Today my Reef reached 48 years old

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Congrats! Absolutely amazing to see a reef that has been up and running for so long.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Happy birthday tank!

 

[Paul B]

Wow Happy birthday reef! Do you have a thread or blog for your reef? I want to read on your succesful journey, very inspiring.

Yes: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-birthday-47-years.55423/page-212#post-5775570

Sub, I have found with the green star polyps they will cover an entire tank for a few years, then for no apparent reason, croak. I have also found that with giant leathers and elephant ears. They grow to huge proportions, then shrink. It may be to coral wars but I have no idea.
This thing grew from fingernail size to about 12" across. After four or five years it shrunk and disappeared.


Some years my tank was loaded and sometimes, like now it is fairly sparce. Tanks that are less than 15 or 20 years old may not see these cycles, but they happen all the time.

 

[Paul B]

Did you set it up with the reverse under gravel filter again? Any changes I how your running this tank?

Of course I put in the RUGF, Why wouldn't I. I think everything else is the same except I upgraded the lights. My homemade ones croaked and they were too dim for SPS so I could not really keep them for the last 10 years that I used them.

This picture is probably from the 80s. I think I still have one of those gorgs. As I said, I like them the most.


This 10" acropora was near the surface and died when the water went down. I fraged it and grew it all over the tank


Tyhis picture from the 70s (I think) was in "FAMMA" Magazine. That leather grew to the top of the tank and had babies all over the place. Then, after a few years, they shrunk.



Don't get pairs of these if you want to keep SPS

 

[JDowns]

@Paul B deserves a banner that says "I Got Rock Older Than You". ;Hilarious

 

[Subsea]

I got Old Rock from 300 million years ago, but I don’t have fish that are 20+ years old.

 

[Paul B]

Sub, That is amazing. Mine is only 200 million years old.

 

[Subsea]

I am 6 months older than you. I turned 70 last May. You turned 70 on Christmas Day!

 

[dantimdad]

Awesome as always @PaulB !

I would love to get some Gorgonians like yours.

 

[Paul B]

I am 6 months older than you. I turned 70 last May. You turned 70 on Christmas Day!

Yes, but I look 30 years younger than you.

 

[siggy]

Yes, but I look 30 years younger than you.

They say the eye's are the first to go
Congrats on another successful year, especially with the move, floods and gale force winds in your shop.

 

[Paul B]

I am surprised the thing is still going.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Very nice and great to see Experience !!!

 

[Paul B]

I call it old age.

 

[Smarkow]

I have 27 year old fish.

Gorgeous. Do you mind sharing which fish is the 27 year old one? Compelling argument in favor of hobbyists that we can keep fish alive so long in captivity.
Thanks for sharing

 

[Paul B]

The lower fireclown is now 28 years old. His mate is about 18 or 19, I lost her birth certificate.



Here they are spawning.

 

[Smarkow]

Gorgeous. Great vid. Are they in a coconut shell or bottle or something? Shape just seems odd. Thanks for sharing

 

[Paul B]

Bottle of Grand Marnier Cognac.

 

[Cary]

I moved it three times, the last move was 8 months ago. I moved 60 miles and transferred everything from my old 100 gallon tank into a new 125 gallon tank. The old tank was 40 years old and the front was very scratched. I wanted a larger tank anyway and that old one was built into a wall and I couldn't remove it anyway.
Since this tank is 6" higher, I need some more corals to fill it but corals have been scarce in LFSs lately and there are none around here so I have to drive long distances to get some.
I didn't lose any livestock in the move.

Congrats Paul.

 

[oldfishman]

Happy birthday did you give your fish and corals anything special.