THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[Paul.b]

I just crawled under and behind my tank and checked it out with Albert's critter light. I found 3 small fish that I thought disappeared a long time ago. I can't normally see behind my tank because it is built into a wall but I am happy these fish are still with me. I did buy a new tiny gobi and a hammar coral today but I am sure I won't see that tiny gobi in a few years.

I went to buy that fish and coral after I had this weird phone call and I needed to unwind.

 

My Verizon internet went out so I called Verizon. After you talk to the sexy sounding computerized girl for 15 minutes and screw up the answers, you get a person. So finally a young sounding female comes on and says "Yes". Not hello, this is Verizon, may I help you, drop dead, nothing, but "Yes".
OK no big deal so I say, are you the tech? I hear noise like she is dragging the phone through a FOWLR tank for 5 or 6 minutes. Then I hear "Yes".
I say, are you the tech? Yes er yes, yes I am. Then I hear that gravel sound for 4 or 5 minutes. Then "Yes". I say, are you the tech, and are you alive?
Yes I am the tech, let me look up your information.
Now, she didn't yet ask me my name, phone number, color of my eyes, favorite recording artist, nothing, but I do get that live rock sound again for a few minutes.
Then I hear "Yes". Are you the tech? gravel sounds. "Yes".
I say "are you OK?. Yes Sir, what is the problem? I say, my internet doesn't work. She says, how long has your TV and phone been out?
I say, no, I am talking to you on the phone, my internet doesn't work.
Gravel noise................Yes. Hello, are you there? Yes Sir, the important thing is to get your TV working. My TV is working fine, but in a minute I am going to smash the phone with it..........Gravel noise............
Yes. Yes, it is still me. Oh yes Mr Roger. Who is Roger?
Gravel noise...............So it is your TV and phone that is not working. How long has it been out? Gravel noise.................................Yes.
Did anyone else try to repair your phone? No, my phone is unfortunately working fine.................OK let me pull up your records. I say, OK but we have been on the phone for 30 minutes already and you said you were going top look up my records 4 times. She says, how do you spell your name? I said, I spelled it 5 times already, look at your notes. OH OK Sir, I will run a test of your TV signal. My TV works fine, I am not so sure about you though. Gravel, live rock noise for 5 or 6 minutes. Yes.
YES, I am here, are you the tech? How do you spell your name? How do you spell yours? She says just give me a moment, I said I have been giving you moments for half an hour, I mean really! Give me a moment and I will pull up your records. How do you spell your name?
This went on for about 45 minutes. The only reason I didn't hang up is that it took so long for me to get to the point where she got my name right and I thought I was on a radio show and they were going to say, "this is a phone scam and you just won a trip to Bangaladesh"
Then I hear that noise and I hold on for about ten minutes.
Then a male voice comes on and asks me to spell my name.
I said, really? What happened to that girl? He said, she had a medical problem. I said, you think? I heard someone in the background say "is she OK?" I don't know if she was on drugs, had a stroke, didn't get enough sleep or maybe she just won a trip to Bangaladesh.
So in two minutes the guy fixed my problem but that entire call took over an hour. It was unbelievable, you can't make this stuff up......Yes

[MyLiquidBlue29BC]

I really wish I could find it, you guys would be impressed with the tank. It was a heavily stocked nano reef packed full of coral and macros, and I think a lot of NPS. The guy's feeding schedule was incredible. He probably fed that tank more in one day than most of us feed ours in a month.

 

I wish there was a way to see your recently viewed topics. It was only in the past couple days.

You can look through your browser history.

[dougm]

Yea,but, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

[atoll]

Yea,but, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

Yes!

[albertthiel]

Yeah pig and cow blood but not added to food but straight into the tank. Like I said I only tried it the one time and my skimmer went nuts so I guess you have to turn the skimmer off before adding it.

 

Like what happens with a number of other additives that sounds indeed what you need to do but I would still like to find the thread on adding the blood and what the thought process was for doing so and what the results were and whether it was continued or not ...

 

The other problem with pigs blood is that it may contain ochratoxin which is considered a carcinogen and even a possible mutagenic.

 

But I guess before making any judgements we need to find that thread and see what is being said there ... It is odd though that if adding cow or pig blood was such a positive thing to do that there is no literature to be found about that practice

 

More shall be revealed I guess

 

Albertå

[Chew_Magna]

You can look through your browser history.

Doing that, went back a week and didn't see anything. Could have been on my phone and that was just flashed a couple days ago.

[albertthiel]

I looked through a few pages of member's aquariums and didn't come across it. I'm doing all sorts of Google Fu trying to find it. I know it was a link to another forum, I've been hitting up several trying to use their search functions but a lot of them only allow members access to that feature.

 

Thanks and yes unless you are a member forums do not allow Searches but somehow I am sure we'll find it ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

It's many years since I heard and feeding blood and used it. Perhaps 20 years. You would expect to find more on it but perhaps pre Internet.

