almost 35 year old reef pictures - Page 19

Pacific Reefs · 01/19/2007, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
This one behind the butterfly is the oldest and my favorite. It trippled in size in about 8 years.

This is it again to the right

Saltman, Thanks.
Paul

Is that a purple ribbon gorgonian? It is very nice and looks extremely healthy.

Paul B · 01/19/2007, 03:33 PM

Are you talking about the gorg behind the butterfly in the top picture? or the fat one?
I don't believe either one of them is a purple ribbon gorgonian. But I could be wrong.
Paul

Paul B · 01/20/2007, 11:43 AM

The joy of reefing. I am in the middle of waiting for my tank to clear. I removed about 100lbs of rock. That is not that easy because the soft corals like encrusting gorgonians grew all over them kind of cementing everything together so I had to get out the razor blade to amputate the rocks apart. There are dozens (or maybe hundreds) of brittle stars. Cute little suckers. I will leave all that rock out for a week or two so I can clean them as well. They are in a tub with a diatom filter. This will give me a chance to re-aquascape which I enjoy except I always end up with 5 or 10 gallons of live rock left over. I still have 10 gallons of it from the last time I did this. At least the moorish Idol will be happy as he will be able to swim around the rock for a while.
Paul

Paul B · 01/21/2007, 10:36 AM

I completed the aquascaping and I have to say I liked it better before. I also have 10 gallons of live rock left over as I always do. Every time I do this I try to go for a more open look with the larger rocks toward the top which is exactly the opposite thing from what most people do. I try to get only a few pieces of rock actually touching the gravel with the larger pieces arching over the smaller pieces. Of course it is not as stable this way and not as easy to make it look natural which is why I will be tweeking it for a few weeks. I also have to try to get the pieces of rock with the soft corals growing on them to still face the light.
The moorish Idol has much more room to swim but I feel the look is too even. I also have to figure out what to do with all this left over rock. Either dry it to store or keep it underwater and filtered for a while
Paul
__________________

Micki · 01/21/2007, 07:38 PM

PIctures of the new aquascaping would be nice...

Paul B · 01/21/2007, 07:55 PM

I want to tweek it a little before I take pictures. I really don't like the look yet

Micki · 01/21/2007, 08:07 PM

Ok fair enough.

Paul B · 01/23/2007, 06:36 PM

For some reason I am having picture resizing problems but I managed to get one.

Micki · 01/23/2007, 06:41 PM

Looks good. That morish is beautiful!

nanorfj · 01/23/2007, 07:10 PM

Paul, you seem to have found a method where your idol can thrive. To what do you attribute this success?

graveyardworm · 01/23/2007, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nanorfj
Paul, you seem to have found a method where your idol can thrive. To what do you attribute this success?

Paul, is it the plaster of paris or the bananas?

Paul B · 01/24/2007, 05:35 AM

I think it is a combination of all those things. I also think my feeding dish is a big plus. You have to feed these things a lot.
For two meals a day he gets pellets automatically into a dish. The rest of my fish don't eat pellets so he gets them all.
The third feeding is very important too and it consists of either sponge (that I collect in NY and freeze) banana (sometimes mixed with plaster of paris) clams, mussels, oysters, squid, fish, along with some commercially available frozen foods like plankton, mysis and angel formula. I try to feed something different every day. I feed the Idol and all the fish with a baster looking thing. I would never just put food in a tank. The Idol swims the length of the tank and I put the food in as he is coming towards it. I want him to eat it all, the crabs have enough to eat.
I just removed 10 gallons of rock, I don't like the look as much but he has more room to swim. This is the third time I removed rock for this fish. I have a garbage can full of rock left over that will go back in if I ever lose this fish.
This is his dish that is supplied by a tube to the surface where an automatic feeder dispenses food.
Paul

zacharytrimble · 01/24/2007, 08:24 AM

beautiful

jvetter · 01/24/2007, 09:37 AM

Those fish look very happy. Must be the TLC.

vsnsofadrgn · 01/24/2007, 10:07 AM

can u show us the baster looking thing please? i dont like just putting food in the tank either.

