47 year old tank

[paul b]

Today, after I went on my boat to do a few last minutes winterizing things, paid some bills and started designing a new 

(what will be very cool) steam punk "thing" I gave my worms a bath.  Actually it was yesterday that I flooded them and kept them flooded for 24 hours.  My worm culture has been giving me problems as it is breeding dozens of flies, and I hate flies.  Scurvy little vile things. 

 

I know they are hatching in there and I know the worms don't mind being submerged so I sunk them all day.

 

The worms seemed happy and were all doing what looked like an Italian wedding dance so i figured there were fine.

 

I was trying to drown the fly larvae.  So far, so good as I don't see any flies.

If this doesn't work, I will flood them for 48 hours, then 72 hours. 

 

After I dried them out somewhat, I fed them a nice dinner of stale bread, yogurt and nutritional yeast.  I also added more potting soil in the hope they will once again start breeding and multiplying.  I may have to wait a couple of weeks to see if I was successful.

 

In the absence of live worms I have been feeding my fish, besides LRS food, clams that I got in a bait store.  I was going to use these clams as bait, but I only went fishing once this year and didn't catch anything so i am feeding them to the fish.

 

My anemone quadrupled in size and is the largest thing in the tank by far except for the sculpture of myself next to Christie Brinkley.  

[paul b]

This thing says there 1,450 replies.  Where are all you people?  Are you in a coma?   I understand that even if you are in a coma, you can still hear and understand.   HELLO!!!.   Someone say something, even Duh or Um.

Say something in Aramaic or Latin.  Talk about Pina Colada's, anything except the democratic convention picking last night.

 

No politics.  Just fish, life, wine, Praying Mantises, bowling balls, Supermodels, pliers, grilled cheese, salt water taffy,anything.

 

HELLO.

Is this thing on?  

I went to the beach the other day and saw a Praying Mantis, see even I can make up something.

 

This little friend met me by the beach.  See how easy that was.

 

[paul b]

It seems my 24 hour worm bath did nothing to eliminate of drown flies.  As a matter of fact, I think there are more flies now than before and if I look close I could swear they have SCUBA fins on.

 

Now i will try a 48 hour "bath" and if that doesn't work I will just collect all the worms I can and make a new culture.  I don't want to do that because it will take forever to collect a lot of worms with no dirt as I feel fly larvae or eggs may get into my new culture.  Maybe I will just play RAP music near the worms and see if the flies croak first. 

Before me anyway.   

[paul b]

My Book is  "flying" off the shelves and Amazon had to buy a large tract of land just to get more trees for paper.

 

OK, maybe not that severe, but they are selling and I hope people enjoy them.

 

The MS Society should be happy because as I said 100% of the profits are going to them and I am getting Zippo.  

 

At the end of the Tax year I will send them a check because I don't know how to just let the profits go to them.

Of course this will cost me because I still have to pay tax on the book profits even though I am donating the money so I will have to figure out how to do that so I don't go broke.    

[DAP]

Ordered my book !!

Tried many times to search for a used copy a few years ago, but no dice.

I think its awesome you are donating the profits to the MS Society.

 

I have this thread on instant email notification, so every time you post, I get a notification. 

Even if I am at work, I usually stop to read it.  Love your posts Paul !  Sometimes they are just the thing I needed to make my work day tolerable. 

 

I think in all my years reading your posts, this may only be the second time responding.

So even you think we are all "in a coma" , I am sure there are many like me who are definitely reading and enjoying your posts.

 

[paul b]

DAP, (if that is your real name) nice to meet you.  You need to post more on here as I am running out of ink asking and answering my own posts all the time.

 

My book was out of print for a couple of years because my publisher went out of business.  I decided to re-publish it with Amazon and it is there now under the same name, but a different cover.

 

I couldn't find the original picture of the old cover so I couldn't use it, instead I used a picture I had of my copperband and pipefish.

Christie Brinkley repeatedly turned down my requests to appear on the cover as she wanted seven figures and I offered her $27,83.    

[paul b]

I just got back from the fish market and bought 2 dozen live crabs.  This is the first year I didn't go crabbing so I had to buy them.   I finished cleaning them and my fish had a feast.  My anemone looks to big for my tank now.  ;Wacky 

 

Now my wife will make a nice linguine and crabs and I will be in heaven.

