How this Geezer did it in the beginning

[TheHoove]

Anyway last night I was up again in the midle of the night so I checked out my tank with a flashlight. Besides the multitudes of tiny snails I also have quite a few 3/4" slugs that I have never seen before. I am sure they are slugs and not nudibranches and slugs are all vegetarians.
I know many people mistake slugs for nudibranches but that is like saying Rosanne Barr looks like Christie Brinkley. Totally different animals. Slugs are as I said are vegetarians and have internal gills. Nudibranches are usually brightly colored, are carnivorous with special diets and have feathery, external gills.

Ive always loved checking out my tank by flashlight at night. I live where the power goes out several times a winter. I usually wait for an hour or so to find out how long its goong to be out before i start the generator. So one night the power went out, so i took to the fish tank with a flashlight. I was amazed how much life was in my water column when there is no flow. Hundreds of things swam to the flashlight beam. I really recomend shutting the flow off if you can when tou check out the tank my night. Its also exciting when you have your face glued to a dark silent tank when suddenly the power comes back on...

 

[Sunshine252]

I run a reverse undergravel filter, I get all sorts of flack from that but it seems to work.

Good afternoon, Mr. Paul! You've probably addressed this before and I missed it, but what kind of substrate do you use with the UG filter? Thanks for sharing all of your expertise with us!

 

[Paul B]

before you know it the 2 of you will be out at the LFS working on her tank.

I may take her crabbing next week. I just came back but the crabs are still small so I threw them back, next month they will be much larger. Greta can't wait.

I really recomend shutting the flow off if you can when tou check out the tank my night.

I do this almost every night:wavehand:

Good afternoon, Mr. Paul!

Good afternoon to you Miss Sunshine

but what kind of substrate do you use with the UG filter?

I use dolomite, it looks like this.

Thanks for sharing all of your expertise with us!

Your welcome, but it is really just opinions. :wavehand:

 

[Sunshine252]

Good afternoon to you Miss Sunshine

I use dolomite, it looks like this.

Your welcome, but it is really just opinions. :wavehand:

But I learned a long time ago that the opinions of those with experience are worth their weight in gold! LOL

I like the looks of the dolomite. I really like the idea of the UG filter, too. Maybe I'll switch out my aragonite & try it... or do you think it would work with aragonite? I was thinking that it would probably be too fine & create a sand storm...

 

[Snakebyt]

i havent looked at my tank with a flashlight in a while, i did so last week and found some clownfish eggs..but im upgrading tanks in the next week so i am sure she will stop laying for a while

 

[Paul B]

I really like the idea of the UG filter, too. Maybe I'll switch out my aragonite & try it... or do you think it would work with aragonite? I was thinking that it would probably be too fine & create a sand storm...

It will not create a sandstorm but the thing won't work well if it is to fine. I tend to think it will clog. If you go with the UG filter Like I run it must be run a certain way or it will crash. It must be run in reverse and very slow, also the water must be strained before it gets pumped under the gravel. There is a reason that out of the 30 or so thousand members on this and other sites that I am about the only one who uses one.
The people who tried them did it wrong and gave the system a bad name. The system runs very well, maybe better than any other system as proven by the age of mine, but it must be run correctly. It took me many years to get it right.

 

[Paul B]

I only use distilled water, keep lights on a timer, (10 hours blue, 8 hours white) lighs are only 3-4 months old 4x t5 bulbs... I am at wit's end... someone talk me out of throwing in the towel!!!! I am sick of my at least once sometimes twice rock scrub. btw I do a 10-20% water change weekly or bi-weekly..

This guy is having hair algae problems and there are hundreds of posts similar to this.
He changes 10-20% water weekly or by weekly. Thats a lot of water changes and he has so much hair algae that he may quit the hobby.
Water changes never help but the myth continues.
People go on to advise him to boil his rocks, change more water, wave chicken bones above the tank among other things.
That is the reason I don't do hair algae posts any longer.

 

[Sunshine252]

This guy is having hair algae problems and there are hundreds of posts similar to this.
He changes 10-20% water weekly or by weekly. Thats a lot of water changes and he has so much hair algae that he may quit the hobby.
Water changes never help but the myth continues.

I agree with that. I have a bryopsis problem, too despite doing all the "magic" things. I haven't done an actual water "change" in 2+ years but when I did them religiously it didn't help at all. I'll figure out the problem eventually but until I do, meh... it is what it is.

So, for the UG: not too fine a substrate, prescreening of the water to avoid plugging the filter, & just enough flow to move the detritus out, right? Is there anything else?