Paul B · 01/24/2007, 04:47 PM

This is the only picture of the baster looking thing I have. It is the red thing behind the shrimp hatchery. It has a 12" acrylic tube on it with a slight bend at the top. I use it every day and would not be caught without one. I feed with it, remove food with it, suck up baby brine shrimp and blow off the rocks. I have used one of these for about 40 years. You can use a turkey baster but the hole in them is too small, they are too wide and not long enough. These things come free with a demolition hammer to blow dirt out of holes or they can be ordered on line, but you would have to get the acrylic tube elsewhere. I guess if enough people were interested I could order a case of them. I saw a web site once for them.

Pacific Reefs · 01/24/2007, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
Are you talking about the gorg behind the butterfly in the top picture? or the fat one?
I don't believe either one of them is a purple ribbon gorgonian. But I could be wrong.
Paul

Well they are both nice. Just wondering on the name so maybe my LFS can order one.

Paul B · 01/24/2007, 06:10 PM

Pacific Reefs I am very bad with names and do not have a clue what type of gorg they are. When I first dated my wife I used to hope she would not answer the phone on the first few rings so I could remember her name.

Sullyman · 01/24/2007, 06:49 PM

Paul every time I see your Idol, this pops into my head..........
http://www.toontracker.com/totaltv/tennesse.htm

Paul B · 01/24/2007, 08:10 PM

Cool...... But why?

bosborn1 · 01/24/2007, 08:25 PM

The Face and the beak I am guessing??

Scott

Paul B · 01/25/2007, 05:30 AM

Oh I see, Tenessee Tuxedo

vsnsofadrgn · 01/25/2007, 07:50 AM

thanks for the info.

Paul B · 01/30/2007, 03:18 PM

Today I picked up a gonopora. I have had quite a few of these with kind of dismal success. Time to try something new.
If one strategy doesen't work, try another.
Paul

Micki · 01/30/2007, 03:25 PM

Cool, keep us posted!

01/19/2007, 03:33 PM	#452
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Are you talking about the gorg behind the butterfly in the top picture? or the fat one? I don't believe either one of them is a purple ribbon gorgonian. But I could be wrong. Paul __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/20/2007, 11:43 AM	#453
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	The joy of reefing. I am in the middle of waiting for my tank to clear. I removed about 100lbs of rock. That is not that easy because the soft corals like encrusting gorgonians grew all over them kind of cementing everything together so I had to get out the razor blade to amputate the rocks apart. There are dozens (or maybe hundreds) of brittle stars. Cute little suckers. I will leave all that rock out for a week or two so I can clean them as well. They are in a tub with a diatom filter. This will give me a chance to re-aquascape which I enjoy except I always end up with 5 or 10 gallons of live rock left over. I still have 10 gallons of it from the last time I did this. At least the moorish Idol will be happy as he will be able to swim around the rock for a while. Paul __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/21/2007, 07:38 PM	#455
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	PIctures of the new aquascaping would be nice... __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

01/21/2007, 07:55 PM	#456
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I want to tweek it a little before I take pictures. I really don't like the look yet __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/21/2007, 08:07 PM	#457
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	Ok fair enough. __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

01/21/2007, 10:36 AM	#454
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I completed the aquascaping and I have to say I liked it better before. I also have 10 gallons of live rock left over as I always do. Every time I do this I try to go for a more open look with the larger rocks toward the top which is exactly the opposite thing from what most people do. I try to get only a few pieces of rock actually touching the gravel with the larger pieces arching over the smaller pieces. Of course it is not as stable this way and not as easy to make it look natural which is why I will be tweeking it for a few weeks. I also have to try to get the pieces of rock with the soft corals growing on them to still face the light. The moorish Idol has much more room to swim but I feel the look is too even. I also have to figure out what to do with all this left over rock. Either dry it to store or keep it underwater and filtered for a while Paul __________________

01/23/2007, 06:36 PM	#458
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	For some reason I am having picture resizing problems but I managed to get one.

