47 year old tank

[elbowdeep88]

I tend to read this thread almost daily.

[paul b]

OMG, I guess I should post something daily.   No pressure.  We just got home from checking on the new place.  Just cement and sticks now but I had to look at and measure a few things.  All is well so far, not I just need to write a big check so they can finish the place the way I want it.  I told them a few things that I didn't want like the ice box, outhouse and kerosene lights.  Of course I will have to pay more if I want actual electricity and plumbing.

[paul b]

I bleached my worm tank because the worms kept turning into Jello.  Maybe after so many years they get some weird bug that affects them in a way so they can't sing or do anything so they croak.  I don't now.  But after bleaching and filling the tank with scurvy goldfish pond water the worms seem fine. You can tell healthy worms because they stay in a clump with their heads (or tails) straight up and not laying all over the place like homeless worms.  If you put your ear very close to the tank, you can hear them sing.  One or two sound exactly like Pavarotti.

I have been thinking very hard as to how I am going to move this tank and it is not going to be easy.  I went to the new house today which is under construction and I need to add heat to that room as well as water, electric and a sewer.  Those things are not a problem but this will be in the winter and fish and corals frown on getting chopped out of ice especially in the dark.  I am not sure I can keep them warm and lighted until I add those things.

[paul b]

I tend to read this thread almost daily.

 

What do you mean by "Almost?"     

[paul b]

A couple of times a year my town has a drop off place for all the toxic liquids you have laying around that you can't or at least should not put in the garbage and they frown on you dumping it down the storm drains in the street. 

Today is the day to do this so I gather all this stuff that I have accumulated in my house over the last almost 40 years I have been living here.

I got helicopter fuel, gasoline, fluorescent green paint, insect killer, sulfuric acid, hydraulic acid, Prizapro, two part epoxy, cleaning fluid, barnacle killing paint, grub poison, weed killer, grass killer, fungus killer, Godzilla Killer, carburetor cleaner, crank case oil and a number of other toxic things.

I take all this stuff and cram it into my car and bring to the beach where they will pick all this waste up.  Its a beautiful day and I am enjoying the scenery to the beach.

It's a beautiful and large beach and I am now looking for the pick up point.  I don't see anyone there except a girl wheeling a baby carriage.  I notice there was a baby in the carriage so i am pretty sure she is not going to take this toxic waste off my hands.  I drive to the water and notice the white caps as it is windy.

So I call the Town at 311 and hear the taped message.  Then 1 press one for English.
"This conversation will be recorded" OK record it. "All of our operators are busy helping other residents"

Of course they are.  (They only have one operator )  So finally I get this friendly sounding girl and she asks me how she can help me.  I tell her I am at the beach looking for the toxic waste pick up place.  She tells me to enjoy the beach because it is next month.

OK, so I screwed up by a month.  Thats better than a year so I head home with all this stuff in my car.

Now I start thinking, if I, God Forbid get into an accident now.  All of this stuff in the back will pour all over me.  If that happens I will probably turn into Green Lantern, the Incredible Hulk, Spider Man, The Flash, The Torch, Iron Man and Batman's Penguin.
(But not Wonder Woman)

I would be also be fluorescent green, on fire and be able to fly and leap tall buildings in a single bound, but the best thing would be that I could kill bugs with my breath. 

[paul b]

I took a video,not a very good video, but a video none the less.  The Jans pipefish was shy but you can just about make him out at the 50 second mark.

[paul b]

I just remembered a story as I am waiting for my wife to get up.  I had to do some work on my propeller and I didn't want to get into my scurvy marina water and I had my street clothes on.  The boat had a sloping back and it was an I/O  (inboard/outboard).  I tied a rope around my feet and the other end around the steering wheel so I could reach the prop without sliding into the water.  My spot in the marina was right in front of the marina bar where there were probably 100 people drinking, dancing and  many of them were most likely looking at me thinking I was trying to hang myself.

I get my wrench and inch myself over the back of the boat,  Inch by inch I can finally reach the prop.    I pull on the wrench,,,, and the rope slips off the steering wheel and I go head first into the water, clothes and all.  I stayed under the water as long as I could figuring the people on the dock are all hysterical laughing and I wanted to give them time to stop.  I couldn't really swim under the dock and come up someplace else because my feet were tied together and I can't swim real good like that as I am not a manatee.  

I imagined I started to turn blue so I had to pull myself up.  The water wasn't too deep so I could put my feet down into the ooze at the bottom where they sunk in up to my knees. 
I climbed up, not looking at the marina bar and I casually walked over to the hose so I could wash off the black mud because I am sure I looked like the Monster from the Black Lagoon.
Then I looked at the bar like I had that planned and I really wanted to go for a swim with my clothes on. 