[paul b]

Amazon tells me that my book will be out in an E Book in a couple of days where it will be available to all parts of the Earth and beyond. They said it is so powerful and mind changing that they are going to replace the Bible in hotel rooms to make room for my book.

I told them to leave the bible there just in case some people want to pray that their fish don't croak from using other methods.    

[Jayshaw]

This is so old one.

[paul b]

11 minutes ago, Jayshaw said:

This is so old one.

What is so old one?  And what does that even mean? 

[Origami]

What is so old one?  And what does that even mean? 

Spammer, apparently. Account suspended.

[paul b]

OK, But I still don't know what is so old except me. 

[paul b]

It is time to again trim this sponge that I have all over the tank, but instead of sticking my hand in there with a scalpel I will try my Majano Wand which I forgot about.

I have a few of them laying around because, Like Duh, I invented the thing and never thought to use it for this.   People tell me it works on mushrooms so it should work on this.  I will let you know 

 

[paul b]

For 2 weeks we have been hearing this "wind" noise coming through the ducts in the house and I just assumed it was the wind going over the vent pipe on the roof because we are very near the sea and it is windy here.

Yesterday I was downstairs where the tank is with my friend and he was behind my tank and he said, I hear a motor noise.

My hearing isn't that good from Nam so I don't hear high pitched noises which is why I can't hear it when my amphipods scream when the mandarin eats them.  But I could barely hear the motor noise.

I told him there are no motors there.  Then he pointed to this tiny motor on my DIY Sodium Denitrifying thing I built which I completely forgot about as it  is tucked in between the tank and the duct.  The motor got air in it and wasn't pumping water, just making a slight noise which went through the ducts because it was up against it

He unplugged it, and the noise went away.  Like Duh.  

[Origami]

On 10/28/2019 at 6:19 AM, paul b said:

For 2 weeks we have been hearing this "wind" noise ...

 

 

  'nuf said.  

 

Sorry, Paul. I just couldn't resist. 

[paul b]

Yes I have been told, I talk alot.  

 

A member of a forum asked me about Majano Wands so I started looking for one as I used to have them all over the place.
(I invented the thing and hold the patent)
I found an old hand made prototype at the bottom of a box that I didn't un pack yet since I moved here a year and a half ago.

I didn't think it would work so I figured I would try it on the sponge I have encrusting all over the place.
Surprisingly, it cuts the thing like a laser beam. A very slow laser beam. Then I take out the pieces with a long tong thing.

It is hard to cut where it is attached to the rock so there is some ripping needed, but it still works.
I also noticed a couple of aiptasia in there which I also killed although it works much better on Majano's, hence the name.  

[paul b]

A few weeks ago my wife gives me this stuff you are supposed to spray in the shower to disinfect the walls and glass doors.

 

Yesterday I decided to use it. after I took a shower.   It is strong stuff and you can't stay in there as it smells like nerve gas.

 

Anyway, after I used it I accidentally left it in the shower and by mistake put my liquid soap away.  My liquid soap comes in a bottle that looks similar to that disinfectant stuff.

(I think you know where I am going with this)

 

So this morning I get into the shower and pick the stuff up and spray myself.

It is like a mixture of Clorox, Battery acid and riot gas.  It wasn't pretty.  

[paul b]

My tank is doing really well, even my wife came and said that and she didn't even know we had a fish tank.

I have life all over the place as well as some cyano which I think looks kind of nice. All the corals are trying to reach the ceiling and the fish can't smile any broader. I think my young watchmans are spawning, or watchman and watchgirl.
I want to be PC just in case there are any Snowflakes that mistakenly fell into this thread.

I think my experimental Sodium De-nitrifier is working, or at least it looks cool. My algae scrubber that is hanging over the tank is growing algae. But I changed the grow bulb to a red bulb which was a mistake. The stuff grows much better with the normal bulb.

I am all excited, I got a rare look at my Janss pipefish as he never comes out. He must have thought I was out of town.
I never expected this guy to live this long as they are considered difficult. He did bite my male bluestripe almost in half, but besides that he is a great and beautiful fish. If you could ever see him of course.



