being moved there the same day but I can let the marina plug it in and wax it so I don't have to mess with that.
I will probably have to light my tank with a temporary something until I can manage to get my Water Cooled LED light over it.  I will also have to put in a bunch of heaters because that space is not yet heated.

That will also be my workshop and that will take me about 2 years to finish building.  I need to build my work bench, closets, storage and drawers all over it.   I also will order 10 LED, "flourescent looking" lights from Amazon.   I need to install a big exhaust fan, heat and AC the place, install a bathroom, water, electric.  Before all that I wanted to install a floor (It's concrete now) but I may only have time to install it under the tank until I do the rest of the stuff.
My wife has MS and can't really help too much so we hope to have a few friends there to help.
If I had a week to work there before I moved, I would sleep there and complete all the important stuff but the builder won't let me there until I pay for the place and that can't happen until I get paid for my house and the people want to move in right away.  I will get it all sorted out in time.

[YHSublime]

At least you got a nice relaxing vacation before all this work coming down the pipe!

[paul b]

Yes, very relaxing.  

 

I started building my new stand today for the 125 gallon tank for my new house.  I will probably start a tank move thread when it gets a little closer to the move which should be in a few weeks.  I am building this stand out of red wood because it warps the least of all woods except cedar which is much to weak.  Redwood is almost as strong as pine but costs a lot more.  These 2X4s in redwood were about $15.00 each.  In the summer they are much easier to find because no one makes decks here in the winter.  The legs are regular pine, non treated 4X4s.  The hardware is all hot dipped galvanized and it is also glued with Gorilla Glue as it is somewhat water resistant.  It is bolted together with 3/8" X 6"  carriage bolts and nuts.
The 2X4s are dadooed or grooved into the legs for additional support.  I still need to put in the lateral supports and bottom shelf If I decide to use one.  This stand will be behind a wall so none of it will be visible.

[paul b]

I finished the stand for my new tank in my new home.  It is redwood but I also coated it with Thompsons Waterseal just for fun.  The front 4X4 is doubled.  The thing is functional, very simple and very strong and stable.  Now all I need is the tank.  In a few days I should get my Undergravel filter.  They are rare now because of that "Nitrate Factory" thing.  I hope to make the reverse UG filter manifold before I move and I decided there will be no sump so I don't need to worry about that.  It will basically be the same set up as I have now in a little higher tank.  I will transfer everything from the old tan to this one.
I think my water cooled lights will work with a little tweeking.

[rvu1710]

Hi Paul! Can i ask about copperband, does it bother any coral by the time

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[paul b]

My copperband doesn't bother anything.  

 

So yesterday I had to go to a Hand Doctor.  For some reason I am susceptible to this trigger finger thing (maybe I got that in Viet Nam) But as you get older, you are susceptible to all sorts of things which is why it is so exciting to wake up.
For instance last night I slept in my Grand Kids bed (with my feet hanging off the end) and my wife slept in our bed.  It's OK because after 44 years married we know what each of us looks like.  We do this occasionally because I "may" sometimes snore.  At least my wife tells me.  She doesn't exactly tell me, she kicks me and says OOOOOOoommm, go somewhere else.  Thats my cue.
Old people also don't sleep during the night, they get very tired in the day but can't sleep at night so I met my wife at 2:30 this morning in the kitchen looking for melatonin and other things that are supposed to make you sleep but really don't.  We both had some and went back to "beds". 

But as I was saying about the thrill of old people waking up, you never know what is going to hurt.  I had a dream last night that I was dancing with Christie Brinkley, but it could have been Govenor Chris Christy, my memory is foggy.
I was swinging her around and I think I also picked her up a few times to throw her over my head.  On second thought I am sure it was Gov. Chris Christie because this morning I can't move my wrist.  At my age, even dreams cause injury.

I didn't go to the doctor for that because those dream injuries generally heal by the next nights dream where I may be an orthopedic surgeon working on Evel Kneval .
I went to that hand guy for the trigger finger.  I told him I am moving in a few weeks and really need my right hand so what are my options.  For people who don't know what trigger finger is, it is when you open your hand to like slap yourself awake or block your wife's hand from slapping you and one of your fingers stays closed.  Then you have to take your other hand and use that to open your finger. 
It is an easy operation and I had it done on other fingers 3 times, but I still have 8 more that will probably get as we are not supposed to live past about 37.
But he said ,after the operation you can't lift anything heavier than a tea cup and I also have mugs, platesand coral banded shrimp to pack so the operation is not an option right now.  So we decided to do a steroid injection.

This didn't work on my other three fingers but it was free so I said, what the heck.  I also forgot how it feels when he sticks this needle into the palm of your hand.  I was lucky because this time he didn't have that cute assistant there so I could scream without being to embarrassed.  The last time I had to go all the way to my car and close the windows before I screamed.

This Monday I have to go and have a tune up on my knees.  I probably need new knees as industrial construction is not kind on your knees.  When I get my new knees I want those good Home Depot Pressure treated ones so I can go through metal detectors.  The same thing happened yesterday at the Knee guy.  Instead of operating (for the 6th time) he will inject me with this grease mixed with Prixapro after fresh water dipping them.
I also may have to quarantine one knee from the other one for 72 days.  The needle that they inject this Goo into your knee looks something like a turkey baster and it has a crank on it.  Not a pleasant feeling either. 

