elbowdeep88 January 28, 2015 Share January 28, 2015 I am inclined to agree wholeheartedly Paul. Nature does it best. Another question: if we can assume that a fish from a LFS has been through all sorts of chemicals and rough handling in the shipping process and is likely no where close to optimal health, why don't they croak immediately upon introduction to your germ cesspool that has slowly built immunity in your fish? In other words, would it be better to start a new fish in "clean" water and slowly add in your tank water so that it can build its defenses back up? Or does it still have good immunity since it was probably in the ocean a few days/weeks prior? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b January 28, 2015 Share January 28, 2015 My water is clean, just because some of it is NSW does not imply that it is a cesspool. If it were, my SPS corals would be dead and they are flourishing. I believe new fish still have an immunity but as you said they are not in good health so their immune system is not operating very well even though their immune system can recognize a pathogen, they don't have the capacity to ward it off. A fish that has been in quarantine for 8 weeks may or may not be in better shape depending on the quarantine tank and what it has been fed, but a quarantined fish has not been in contact with any pathogens for 2 months so it's immune system "may" not be as proficient in recognizing a pathogen. Of course I am speculating here as I am not an ichthyologist and I am also sure that different species of fish would act differently. Almost all the fish that go into my tank live just fine and usually live long enough to die of old age that may be 10, 15 or 20 years, depending on the fish. Some I give away because they got to big or I wanted something different. Rarely, the new fish just doesn't get along with something in my tank and I have to remove it. Very rarely a new fish will exhibit some spots or parasites. These "always" disappear in a couple of days and "Never" has any other fish been infected. By never I mean 30 years, not two years as some people think is a long time. Far to much ink is wasted on curing fish than keeping them from getting sick in the first place. It all comes down to food and IMO flakes and pellets do not count as food unless you don't care about the fishes health and just want them to swim around for a few years. I want my fish to not only swim around, but also do the macarana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b January 29, 2015 Share January 29, 2015 It breaks my heart but I finally had to remove a couple of bottles as I just can't fit them in any place. They have been in there for many years but between the corals growing and buying new corals, I just don't have room for them. Also this blue sponge has grown in five years to about 14" from a tiny 1/2" piece. I would like to give some of it away if anyone wants some. It's kind of nice but I want to put some corals there. I want to keep most of it but there are pieces just growing up away from the main sponge that I would like to cut off so if anyone wants some, let me know. If you live in Wisconsin or Bangor Maine the drive may not be worth it and I won't mail the thing so you kind of have to live in New York someplace for this. I am in Long Island Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime January 29, 2015 Share January 29, 2015 Very cool! I'm sure there are a lot of NY reefers that would love a chunk of sponge from the second oldest body of saltwater on the east coast. The first obviously being the Atlantic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b January 29, 2015 Share January 29, 2015 I hope so as I don't just want to throw it out or give it to an LFS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR-Tanked150 January 29, 2015 Share January 29, 2015 Hope you find someone to give it to. Wish we were closer. Road trip anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b January 29, 2015 Share January 29, 2015 Its a long trip for some sponge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR-Tanked150 January 29, 2015 Share January 29, 2015 Never been to Long Island, it's on my bucket list to do before we move from here. Maybe next year. Good luck finding a home for it, it's a pretty sponge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b January 30, 2015 Share January 30, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b January 30, 2015 Share January 30, 2015 I got to admit (and brag a little) my tank has been around a long time but I think it looks better than it ever has. I really have to many fish and corals but I really like the way everything is and for the first time in, I can't remember. I don't want to stick my hand in there and change anything. I had to remove some rock and bottles to fit the corals, and some of the corals are killing parts of neighboring corals but that is a good thing and supposed to happen. I got another staghorn coral yesterday (not in this picture) so I moved some things around. There isn't a spot on any fish, not even a scale out of place but that is normal and comes from their diet. Jenny Craig. I can't do my normal maintenance of stirring up the gravel because of the pipefish. They don't live through typhoons and I can't catch them so I will see how long I can go with no maintenance. The bluestripe pipefish have a short lifespan of only a few years so I will do the typhoon after they are gone. If I had time I would raise some of the fry as many of the fish are spawning. Of course, I don't know how I would collect the fry but I am sure I would figure out something. My book is coming out well and I am having fun writing it. I need a photographer for the cover so I am working on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 8, 2015 Share February 8, 2015 Just got in from Key Largo early this morning. Our Closest friends bought a home there on the water so we spent much of the time on their boat. I love mangrove islands and they are one of my favorite dive and snorkel spots. I am always surprised at the lack of life in the sand in the tropics as compared to northern waters. If you lift a rock there, you usually find absolutely nothing, not even in a tide pool. But here in New York, even now covered in ice, if I lift a rock, there will be dozens of life forms. Worms, crabs, amphipods, stars, but in the tropics, nothing. That is one reason I put mud in my tank. For the life. I realize many of us view northern waters as polluted but they are not polluted, that is life and life needs something to eat. The reason all the great fisheries in the world are in northern waters is because of the nutrients. I even brought my swing arm hydrometer out on the sea to calibrate it. I found out that the sea has perfect salinity so we don't have to change it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime February 10, 2015 Share February 10, 2015 Looks like an awesome trip! I could use some tropical weather! