Paul B's thread

I think new Steam Punk thing is coming out pretty cool. It needs a lot more work and being I am a lousy computer programmer getting the sand timer to invert every minute was the hardest part. But it works perfectly.

Of course the thing goes into a glass dome.

Steam Punk dome.jpg
 
Hello Paul,
Every day I feel like a very lucky guy. One of the reasons I feel lucky each and every day is for the sacrifices of all former and current members of our armed forces. Memorial Day is Every Day. I hope the tank is going great!
 
Happy Memorial Day, Paul. Your service is greatly appreciated and remembered.
And by that, I mean I remember when you told me about your experience in Vietnam….mostly because it was just a couple of months ago. I can’t remember much before that anyway..
 
Unfortunately, I am slowly losing some of my corals. Due to this broken wrist with the full cast on it wyhich I cant get wet, some sponge isgrowing up the bases ofthe corals and I can't get in there to trim the stuff. That is normaly the maintenance I do like weekly. I really need to trim the stuff occasionally but I can't doitnow.
Friday I go back to the surgeon so maybe she will remove this thing, but I doubt it.

I also need to clean my algae scrubber but same problem :(
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Any way to get a stick in there to spear the sponge with? Maybe one of those tank mermaids you make friends with might want to trim it up? I hope you are able to get rid of that thing soon!
 
Tank is doing well. I did have a problem when I cut out to much encrusting sponge and I lost some SPS and a long nose butterfly and female watchman. Whatever is in that sponge, it is kind of toxic. I changed 90 gallons of water that I collected behind my house. :)

FTS Nov 10.JPG

FTS Hippo Copperband.JPG
FTS Nov 10.JPG
FTS Hippo Copperband.JPG
 
Looks great Paul. I’ve heard this before about sponges. What color sponge was it?

p.s. sorry for your loss
 
I’m a VETERAN!
(copied from unknown author)

To understand a Military Veteran you must know:

We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.

We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.

We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.

We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.

We found new friends and new family.

We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race or creed.

We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.

We didn’t get enough sleep.

We smoked and drank too much.

We picked up both good and bad habits.

We worked hard and played harder.

We didn’t earn a great wage.

We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events.

We didn’t know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.

We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.

We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.

Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn’t.

Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn’t.

Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.

We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.

We participated in time honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.

We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.

We have dealt with victory and tragedy.

We have celebrated and mourned.

We lost a few along the way.

When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.

We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.

We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will understand.

We speak highly of our own branch of service, and poke fun at the other branches.

We know however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.

Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.

It has no monetary value, but at the same time it is a priceless gift.

People see a Veteran and they thank them for their service. When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not.

So, from myself to the rest of the veterans out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for your country.

Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times.

Share your stories.

But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a Veteran.
 
I had to move some more corals around after my partial re-aquascape because some of them ended up facing down or in the back of the tank. I removed some to remove encrusting sponge and under the sponge is loaded with amphipods. (not copepods that are all over the place)

The amphipods I added from the sea a few years ago and I am glad to see they are still reproducing. I can't really collect them easily here but I am always looking for collection places.

I like the new look of my tank as it is more open and I can see all the way to the back in many places including most places under the reef because very little of it is actually resting on the gravel which is the design I was going for when I built the new back bone rock before I moved here.

My gorgonians filled the tank and are all over the place reaching up almost out of the water which I am happy about.

I think the fish are also happy because I have been finding fish in there I didn't even remember I had. :oops:

Fish can, and do hide in my tank for months. My Janss pipefish is still kicking and I think way past his lifespan. :)

Yesterday I got ambitious and collected and changed about 30 more gallons of NSW. I just like collecting the stuff because it is right down the block and on a beautiful beach.





I also thought this urchin was going to croak due to the poisons from the sponge but he may just have had an upset stomach because he is fine.

 
The amphipods I added from the sea a few years ago and I am glad to see they are still reproducing. I can't really collect them easily here but I am always looking for collection places.

Yesterday I got ambitious and collected and changed about 30 more gallons of NSW. I just like collecting the stuff because it is right down the block and on a beautiful beach.
Happy belated Veteran’s Day, Paul.

I’m curious, how are you identifying places to collect amphipods? I exclusively use NSW collected at a nearby beach for my tiny tank. While I see the occasional little pod, I’d love to get more.

I believe the the coral and fish really benefit from microorganisms in my NSW. But a big part of the reason I do it this way is to have an excuse to get to the beach. My spot:

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Jfoahs most amphipod collection beaches are in bays. Especially if there are rocks. You need rocks, especially flat or porous rocks are best. Boat ramps are great if they have rock rubble dumped in there years ago. That stuff is not polished smooth like ocean beach rocks.

Broken concrete, asphalt, construction debris and wood is great for amphipods. When you find those places, pick up a rock on the wet shore at low tide and swish it in a bucket of sea water
 
Happy belated Veteran’s Day, Paul.

I’m curious, how are you identifying places to collect amphipods? I exclusively use NSW collected at a nearby beach for my tiny tank. While I see the occasional little pod, I’d love to get more.

I believe the the coral and fish really benefit from microorganisms in my NSW. But a big part of the reason I do it this way is to have an excuse to get to the beach. My spot:

View attachment 167975
That looks like Winthrop Beach! I grew up there. Try the harborside for amphipods. Many more there than the oceanfront. The pools around the breakwaters at low tide may have some but I used to get mine from swishing clumps of algae in a bucket, mostly in summer, but it might not be too late to get a few that way. Pick floating clumps up as they wash in. Paul is spot on. Lift rocks / wood / nooks/crannies on the bay/harborside.
 
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