paul b December 16, 2009 Author Share December 16, 2009 (edited) No skimmer or fancy equipment, just a powerhead and water collected right off the beach. This is my local 10 gallon tank. There are just some animals in it that I collected here in NY off a beach. There is not even a light on it, just a swing arm 10 watt desk light. That tank has been running not quite continousely for almost 50 years. I don't even change the water with good water, I use the water that I am removing from my reef to fill it. I spend almost as much time watching this as I do with my reef. For aquascaping there is a brick and a rock. Coral Hind, that is all that is needed for some tanks This guy was also collected in NY and is also a resident of that "beautiful" tank which will never be TOTM or even a "real" tank. It's all part of the hobby And I am totally NOT embarassed by the looks of this tank, it is what it is because I want it to be what it is Edited December 16, 2009 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Camaron December 16, 2009 Share December 16, 2009 what do you mean "you people"? lol just kidding, i love my piece of reef but there are some nice tanks out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 16, 2009 Author Share December 16, 2009 what do you mean "you people"? I don't know. Usually I would just say "Youse guys" I was born in Brooklyn you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 16, 2009 Share December 16, 2009 We're technically in the South, here, Paul. You need to say, "Y'all" else we's won't understand ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 16, 2009 Author Share December 16, 2009 (edited) Y'all aint really that far south. I could almost see Virginia from Brooklyn. I've been to the south and it goes way down further than that. At least the last time I was there anyway. Edited December 16, 2009 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret December 16, 2009 Share December 16, 2009 Further south you might use: "All Y'all" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 December 17, 2009 Share December 17, 2009 Further south you might use: "All Y'all" That's the plural of "Y'all". Get it right or don't use it at all. Paul, you should check out a very old TOTM here, the school tanks I run. They never looked great, but they were a lot of fun for the kids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret December 17, 2009 Share December 17, 2009 That's the plural of "Y'all". Get it right or don't use it at all. LOL "Y'all" is already the plural, "All Y'all" clarifies that the entire group is meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 17, 2009 Author Share December 17, 2009 (edited) Ill stick with Youse guys, it covers everything Edited December 17, 2009 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 17, 2009 Share December 17, 2009 Where my family is from in PA the plural of you is "yous". When I'm up there I come back with an accent for a while, but never had the word "yous" coming out of my mouth as a part of it. Some places it's "youin" which to my thinking is strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind December 17, 2009 Share December 17, 2009 Wow, Yins have really gotten this thread way off topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 17, 2009 Share December 17, 2009 Wow, Yins have really gotten this thread way off topic. Now look what all youse all gone done, dagnabit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donmarco December 17, 2009 Share December 17, 2009 At 3 years in, I'm in no position to speak from experience. Still, I was scared off attempting reef husbandry by a well-meaning pet store employee who warned me about the expense and the difficulty of successfully keeping saltwater fish and coral. Well, to some degree she was accurate. It has been a very expensive avocation and a very time-consuming one. It's also presented some worries about the maintenance of my tanks when I'm on summer vacation and anxiety about that inevitable time when I experience a prolonged power outage or equipment failure. I've also made some really stupid mistakes and a number of animals and fish have suffered for it and even though I now maintain two tanks (50G and 120G) and they're stable and thriving, I'm still not able to say that I'm prepared to meet all the challenges that are likely to manifest themselves at some time in the future. Yet, for now, my tanks provide me not simply with an immense amount of enjoyment, but also a continuing education about the complexities of these living organisms and the seas wherein they live. I've always loved the ocean and had I the money and opportunity, I would live at the beach in some tropical location where I could explore the tide pools and learn to scuba dive and therefore see and enjoy the reefs naturally. I don't have that opportunity and probably never will, but my tanks provide some of that magic I'd find in the wild. For me, reef keeping isn't a hobby, nor is it an obsession. Instead it is an education, a classroom. What I've observed, from the creatures I've added to my tank and those that have made a home of it on their own, continues to teach me a great deal about life in general. In many ways my tanks provide me an opportunity to think deeply, philosophically as well as scientifically. Overall these creatures give me a sense of wonder and awe and I feel it a special privilege to provide some level of care, with the hope that all species will live a naturally long life amid the currents and conditions of my reef tanks. I'm learning, and that's why I have and continue to maintain my tanks. I appreciate even the Aptasia I battle and the algae I continually scrub from the walls. And my constant joy is seeing how the fish respond to my care and even how the Peppermint Shrimp in my refugium play with my finger when I dip it beneath the water after feeding them. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore December 17, 2009 Share December 17, 2009 We're technically in the South, here, Paul. You need to say, "Y'all" else we's won't understand ya. My wife keeps telling me that but everytime I go into a restaurant and ask for sweet tay they look at me funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 18, 2009 Share December 18, 2009 The problem with people in this hobby not using the internet as a resource, is that they may read a few books at the beginning, think they know enough, the book info gets outdated and the hobbyists stay in the dark ages as everyone else progresses. That is basically what my situation was up till shortly before I joined WAMAS. As much as I used the computer, I didn't think about looking for anything hobby-related. Then one day I decided I needed to either give up my tank or go all the way and get back to following the plan I had so many years ago to eventually start keeping corals. I'm happier than anything that I decided not to give up my tank, and being in WAMAS really has given me a boost which keeps me from getting back in the hobby rut I was in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k December 18, 2009 Share December 18, 2009 Forrest- you are partially correct about the books. I would say that most people buy one of the cheap books which are often sold in LFS's and are often out of date. The higher end books still stand the test of time. "Dynamic Aqauria" is still as relevant today as it was when it was published over 10 years ago. Of course there are those great sage-like people found on the internet like RHF and Origami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b December 18, 2009 Share December 18, 2009 .. . It bothers me when I hear of someone getting so upset about trival things like algae or ich. These are the very things that make this hobby worthwhile. . . . _________________ That is nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b December 18, 2009 Share December 18, 2009 LOL "Y'all" is already the plural, "All Y'all" clarifies that the entire group is meant. Wrong! All Y'all refers to multiple groups. In Pittsburgh its Yuns and Yunses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 18, 2009 Author Share December 18, 2009 the book info gets outdated and the hobbyists stay in the dark ages as everyone else progresses. That is true, I like to keep my library current Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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