paul b December 12, 2017 Share December 12, 2017 Thats great. My house now was built about then and I have plaster walls and the outside is stone and brick. Behind the plaster is pine on a diagonal. and a real pain to work. I had to drill a hole in my foundation for a vent and it was 18" solid concrete and I put in a sliding door in my living room in the brick which was about 12" thick. It's great construction until you have to work ion it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 12, 2017 Share December 12, 2017 I apologize for having all of this non fish stuff posted. I am surprised they didn't throw me off of here with all this un fishy stuff. Ha! Your fish need a home, don't they? We're talking about the fishes' home, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime December 12, 2017 Share December 12, 2017 Thats great. My house now was built about then and I have plaster walls and the outside is stone and brick. Behind the plaster is pine on a diagonal. and a real pain to work. I had to drill a hole in my foundation for a vent and it was 18" solid concrete and I put in a sliding door in my living room in the brick which was about 12" thick. It's great construction until you have to work ion it. You nailed it. My condo was built in 1941, and since I've purchased, I've discovered that the thinnest wall is: Drywall, Plaster, Chicken wire lathe. I flipped my breaker box from one wall to the other, and there was about 12" of a wall that is built like a bomb shelter. Like you said, great until you have to work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 12, 2017 Share December 12, 2017 Sheetrock is a wonderful invention. OK I will try to post some fish stuff. Nothing happened in my tank today. The pipefish are still spawning, the fireclowns are spawning, the cardinals are spawning, the mandarins are spawning and the copperband is looking at them because he is jealous that he has no one to spawn with. He tried to spawn with the urchin and his insurance didn't cover the aftermath. Everything looks happy and are doing the macarana. I tested the water............Maybe 6 months ago. I forget. The water cooled lights are doing what lights are supposed to do.I don't know what to say. I wish my perchlet, whatever it is thing would get acne so I had something to post. 2 or 3 pods died of old age but thats about it.I woud like to say I was battling something but I think I won all the battles. I would even be happy if I found a hitchhiker, even a duck billed platypus, but I got nothing. Sorry.I better talk about lights, elevators, Santa Claus or global warming as I am at a loss. He still looks good, if only he would sneeze, something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 12, 2017 Share December 12, 2017 OK, I found something. A large montipora is bleaching and most of it died. I knew I could come up wit something. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 13, 2017 Share December 13, 2017 I just noticed something else. I shouldn't have looked at my tank. One of my bluestripe pipefish is not swimming exactly like he should be. I looked at him closer and someone took a bite out of the middle of him. There isn't much meat on a bluestripe in the first place so I know he needs a chiropractor. The other one is fine. The only fish that doesn't like the male bluestripe is the Janss pipefish and he has a smirk on his face. He once bit the tail off this bluestripe. If he is alive in the morning he will make it. He is very old for a bluestripe pipefish and way past his lifespan so I am not sure how he will fare.If he croaks, I won't get another one until after I move. It will be one less fish to catch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 13, 2017 Share December 13, 2017 (edited) The Bluestripes are probably my favorite fish, if not my smallest. That injured guy is still kicking. I hatched extra shrimp and he is eating like this is his last meal. I can tell he has some nerve damage but it doesn't look infected. If his insurance covered it, I would get him an MRI. Him and all my fish have a great immune system so I feel he will recover. That is if the Janss pipefish leaves him alone. I don't really have any aggressive fish except for an old fireclown but I have never saw him attack the bluestripes. But I have seen the Janss pipefish go after him a number of times. It's a good thing none of them have teeth or he would have been bitten in half which wouldn't take much. Edited December 13, 2017 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 15, 2017 Share December 15, 2017 My bitten up bluestripe pipefish seems completely healed. He has a scar that goes through his beautiful blue stripe so now his bluestripe looks like Morse Code but I think he feels well and keeps (stupidly) taunting the much larger Janss Pipefish who has absolutely no sense of humor.Fish in spawning mode heal very quickly. He hasn't resumed spawning yet and I am not sure if his mate thinks he is a wimp for losing the fight but if I look close, I can see him smiling. (not a recent picture) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 15, 2017 Share December 15, 2017 You can see the bite mark in the middle of him. It healed nicely and his color may return as it is much bluer now then it was yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 19, 2017 Share December 19, 2017 Unfortunately I think I will have to do another big water change and I just did one not very long ago. I don't know what my nitrates are but they are way up there due to too many fish and I want them spawning. But I am sure I am feeding to much and due to my impending move, I have been ignoring the tank almost completely. A couple of SPS have a little algae growing on them so their tips died. That is not to bad because SPS should not live in my tank anyway as the water conditions are probably the same as a cesspool in Bayone New Jersey. My algae scrubber is so full of algae that people have been ringing my door bell asking if I have spinach to sell. I also have not stirred the gravel in I don't remember but it could have been over a year or two ago so I need to do that. Maybe I will stir it up just before I change water so I can suck some of the muck out. The fish are all fine but I ran out of live blackworms a week ago so they are mad at me. Blackworms are a little harder to get because of the drought in California so I would imagine the worms there are thirsty and on strike. For some reason, they want to save the water for people.If I have time, I will go and collect some real water but it is very cold now and I am not that ambitious to get wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 20, 2017 Share December 20, 2017 I just collected some Atlantic water and I am thawing out. now.I collected 15 gallons because thats all I care to carry and I was getting frostbite. I tested the water for nitrate which is zero and the salinity is a little low but that reading doesn't mean much now because the water is about 39 degrees. After it heats up I will re test it and probably add some salt. I have to filter this water through my diatom filter because it is very green and has a lot of floating particles in it. After going through the diatom, it is crystal clear. I also mixed up another another 30 gallons which comes to 45 gallons. That is much more water than I have ever changed but I want to bring my nitrates down to at least where I can read them because I don't think I will have another opportunity to change any water for many months due to my move. I will be too busy to change water. That is if the tank survives the move. If it doesn't I will have a lot of salt water to soak my feet in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 20, 2017 Share December 20, 2017 Is this thing on? Where is everybody? You are not all out collecting water are you?I am making some nice juicy tuna steaks for dinner but I don't have enough for everyone. It doesn't seem like anyone is around anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 Merry Christmas, if anyone is still here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 I just completed the biggest water change I ever did in the life of the tank. It was difficult because I am not 20 years old any more and for some reason, water keeps getting heavier. Maybe it's from all that nuclear energy we use and they throw out that contaminated heavy water. 15 gallons was NSW.I changed 55 gallons and I think there are only about 60 or 70 gallons in my tank as it is full of rocks. There was only about 5" of water left and my copperband was having the horrors and scratching 911 in the glass.I stirred up the gravel as best I could with my diatom filter (which you can still see in the picture) and siphoned out the muck and mud, hopefully no pipefish, anemone crabs or beer cans.I will let the diatom run until it goes on fire or shuts off the lights in my neighborhood then I will cal it a success.... Well almost. I had to manipulate the diatom outflow hose to stir up the bottom at the same time I was siphoning out water using a large diameter hose into pails. During that time I had to keep changing buckets but there were so many buckets, that I couldn't get around.I only broke a few..... OK, Most of my corals, especially the montipora's but I feel they will croak during my move anyway. I will glue them someplace when I have time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 There's an interesting conversation going on over at nano-reef about how smaller tanks don't see as many failures because it's easier to address the entire tank, ie. take down rock, scrub it, or do 100% water change. I think your reverse under gravel filter and blowing everything up and stirring it all up once a year contributes to those similar successes. If you keep temperature and salinity during your move, your tank is used to things getting shaken up already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 Hello blue eyed baby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 Hello blue eyed baby. Oh, I thought you were talking to me. There's an interesting conversation going on over at nano-reef about how smaller tanks don't see as many failures because it's easier to address the entire tank, ie. take down rock, scrub it, or do 100% water change. I think your reverse under gravel filter and blowing everything up and stirring it all up once a year contributes to those similar successes. If you keep temperature and salinity during your move, your tank is used to things getting shaken up already! It will work out fins as long as I am not living in a van down by the river while I wait for them to finish building my new home. I was looking at what I got my wife for Christmas and I decided that it wasn't enough so I figured, stupidly, that I would go to a store and get her something else, 3 days before Christmas. So I drive to Sears. No, I didn't buy her anything there. If I bought my wife something in Sears, she would throw it at me. You go there for cro bars chain saws and axes. I parked in Sears parking lot because no one goes there so you can park. I walked through the store to get to the stores on the other side where you can't buy a parking space. Remember, this is New York. So I find this Girly Girl store and go in. I am of course the only man. 10' in the store they have these down coats so I grab one. XXL, XL, L, XXS, XXXS etc. My wife wears a small. I couldn't find one. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spot one on the floor, in between the racks where no one looks. I got it, it's a small. I go to the counter and I am in luck, there are four girls working there and only two people on line. At least I thought there were only two people on line. There was really 6 or 7 people on line but they were all off looking for some other stupid thing and the 2 people on line were saving their place. So I wait, and I wait, and I wait. Like really! How do you Ladies shop. Just throw some money on the counter and leave. They are all showing pictures of their dog to the sales girl or asking about the return policy, exchanging E Mails, how the stuff is sized, what kind of bodice it has, like what is that? All sorts of silly questions that they should have Googled before they got on line in front of me. If I had a gun, I would have blew my brains out. There is no way I would wait in a Mans store. Just hand me my box of cro bars, I will give you more than the thing costs, I don't need a receipt, have no questions, don't own a dog so I won't show you pictures of him. I don't want to make friends with you or give to charities like homeless dogs, homeless chinchilla's, chimpanzees or sign my name to save the whales, porpoises, duck billed platypuses, bald eagles or eagles with hair. Just get me out of here. I said it many times. I know how to move these lines along. They should have two lines. One for people with nothing to do and no life who don't mind spending the Christmas season on line. They can pay the normal price, get a receipt, talk about the store policy, discuss fall colors, sign up for a credit card or save the whales. Then the other line, lets call it the express line, will move very fast. For the people with a life who just want to get out there should be a girl (or