I also finished (almost) my fireplace. The entire structure is on wheels and I can move it away from the wall in case I want to hide back there. All I have left to do, if I decide to do it, is to add hydraulics to that stone below the hearth so it lifts up to store stuff. It's about 400lbs and almost 10' long so I am not sure I want to do it or not.

[paul b]

I had to bite the bullet and order a new culture of  white worms.  And I really hate biting bullets.

 

My old culture is just to old and the flies and Godzilla larvae over took the thing and are eating all the worm food.  

 

If I had a small lizard I could easily keep him fed with these flies but I have no place for a lizard right now so I will just dump the entire culture in the dumpster so those flies can fight with the flies already in the dumpster.  It will look like Star Wars in there. .

 

 

I wanted to order them before it got to cold because I doubt they ship them in an insulated container.  As it is they may freeze before they get here anyway but they are not that expensive.

 

 

My old culture may be 10 years old so maybe the worms are Geezers and can't fight flies.  Bunch of Sissies. 

[paul b]

This morning my wife and I went to the Supermarket.  We didn't see any Supermodels but as she was picking through eggplants, tomatoes and whatever I got bored and went over to the coffee machine where they also have a few tables.

There were three nice looking Ladies there and they were laughing and having a good time.  A white Lady, a Black Lady and a Middle Eastern Lady.  They asked my name and I said "Paul".  They said Oh, like the Saint.    Then they invited me to sit with them.  They were very nice and friendly I was thinking, "I still got it."  

Then they gave me one of those "Jehovah's Witness" Booklets and I realized, I got nothing.  

[DAP]

[paul b]

My wife and I were just talking about going back to California for more stem cell treatments (for her MS) but it is quite costly and the slight benefits only lasted for about 6 months.
We are really hoping and preying that something better comes along.

I posted this the last time we went in 2017 and figured I would post it again because I have nothing else to write:

This week I took my wife to La Jolla California for Stem Cell treatment for her Multiple Sclerosis. It is kind of an experimental treatment but we hope it works.

Before the "visit" began we spoke to the nurses a few times there on the phone and they were so nice I thought they were putting me on. The nurse asked my wife questions like they would before a medical procedure.



She asked my wife for her name, and my wife told her "Dale". The nurse said Oh, Awesome. Then she asked her for her birthday. My wife told her and the nurse said Wow, that’s so cool, thank you for telling me that. She asked her weight and said, Fur sure, totally awesome, you are so nice to tell me that. And the rest of the questions went like that. She didn't want to know anything about me or my fish tank.



I figured marijuana is legal there so maybe they were all "happy".



It was a six hour flight and they picked us up from the airport and brought us to the hotel where we checked in. The Supermodel at the desk spoke the same way and gave us cookies which were totally awesome, Fur sure.

The next day they brought us to the clinic where my wife will have the stem cell treatment. The Supermodel nurse comes in with the same attitude, thanking us and explaining the treatment and all that.



Then the doctor comes in with his arms stretched all the way out and says to my wife, First of all, let me give you a big hug. I don't remember any of my doctors here hugging me. Then the doctor explains her treatment to us for an hour and twenty minutes, all the while joking and making my wife at ease. She was really happy when the doctor told her that she doesn't have any belly fat so he has to harvest the fat from her thighs. (They get the stem cells from your fat) He couldn't believe her age and told her she is in the best shape out of almost anybody he treats and that she must spend a lot of time in the gym. She has gone to the gym four times a week for forty years. He didn't mention anything about my thighs or me not having any belly fat or anything.



After the treatment they bring us back to the hotel and call us to see how she is feeling and if she would like another hug, or cookies.

It was the nicest visit to not only a doctor’s office, but to anything.

We got home late last night and I see I got three E mails from them thanking us and asking how my wife is.

That entire experience is so different from a doctor’s visit here in New York.



A visit to the doctor’s office here would go something like this.

First thing in the morning you would call the doctor’s office and get elevator music with a recording that says "Your call is important to us, stay on the phone and your call will be answered by the next available operator". You would get that message twelve or thirteen times with 20-30 minutes of elevator music in between. Then someone would answer and say

"Please Hold."