01/23/2007, 06:41 PM	#459
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	Looks good. That morish is beautiful! __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

01/23/2007, 07:10 PM	#460
nanorfj Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Austin Posts: 286	Paul, you seem to have found a method where your idol can thrive. To what do you attribute this success?

01/24/2007, 05:35 AM	#462
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I think it is a combination of all those things. I also think my feeding dish is a big plus. You have to feed these things a lot. For two meals a day he gets pellets automatically into a dish. The rest of my fish don't eat pellets so he gets them all. The third feeding is very important too and it consists of either sponge (that I collect in NY and freeze) banana (sometimes mixed with plaster of paris) clams, mussels, oysters, squid, fish, along with some commercially available frozen foods like plankton, mysis and angel formula. I try to feed something different every day. I feed the Idol and all the fish with a baster looking thing. I would never just put food in a tank. The Idol swims the length of the tank and I put the food in as he is coming towards it. I want him to eat it all, the crabs have enough to eat. I just removed 10 gallons of rock, I don't like the look as much but he has more room to swim. This is the third time I removed rock for this fish. I have a garbage can full of rock left over that will go back in if I ever lose this fish. This is his dish that is supplied by a tube to the surface where an automatic feeder dispenses food. Paul

01/24/2007, 08:24 AM	#463
zacharytrimble Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 456	beautiful

01/24/2007, 09:37 AM	#464
jvetter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Springdale, AR Posts: 198	Those fish look very happy. Must be the TLC.

01/24/2007, 10:07 AM	#465
vsnsofadrgn Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 160	can u show us the baster looking thing please? i dont like just putting food in the tank either. __________________ visionsofadragon hope dies last Current Tank Info: 29 gal. 75 lbs lr. 20 gal sump w/fuge. css 65. sunpod 150w mh. aquaripure denitrator. clam. hammer. rics. yumas. zoas. hermit crabs. snails. clownfish. green spotted mandarin. Last edited by vsnsofadrgn; 01/24/2007 at 10:19 AM.

01/24/2007, 04:47 PM	#466
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	This is the only picture of the baster looking thing I have. It is the red thing behind the shrimp hatchery. It has a 12" acrylic tube on it with a slight bend at the top. I use it every day and would not be caught without one. I feed with it, remove food with it, suck up baby brine shrimp and blow off the rocks. I have used one of these for about 40 years. You can use a turkey baster but the hole in them is too small, they are too wide and not long enough. These things come free with a demolition hammer to blow dirt out of holes or they can be ordered on line, but you would have to get the acrylic tube elsewhere. I guess if enough people were interested I could order a case of them. I saw a web site once for them.

01/24/2007, 06:10 PM	#468
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Pacific Reefs I am very bad with names and do not have a clue what type of gorg they are. When I first dated my wife I used to hope she would not answer the phone on the first few rings so I could remember her name.

01/24/2007, 06:49 PM	#469
Sullyman Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Buffalo Grove, Il. Posts: 3,764	Paul every time I see your Idol, this pops into my head.......... http://www.toontracker.com/totaltv/tennesse.htm __________________ SW Hobbyist since 1983, reefer since 96 Current tanks 190g acro/sps, many tanks with clownfish. Bred true Perculas. Have bred GSMs.

01/24/2007, 08:10 PM	#470
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Cool...... But why? __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/24/2007, 08:25 PM	#471
bosborn1 Registered Member. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Fairport, NY Posts: 2,579	The Face and the beak I am guessing?? Scott

01/25/2007, 05:30 AM	#472
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Oh I see, Tenessee Tuxedo __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/25/2007, 07:50 AM	#473
vsnsofadrgn Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 160	thanks for the info. __________________ visionsofadragon hope dies last Current Tank Info: 29 gal. 75 lbs lr. 20 gal sump w/fuge. css 65. sunpod 150w mh. aquaripure denitrator. clam. hammer. rics. yumas. zoas. hermit crabs. snails. clownfish. green spotted mandarin.

01/30/2007, 03:18 PM	#474
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Today I picked up a gonopora. I have had quite a few of these with kind of dismal success. Time to try something new. If one strategy doesen't work, try another. Paul __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/30/2007, 03:25 PM	#475
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	Cool, keep us posted! __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.