How this Geezer did it in the beginning

[Paul B]

Chaotic Reefer, thanks, you mean you read all of that? :crazy1:
I have a few minutes so I will rant a little more.
I don't have a problem with quarantining per say but I personally can't do it. I add stuff a few times a week in the form of water or amphipods, I would need quarantine tanks all over the place.
Well I do have one problem with quarantine tanks, if you take a fish like a tang, copper band butterfly or moorish idol and put it in a small bare tank for a month, I feel that is just horrible for an already stressed animal that is already not in great shape and the stress it puts on it would almost force it to get ich.
I know what Spieszak is saying about taking a fish in questionable condition and putting it directly into your tank, if it is not in great shape, why would it not get ich? It might, and occasionally I do notice ich on a new fish, but invariable, in every case, in many years, it has just disappeared, never to re appear.
Many fish I put in my tank have ich, it is just not a concern for me.
I also know what he says about quarantine is not just for ich. But my "theory" prevents just about anything else a fish may get as my fish do not get anything. I read all the posts of all the diseases people's fish get but why do my fish not get it? Is it my UG filter? I doubt that. Is it because I am so good looking? I don't think so. Could I be that lucky? Maybe I should play the lottery.:celeb3:

My theory may be completely wrong, but there is something happening preventing my animals from dying. Maybe it is the natural approach with the water and mud. I really don't know but I think it is food and I came about that from decades of laying on the bottom of the sea, just closely watching a particular fish and learning what it is that makes him tick.
I didn't learn that from the internet or from a marine biologist who spent his life in a classroom. It is what it is.:wave:

Remember I am not the one with the wierd ideas, I started the ideas and in the beginning there were no ideas, all of you guys came later and invented the internet and came up with all new ideas, and plenty of new problems. :lolspin:

 

[markaren]

Chaotic Reefer, thanks, you mean you read all of that? :crazy1:
:lolspin:

I will not speak for anyone in particular...I will not rant because this is your rantishness...and I love every word. I suspect most reading my words wait actually to see yours again. I assure you...you have a HUGE silent audience readying your posts.

cavalier+paul's learned hands on knowledge= Paul's tank

I feel a whole lot better starting my tank knowing your approach and the next are all different. Except...yours is a long long long success. How can that be ignored.

"Indubitably" said Doctor Smith

 

[JayGatsby]

Silent reader here. Loved all the posts. :wave:

 

[Paul B]

I assure you...you have a HUGE silent audience readying your posts.

Maybe but then many of them are saying, "Is he kidding me? You can't do that".
Mark, don't start your tank with all of my methods. Read what everyone says including the vast majority then make up your mind what you want to do.
Maybe my way won't even work any more.
When are we going to hear from that huge silent audience?
I just posted ten thousand words and I am sure many of you disagree with me, that is fine, I won't argue with you. Everyone's opinion is important. Even if you are a chemist. (I just want to see if he is still here SSSSSSSSHHHH) I got him back on another thread. :beer:

Silent reader here. Loved all the posts.

Oh yeah, I don't believe you, how do I know you think that? Maybe it's just a scam, a way to get into my sub concious mind, a mind game, a ruse, yeah, thats what it is.

See, thats what I am talking about,

"Indubitably" said Doctor Smith

I thought it was Curly from the Three Stooges

 

[JayGatsby]

As a counselor, it is my goal to make you question yourself... keeps me in business

 

[Rybren]

Maybe but then many of them are saying, "Is he kidding me? You can't do that".

Paul,

Are you kidding me? You can't do any of that stuff without setting your tank up for failure. In fact, I'll bet that it won't even make it to 60 years old!

:wildone:

 

[spieszak]

For the record... she
and for the record again... she loves when you post....even when all i end up with is an examination of why I beleive things are important,,, i don't like rote...it doesn't help anyone... i can recite the prolouge to remeo and juliet, becase waayyy back in high school they made me learn it... what i really learned from it was rote is pointless...(and that the best part wasn't the prologue)

 

[spieszak]

Oh, and they did teach her to spell...just not on this tiny keyboard on my phone....just re read that, i promise i'm not quite that illiterate.

 

[coralsurfer]

Some day, God willing, I will learn how to multi qoute, until then I would like to exercise my experience anstate my opinion which does have the slightest of proof as stated many times in this thread.
Every system is different. what works in one dudes, or chicks, tank may not fair so well in others. It is what it is.

 

[Paul B]

Are you kidding me? You can't do any of that stuff without setting your tank up for failure. In fact, I'll bet that it won't even make it to 60 years old!