 

[Paul B]

just enough flow to move the detritus out, right? Is there anything else?

Yes, I didn't say anything about detritus. The UG flow will not move detritus out of anything. That is the maintenance part. The water must move through the gravel very slow, much to slow to move detritus. Like 150 GPH through each tube. That is slow.
To remove detritus you need to stir up the gravel like twice a year and suck it out with a canister filter. Nothing will last without maintenance which is the reason there are no old DSBs

 

[Sunshine252]

Yes, I didn't say anything about detritus. The UG flow will not move detritus out of anything. That is the maintenance part. The water must move through the gravel very slow, much to slow to move detritus. Like 150 GPH through each tube. That is slow.
To remove detritus you need to stir up the gravel like twice a year and suck it out with a canister filter. Nothing will last without maintenance which is the reason there are no old DSBs

Hmm... I run *gasp* canister filters anyway, which is probably the reason for the algae, but I probably don't stir my sand up good often enough. So if the UG doesn't move the yuck, is it's main function to facilitate the growth of bacteria? Kind of like a plenum but better? I'm processing all of this.. LOL

 

[TheHoove]

Ive always wanted to grab a water sample to stick under my microscope as well just to see how much life is in it. MY water has never been crystal clear and polished. But my corals dont seem to mind. In fact I think they rather much enjoy the 24 hour all you can eat buffet. And It doesnt cost me a thing.
I love reading you posts, It encourages me to not be afraid to experiment, and no follow the masses. Not that I really have. I have hair algae, so I built an algae scrubber, about 2 months ago, but made it pretty much different than the popular designs now, but it was quick and cheap and simple, undersized by modern standards, yet grows algae amazing. I tried the algae fix and such, and found it did more harm than good. I think my test kits expire before they are half way gone. Im building a brine shrimp hatcher somewhat after yours.
I've always tried to do things a more natural way, I believe God's way to keep the ocean alive is probably best, seeing as its worked for as long as the ocean has been around. But some days I am tempted to give in to all the great modern ways of doing things. And I read your posts, and most of the ways you do things just make more sense to me. Now If only I lived close enough to the ocean to collect my own water and mud and all that great stuff. Although Im sure most of it would survive the 4 hour drive home.
Anways, thanks for all the great, if not unpopular, info.

 

[Paul B]

but I probably don't stir my sand up good often enough. So if the UG doesn't move the yuck, is it's main function to facilitate the growth of bacteria? Kind of like a plenum but better? I'm processing all of this.. LOL

If you use a DSB you should not stir it. But if you use gravel you need to stir it to remove detritus. The same amount of detritus forms no matter what your substrait but you can't see it with gravel, it is still there though. I feel it is mostly benign and not a hazzard but it will tend to clog whatever substrait you have and it should eventually be removed.

Anways, thanks for all the great, if not unpopular, info

Thanks, I do get yelled at occasionally for mentioning certain things like the not to change water during a hair algae attack but that is just my opinion and I am not the God of fish tanks, but I do have a 41 year old tank with no hair algae and very little water changes, I wonder why? :wavehand:

 

[Paul B]

I just remembered another story that has absolutely nothing at all to do with fish so if you are here looking for some words of wisdom, go someplace else for a while
(but come back later)
Also if I told this story already, let me know, I am old.
I did have a tank in these days but I was on leave from the Army and in those days they gave you a 30 day leave before you went to Nam. Just before I got drafted I went to a wedding and I was in the wedding party. So was my present wife but she was about 14 years old at the time. She looked 18 and I thought she was 18 but whatever.
Her cousin was also in the bridal party and I liked her and went out with her a few times.
Anyway then I went to the Army and did basic training, Ait and all that and a year went by. Then I came home for my 30 day leave and got re introduced to, who I thought was now a 19 year old beautiful girl (who I eventually married)
Her friends convinced her that she should tell me she was 19 and my friends knew it also, only I did'nt know. She was really about 15 but as I said hung out with 18 year olds and looked 18.
The drinking age in NY then was 18. I had a car but I couldn't use it because being in the Army, there was no plates on it nor insurance so I had to walk.
She lived near me so I walked to her house.
Oh I forgot, when I got drafted, 14 girls took me out to dinner. I like to think it was because I was so good looking but I thought wrong. At that time there were hardly any men around because of the war and they were all friends.
Anyway I walk to Dale's house and tell her that these 14 girls will meet us at this bar, "Christy's Bar" and they will take us out. I doubt she believed me but she came with me. We get to the bar about a mile away and we are the only ones there.
Remember, cell phones were not invented for another 20 years.
The only one in the bar was Carol, the bar maid. Carol, who was quite a good looking girl was laying on her back on the bar with a mini skirt on. I didn't say she was classy.
So she wakes up and gets off the bar to see what we want. I ordered something, probably a Scotch. My 15 year old girlfriend didn't know anything about bars and ordered a Singapore Sling.
Carol, looking perplexed said in no uncertain terms "What do you think this is Doll, The Waldorf?" "Have a beer"