[paul b]

I swim to or three times a week but 7 or 8 months ago I couldn't swim because of this pain in my chest.  I figured with all the asbestos and Agent Orange I have in me I better go (real fast) to a lung Dr. or pulmonologist.  
The Dr took X Rays, blood tests, MRIs, yada, yada, etc., and so on and there is nothing wrong with my lungs which is a good thing.
But I still have this pain that wraps around my ribs.  There is no such thing as a rib Doctor,  Or Ribologist, which surprises me, so I went to the next best thing, a bone guy or osteopath or whatever they are called.
The bone guy took X Rays, blood tests, MRIs, CAT scans Doh Ray Me's etc, and so on and told me, "well, yeah you have these stress fractures, edema, and other things from working construction all your life and you should have been an accountant or shoe salesman. 
Go to a Neurologist. 
I go to the Neurologist.  He takes X Rays, blood tests, MRI's CAT scans, hair scans, bone scans and shows me a picture of Scandinavia where he vacations.
He sends me to a Pain Management guy.  The Pain Management guy takes X Rays, MRIs, and checks me for GAC and shoots my back six times with, I think, Prizapro or Rowaphas.   But it could have been something else, i am not sure.   He sits you in front of an X Ray machine which he uses to guide the needles into your back near your spine, which you kind of need.  He said, “See that?”  I said Yeah.  He said, that is your lung.  If I hit that, you are in trouble.  I said, No.  If you hit that, “You are in trouble.”  Not a real pleasant experience.
A few days went by and I still had these pains so he shot me six more times.   I said, I think I need more X Rays and CAT scans. 
Ho told me to go to a surgeon.  I figured if I go to a surgeon, what am I going to tell him?  Just make some holes in my back, dig around and see if you find anything wrong!

So I go back to my neurologist (who is a good friend of mine) He tells me, maybe I have arthritis.  Go to a rhomitoligist.
So today I went to a Rhomotologist and this was my best appointment so far because the Rhomotologist is a Supermodel.
She doesn’t have much of a clue as to what is wrong with me, but who cares!
Oh, except that I have arthritis.  I am quite sure everyone has arthritis but not everyone has a Supermodel arthritis Doctor.
Now I got these cool pills that make me feel like I am an electric eel with a short circuit.

[paul b]

My old Bangai Cardinal is still kicking but he hasn't eaten in about 2 weeks so I think he is finally dying of old age.  He is living much longer than their lifespan but now I think the end is near, unless he starts eating again because he has done this twice before.  He stopped eating for 2 weeks a few months ago then made up for it and almost ate my TV.   He is my heaviest fish and when he goes I only have one large eater, my copperband which is by far my biggest fish.  I am moving soon so I won't replace the Bangai as I am not even sure if I can move the tank.  It all depends on if the new place is built at the same time I sell my house.

[paul b]

My next tank will be a combination tank with all the innovations that have come about in this hobby. For instance I want a DSB a SSB, BB along with a Undergravel filter and bio balls. This is going to be tough. I guess I will have the BB on the bottom, then a few inches up, put 7" of a DSB, then a few inches above that install the UG filter and maybe the SSB in the sump. Of course there would be bio balls in a housing suspended from the ceiling feeding the algae filter that will be both lit from above and the side and the top. The algae filter would feed the bio reactor, calcium reactor, Rowaphos, GAC, skimmer (with ozone) UV sterilizer and Kalk reactor. Lighting is easier, I would glue LEDs on to PC flourescent lamps and mount that in the same enclosure as the MH lights which would be 14,000K and 20,000K
A controller would alternately cycle all of these lights on and off a few times a second for the shimmer effect. Both a chiller and heater would be run at the same time.
Water changes would be performed every day for a year, then no changes for the next year then by monthly the next. Water would be NSW that would first be stored in an empty ASW bucket to get the benefits of both. The tank would be initially cycled with a damsel that was pickeled in ammonia. Because I don't want to offend anyone that damsel would have died of old age.
Ich will be controlled by adding cleaner shrimp, cleaner fish and manta ray fry that are filter feeders and pick paracites off whales and copperband butterflies.
The tank would be stocked with moorish Idols, twin spot gobies, orange spotted filefish and octopus.
I will report on the progress of this tank in a few years when I am sure it will be overloaded with corals and baby moorish Idols.

[Origami]

Let's see if I got this right:

 

From the top:

 

Algae Reactor > Biopellet Reactor > Calcium Reactor > Media Rectors > Kalk Reactor >> ??? Nuclear Reactor ???

[paul b]

Thats correct. 