 

Yes that what I was thinking also .. if it really was that great we would be able to find more info on it but so far nothing except that one mention on RC to which no one replied.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

I really wish I could find it, you guys would be impressed with the tank. It was a heavily stocked nano reef packed full of coral and macros, and I think a lot of NPS. The guy's feeding schedule was incredible. He probably fed that tank more in one day than most of us feed ours in a month.

 

I wish there was a way to see your recently viewed topics. It was only in the past couple days.

 

Yes I sure would love to see it .... I am sure we'll figure it out though at some point ... someone will find the link I am sure

 

Albert

[atoll]

Well nothing surprises me in this hobby.The Oxydator is a point in question. People either ignore it by saying if it's so good why aren't we all using it or they scoff and rubbish something out of hand and don't understand. There can be a number of reasons for this burying heads in the sand is but one of them.

[albertthiel]

I just crawled under and behind my tank and checked it out with Albert's critter light. I found 3 small fish that I thought disappeared a long time ago. I can't normally see behind my tank because it is built into a wall but I am happy these fish are still with me. I did buy a new tiny gobi and a hammar coral today but I am sure I won't see that tiny gobi in a few years.

I went to buy that fish and coral after I had this weird phone call and I needed to unwind.

 

My Verizon internet went out so I called Verizon. After you talk to the sexy sounding computerized girl for 15 minutes and screw up the answers, you get a person. So finally a young sounding female comes on and says "Yes". Not hello, this is Verizon, may I help you, drop dead, nothing, but "Yes".

OK no big deal so I say, are you the tech? I hear noise like she is dragging the phone through a FOWLR tank for 5 or 6 minutes. Then I hear "Yes".

I say, are you the tech? Yes er yes, yes I am. Then I hear that gravel sound for 4 or 5 minutes. Then "Yes". I say, are you the tech, and are you alive?

Yes I am the tech, let me look up your information.

Now, she didn't yet ask me my name, phone number, color of my eyes, favorite recording artist, nothing, but I do get that live rock sound again for a few minutes.

Then I hear "Yes". Are you the tech? gravel sounds. "Yes".

I say "are you OK?. Yes Sir, what is the problem? I say, my internet doesn't work. She says, how long has your TV and phone been out?

I say, no, I am talking to you on the phone, my internet doesn't work.

Gravel noise................Yes. Hello, are you there? Yes Sir, the important thing is to get your TV working. My TV is working fine, but in a minute I am going to smash the phone with it..........Gravel noise............

Yes. Yes, it is still me. Oh yes Mr Roger. Who is Roger?

Gravel noise...............So it is your TV and phone that is not working. How long has it been out? Gravel noise.................................Yes.

Did anyone else try to repair your phone? No, my phone is unfortunately working fine.................OK let me pull up your records. I say, OK but we have been on the phone for 30 minutes already and you said you were going top look up my records 4 times. She says, how do you spell your name? I said, I spelled it 5 times already, look at your notes. OH OK Sir, I will run a test of your TV signal. My TV works fine, I am not so sure about you though. Gravel, live rock noise for 5 or 6 minutes. Yes.

YES, I am here, are you the tech? How do you spell your name? How do you spell yours? She says just give me a moment, I said I have been giving you moments for half an hour, I mean really! Give me a moment and I will pull up your records. How do you spell your name?

This went on for about 45 minutes. The only reason I didn't hang up is that it took so long for me to get to the point where she got my name right and I thought I was on a radio show and they were going to say, "this is a phone scam and you just won a trip to Bangaladesh"

Then I hear that noise and I hold on for about ten minutes.

Then a male voice comes on and asks me to spell my name.

I said, really? What happened to that girl? He said, she had a medical problem. I said, you think? I heard someone in the background say "is she OK?" I don't know if she was on drugs, had a stroke, didn't get enough sleep or maybe she just won a trip to Bangaladesh.

So in two minutes the guy fixed my problem but that entire call took over an hour. It was unbelievable, you can't make this stuff up......Yes

 

 

I am with you on that one Paul ... those customer service lines or tech support lines are all the same IMO regardless of who you call.

 

It is a shame really .. they want your money but when you need something it always looks like either they don't believe you or they take so long to figure out what is going on that it is no wonder that they are referred to as "Customer NO service". Glad they fixed it though.

 

And on those fish you found, I gather that if they were behind and underneath the tank that they were close to being turned into mummies unfortunately ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Doing that, went back a week and didn't see anything. Could have been on my phone and that was just flashed a couple days ago.

 

I did a bunch of searches using different terms but cannot find anything .. oh well ....

 

Albert

[Chew_Magna]

I just crawled under and behind my tank and checked it out with Albert's critter light. I found 3 small fish that I thought disappeared a long time ago. I can't normally see behind my tank because it is built into a wall but I am happy these fish are still with me. I did buy a new tiny gobi and a hammar coral today but I am sure I won't see that tiny gobi in a few years.

I went to buy that fish and coral after I had this weird phone call and I needed to unwind.