man, elf, leprechaun, etc.) at the door with a bucket. If the item is marked $137,52, the person in a hurry can give her any amount he or she wants higher than $137.52. I would give her $150.00 and run out. No receipt, no questions, no bag, no box, no thank you but I would say Merry Christmas and be on my way. The rest of the people on the slow line can spend Christmas on line. The extra money in the bucket at the end of the day can go to save the whales, seals and eagles with hair. Like whats the problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 I just collected some Atlantic water and I am thawing out. now. You? The water? Both? Is this thing on? Where is everybody? You are not all out collecting water are you? I am making some nice juicy tuna steaks for dinner but I don't have enough for everyone. It doesn't seem like anyone is around anyway! Pics or it didn't happen. Merry Christmas, if anyone is still here. Merry Christmas to you, Santa, and your lovely wife. I just completed the biggest water change I ever did in the life of the tank. It was difficult because I am not 20 years old any more and for some reason, water keeps getting heavier. Maybe it's from all that nuclear energy we use and they throw out that contaminated heavy water. 15 gallons was NSW. I changed 55 gallons and I think there are only about 60 or 70 gallons in my tank as it is full of rocks. There was only about 5" of water left and my copperband was having the horrors and scratching 911 in the glass. I stirred up the gravel as best I could with my diatom filter (which you can still see in the picture) and siphoned out the muck and mud, hopefully no pipefish, anemone crabs or beer cans. I will let the diatom run until it goes on fire or shuts off the lights in my neighborhood then I will cal it a success.... Well almost. I had to manipulate the diatom outflow hose to stir up the bottom at the same time I was siphoning out water using a large diameter hose into pails. During that time I had to keep changing buckets but there were so many buckets, that I couldn't get around. I only broke a few..... OK, Most of my corals, especially the montipora's but I feel they will croak during my move anyway. I will glue them someplace when I have time. Any thought to just giving the sand/gravel a good rinse to get rid of debris when you transfer it to the new tank? After collecting the water, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then siphon off the bottom inch. That should take care of the heavy water and the bucket will be a little lighter - about an inch lighter to be exact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 Then the other line, lets call it the express line, will move very fast. For the people with a life who just want to get out there should be a girl (or man, elf, leprechaun, etc.) at the door with a bucket. If the item is marked $137,52, the person in a hurry can give her any amount he or she wants higher than $137.52. I would give her $150.00 and run out. No receipt, no questions, no bag, no box, no thank you but I would say Merry Christmas and be on my way. The rest of the people on the slow line can spend Christmas on line. The extra money in the bucket at the end of the day can go to save the whales, seals and eagles with hair. Like whats the problem! You think you've got it all worked out, till somebody trying to save the chinchillas ends up in the express line. Just like that one person that ends up in the express lane at the grocery store in the 10 items or less, with two shopping carts. Or the person at the self checkout that is buying nothing but produce that doesn't have bar codes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 21, 2017 Share December 21, 2017 Tom when I move it is right next to the sea so I will rinse off my gravel in the ocean then throw it in my tank with NSW. Bar codes are also a silly invention. Just write on the thing in magic marker and forget about it. Merry Christmas to you also and your wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 22, 2017 Share December 22, 2017 And from mine to yours. Here's a shot from "Ice" at the Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor. We're both wearing about 7 layers here - at least 2 coats and sweaters under that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 22, 2017 Share December 22, 2017 Hey, you guys look familiar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 24, 2017 Share December 24, 2017 It was great this morning. We went out to breakfast like we do on Sundays, then to the Italian store to get some last minute stuff like shrimp cocktail to feed 40 people.It is so nice to see so many people out shopping and making preparations for my birthday tomorrow. It makes me all tingly. My male pipefish didn't show up for roll call this morning so i am sure the Janss pipefish made toast out of him. He was near the end of his lifespan anyway so I hope he will rest in peace, or wherever pipefish rest. It's a shame he couldn't enjoy Christmas. The female doesn't seem to care or notice. I tested my nitrates and I am happy to say they are down to about 100. Not to bad Merry Christmas anyone who still reads this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 26, 2017 Share December 26, 2017 Merry Christmas, Paul! Sent from my tablet using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 26, 2017 Share December 26, 2017 You guys look great Tom, just like I remembered you. Does your wife still have that tank (That was nicer than yours by the way.) I hope everyone got all they wanted for Christmas. I did. Except for that Peace on Earth thing. Since we are all Italians and I am Sicilian, (born in Brooklyn) we have to make a big deal of eating sea food on Christmas Eve. Every year we go to my Wife's cousins house where us and about 30 other family go for the sea food feast. I don't know how he does it for so many people but it must cost him upwards to $2,000.00 just for the ingredients. He had maybe 15 lobsters, shrimp, clams, calamari, mussels, scallops, red snapper, flounder, king crab legs along with linguini with all that seafood. But all of those seafoods he has prepared a few different ways. Baked clams, fried clams, clams on the half shell etc.It is by far my favorite dinner of the year. Then with dessert we had my birthday cake. On Christmas Day we go to Manhattan to my Daughter's house (not really a house) He likes meat so he makes this crown roast (which I am not that crazy about) then of course we have another birthday cake. :D Me with a crab leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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