Hello, Geezer coming back to this forum. Paul B

[Paul B]

Playing with the camera.

I am still sucking out algae with my diatom filter every other day. The stuff grows long and fills up with bubbles. Unsightly but very healthy. Eventually it will stop and the tank will once again be pristine.

The corals are all extending and so far, I don't see any sponge, which was the goal of all this cleaning.

If you look close you can see the algae. Much of it is clear because it is dying.

 

[JohnL]

The stuff grows long and fills up with bubbles.

Is it dinoflagellates?

 

[Paul B]

Is it dinoflagellates?

No, it's just oxygen bubbles on algae. I can't believe my tank grows so much of it but I did have an enormous amount of sponge that I killed.

I found a video of a copper fountain I built in my fish pond in my last house.

 

[Paul B]

 

[Paul B]

I just tested my water because I am waiting for some people and I had nothing to do. Testing water is something I almost never do and my test kits usually expire before I do 3 or 4 tests.

My nitrates are undetectable which is understandable being I recently changed 100% of the water and I now have hair algae all over the place.
My calcium is 500 and alk is 14. Weird readings so I will go back to not testing.

 

[Paul B]

In the last few months since I gave away two larger fish I added quite a few smaller, more interesting fish. Of course I threw them right in so maybe ich, uronema, velvet and diphtheria will soon rear it's ugly head.

I added some of these. 2 or 3



Maybe 3 of these.



This totally very cool guy. (I am trying to get more of them)



These two guys.



Two of these Ladies and one male.



This guy



Another one of these


And these



This guy


Two of these.


And one of these


I think I have about 44 fish and I am sure I forgot some but those are the ones I can think of that I got recently with in 6 or so months.

 

[albano]

Keep an eye on that dragon wrasse

 

[Paul B]

Morning walk

 

[Timfish]

. . . I caught him with this hook which I made from a needle. I have caught a few fish like this and never hurt any of them as far as I can tell.

View attachment 32383428

The only other way I could catch this fish would be to remove everything from the tank.

Years ago I stumbled on some # 28 hooks at a tackle shop. Best $1.50 investment I ever made.

 

[Paul B]

I have to run a diatom filter on my tank almost every day to remove dying algae that keeps growing after my sponge removal.

I think I tore my rotator cuff (for the 8th time) so it is very difficult to get my left arm over the tank so I spill water all over the place.

Old diatom filters are not easy to use even with 2 good arms.

I can't wait to get this ASW out of my tank.

 

[Paul B]

They keep saying we need more rain. Exactly how much do we need?

I can barely get through the puddles now.

There is a large pond across the street from me and it has many bullfrogs in it. There is so much water in it now that the frogs get the bends when they go to the bottom and back.

 

[Paul B]

BFFs

 

[JohnL]

BFFs
View attachment 32384119

Great photo Paul

 

[Paul B]

I just picked up another one of those little fish above. Not the clown gobi, the other one.

And 2 more Hectors gobi's

 

[Paul B]

I am so "Lucky" that I was able to put about 10 fish in my tank in the last few months all from a filthy store where many of the fish exhibited ich and all kinds of other things and yet, I haven't lost anything to disease.

Now I probably have 45 healthy fish none of which were medicated, quarantined or sung to without one loss. My "luck" is unfathomable.

Even on my tangs or other Ich magnets.

I am going to go and call retired Supermodels to see if any of them want to come here to help me look at my tank. Maybe they have better eyesight and can see ich, velvet of Broknella or whatever it is called.

 

[Paul B]

This morning I went down to the beach armed with a bucket because it was low tide. The tides here rise about 8' so the water goes way out at low tide and it exposes the rocks that line the bottom of the Sound.

There weren't thousands of amphipods like there will be in a couple of weeks but I got a nice supply. I also collected "Moose" amphipods which are about half to three quarters of an inch for my breeding population.

The main reason I collect this time of the year is for the mud with associated bacteria. I brought home about a cup of that which is also loaded with tiny copepods and amphipods.

After dumping out the floating very fine mud, I added the rest to my tank to the delight of my fish.

 

[JohnL]

I also collected "Moose" amphipods which are about half to three quarters of an inch for my breeding population.

WOW

The main reason I collect this time of the year is for the mud with associated bacteria. I brought home about a cup of that which is also loaded with tiny copepods and amphipods.

Very nice Paul

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

So we should meet in a couple of weeks then?

 

[Paul B]

OK but it has to be dead low tide.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

And NOT 6 AM!
LMK since you know the tides better.