paul b March 24, 2015 Share March 24, 2015 Unless you made them act happy for the video... Look closely at their smiles. Nice vid, the bottles etc. are a refreshing interesting touch. Yeah, they are interesting, but not as much as the hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b March 24, 2015 Share March 24, 2015 I just ordered 10 more 3 watt LEDs and a driver. The next time I go to the hardware store or HD I will get another 5' aluminum square channel and just build the thing. My reef now only has 36 LEDs and the tank is 6' long so it is way under lit. This will increase it to 46 LEDs which is still not real bright but that's what I want to stay with for now. I still need to find an enclosure to house the fans as mine will be to small. I will probably just build another one from PVC 4X4s unless I can find a small piece of 6X6 as I don't want to buy a 10' piece of the stuff. I may even have a piece left over from my fence. Put some end caps on it and add the fans. I have the acrylic for the splash guard. Now I just need a few hours before boating season and that is the toughest part.This is my existing fixture[/url">http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/IMG_1068.jpg.html'> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b March 25, 2015 Share March 25, 2015 I had to change this on my PT Cruiser today and I am happy to say that I can still crawl under a car. It's not real easy to get up, but I still got it. This is a motor mount I think. It was rattling as the rubber bushing is shot. I really didn't pay attention to what it's function was but it is called a lower strut and it goes from the frame to the engine. When I was a mechanic they didn't have front wheel drive cars except Toronado and that was the last year I worked as a mechanic. That was in1968. So they didn't use this part. If I get time, probably next fall, I want to change the bushings on the A frames because I like my cars sounding brandy new and to achieve that, you need to keep changing bushings. I can't wait to start collecting those amphipods and mud. My tank misses all that and the early summer is when amphipods spawn by the millions and they swarm all over the place. I will be there with buckets.Tomorrow I will start working on the boat outdrives as it is almost boating season and there is a lot of preparation and (and money to be spent) to get it ready for the water) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b March 25, 2015 Share March 25, 2015 Last week during a snow storm I took my wife to my favorite restaurant on Long Island, where we ate while watching the snow fall on the sea and the beach. This beach is not far from where I will be collecting in a few weeks. Hopefully, it won't be snowing then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b March 26, 2015 Share March 26, 2015 Getting the boat ready, changing oil and painting outdrives. Collecting season is almost here. If anyone wants to go collecting grass shrimp or amphipods (during the week) let me know. But not for a month or so. Of course, if you are in Montana, it may not be worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 Today I added 12 more LEDs on a 5' square aluminum housing to supplement my 36 LEDs that I didn't feel were bright enough. So I increased the lighting by 25%. That is enough light for now. I didn't yet connect the fan to this new strip as doing that requires quite a bit of labor because I have to rebuild the entire fixture and I don't think that could happen until the fall so I hope it doesn't get to hot. After it runs a few hours I will check it out for heat.This is the strip I added. This is the original 3 strips. Now there are 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 I checked my tank a little while ago and noticed it was almost overflowing. I see that a float switch is stuck open. That float is many years old and I don't think I cleaned it in over a year so it was good that I was home. Now of course from all the fresh water going in there I could keep kissing gouramies if I like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 1, 2015 Share April 1, 2015 My car rattles were the stabilizer links (stupid, stupid, stupid) I tightened them and didn't think they were the problem, but I was stupid. I don't know how I let that go by. Some people even suggested that to me. But sometimes I am just stupid. The stabilizer bar links are the easiest and cheapest thing you can change, especially if you have a sawzall because you normally just cut them off which is what I did with the other one. This one I fought with because I wanted to match the new one up to it. Now it rides like a new Cadillac. This is the old one. I finished so fast that I had time to grind some barnacles off of my propellers. This one is still dirty. Collecting season is coming up fast and I need those amphipods. Thousands of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 3, 2015 Share April 3, 2015 That new 5' LED strip I built with the 12 LEDs on it gets hot so I don't leave it on all day. I temporarily mounted it to my existing LED fixture but still need to remove the entire fixture and make a new fan housing which incorporates this new strip into it. Right now, there is no air flow through it and it makes a big difference. The new strip is about twice as hot as the ones where the fan pulls air through it. I just need some time which is in short supply. I also need an operation on my right hand as one of my fingers gets "stuck" if I grab something. It probably happened from waving at Supermodels, even though they don't wave back. I have had that operation before on a different finger and it is not that bad, it is almost a Sissy operation but you can't use that hand for a month or so and I won't be able to salute or anything like that. I am not sure how I will prep my boat for the water but I may have