Salty Bginners
Premium Member
Love the bedspread...cool model too.
Ramblings of a Reef Geek
- Thread starter H.crispa
- Start date
H.crispa
New member
Well, I keep steadily plugging away at the Rufus B II jr. As you can tell, I have pretty much finished the superstructure and I'm now working on the detail and the drivetrain. Anyway, here is a shot of the boat as it is now, with a Photoshopped Vincent Van Gogh backdrop. Really, I suck at Photoshop compared to what Ron can do but I don't think this is too shabby for 15 minutes' work.
mcox33
New member
Quote : H. Crispa
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Really, I suck at Photoshop compared to what Ron can do but I don't think this is too shabby for 15 minutes' work.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hey I would settle for that in 15 minutes with photoshop. Give me 15 hours and maybe it would look that good. LOL I doubt it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Really, I suck at Photoshop compared to what Ron can do but I don't think this is too shabby for 15 minutes' work.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hey I would settle for that in 15 minutes with photoshop. Give me 15 hours and maybe it would look that good. LOL I doubt it.
Last edited:
H.crispa
New member
Lobster fest
Lobster fest
I have decided that I want a pet lobster. A common Florida lobster, AKA rock lobster, AKA spiny lobster, AKA carribean lobster etc. One of those big bugs we used to catch down in the Keys scuba diving when I was in high school and save up throughout the week and dine on lavishly on the weekend. They are not pretty. They are not cuddly. They get big. I have seen these guys in Pennycamp (where you are not allowed to catch them) that looked to be 10 lbs or more. Why???? Well, I can't keep it in my reef-- even if it didn't dine on something I did not want it to, it would certainly undermine the rockwork and screw up the tank in countless other ways. It will need a home of its own. I will name it Larry... Larry the Lobster just like on that old episode of SNL where Eddy Murphy did the "call in and vote" to save or boil Larry the lobster. Only this time, no one gets to vote. I will feed it massive quantities of food and give it pristine water and grow it up to a huge size and then... boil it and feast like a king! Then start all over again.
I know, I'm either a pragmatic genious who loves to eat lobster or an insensitive bass turd who is willing to kill his "pet" when it gets big enough to eat and replace it with a smaller one. Either way, I don't care. I look at this as a farming project where I get the spoils! Question is... where do I get a small, live healthy rock lob????
Any ideas?
Lobster fest
I have decided that I want a pet lobster. A common Florida lobster, AKA rock lobster, AKA spiny lobster, AKA carribean lobster etc. One of those big bugs we used to catch down in the Keys scuba diving when I was in high school and save up throughout the week and dine on lavishly on the weekend. They are not pretty. They are not cuddly. They get big. I have seen these guys in Pennycamp (where you are not allowed to catch them) that looked to be 10 lbs or more. Why???? Well, I can't keep it in my reef-- even if it didn't dine on something I did not want it to, it would certainly undermine the rockwork and screw up the tank in countless other ways. It will need a home of its own. I will name it Larry... Larry the Lobster just like on that old episode of SNL where Eddy Murphy did the "call in and vote" to save or boil Larry the lobster. Only this time, no one gets to vote. I will feed it massive quantities of food and give it pristine water and grow it up to a huge size and then... boil it and feast like a king! Then start all over again.
I know, I'm either a pragmatic genious who loves to eat lobster or an insensitive bass turd who is willing to kill his "pet" when it gets big enough to eat and replace it with a smaller one. Either way, I don't care. I look at this as a farming project where I get the spoils! Question is... where do I get a small, live healthy rock lob????
Any ideas?
firefish2020
New member
Asian Market in So Chas near Taste of Asia sell them by the pound. You do know most of the salts we use say not intended for food grade applications.
coralreefer
No Pistons
Re: Lobster fest
Re: Lobster fest
Re: Lobster fest
If you ever invite me to eat stir-fry I'll want an accurate head count of the dogs and cats first
Whoever maintains the lobster tanks at Kroger use to buy IO from Jim.
H.crispa
New member
Reflections
Reflections
If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would have a beautiful reeftank I would have told you to go see a therapist. I got talked into taking care of a few FW tanks at River's Edge, I got hooked, eventually I started playing around with SW, next thing you know I'm into the reef thing. Back then (10ish years ago), I was apprehensive about reef aquariums because I was under the impression that all corals die in an aquarium, all fish die and none are bred in captivity--- bla bla bla. At the time this was shamefully more true than I want to admit. Basically, I felt guilty about having these animals because I always had this doubt in the back of my mind, that they were all of the sudden going to die with no warning or apparent cause. They never did. Yes I have had deaths and most were basket cases-- rescue animals that didn't make it. Some have been due to power outages. Some have been due to my own ignorance or stupidity. I hate that but if anyone throws stones at me for that, he or she had better be without sin... I didn't think so.
One day I go into JoMo's and there is a "captive propagated" torch coral. I was floored! I did not think this was possible! To actually GROW corals and "breed" them in captivity??? BS! It was epoxied to a bud vase. I use that same technique to this day. I still have that coral... and so do many of you! Many of them are probably still attached to the bud vase I grew them on.