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 11, 2015 Share February 11, 2015 Why? You don't like this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime February 11, 2015 Share February 11, 2015 No sir! Im a tropical beast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 11, 2015 Share February 11, 2015 So am I (Bora Bora) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 14, 2015 Share February 14, 2015 Me and my dive partner are trying to decide on some new dive gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos February 14, 2015 Share February 14, 2015 Paul......um.......the History of Diving Museum is to show of old stuff......... Not to buy new stuff. Actually you fit right in! I hope you are still down there and not dealing with the next wave of weather up North. Cool place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 15, 2015 Share February 15, 2015 (edited) Actually some of my dive stuff is in that museum. I started diving in 1970 and still have my Conshelf Supreme regulator with Cousteau's picture on it. It still works fine but I don't use it any more. I have a "new" regular from the 80s that I use. I forgot the name but it is hard to get the bamboo parts for it. I also have one of those DACOR floats that Lloyd Bridges had on Sea Hunt with the Co2 cartridge where you pull the string and the yelow bag inflates so you can mark an anchor or Oldsmobile that you found. Our water in NY has very limited visability so we had to mark everything even if it was 2 feet away. My BC is a SCUBA Pro and is also 35 years old. They won't fill my tanks from the 70s any longer so they are boat anchors or gongs. I don't think I will buiy a new tank as I rarely dive here any more unless I lose something off my boat. It is 15 degrees here now and so windy my house feels like it will fly to Kansas Edited February 15, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos February 15, 2015 Share February 15, 2015 Actually some of my dive stuff is in that museum. I started diving in 1970 and still have my Conshelf Supreme regulator with Cousteau's picture on it. It still works fine but I don't use it any more. I have a "new" regular from the 80s that I use. I forgot the name but it is hard to get the bamboo parts for it. I also have one of those DACOR floats that Lloyd Bridges had on Sea Hunt with the Co2 cartridge where you pull the string and the yelow bag inflates so you can mark an anchor or Oldsmobile that you found. Our water in NY has very limited visability so we had to mark everything even if it was 2 feet away. My BC is a SCUBA Pro and is also 35 years old. They won't fill my tanks from the 70s any longer so they are boat anchors or gongs. I don't think I will buiy a new tank as I rarely dive here any more unless I lose something off my boat. It is 15 degrees here now and so windy my house feels like it will fly to Kansas I have actually been to that museum in Key Largo when we were there on a dive trip. I love looking at the "original " stuff, in fact, if I had any of those pieces they would probably be displayed in my house! I only like diving in warm water with good vis. (fair weather diver ) I do still use a pair of dive boots that I got in 88' that I love. I love the fact that they are comfortable, the name has long ago rubbed off (Sea Style?), the neoprene on the outside is tattered and they look like 27 year old dive boots. It is 9 degrees here with a wind chill of -13 so we are in the same boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 15, 2015 Share February 15, 2015 The good thing about diving here in NY is that everything that ever fell overboard, or sunk, is still there. Not many people dive here and in the 70s I was the only one. If you come across a sunken whatever, there may still be interesting stuff on it. If you come across something in the tropics chances are it will be a pair of sunglasses, doggie boots, SCUBA mask, I pod or something else that a tourist dropped. We found a 45 with a silencer on it off Jersey, machine gun bullets, tool boxes, ships, plates, ballast from sailing ships, sailing ship anchors (that disintegrate as soon as you bring them up) etc. All that and real lobsters too. Not those Sissy, make believe lobsters in the tropics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 19, 2015 Share February 19, 2015 We came home from Key largo 2 weeks ago and I couldn't find my male blue striped pipefish. They usually don't survive when I go away as I need to feed them every day. Even though I made an automatic brine shrimp hatchery and feeder. I started to doubt my feeder design and figure it really doesn't work while I am away. Then yesterday I saw my pair of pipefish together. The male is pregnant so I assume he likes his privacy in the back of the rocks. So I was happy to see him. My pair of ruby red dragonettes are also hanging out together so I hope they will spawn soon. They seem a little young yet so I am not sure when that will happen but those two are my only paired fish that are not spawning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii February 19, 2015 Share February 19, 2015 What's the dish in the front corner there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 19, 2015 Share February 19, 2015 (edited) That is a feeder for pipefish and mandarins. It is explained in an article I wrote here. http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/ Edited February 19, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii February 19, 2015 Share February 19, 2015 (edited) Thanks! Great article. Edited February 19, 2015 by Bruleyii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b February 25, 2015 Share February 25, 2015 I have a leather coral that is so old I can't even imagine when I got it. It is not looking to good and is kind of leaning over. I am not concerned about this because this is normal coral wars and they come in cycles. Something in the tank is exuding a substance that the leather coral does not like. The other corals including the LPS and SPS seem very healthy and healthy corals hate other corals, especially corals of a different family. When a coral dies and we don't know the cause we usually blame water parameters, temperature, Lady GaGa, Rap music, global warming, the hole in the Ozone layer or Al Gore. I think it is a combination of all of those things including coral wars. Having a coral war is kind of a good thing because only healthy corals can start a war. It's like when we see algae. Many people, especially Noobs will say OMG what can I add, how much water should I change, what type of snail should I put in or what is the best church to go to and what is the most potent prayer I can say to eliminate it. Experienced aquarists realize algae is a good thing (in moderation) and grows on every healthy reef in the sea. It probably grows on those under ice seas on the moons of Jupiter but I am speculation and would have to ask Al Gore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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