47 year old tank

[paul b]

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.

 

Then I picked up my wife from the floor in the place where she had melted and we went off to buy tomatoes.

[madweazl]

darned rudabakers!

[paul b]

Janss Pipefish having lunch with friends

 

 

 

 

[paul b]

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,

 

 

 

[elbowdeep88]

That is awesome. Of all the threads ive seen on how to catch fish Ive never seen the tiny hook method. Another PaulB DIY creation to add to your next book

[paul b]

Actually I think Jesus may have invented this and I wasn't with him that day.   

[Origami]

That is awesome. Of all the threads ive seen on how to catch fish Ive never seen the tiny hook method. Another PaulB DIY creation to add to your next book

 

 

Actually I think Jesus may have invented this and I wasn't with him that day. 

 

Ha! Yes, it's an old technique that we keep in the toolbox. However, Paul, this is probably the first time I've heard of the aquarist bending his own hook! Normally the advice entails going to your local superstore, picking up the smallest hook you can get, and crimping the barb. Yours is much more convenient: Grab a needle from the sewing kit and using pliers.... Good old Yankee innovation.

[paul b]

Hi Tom. You usually need to heat a needle to red hot or it will snap. You can do that on a stove, candle or the hip of a Supermodel.

 

I bent it too small at first and couldn't hook him so I made a bigger one which worked. The fish will jump right off that hook in a second because of not having a barb, so you need the bucket right under the tank where you are "fishing".

 

You can also make a spear, but most fish frown on that method.

Edited August 15, 2017 by paul b

[paul b]

There is a chance that I may have to take my tank down.* I don't know yet.* I need back surgery, which I assume is better than front surgery.* I have a real man condition from doing Real Man heavy work all my life and I don't mean carrying Supermodels on my shoulder as they don't weigh much.* I have 5 or 6 degenerative disks with compression fractures and everything is inflamed and some nerves are crushed. (sissy nerves)

 

I don't know yet as I am still going for shots in my spine with vodka/Grand Marnier/Prizapro but that isn't working real great yet. I also tried a fresh water dip and may quarantine myself in the bathroom for 72 days.

 

The pills I am on say not to operate heavy machinery so I am not driving my Jeep, only my PT Cruiser because it is lighter.

I need to fix this so I can take care of my wife and she is all upset.

 

If I get this done, and I may go to the hospital for special surgery in Manhattan, (We passed it in my boat yesterday and boating on the East River through Hells Gate was probably not too prudent with this condition) I may need a month of rehabilitation (which is sissy bending and twisting like ballet dancers) My tank won't last a month if I am not here, my pipefish especially frown on that.

I can't change the water now and probably not for a year so we will see how that works out.*

 

Of course none of this may happen, they may say I am not candidate for surgery and should just run for President as I may be a candidate for that, but of course I would institute a draft where everyone would have to go into the army and that would include Men, Women, infants, Popes, and especially Liberals.

 

I let my friend do most of the driving because these pills make me a little stupefied and I am not sure if I am driving a boat or an airplane. 

 

[paul b]

This guy is finished, And I love him. He is not plugged in here which make his eyes light up green like mine

 

 

 

 

[paul b]

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

 

 

[madweazl]

That's awesome! I don't know that I could find mine and I retired in '14 LOL. 

[paul b]

I found mine and I got out in 1971.

[paul b]

My bluestripe pipefish completely grew back his tail that was bitten to just a stump by the much larger Janss Pipefish. I really love these bluestripes and they are probably my favorite fish. I wish I kept records because I don't know how old they are.

 

They can really suck up new born brine shrimp.

 

You can see here how his tail grew back.

 

 

 

[paul b]

So I went to my neurologist friend yesterday and he doesn't think it is my back. Or my front, he thinks it's my sides. Well that doesn't leave much else I mean if it isn't your back and if it isn't your front, it must be your sides.

He thinks I may have a bunch of cracked ribs. I don't think so but being I don't have an arrow sticking out of my head or a cro bar sticking out of my back and I don't remember being pried out from between subway wheels, I have no idea why I can't hardly move. He also thinks I may have to go to a Dr. for arthritis, I forgot what you call them. I call them a Supermodel Doctor because the one I know could be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, so I hope I have arthritis. So far we know I don't have the arrow thing and they all agree I have stress fractures all over my backbone but he said that is from carrying heavy things all my life and most construction workers get that unless you were a snowflake or a Girly Man.