Now you hear the music again with that same message.

You are now eating dinner with the phone on speaker on the table right next to the bread and mashed potatoes.

The operator comes on and says "can I help you?" You finish chewing and say: Yes, I am trying to make an appoin......... "OK, I will connect you with the appointment desk." Click

You hear:

"Your call is important to us, stay on the line and a representative will get back to you"

Now dinner is over and you are sitting on the couch watching TV with the phone still on speaker. It's hard to concentrate on the TV with Beethoven’s sixth symphony playing through the phone.

"Hello, can I help you? "

Yes, I would like to make an appointment.

"Sorry, the office is now closed; please call back in the morning."



After a few days you get an appointment the week after Easter. It is now December.

You get to the office and park, in the next town because the lot is full and there are a pickup trucks and wheelbarrows in all the handicap parking spaces.

Finally you get into the office and get in line at the desk. You grab lunch.



"The doctor will see you now"


The nurse or the lady who washes the windows shows you to the little room where you get naked, put on a paper gown and wait.

You finish your lunch while you read, "Pregnancy Today or Golf Magazine". Two things you wanted to read but never had the time.

The nurse comes in and asks for three forms of identification with a picture ID and wants to know your medical insurance group number and if they are still in business and how you will pay if the insurance doesn't cover you and how much money do you make as well as what kind of car you drive and what sign are you.



The nurse then says, what’s your name? "Paul", "How do you spell that?" Like the Saint, "Which Saint, Peter?"

No, "P" as in pin head, "A" as in "Are you kidding me", "U" as in are "U" kidding me, and "L" as in "Let me know the college you graduated from".

The nurse leaves.

After you are finished with Golf Digest and have learned 14 ways to breast feed in a subway, the doctor comes in. He doesn't hug you or look at you but looks at your chart and says. I don't see anything blaring here maybe you should see a Podiatrist.

[paul b]

I got back form the surgeon just now and it seems he wants to tear out my new titanium knee and try it again.

There is a problem with the plastic part that the titanium rubs against and it is not making the tendons happy so they go into spasm.  

 

I am scheduled for the surgery in February but I am not sure I am going to go ahead with it.  It will be another year recuperation and I don't want to put my wife through that as she needs me to be able to walk so I can help her walk.

 

If the both of us can't walk, we will have to buy a drum, fife and flag  and walk down the street like that.    

 

It won't get any better but it may not get much worse so I am thinking of trying to see if I can hold out for a year, like a real Man would do.

 

I just gave it a freshwater dip and now I am soaking it in Prizapro .

 

The Dr. said to isolate it for 72 days and keep it far away from my other knee.   

 

On another note, the doctor is near an LFS so I bought 3 fish which I just threw in my tank.  Another possum wrasse, a bananafish and some other kind of wrasse that looks really cool.

 

The possum doesn't look to good but he didn't look to good in the store either.  I think he will snap out of it and be fine as soon as he realizes where he is. 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by paul b

[paul b]

I just cleaned my pumps and venturi valve in my skimmer. It's amazing the amount of stuff that grows on things in a salt tank. Everything is clogged with those hard tube worms, brittle stars and bristleworms, especially the intakes for the powerheads and I really hate those Korilia type pumps with the exposed grills, they are the worst and the hardest to clean. \

 

If I get ambitious I need to cut back the blue sponge because it wants to take over not only my tank, but my Man Cave.

 

I think the possum wrasse I added last week is fine but I am not sure because I have two of them and I rarely see one of them so I doubt I would ever see the both of them at the same time. There are a lot of hiding places in my tank so a lot of my fish I almost never see but those tend to be the fish I like the best.

 

I also have a huge decorator crab but I see him before the lights come on.

 

Those acropora "sticks" I added a few weeks ago which I thought croaked colored up nicely and are covering the epoxy that I stuck them on with.

 

I still haven't seen the last Queen Anthius I added a week ago, but as Queens, they do that and I am not concerned.

 

I took some video's

I wanted to get this purple guy. I think he is eating flatworms 

 

 

 

[paul b]

Almost finished "electronic Steam Punk"

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnYpsvU22VM&feature=youtu.be