almost 35 year old reef pictures

[Octoberfest]

If you're ever looking for the name of those hermits you got they're called "Long-Clawed Hermits". I've gotten them from our local waters and put them in my tank and they are great..as well as a lot of fun to watch.

99% of the time they stay on the substrate and are only on my rock to get from one side to the other.

[Paul B]

I don't know, Do they look like the ones in my pictures?

[Paul B]

If you're ever looking for the name of those hermits you got they're called "Long-Clawed Hermits".

The ones fro mNorth Carolina may live in a reef but the NY crabs willl not live for long. They live forever in my local tank though

[Octoberfest]

Yeah exactly like them, same thing we're getting here. VERY fast, especially at night when you turn on a light .

I do a lot of local collecting, its a blast and surprising what we have here.

Some of the things I've found are: Purple Porcelain Crabs, Peppermint Shrimp, Yellow with Electric Blue Legged Pistol Shrimp, Blue Pistol Shrimp, Arrow Crabs, Orange Seahorses, Pipefish, Nassarius Vibex snails, Feather Blennys, Nake Gobies, Limpets, Chitons, and tons of cool macros.

[ddinox64]

Capn'. Bumble Bee Gobies and Bumble Bee Cichlids are not the same thing. Nor is the Bumble Bee Catfish.

Go to Aquabid.com Probably get in trouble for telling you that.

Can get 6 of them for 25 bucks shipped.

[Paul B]

If it looks like this, it is OK. If it has wings and makes a buzzing noise, don't touch it

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Paul B
If it looks like this, it is OK. If it has wings and makes a buzzing noise, don't touch it

Unfortunately they are bumblebee chiclids--darn

I spent a good part of the day with my 5 year old grandson trying to find those fresh water dwarf frogs. I finally found two set up the small tank and filtration system with him. He is just like me when I was a kid--really interested in all things living.
This kid is smart as a whip but needs to watched like a hawk. I took him into a big lfs chain here---before I went in I told him he was not to put his hands in any of the tanks. This kid is quick to--made a bee line to the koi pond and yanked out a dead koi in seconds. I was about to rip into him and he said "it was dead on the surface of the water--that doesn't count for putting your hands in the tank"

Anyways this morning we caught a large grasshopper and put it in his bug collector. He comes out of the house to get into the car to go home and he turns to us and says "look at these grasshopper legs---I am going to make a collection of them"
This freaked out everyone except me because they felt there is something seriously wrong with him because he ripped the legs off a live grasshopper.
He is only 5----I don't think he has fully learned to appreciate life yet----this was a life long teaching goal I had in science.
What do you guys think?

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by mr.wilson
Diatom filters are great for occasional water polishing and even disease control, but they can increase your water temperature if you have a smaller tank (<100G) so keep your eye on it and shut it down at night if you think it might get to hot.

I put the diatom filter in a rubbermaid container, as the seal can be tricky some times. If you want to save a few bucks, you can buy the diatom powder at a pool supply or garden centre. Be very careful with the filter "bag" as it rips easily when removing from the jar. If you get a small hole it can be patched with silicone. The powdered carbon works well too, but it's a bloody mess to set up. SeaClear, Rainbow, and NuClear make pleated cartridge diatom filters, but they aren't as fine as the good ol' Vortex. It's just about the only marine product that hasn't changed in 50 years. They can be a little hard to get going at first, but tipping it upside down helps get it primed.

Mr W.---any chance we could have a phone conversation---if so can you pm me your number

Thanks
Scott

[Paul B]

This kid is quick to--made a bee line to the koi pond and yanked out a dead koi in seconds.

You should feed this kid more.

they felt there is something seriously wrong with him because he ripped the legs off a live grasshopper.

Did he read any of Waterkeeper's posts?

He is only 5----I don't think he has fully learned to appreciate life yet----this was a life long teaching goal I had in science

At that age I used to blow up bee hives with firecrackers and burn ants with melted plastic toy soldiers.

He is just like me when I was a kid--really interested in all things living.

I was always interested in Babes

But besides that I did have every type of turtle, frog and snake found in NY. The Bronx Zoo used to sell tortuses for $2.50.
I would go to the subway grates with a string and some chewing gum to get small change out from below the gratings. I was good at it as the floor under those things is about 20' below the sidewalk.
I collected frogs and turtles in the park. Where I lived in Queens had some woods in the fiftees. No woods now with in 75 miles.
I would feed them earthworms which I would catch at night with a flashlight.

I put the diatom filter in a rubbermaid container, as the seal can be tricky some times

I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket. They leak when they get old.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally posted by Paul B
[B]
At that age I used to blow up bee hives with firecrackers and burn ants with melted plastic toy soldiers.