Making my own lights, filters, skimmers, ozone generators, bla bla bla-- all this stuff is so readily available now that making it yourself is not needed. Captive propagation is now the norm. Captive fish breeding is leaping forward at light speed. I never thought that this hobby would progress this quickly.
Just shows you what a free-market economy can do for a global environmental cause-- without even trying.
Reflections
If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would have a beautiful reeftank I would have told you to go see a therapist. I got talked into taking care of a few FW tanks at River's Edge, I got hooked, eventually I started playing around with SW, next thing you know I'm into the reef thing. Back then (10ish years ago), I was apprehensive about reef aquariums because I was under the impression that all corals die in an aquarium, all fish die and none are bred in captivity--- bla bla bla. At the time this was shamefully more true than I want to admit. Basically, I felt guilty about having these animals because I always had this doubt in the back of my mind, that they were all of the sudden going to die with no warning or apparent cause. They never did. Yes I have had deaths and most were basket cases-- rescue animals that didn't make it. Some have been due to power outages. Some have been due to my own ignorance or stupidity. I hate that but if anyone throws stones at me for that, he or she had better be without sin... I didn't think so.
One day I go into JoMo's and there is a "captive propagated" torch coral. I was floored! I did not think this was possible! To actually GROW corals and "breed" them in captivity??? BS! It was epoxied to a bud vase. I use that same technique to this day. I still have that coral... and so do many of you! Many of them are probably still attached to the bud vase I grew them on.
Making my own lights, filters, skimmers, ozone generators, bla bla bla-- all this stuff is so readily available now that making it yourself is not needed. Captive propagation is now the norm. Captive fish breeding is leaping forward at light speed. I never thought that this hobby would progress this quickly.
Just shows you what a free-market economy can do for a global environmental cause-- without even trying.
H.crispa
New member
sand bed
sand bed
If you are not comfortable with trying an idea, run it by a reefer with more experience than you have. Actually, run it by SEVERAL reef geeks! There is a good chance that you either have an idea that is something that someone has thought of b4 that either worked or did not, or a workable new idea. If the new idea won't kill all your stuff and the people you consult agree-- then try it!
Worst case-- (post consult) nothing happens. Best case-- you discover something new that everyone benefits from.
Bottom line is that we are all scientists, experimenting with our captive reefs. There is a certain degree of risk with this. There is a degree of uncertainty in all of our tanks. If you don't like that, you are in the wrong hobby. I've been at this for over 10 years and yet I'm no Julian Sprung. Julian is no jacque cousteau. We all stand on the platform built by those who came before us. The things we discover today will be the platform of the reefers of tomorrow.
We all must take calculated risks in order to advance our hobby. Go froth, be fruity and multiplex!!!!!!!!!!!!
sand bed
If you are not comfortable with trying an idea, run it by a reefer with more experience than you have. Actually, run it by SEVERAL reef geeks! There is a good chance that you either have an idea that is something that someone has thought of b4 that either worked or did not, or a workable new idea. If the new idea won't kill all your stuff and the people you consult agree-- then try it!
Worst case-- (post consult) nothing happens. Best case-- you discover something new that everyone benefits from.
Bottom line is that we are all scientists, experimenting with our captive reefs. There is a certain degree of risk with this. There is a degree of uncertainty in all of our tanks. If you don't like that, you are in the wrong hobby. I've been at this for over 10 years and yet I'm no Julian Sprung. Julian is no jacque cousteau. We all stand on the platform built by those who came before us. The things we discover today will be the platform of the reefers of tomorrow.
We all must take calculated risks in order to advance our hobby. Go froth, be fruity and multiplex!!!!!!!!!!!!
H.crispa
New member
Next meeting
Next meeting
I have been putting a lot of time into my business plan and remodeling the bathroom lately and I have not been keeping up with all the mini-projects and consultative-ish kind of stuff with the club as much. Be assured that at this next meet, I will touch base with all of you on all the questions and stuff you have asked me about on your various projects. I have not forgotten you. I will be there. Make sure you are too! This meet is going to be a barn-burner.
Next meeting
I have been putting a lot of time into my business plan and remodeling the bathroom lately and I have not been keeping up with all the mini-projects and consultative-ish kind of stuff with the club as much. Be assured that at this next meet, I will touch base with all of you on all the questions and stuff you have asked me about on your various projects. I have not forgotten you. I will be there. Make sure you are too! This meet is going to be a barn-burner.
H.crispa
New member
no, actually I have been busy getting my life back together. Sorry about my prolonged absence. I've been stuck in that tree of self awareness of fears and whatever.... the thing Yoda made Luke go into where he fought Darth Vader and saw his own face in the....never mind!!! I am now in a new job I love. Much more than pharma could ever satisfy me.
Phuc pharma and the whole pretentious, conceited, self-absorbed, phallus- puffing industry. I'll still be a little busy for a while but I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's good to be back.