to ask someone for a little help with mundane things. Anyway, that is neither here nor there and my tank is doing well. My book is finished and I can't wait to get myself a signed copy. I need 2 of them for each of my Grand Kids even though they probably won't care one bit about fish but they certainly get an education about them weather they want to or not. I already started when they are on the boat. I took a picture. I just love bluestripe pipefish, razor shrimpfish, ruby red dragonettes and mandarins which were camera shy but still hang out at the feeder. I actually don't know how anyone can keep these types of fish without having a feeder such as this one. These are my types of fish and I hope to find some more oddballs but they rarely come on the market as many people can't seem to keep them and if I don't buy them the day they come into the store, they croak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 8, 2015 Share April 8, 2015 I wasn't crazy about my DIY light fixture because I bought a staghorn coral and it croaked. I needed more light. So I took the thing apart, as shown here I built another strip of LEDs on an aluminum square and bolted it on. I also built a new fan housing to accommodate the new wiring And it's good to go. I can raise the fixture as it is on counterweights and it tilts front and back for maintenance in case I have to change an LED or scrape a dead fish off that decided to fly up on top of it to check out the scenery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b April 8, 2015 Author Share April 8, 2015 Are you adding too much new light to fast? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 8, 2015 Share April 8, 2015 (edited) Are you adding too much new light to fast? I am not a worrying sort of guy. If I did, they will get over it. I already had 36 LEDs and I added 12 more so it is not a big deal. I have the new strip on a different timer and switch because with just those new LEDs on, the tank looks fantastic, just not bright enough to leave like that all day. This is just the 12 new LEDs Edited April 8, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR-Tanked150 April 8, 2015 Share April 8, 2015 Looking good. When is your book going to be published? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 8, 2015 Share April 8, 2015 I don't know, I just E Mailed the publisher with that same question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 9, 2015 Share April 9, 2015 This week my bluestripe pipefish and ruby red dragonette are pregnant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbowdeep88 April 10, 2015 Share April 10, 2015 Wow awesome! How long have you had the bluestripes again? Maybe they liked your sandstorm afterall. Or the new LEDs. Or the hammer. Or cucumber. Or supermodel pinup in your workshop. Suppose it could be the foods too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 10, 2015 Share April 10, 2015 (edited) I am not quite sure what it is. It may be me walking in front of the tank in my underwear but I doubt it. The pipefish only live 3 or 4 years or so and if you get them year old, they don't last long. I think I had these for 2 years, at least one of them. When one dies, I try to replace it. I took it easy on the typhoon and didn't lose them as I normally do. I did it over 2 days. I am also not sure if the hammer has anything to do with it. I was thinking of adding this to dose stainless steel but I am not sure of the dose. Edited April 10, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos April 10, 2015 Share April 10, 2015 "I am not quite sure what it is. It may be me walking in front of the tank in my underwear but I doubt it." Not a good visual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 10, 2015 Share April 10, 2015 Maybe not for you, but it makes my fish go crazy. I am not quite sure why Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos April 10, 2015 Share April 10, 2015 Maybe not for you, but it makes my fish go crazy. I am not quite sure why Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 11, 2015 Share April 11, 2015 Another feeder video. The pipefish and ruby red is pregnant https://youtu.be/rsGrL9nxJPs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 21, 2015 Share April 21, 2015 These guys spawned last night which I am happy about, but she still looks pregnant so I assume they will spawn again. Or it could be that they just look like they are spawning and she is not ready. It's hard to tell because they are much smaller than mandarins and I never had these spawn before. I actually thought they were to young as I didn't know they stay this small. Ruby Red dragonets haven't been in the hobby very long. I can't get a picture of them spawning as it only takes them a few seconds and by the time I get the camera, they are back to eating pods. I will try again tonight. They spawn just before the lights go off, but I am not sure how they know the lights are going off because they can't see the clock. The bluestripe pipefish is still pregnant but he will have his babies live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 21, 2015 Share April 21, 2015 I also built a white worm feeder for my mandarin so after he gets full on the baby brine shrimp feeder, he goes into the worm feeder for desert. The ruby reds also go in there when the much larger mandarin leaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR-Tanked150 April 21, 2015 Share April 21, 2015 Can we see the white worm feeder in action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 21, 2015 Share April 21, 2015 (edited) I don't have a video, so you can try to put your face near the screen and move your head from side to side. When I get near him with a camera, he gets the horrors Edited April 21, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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