Rybren, what are you doing over here? :wave:

For the record... she

Oh Sorry I didn't realize Spiezak was a girls name. It doesn't sound all girly, but what do I know? And you spell just fine. If I had to do this from a phone all you would get is two and three letter words like duh and huh. I think I sent maybe 4 texts in my life and I need the Hubble telescope to look at my phone to do it. :hmm6:

Every system is different. what works in one dudes, or chicks, tank may not fair so well in others. It is what it is.

That certainly is a fact.
This thread is not supposed to be a learning experience, it is what it says it is, how this Geezer did it in the beginning, it doesn't say, this is what everyone should do, or my way is the better way, or If you can make it here you can make it anywhere. Oh sorry, that was Frank Sinatra. :facepalm:

 

[Pirahnaconda]

Fantastic thread, I'm glad people like you are out there

Please continue to share your stories!

 

[Heliman]

Hi Paul

The "other" geezer here :wave:

I am just about scared witless to post on this Forum....I am sure to get battered and beaten for my odd views on keeping Marines.

But maybe I can vent off in this thread because then you can take some of the blame.......

I have always and strongly maintained that by the time we get a "new" fish home, the poor animal is at the end of a horrendous and mega stressful journey.

I reckon if we dont do something quick to get this animal into conditions that somewhat resemble where it started from, then we are programming in a loss of fish. I am SURE that stress kills more fish than anything else, but just maybe the stress manifests itself in many different ways...one of them being the dreaded ICH. This stress may or may not kill the fish quickly, but the longer it goes on, the more profound the long term damage is.

So I believe in getting the fish into a good, clean, stable environment where it has a place to get away and recover, where not too many other fish are waiting to eat it, and where it can slowly get back some equilibrium.

Then there is food. Immediately the fish relaxes it will be HUNGRY, but it may not even recognise all those expensive goodies we throw into the tank hoping it will gobble them up.

So early days, feed it on what it may recognise...little fish, little shrimp...but as you say...The WHOLE food, oils and all...so important.

Like you I have spent countless hours on the reefs watching fish, by preference when they catch something, they will always eat the guts first...and then deal with the rest (that is if they cannot swallow it whole)

Stand by for the blast

 

[Paul B]

I'm glad people like you are out there

You mean bald people? :facepalm:

I am just about scared witless to post on this Forum....I am sure to get battered and beaten for my odd views on keeping Marines.

Me too, I am sitting on the edge of my seat biting my fingernails to stubs, and that is very hard to do while you are typing so I can only type with one hand while the other hand is in my mouth. :sad2:

( [ } { [ ) ( _ - Oh sorry, I got some fingernail clippings on the screen :uhoh2:

But maybe I can vent off in this thread because then you can take some of the blame

Yes, thank you for that. :twitch:

I have always and strongly maintained that by the time we get a "new" fish home, the poor animal is at the end of a horrendous and mega stressful journey.

I agree, but who listens to Geezers

And for every fish you see alive in a store maybe 4 or 5 times as many died on route. Ever see those boxes when they open them in a store. You should see how many die on route from the collector.

The majority of my fish live at least ten years, some 18 and I almost never find a dead or sick fish. If the thing lives a week, it will usually go on forever. I get beat up a lot but my fish live long "happy" lives (I can tell by their smile) In spite of my horrible practices. I read all sorts of stories where most fish don't last a year, I wonder why that is?

Like you I have spent countless hours on the reefs watching fish, by preference when they catch something, they will always eat the guts first.

So you noticed that also! Why is it that Geezers notice the same things?
And people who spend countless hours on an actual reef getting to know fish have successful tanks. But we also get yelled at the most. I wonder why that is.
I have a cousin who is a marine biologist professor. For that job he had to SCUBA dive exactly once. How much education could you get to be a professor to teach other people if you have spent 30 minutes underwater?
There certainly is a lot of information in books as I think I have read all of the books commonly available to normal people. Books are great but they have two problems, they get old and they are written mainly by people with degrees who may never have been underwater. Why is that? :wildone:

