My tank just reached 50 years old.

[revenant]

Don't forget the reverse flow undergravel filter!!!

Yeah probably keeps things clean at the bottom... excellent idea.

Paul, Did you add the two six line wrasses at the same time?

 

[Paul B]

No I did not. I think I had one for a year or more before I got the second one.

 

[revenant]

No I did not. I think I had one for a year or more before I got the second one.

Interesting. I would love to have a pair of them... little bit of a roll of the dice but hmmm..

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

Atoll, Thanks. That broom video was posted, (probably by you) a few times when my tank was 40 years old. Great video.

EagleEye, Thank you. There are so many Old Wifes Tales floating around these forums that you would think everybody has an old wife.

Much of the stuff posted boggles my mind and it is fairly boggled most of the time anyway. I am surprised anybody is able to keep a tank. Some of the practices just seem ridiculous especially with many of the things people do to poor new fish. Dipping, medicating, observing, quarantining, then medication again then hiring bag pipe players to play Taps when they croak.

If I was a fish (and part of me is) I would exercise just so I get strong enough to jump out and hopefully fall head first on a tile floor near a hungry cat who has irritable Bowell disease

Just leave the fish alone, feed him correctly, then ignore him and he will be fine.
Of course I am not the God of fish so you may not want to take advice from me as I am so lucky that in 50 years I have never introduced ich, velvet, intestinal worms or any number of things I can't pronounce much less spell to my tank but the day is not over yet.

I am taking my wife to our old neighborhood today and will go to a large LFS, so maybe I will buy something infested with all of those afflictions so I can dip, medicate and quarantine.

That will give me the opportunity to turn on the gas on my oven and stick my head in there while I fall asleep reading page 42 in my book. ;Meh

I was waiting 5 years for my next post but shame on you Paulie!

 

[BaysEndReef]

Awesome!

 

[Paul B]

Those Ladies were singers at an event honoring Veterans. It was hosted by the Governor in a park and they do it every year, Except during Covid of course.

 

[James_O]

Atoll, Thanks. That broom video was posted, (probably by you) a few times when my tank was 40 years old. Great video.

EagleEye, Thank you. There are so many Old Wifes Tales floating around these forums that you would think everybody has an old wife.

Much of the stuff posted boggles my mind and it is fairly boggled most of the time anyway. I am surprised anybody is able to keep a tank. Some of the practices just seem ridiculous especially with many of the things people do to poor new fish. Dipping, medicating, observing, quarantining, then medication again then hiring bag pipe players to play Taps when they croak.

If I was a fish (and part of me is) I would exercise just so I get strong enough to jump out and hopefully fall head first on a tile floor near a hungry cat who has irritable Bowell disease

Just leave the fish alone, feed him correctly, then ignore him and he will be fine.
Of course I am not the God of fish so you may not want to take advice from me as I am so lucky that in 50 years I have never introduced ich, velvet, intestinal worms or any number of things I can't pronounce much less spell to my tank but the day is not over yet.

I am taking my wife to our old neighborhood today and will go to a large LFS, so maybe I will buy something infested with all of those afflictions so I can dip, medicate and quarantine.

That will give me the opportunity to turn on the gas on my oven and stick my head in there while I fall asleep reading page 42 in my book. ;Meh

Although all of my fish up to this point have been freshwater, I have never quarantined fish ever, or done any stupid dip treatments. Heck, I can’t remember the last time any of my fish got sick!

If you take good care of them, you shouldn’t have any major issues.

I admire you for going against norm, and proving lots of “experts” wrong. Those 50 years with no issues can’t just be “luck”.

—-

(I’m also super interested in your book, and may purchase it)

 

[Paul B]

James, Good Morning.
Remember I am not going against the norm. I was here when the "norm" started so I am still going with the norm.

Everybody else that started after the 70s or 80s changed the norm and computers totally crashed it so now there is no norm except diseases.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

What kind of equipment would you use to achieve this in a 20g? Would a reverse UG with sand and crushed coral then a hob and powerhead do a similar effect?

 

[Paul B]

Who are you asking?

 

[NoahLikesFish]

You

 

[Paul B]

What kind of equipment would you use to achieve this in a 20g? Would a reverse UG with sand and crushed coral then a hob and powerhead do a similar effect?

No. You should not use a reverse undergravel filter with sand. It will clog in no time. The crushed coral should work. No need for a HOB but you will need a powerhead for circulation and another, smaller one to run the RUGF which should be run very slow.

In a 20 gallon tank a powerhead which puts out 150 gph is more than enough to run the RUGF. Don't push any more water through it.

 

[stanleo]

How do you make sure the pipe fish gets enough to eat? I have read they are similar to seahorses and they get out competed for food and so are only suited to a species only tank. Am I wrong?

 

[Paul B]

There are many types of pipefish and some you need to feed, some you don't. I have almost always had spawning bluestripe pipefish and I never have to feed them. In a mature tank with plenty of growth throughout the tank, you do not have to feed them. Janss pipefish and all of the banded pipefish you need to feed unless you have a very old, large tank as they hunt in the water column.

You can supplement their meals with a feeder I designed and adding baby brine shrimp, but in a mature tank, you don't have to.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

can I use the hob filter so I can get carbon and a scrubber mabye do a diy skimmer? I think I’ll use crushed coral because I want as much microfauna as possible

 

[Paul B]

You can, but I personally would not use carbon. I used it for many years but now I think I know better and won't use it anywhere in my system. I feel it removes more good stuff than bad.

You can put in a HOB filter for circulation if you have one laying around, but it is basically useless for anything else.

 

[Tclason1]

Phenomenal - congrats on 50 years of reef keeping the same reef. Amazing!

 

[NoahLikesFish]

Ok, any ideas what to dose for macros softies and mangrove ? I Plan to use all in 1 calcium blocks with other elements idk what yet and freshwater aquarium ferts

 

[Paul B]

I would not dose anything for those. Not even calcium blocks (whatever that is) I have softies and mangroves, no problem.
Don't make something easy, hard.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

Ok. I plan to buy salty bottom live rock kit and I will get crushed shells and crushed coral from a beach to layer in. should I just treat the tank like it’s a freshwater walstad method tank and just let it run and do water changes once in a while? I also wanna do pots and bottles like you showed. Any other cool things that you can cover on coralline?