 

So they did all the doctor things and I had to go for blood tests to see if I had blood instead of seawater, then I had rib X Rays, I guess to see if I also have ribs. I went for lung X Rays and I am sorry I am sucking all the money out of Medicare so there may not be any left when you Noobs get here.

The Dr's will get al the tests back in a couple of days and I will see if I will live so I can take my tank with me or if I will sleep with my fish.

 

Just now I bought 3 striped cardinals which was stupid because now I have 3 more fish to move and this move is going to be a horror.

[madweazl]

Move, what move? Hope they find an "easy" fix for your frontal, sidal, backiotomy so you can get back to heaving super models over your shoulder. Wait, you were just carrying them weren't you? 

[paul b]

I tried but couldn't pick up even the skinniest of Supermodels last night. I "almost" had to call a sissy ambulance as the pain was so high that I thought I may be a snowflake. But a bunch of pain pills and Grand Marnier in combination with some pills my Dr. gave me set me straight and I am still a Manly man. We here on Long Island are surrounded by some of the best hospitals in the world. I could almost walk to 4 of them. The problem with them is that if you go to an emergency room, or even of they pry you out from under a school bus that ran you over, then put it in reverse and ran you over again then the driver in the process of opening the door crushed your skull, you would still sit in the emergency room for 15 or 16 hours while they are on the phone with your insurance company before they give you an aspirin.

[Origami]

This come on all of a sudden, Paul? Five or six degenerative disks showing signs of compression fractures and the neurologist says he doesn't think it's your back? Geez. It seems that you're getting a lot of conflicting information leading to what? These specialists need to pick up the phone and have a conference call, rather than leaving you hanging and trying to sort through stuff to figure out what's going on. That's they're job. Do you have a GP that's serving to collect the information and be your advocate/intermediary? That might help sort out all the opinions at least and get you on a track to doing SOMETHING. 

 

Sorry that you're in such pain. I'll bet it makes Dale feel badly, and then you feel badly when she's feeling so. Let's hope that you're feeling some relief soon.

 

Do you know of anybody in Manhattan Reefs that you could trust and train up to keep things running for a month while you're in (residential?) rehab (should it come to that)?

[paul b]

I don't know anyone on Manhattan reefs because we are moving soon. My back is pretty good during the day, but gets bad at night.

 

I spend a lot of time interviewing Supermodels now to take care of my tank when I travel.

 

 

 

[Bruleyii]

You still havent answered where youre moving to. lol. it sounds like it might be a big move with the way youre talking. 

[paul b]

It is a place out east on Long Island just where the north and south forks begin called Baiting Hollow. It's fifty miles from where I am now and it is 100 yards from the Sound. We are downsizing because my wife's Mom used to live upstairs as I built the place as a Mother Daughter and our Daughter got married and moved out so it is to big for the two of us.

The marina there is on the Peconic and right behind, and attached to the Atlantis Aquarium. It looks just like this http://thereserveatbaitinghollow.com/

Edited September 7, 2017 by paul b

[Bruleyii]

Oh nice. That place looks relaxing. 

[Bruleyii]

Might be a good time to change anything or fix anything on your tank, like maybe the stand. Are you going to have enough room for all of your projects?

[paul b]

Oh nice. That place looks relaxing.

 

Yes, I am closing my eyes as we speak

Might be a good time to change anything or fix anything on your tank, like maybe the stand. Are you going to have enough room for all of your projects?

I will buy a new tank, bigger and set it up there before I move if I can.  I don't think I can get my tank out and it is very old so it is scratched.  I will put in a UG filter and bring about half of my rocks and gravel. Then fill it with NSW which is right up the block. Then I will bring the rest of my rock and gravel along with the livestock and drag everything out there. It's about an hour drive with no traffic which happens at 3:00 in the morning. 

My workshop there is 3 times larger than it is here which is the main reason I am moving and NSW is 100 yards away so I won't need that Girly Man ASW.

I will use my existing water cooled LEDs but I will have to make another line of LEDs and connect them to it as that tank will be a 125 and mine is only a 100 so that will be 4 or 5" wider and I will need more light.

 

I also will build more rock because I always wanted to keep all my rock off the gravel,  Now I can build something the length of the tank to do that, hopefully.  I will also build a new stand

Maybe those Supermodels will help me. 

Edited September 8, 2017 by paul b

[Bruleyii]

Oh that should be fun!