Here's my latest contraption:
http://fragguy1.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=diy&action=display&thread=1201571728
Phuc pharma and the whole pretentious, conceited, self-absorbed, phallus- puffing industry. I'll still be a little busy for a while but I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's good to be back.
Here's my latest contraption:
http://fragguy1.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=diy&action=display&thread=1201571728
Any problems with it as of yet?
When you have time.....it would be great to share this "do it yourselfer" equipment with the group. Your design and drawings are great but a video with sound (of course) would show how it works, and explain why you did this to keep this and that from happening. hint hint!!!
There is a lot of accidental losses and heart- ache from malfunctioning equipment. I have held off investing money into a reactor until I understand and can control the outcome better! Please keep us updated on any advancements
We could
When you have time.....it would be great to share this "do it yourselfer" equipment with the group. Your design and drawings are great but a video with sound (of course) would show how it works, and explain why you did this to keep this and that from happening. hint hint!!!
There is a lot of accidental losses and heart- ache from malfunctioning equipment. I have held off investing money into a reactor until I understand and can control the outcome better! Please keep us updated on any advancements
We could
H.crispa
New member
Well, my system is not an automatic limewater mixing auto top off machine (widely known as a neilsen reactor or some such nonsense, as a "neilsen reactor" isn't a reator of any kind. It is an automatic kalkwasser mixing auto top off contraption. Not to take away from them as they are effective and a nice gizmo. I just have a problem with the name.)
I simply have a large bucket of lime water, covered with a lid. The float switch turns a parastaltic pump on and off as the water level in the sump rises and falls. This pumps in kalk from the bucket. I just have to remember to keep the bucket full, which is really easy. No, it does not need to be stirred as it is a saturated solution, not a suspention. The only reason a neilsen thingie has to be stirred is because fresh water is added and lime must be dissolved in that new water.
The float switch is designed so that it is impossible for it to get stuck "on". Even if it did, I have recently added a failsafe floatswitch to shut off the pump if the water in the sump gets too high. I can forsee no reason it will ever be needed but I was wrong in the past one time when I was three. SO, like a condom, better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
I simply have a large bucket of lime water, covered with a lid. The float switch turns a parastaltic pump on and off as the water level in the sump rises and falls. This pumps in kalk from the bucket. I just have to remember to keep the bucket full, which is really easy. No, it does not need to be stirred as it is a saturated solution, not a suspention. The only reason a neilsen thingie has to be stirred is because fresh water is added and lime must be dissolved in that new water.
The float switch is designed so that it is impossible for it to get stuck "on". Even if it did, I have recently added a failsafe floatswitch to shut off the pump if the water in the sump gets too high. I can forsee no reason it will ever be needed but I was wrong in the past one time when I was three. SO, like a condom, better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
H.crispa
New member
Well, as I was sitting here screwing around on the net, some of my tank occupants got a little frisky and decided to do some screwing around of their own. First I noticed the smell. A "low tide" pureed algae, funk sort of smell. Then I saw my tank. It looked like someone dumped a couple gallons of milk into it and there were all these brine shrimp egg sized green balls drifting around everywhere. My skimmer is over flowing. I'm not sure what to do so I'll just go with my instincts and turn on the ozone and change the carbon and dump a gallon of new seawater into the tank so that all the difference of the skimmate is not made up for with kalkwasser via the auto top off.
Many reef enthusiasts tend to gloat when they have a coral spawn. I'm here to tell you that if a spawn is a sign of a crazy off the wall healthy tank, then my corals have seriously low expectations. As I have said, lately I've been a bad reefer. My tank is in pretty bad shape. It has been there before and I can always turn it around in a couple months and have it look like a million bucks five months after that. Like I have always said this reef keeping stuff isn't something that requires a phd and 12 hours a day. These animals are actually pretty tough.
Right now my tank is full of coral spooge and it is ruining what I had left of my water quality. Well, I can't sit here and gab all night. I have to try and get the funk out of the water so nothing dies.
Have a nice day.
Many reef enthusiasts tend to gloat when they have a coral spawn. I'm here to tell you that if a spawn is a sign of a crazy off the wall healthy tank, then my corals have seriously low expectations. As I have said, lately I've been a bad reefer. My tank is in pretty bad shape. It has been there before and I can always turn it around in a couple months and have it look like a million bucks five months after that. Like I have always said this reef keeping stuff isn't something that requires a phd and 12 hours a day. These animals are actually pretty tough.
Right now my tank is full of coral spooge and it is ruining what I had left of my water quality. Well, I can't sit here and gab all night. I have to try and get the funk out of the water so nothing dies.
Have a nice day.
coralreefer
No Pistons
There are sooo many smart arse comments I'd like to make but...I'll just say hope ya caught it in time. Do you have an idea of who was frisky or was it a group effort
btw Jason
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>Back!</b></i></big></big>
btw Jason
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>Back!</b></i></big></big>