I have no degrees in anything (I am actually proud of that) But I made it to the top position in my job as a construction electrician general foreman.
I could have gone to college and become an electrical engineer making half my pay for twice the hours but it just seemed silly and I like working with my hands. I also like learning on my own.
When I was drafted at 19 years old right out of high school I became a sargeant in 16 weeks in the Army. Having degrees isn't for everyone. Of course I had to take courses for the Army and my job all my life. ( even have a pole climbing degree, that will come in handy) I had to go to school to get my Merchant Marine Captains Lisence. School or at least taking courses is important. I am not against education at all. I think too much emphasis is put on getting a degree. Years ago it was better. If you wanted to be something, you had to live with a professional in that trade for a number of years and prove yourself or you would be out on the street flipping burgers.
Or robbing banks :uzi:
To me anyway, I think creativity, experimentation and a willingness to learn is much more important that a degree.
What does this have to do with fish? I have no idea but they live in schools.
Heliman I was in Sydney in 1970, I stayed in Kings Cross and was at the opera house when it was under construction. I can't post what I did there because this is a family forum.:uhoh2:
What? I was looking at fish.:wave: ( [ ) ]

 

[spieszak]

Oh Sorry I didn't realize Spiezak was a girls name. It doesn't sound all girly, but what do I know? And you spell just fine. If I had to do this from a phone all you would get is two and three letter words like duh and huh. I think I sent maybe 4 texts in my life and I need the Hubble telescope to look at my phone to do it.

it harkens back to the "early" days where you use first initial last name, because lets face it, you aren't that creative, and because the username "Stacey" is always taken.
I agree it doesn't sound all girly (thank goodness for that actually) and I also realize I'm in a pretty much "male dominated" hobby.. Not even really sure why I mentioned it, other than I feel like I "know" you a little bit, and it seemed like part of what you might care to "know" about me.. *shrug*

 

[Paul B]

Not even really sure why I mentioned it, other than I feel like I "know" you a little bit, and it seemed like part of what you might care to "know" about me.. *shrug*

Stacey, thank you for telling me. Not that I was picturing you as a hairy Neanderthal with itchy knees, but it is nice to know who I am getting yelled at from. Not that you are yelling at me or anything, well I don't hear you so I really don't know but I enjoy having a conversation with an intelligent person as most people on here are.
It's nice to formally meet you :wavehand:

While I am on here (It looks like it is going to rain so I am not going to the boat yet) I would like to reiterate that this thread is not what you should do. It is just my opinions of what I have done which could all be the exact opposite of what you should do.

 

[spieszak]

Not that I was picturing you as a hairy Neanderthal with itchy knees

^ this, rather than Paris Hilton if I get to choose... please

 

[Paul B]

I actually will also agree with that. I just use her for a lot of my analogies

I do know what a beautiful woman is supposed to look like, I married one and I helped build the NY Playboy Club and worked there for two years after it opened. (I was there when Vanessa Williams was in the magazine) I also was the foreman at Penthouse Magazine (yes I got a few porno jobs) But the best was working the Victoria Secret photo shoots. I can't believe it that they paid me for that. Not that I looked or anything.:hmm6:

I did try a couple of times to help them put their wings on, but I couldn't reach their shoulders.

MY childhood sweetheart, also my wife was and is much better looking than Paris every was or will be.
When I married her. I was working in Playboy then (as an electrician) and they kept offering her a job. A Playboy bunny had a bad reputation but I know many of them and all they do is serve drinks, most of them are actreses in between Broadway shows or waitresses. It was a great paying job, paying $400.00 a week when I was bringing home $52.00 a week.
We decided it was not a good move so she did not take the job.
If you get nasty or touch a girl, you get physically thrown out on Fifth Ave.
I am talking about the girls who worked at the club, not the ones in the magazine who are just models and most of them don't work at the club.

 

[DM1975]

Paul, on your advice I just replaced most of my water with bleach, put some metal halides on the bottom of the tank and covered it in river mud (no ocean in Kansas) I flipped on the power and now I think something is wrong. I blame you Paul... I blame you...



Just kidding, I'm really enjoying this thread and all of your posts.

 

[Paul B]

I blame you

I don't know what the problem is, you did everything correctly.

 

[rogermccray]

I really enjoy reading all your posts Paul and have really tried to emulate your philosophy of not freaking out about my fish tank.

One of the coolest things about my tank is teaching my son about it (he's only three). If you ask him what "Elmo" is (how he says Nemo) he will tell me it's a clownfish, he also tells me Dorry is a Hippo Tang and "Who-ha" (what the yellow tang in Finding Nemo changs) he will tell me it's a Yellow Tang. (Can you tell he was into Finding Nemo last year....)

Went off on a little side note there, but thought you might enjoy hearing about the youngest generation starting off in the SW world (and to be honest I am quite proud of the little guy)