I'll refrain from posting the things we did to nature at that age.

[Rybren]

Capt'n

Big Al's here in Ottawa carry Bumblebee Gobys. Maybe your local one does as well.

I picked up 2 @ 2.99 ea and they're acclimating to salt as I write..

We'll see how they do.

[WaterKeeper]

Originally posted by Paul B
Did he read any of Waterkeeper's posts?

Never have I outlined my past crimes against bugs. But I'm sure Paul probably has it right.

I also had a brackish water tank with bumblebees who I trreated better than the bugs.

[ddinox64]

Moe looks a little BUGGED. More like TICKed off and wants to flatten you like a PEST.

So Waterkeeper. I can write an article and maybe have it published in ReefKeeper Mag. and be like you and Paul?

Do I get a bio page?

[Paul B]

I can write an article and maybe have it published in ReefKeeper Mag. and be like you and Paul?

You have to age another 20 years or more to be like me, WK and the Capn.
We have reached the age of OFRs

[ddinox64]

Oh no I don't. They/he is looking for a puppy in the reefin' hobby to write an article.

I've only been in since Nov. Had an aquarium since 2nd grade but new to saltwater. That makes me sort of pathetic doesn't it? An aquarist for 38 years and just recently expanded into salt.

I'm gonna go cry now.

[Rybren]

Well, the Bumblebees (or I should say one of them) seem quite happy in the salt. One is looking a little worse for wear, but he looked a tad weak to begin with.

Paul, you'll be happy to know that I started picking up the fixings to set up a Reverse Flow UG for my next tank (a local LFS was going out of business and everything was 95% off yesterday). I'll have to clean out the old vortex and see if it still runs.

I always ran UG filters in my old FW tanks, but never tried a RF.

FWIW, I'm in the 50+ club too.

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Rybren
Capt'n

Big Al's here in Ottawa carry Bumblebee Gobys. Maybe your local one does as well.

I picked up 2 @ 2.99 ea and they're acclimating to salt as I write..

We'll see how they do.

Big AL's their fish carry alot of fun stuff to deal with like ich etc etc.

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Rybren



FWIW, I'm in the 50+ club too

Your still just a kid to Paul , Tom and I

[Paul B]

That makes me sort of pathetic doesn't it?

OK, you are a little pathetic.

Paul, you'll be happy to know that I started picking up the fixings to set up a Reverse Flow UG for my next tank

No, don't do that. I want the oldest tank here and those things never crash. Why don't you set up a DSB and for entertainment you can listen to it crash every night

Well, the Bumblebees (or I should say one of them) seem quite happy in the salt.

I am not sure if I still have 5 of them. I never get to see them all at once and they are fat and lazy, spending most of their time thanking God they are not in WKs tank.

Yesterday I threw a couple of green chromis in my tank. I have not had those things since before my reef days.
I needed some colorful swimming fish being most of my fish are gobies and spawning gobies at that, so they hang out with the bumblebee gobies in caves. I installed a tiny flat screen TV in the tank for them but they still would rather lay around doing nothing but spawning. Actually, thats a good life.
I am glad I only got 2 chromis, these things are baby brine shrimp magnets. I never saw fish eat so many shrimp at one time. They don't miss one and clean them all up in no time. I need to break out my larger hatchery so my pipefish don't starve.

Today I am going collecting tropicals. I know they are catching lookdowns, seahorses, butterflies, pipefish, triggers, files, big eyes, puffers and trumpetfish.

I will put some small butterflies in my tank but the lookdowns get too large and I will sell them (If I catch any)

[Rybren]

"No, don't do that. I want the oldest tank here and those things never crash. Why don't you set up a DSB and for entertainment you can listen to it crash every night"


I don't need a DSB to crash a tank. I'm quite imaginative and can find plenty of other ways to crash one

[Rybren]

oops, Fixed

[jasonrp104]

I HAD to click and see where it lead me

[Rybren]

"Big AL's their fish carry alot of fun stuff to deal with like ich etc etc."

Yeah, some BA's are better than others. I've been in some with fantastic fish and others that wouldn't use as bait.

"Your still just a kid to Paul , Tom and I"

Boy, you guys must be really, really old

[Paul B]

Hey collecting was a succces. We only got one threadfin lookdown but many seahorses, butterflies, wrasses, pipefish and the most beautiful tiny boxfish I have ever seen along with puffers and an eel.

They are all in my local tank for now until I see where each fish is going.
I didn't get the lookdown and I didn't want the seahorses so the other team members got those.
I did get a dozen blue claw crabs though.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally posted by Paul B

I did get a dozen blue claw crabs though.

What time's dinner? I'll bring the butter.