 

Some of my pipefish eating new born brine shrimp

[paul b]

I figured out how to move my tank.  We bought a new Condo about 60 miles from where I live now that is still being built and I was concerned that I may have to move out of my house before I close on the new place because it may not be built exactly by the day I have to move.  If that happens we can move in with one of our friends but I can't take my fish and they frown on staying in the car in January.
I just made a deal with my friend who owns a LFS to rent a 55 gallon tank in his store where I can house my fish.  (Not connected to his other tanks and no medications)I can put my corals in one of his coral tanks as there is enough light there. 
I will also be able to fit probably half my rocks and gravel.  The rest of my rock and gravel I will just try to keep wet until I move.  I will go there every day to feed them because my fish are not used to normal LFS food and need gourmet worms and new born brine shrimp.  If all goes well I won't lose anything.  I am not worried about the corals as I can always buy new ones but it took me years to amass the types of fish I keep because I don't keep the more common types.  This is one concern off my mind.

[Bruleyii]

Powerhead, heater and a trashcan and you can keep your rock nice and healthy. Fish and coral... not so much. Glad you found a possible solution. 

[paul b]

Thats what I plan to do if I can keep them in a heated space.  If I have to move sooner than the place is finished I am not real sure where I will live for that time.   I may be in a cardboard box on a street corner. 

[elbowdeep88]

Glad to hear it. LFS proving valuable once again.

[YHSublime]

With enough whale blubber, you should be able to keep the flames glowing bright enough to keep the water and contents at a decent temperature. If you need any water to bathe in, it might be more comfortable as well, I imagine you have to pay extra to heat the cardboard box on the corner. 

[paul b]

I checked into the cardboard box on the corner and that town is not zoned for cardboard structures so I may have to live with a friend. 

[paul b]

Yesterday I was invited with my Daughter to tour this project they are trying to build under New York City right where the Williamsburg Bridge reaches Manhattan.  I have been driving over that bridge all my life and never realized the ground under there is hollow.  The space was built in 1903 as a turning around spot for the trolleys that went over the bridge.   Now a subway line runs right past it but the trolley tracks are still there and the space which is about as large as a football field has not been used since 1948 so it is a little dusty.   They are trying to put in a park sort of thing where trees and produce will be grown.  Sunlight will be "piped" in from above using some type of new technology from Japan.  There will be large sunlight collectors on the sidewalks above.  A smaller prototype was built a few years ago and is growing produce.  This will be a much larger experiment and if all goes well, it will serve as a model for many more places as New York City has many un-used subway tunnels as do other cities.  Those areas are normally filthy, asbestos and steel dust ridden very dark rat infested locations so it will be a challenge.
The train tracks and trains that run right next to it will be partitioned off with glass so you can see (and hear) the trains go by.
The area may also be available to rent for parties.  It will be very New Yorkish.

[madweazl]

Wow, that is pretty wild. I saw a picture a while back of what amounted to a farmers market (third world country) that was literally right on railroad tracks. The shop keeps would pull their awnings in as train passed and then open back up for business. 

 

Thailand apparently

Edited October 17, 2017 by madweazl

[paul b]

Cool!!.  That would be tough in Manhattan where the train comes through every 3 minutes. 

[paul b]

The photographer came to my house today to take pictures for the real estate sale.  She took more pictures of my tank than the rest of the house even though the tank is not for sale.
Actually, I am leaving the tank and just taking everything in it to my new home.  Very soon I should start building my new stand and hopefully I will build a rock structure that will hold my existing rocks off of my gravel.  That is still in the designing stages.
I may build the new stand out of cedar because it doesn't rot or warp but it is less than half as strong as most woods so I will have to double it up to give me the strength I need.
I am sure I will lose a bunch of corals during the move, especially the montipora's because I will have to break all of them off the rocks to move them.  If they make it, I will glue them to the newly positioned structure.
I still have to buy the new 125 gallon tank and under gravel filter.

[paul b]

My tank is really ignored now that I am selling my house.  I have been throwing things out like crazy and drawing prints for my new condo to change things around as they are building it.  It's about 60 miles away so it takes a little time to get out there.  I can't possibly fit all my existing stuff there so much of it goes in the garbage.  I have so many sets of tools because I was a mechanic and still do all the work on my cars and boat and I was a plumber and electrician so I have tools for everything.  Carpentry is one of my hobbies and carpentry tools are big and heavy and I am taking all of that.  But I don't need 4 ratchet sets or 40 screwdrivers so I am donating most of it to my neighbors and friends.  I already gave away all of my SCUBA stuff and a lot of my fish stuff including an Eheim filter.  My garbage cans weigh a ton so I gave the sanitation guys a big tip because I feel sorry for them.
It's open house this Saturday so I may sell my home then.  That would be nice but I can't move out until the other place is built.  My fish are mad at me because they get fed at all different times if they get fed at all. 
I try not to look them in the eye.  I am sure I will lose some fish and maybe all my corals during this move but I hope not.

[madweazl]

I had pretty good luck moving my tank half full in the back of a Uhaul LOL. We moved from CA to AZ and they had to sit in the truck overnight (in September). I lost a derasa clam but the crocea was fine (go figure) and one other coral but everything else was fine; I'm always amazed how resilient these critters really are. 

[paul b]

They won't be so resilient if I move them here in February when it is 8 degrees.