The whole point of this story is when I was driving home there was this gray foreign car in front of me going very slow.  About 50 feet from the corner the car makes a right turn.  Of course this was a sidewalk and he crashed into a "no parking sign" and bent it over.  I put on my emergency flashers and got out to see if he was OK.  At first i didn't see anyone in the car and figured it was parked and started moving.  But I remembered following him for a while.  I looked closer and this ancient little guy was in the drivers seat looking through the steering wheel.  I think he was texting.  He looked to be about 100, I asked if he was hurt and I assume his wife, but it could have been his nurse, BFF, heart doner, driving instructor or Karate teacher was in the passenger seat.   He put the car in reverse and backed up into the oncoming traffic.   I ran to the back of the car to stop the cars because i don't think this guy could hear me yell STOP!.

I ran to the front of his car and took a picture of his license and he drove off at two MPH.

I called 911 even thought I felt real bad for the guy, but he was going to kill himself, me or the Rock singer he had with him.
Unfortunately there is no age limit for driving but I think they should at least give you a test to see if you can remain conscious long enough get to a corner before you make a turn.

[paul b]

Sponges must love nitrates.  It is getting hard to keep trimming this almost 18" blue sponge I have on one side of my tank.  It started creeping up my bed last night.  I thought it was my wife so I hugged it.  But it was all cold, slimy and spongy smelling unlike my wife so I just said EEwe  and threw it back in the tank

[paul b]

I just had to change 5 water cooled LEDs on my tank as the blue lights went out and while I was fixing it, I must have shorted the white LEDs out and had to change some of those.  But I have a bunch of old ones around and I wanted to take the thing apart to clean off some corrosion anyway.

It's a pain in the neck testing 62 LEDs.

[Origami]

I just had to change 5 water cooled LEDs on my tank as the blue lights went out and while I was fixing it, I must have shorted the white LEDs out and had to change some of those.  But I have a bunch of old ones around and I wanted to take the thing apart to clean off some corrosion anyway.

It's a pain in the neck testing 62 LEDs.

 

Yes, it is. I've done this several times now on lights with long strings of LED lamps. In most cases, when the string goes dark some LED in the chain open circuits. However, Paul, you'll be interested to know that the last time I had a string go dark, the failed LED did not completely open.This was unusual but it did leave the functioning LEDs with a very dim glow that, when I turned the lights out in my workshop, allowed me to zero in on the failed LED right away. So, while it may not work every time (and, heck, I may never see it again), it's an easy thing to first check for that faint glow when trying to isolate a bad lamp for replacement.

 

Do you remember if you put up pictures of your water-cooled LED light?

[paul b]

Tom, I have also had that happen.  This time that wasn't it.  I hang a meter over the thing and test from the beginning of the light circuit until I come to the place where there is no power, then I short that one out.  If the rest don't go on, I keep going and short out where I lost power.  This time I had to jump out 5 of them to get the lights back on.  So I changed 5 LEDs and I am back in business.  Remember I amusing old LEDs from various fixtures I got because people threw them out.

I don't know how people can afford this hobby if they have to buy new equipment is a $2.00 part fails. 

[paul b]

So today I had to go and get a shot in my knee. You need 3 of them so I have two more visits. I had this a few times before and I know it doesn't work. I just like to me a real man so I go for the pain.
I went to the Dr's office for the shot and I felt bad because everyone in the office was sicker than me. I am not even sick, just worn out knees. If you work all your life and don't wear out your knees you probably had a Sissy job or didn't do it correctly. I think a lot of the people were there for eating too many of those little packets that come with electronics that say "Do Not Eat".

The Dr, has a very pretty, very young assistant, about my Grand Daughters age which disappointed me because now I can't scream and look like a Wuzz.
The Doc comes in and he is a friend of mine so we talk fish for a few minutes. Then he brings out the "Needle". I try not to look at it because it isn't an ordinary needle. He is injecting this gel in me that I think is a combination
Of Vaseline and Rowaphos with a little Prizapro to keep parasites off the injection site.

The two of them had to wheel the needle in on a dolly because this thing is so big, it has a crank a foot pedal and a ground probe on it. (I may be exaggerating just a little) I am not afraid of needles but this is more like a Javelin on steroids.
The assistant takes out this little tiny container which I thought was that stuff you use in cold climates to defrost a lock, either that, or lipstick, and she uses it to chill my knee. I said, "Is that it?" Don't you have like a fire extinguisher or a case of Novocain to use first? She just smiled and took something out of her eye. 

So he says "Little Pinch". I love it when they say that. Little Pinch. I said to him, Have you ever tried to stick this thing in your leg? He just smiled as I left.

So I limp to my car, close the windows so I could scream in private and I went home. My wife was there doing something at the sink. We have this insinkerator that you can put food scraps or fish in that died from Whopping cough so it goes down the drain. She turned the thing on and I hear, GGGGGGGggRRRrrras%%%%%%"GnnAAsshhhhhh, or something like that. Now water starts coming out the cabinet door under the sink.
I hobble over to it and look down in it with a flashlight and see the problem. The Goomiseguam that grinds the food up, ground itself up and made a hole in the side of the thing. Great. I sold the house and didn't want to replace this thing just now. Like it couldn't last a few more weeks!
So I go and order another one from Amazon because my knee won't allow me to go to Home Depot. It will arrive tomorrow. I am all excited because now I can jam myself under the sink and replace the thing.
It never ends.

[YHSublime]

Lucky you get to climb under the sink! Too bad you couldn't have gotten both knees done at the same time for a really great experience!

[paul b]

The other one is not far behind. 

[paul b]

I built a Sulfur Denitritor for kicks.  I won't install it until I move.   I just want to experiment to see how they work.