47 year old tank

[paul b]

You can see 3 of the 5 pipefish here

And helping PopPop feed worms.

And vacation hatchery and feeder.

Just because I can

[paul b]

I seem to have so many fish that just eat new born brine shrimp but those are the fish I really like.  I have the pair of mandarins, pair of dragon faced pipefish, a multi banded flag tail pipefish, a ruby red dragonette, pair of blue stripe pipefish, and a regular red dragonette or scooter bleeny as they are mistakenly called.  For all these guys I hatch brine shrimp every day and give two or three feedings as that is what you need to do unless you want to keep common fish like tangs and clowns.  I find these types of fish more interesting albeit more problematic in feeding but much more satisfying to keep.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't get a good picture of the ruby red guy yet.  But I will. I am looking for a mate for him but the males are all I find so far.

[paul b]

I took some pictures.

[DuffyGeos]

Live Aquaria ALERT

 

Red Scooter Dragonet (Bonded Pair)
(Synchiropus stellatus)   $69.99

[paul b]

That's cool but I never bought anything live on line.  I get them for about $25 or $35.00

[DuffyGeos]

That's cool but I never bought anything live on line.  I get them for about $25 or $35.00

Well that is $35.00 each, but you do have to pay for shipping which I think is another $35.00, so that works out to about  $55 each with shipping and tax...not sure if they charge tax out of state? Just remember you saying you could not find a female (Red Scooter Dragonet female, of course)

[paul b]

I will get one eventually.  The store here had about 7 of them but they were young and looked like all males.  I got one but I think the store lost the others because they don't feed them.  Mine was very skinny but fattened up in a couple of weeks in my tank.  I won't buy a fish unless I see it first but luckily for me here in New York there are probably 6 LFSs with in a 15 minute drive.  I told some of them to get me a female so I think I will have one soon.  My male is still to young to mate anyway so I am not in a hurry.

[paul b]

Just some Bangai's.

 

[paul b]

I just realized that I can't properly maintain my tank now that I have so many pipefish.  Normally once a year I stir up the substrait where I can reach and suck out everything with a diatom filter but I can't do that with the pipefish, especially the blue stripe pipefish as they never live through that.  I assume their tiny gills get clogged as I have always lost them when I make those needed typhoons.  I will have to forego the typhoons as long as I have the five pipefish and see how it goes.  The tank is running very well with the corals growing nicely so there is no rush to do any maintenance even though I think it has been well over a year since I did any.  I can tell when a typhoon is needed and so far all is well.  

 

 

 

[paul b]

 My pictures never come out well because I don't do photoshop so my pictures are what my tank looks like.  I know many people "enhance" the colors of their corals because from many years of SCUBA diving I know what colors corals are and very few of them are neon, fluorescent colored.  Some are fairly colorful but we have all seen pictures of tanks that look like Disney movies such as the Little Mermaid.  (I love that movie)
My tank is doing very well and I never seem to have problems, I am not sure why.  I am also not sure why so many people have so many problems.  Maybe after so many years a tank just knows what it is supposed to do.  Maybe it's the reverse UG filter or the retired Supermodels that I have come over to help me take care of the tank.  (I wish)
I have been writing a book because I am sure in a few years I will start to forget everything and since I started this just when the salt water hobby started, I want to pass on some of that information.
Also my wife of 41 years has MS so I am not sure what the future brings or how long I will be able to take care of the tank as I will have other, more important tasks to do.

Most of my fish are still spawning, my worm keeping device is working well as is my brine shrimp hatchery that I use every day.  The flock of pipefish I have are all doing well and they are the most challenging.  The rest of the fish can take care of themselves and if they could reach the freezer door, I wouldn't even have to feed them.  This week I changed 25 gallons of water, that is the most water I have ever changed at once.  I changed that much because I dropped to much salt in the bucket so I had to add water.  The corals didn't mind.

[DuffyGeos]

Tank looks great Paul.  I am sorry to hear about your wife, I am sure that is not going to get any easier. I will say that my tank is a kind of mental break. Any time one of my kids gets me a little heated it is time to go stare at the tank and practice deep breathing. It is a therapy for me.

[paul b]

I have been staring at a fish tank all my life and it just sits there and stare's back.  I think my fish stare at me to relax.

 

[DuffyGeos]

I have been staring at a fish tank all my life and it just sits there and stare's back.  I think my fish stare at me to relax.

 

It's not you, they are just looking for the supermodels around you.

[JR-Tanked150]

I'm interested in reading your book, tell us more about it.

 

So sorry to here about your wife. Hopefully you will be able to take care of her and your tank. I know that with all of the stress our tanks can give you, I still find it relaxing just doing basic maintenance and sitting back watching the fish.

[paul b]

The book is an E Book so far but I also would like to have some copies printed depending on what that cost me.  The book will be a different type of book than what is out there all over the place.  Some of it is about the history and the methods we used to use, some of it is about the methods I still use and what I found to work.  There is a chapter on keeping fish healthy as opposed to curing things as that is also all over the place and I don't feel fish should ever get sick. Much of the book is about DIY and saving lots of money as so many people go broke with this hobby and I don't know why.  I write like a combination of Tolstoy and Dr. Seuss so it is like "War and Peace and Horton Hears a Who" all rolled into one book.  There are quite a few mentions of Supermodels but they have little bearing on my fish keeping abilities.

[DuffyGeos]

The book is an E Book so far but I also would like to have some copies printed depending on what that cost me.  The book will be a different type of book than what is out there all over the place.  Some of it is about the history and the methods we used to use, some of it is about the methods I still use and what I found to work.  There is a chapter on keeping fish healthy as opposed to curing things as that is also all over the place and I don't feel fish should ever get sick. Much of the book is about DIY and saving lots of money as so many people go broke with this hobby and I don't know why.  I write like a combination of Tolstoy and Dr. Seuss so it is like "War and Peace and Horton Hears a Who" all rolled into one book.  There are quite a few mentions of Supermodels but they have little bearing on my fish keeping abilities.

Is this Halloween, or just another day at Grandpa Paul's!

[John Ford]

Congrats on getting Tank of the Month over at R2R Paul!

[paul b]

Thanks John

 

I let my Grand Daughter Greta borrow my Wizzard outfit.

Edited November 7, 2014 by paul b

[paul b]

Just playing with some color filters

 

[DuffyGeos]

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!! Didn't you just say-

 

" I don't do photoshop so my pictures are what my tank looks like.  I know many people "enhance" the colors of their corals because from many years of SCUBA diving I know what colors corals are and very few of them are neon, fluorescent colored."

 

I like the old unfiltered Paul........ Now what......you're going to filter your comments? 

 

That will be no fun.

[paul b]

 

" I don't do photoshop so my pictures are what my tank looks like.  I know many people "enhance" the colors of their corals because from many years of SCUBA diving I know what colors corals are and very few of them are neon, fluorescent colored."

That's exactly what I said, which is why I stated that I am "playing" with color filters and I am not saying my tank looks like that. 

 

This is natural with no filters, photoshop or anything else but water.  I think it looks better natural.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2014 by paul b

[DuffyGeos]

So do I!

 

Don't change Paul

[paul b]

Actually to get clearer pictures, I removed the water from my tank and suspended those fish with string that I later photoshopped out.  The fish had to hold their breath for the shots.

[John Ford]

Did you train them to hold their breath or were they naturals?

 

Actually to get clearer pictures, I removed the water from my tank and suspended those fish with string that I later photoshopped out. The fish had to hold their breath for the shots.

[paul b]

I don't train my fish to do anything, I just asked them nicely.