Anyway we wait for my friends, and we wait, and we wait, and of course no one shows up. Now I look like a real Jabonie and I have to walk her back home.
She never believed the thing about the 14 girls anyway.
So the next day I go to see Barbara, one of the girls who was supposed to meet us and I explained how stupid I looked in front of a girl I am trying to impress before I go to Nam.
So the next week I call Dale to again ask her to come and meet these 14 girls. Now she is laughing, hard. I would have done the same thing.
But just for another laugh she comes with me to this bowling alley and thank God the 14 girls were there and they explained to her what happened the week before.
In time all of those girls married guys and that became our crowd and they are all still our friends to this day. I know many of them since grammar school and dated a few of them.
My wife still laughs about that day and how stupid and desperate I looked.
I didn't know her age until a couple of years after I got out of the Army. She wrote me almost every day and sent care packages. I had plans of asking her to marry me when I came home but she was in high school. Then a year went by and she was still in high school, then the next year she was still in high school and I am thinking how stupid she must be to still be in highschool at 20 years old. Eventually I learned how old she is. I am 6 years older than she is but we have been married for almost 39 years. :celeb2:
I think she was 18 here because I took the picture and we were married.
Beautiful wasn't she? And she still is today

 

[Micki]

Awesome! Beautiful wife Paul! Congrats to you both!

 

[steamer51]

Thank you for a great thread and congrats on finding the right partner for your life so long ago. I settled down with mine 35 years ago and can't imagine what life would be like if I had not found her. I wish there was a way for young people to know what it feels like to spend your whole life with one person.

I have a question for you. "If you use a DSB you should not stir it." A friend in my club has a DSB but wants clean white sand so regularly vacuums just the top inch or two. Since he does not disturb the deeper anaerobic zone do you think there are any problems with his maintenance?

 

[Paul B]

Since he does not disturb the deeper anaerobic zone do you think there are any problems with his maintenance?

I am not really the right person to ask about maintenance of DSBs, I have not had one for decades and I don't like them, I never liked them and I think the theory behind them is flawed. But to try to answer your question, I would imagine if he can just disturb the very top layer, it should be OK, but it will be hard to not disturb the lower parts because if there are any calcified or hardened parts, they will come up with the vacuuming.
Just my uninformed opinion on that.

I wish there was a way for young people to know what it feels like to spend your whole life with one person.

Unfortunately, more than half of them will never find out as that is the divorce rate.
I also could not think of living without my wife as we are still best friends.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

What a sweet story. It is a shame that to be married that long is almost unheard of now. My grandparents were married over 55 years & were so cute together. My grandfather used to like to get my grandmother riled up every once in a while & it didn't take much since she was German lol.

 

[Paul B]

get my grandmother riled up every once in a while & it didn't take much since she was German lol.

My wife is half German so I know what you mean. Her other half is Italian.
I am all Sicilian, first of course I am an American being born in Brooklyn NY but all 4 of my Grandparents came from the same little fishing village in Sicily. We went there a couple of years ago and my Grandfather's house is still there. It sits on the side of a cliff overlooking the fishing port and it looks like it was built by Fred Flintstone. Cute little stone house.
It is a shame that people don't stay married, I really don't know why that it. I guess we want to much and don't want to bend too much, But I could be wrong.
I know a guy who was married three times, twice to the same woman, like what is wrong with him? If it didn't work for the first 15 years they were married, why, with all the people in the world would you want to do it all over again. Now he divorced his third wife, grew a pony tail and bought a Harley. He is almost 70 years old and is trying, unsuccessfully I would imagine to recapture his youth.

My wife and I enjoy many of the same things together but we also give each other space. I do my fish thing and she likes the Gym.
But we both enjoy the boat, SCUBA diving and traveling.
Here we are on Bora Bora.

At the Viet Nam Memorial in DC. I was there to speak at a reefers club

We climbed on top of this Lighthouse in the Sound. It was automated in the 60s and I was invited there as a consultant to try to build it into a B&B.

And of course on our boat, "Euphoria"

 

[Micki]

Great pics and life!

 

[Paul B]

Thanks, Micki. Life is what you make it.