 

My Verizon internet went out so I called Verizon. After you talk to the sexy sounding computerized girl for 15 minutes and screw up the answers, you get a person. So finally a young sounding female comes on and says "Yes". Not hello, this is Verizon, may I help you, drop dead, nothing, but "Yes".

OK no big deal so I say, are you the tech? I hear noise like she is dragging the phone through a FOWLR tank for 5 or 6 minutes. Then I hear "Yes".

I say, are you the tech? Yes er yes, yes I am. Then I hear that gravel sound for 4 or 5 minutes. Then "Yes". I say, are you the tech, and are you alive?

Yes I am the tech, let me look up your information.

Now, she didn't yet ask me my name, phone number, color of my eyes, favorite recording artist, nothing, but I do get that live rock sound again for a few minutes.

Then I hear "Yes". Are you the tech? gravel sounds. "Yes".

I say "are you OK?. Yes Sir, what is the problem? I say, my internet doesn't work. She says, how long has your TV and phone been out?

I say, no, I am talking to you on the phone, my internet doesn't work.

Gravel noise................Yes. Hello, are you there? Yes Sir, the important thing is to get your TV working. My TV is working fine, but in a minute I am going to smash the phone with it..........Gravel noise............

Yes. Yes, it is still me. Oh yes Mr Roger. Who is Roger?

Gravel noise...............So it is your TV and phone that is not working. How long has it been out? Gravel noise.................................Yes.

Did anyone else try to repair your phone? No, my phone is unfortunately working fine.................OK let me pull up your records. I say, OK but we have been on the phone for 30 minutes already and you said you were going top look up my records 4 times. She says, how do you spell your name? I said, I spelled it 5 times already, look at your notes. OH OK Sir, I will run a test of your TV signal. My TV works fine, I am not so sure about you though. Gravel, live rock noise for 5 or 6 minutes. Yes.

YES, I am here, are you the tech? How do you spell your name? How do you spell yours? She says just give me a moment, I said I have been giving you moments for half an hour, I mean really! Give me a moment and I will pull up your records. How do you spell your name?

This went on for about 45 minutes. The only reason I didn't hang up is that it took so long for me to get to the point where she got my name right and I thought I was on a radio show and they were going to say, "this is a phone scam and you just won a trip to Bangaladesh"

Then I hear that noise and I hold on for about ten minutes.

Then a male voice comes on and asks me to spell my name.

I said, really? What happened to that girl? He said, she had a medical problem. I said, you think? I heard someone in the background say "is she OK?" I don't know if she was on drugs, had a stroke, didn't get enough sleep or maybe she just won a trip to Bangaladesh.

So in two minutes the guy fixed my problem but that entire call took over an hour. It was unbelievable, you can't make this stuff up......Yes

 

 

 

And how you usually feel on your end...

 

 

I did a bunch of searches using different terms but cannot find anything .. oh well ....

 

Albert

I did all sorts of searches as well and came up with nothing.

 

Damn my brain for getting old on me... If only I could remember.

[albertthiel]

Well nothing surprises me in this hobby.The Oxydator is a point in question. People either ignore it by saying if it's so good why aren't we all using it or they scoff and rubbish something out of hand and don't understand. There can be a number of reasons for this burying heads in the sand is but one of them.

 

Indeed Les ... the fact that the RC post was ignored or that a lot of the Oxydator ones are and were is on thing, but searches will bring those up ...

 

In this case we cannot find anything ... that is the odd part about it ..

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

And how you usually feel on your end...

 

I did all sorts of searches as well and came up with nothing.

 

Damn my brain for getting old on me... If only I could remember.

 

 

I remember seeing those ads on TV I think .... good example indeed of the NO customer service ...

 

And on the search ... not to worry ... at some point we'll figure it out ..

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Thomas Brown Video at VIVID Aquariums

 

Wow ...

 

 

 

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

And on those fish you found, I gather that if they were behind and underneath the tank that they were close to being turned into mummies unfortunately ...

 

No, they were actually alive and well, they just found nice dark hiding places and they like to live in the back of the tank. Unfortunately, I never see them

[albertthiel]

No, they were actually alive and well, they just found nice dark hiding places and they like to live in the back of the tank. Unfortunately, I never see them

 

Oh I see they were not in the floor ... they were just in the back of the tank hiding ... well that is good, at least you know they are there and kicking ... pity they do not come out more

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Coral Feeding ... an overview ... recent article. This is a very long and very detailed article and published in Dec 2013 !

 

Link :

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/12/aafeature

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

A living Rock ? A coral ? or what exactly is it ? Check it out .. and what about "selfing" and all the vanadium it contains ?

 

Link

 

http://grist.org/list/crazy-living-rock-is-one-of-the-weirdest-creatures-weve-ever-seen/

 

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

And on the addition of Blood to the tank ... ... ... Islandoftiki found this reference (but it is to Human Blood) and yes confirms as I said that it is mostly protein and would make the skimmer go bananas if there was a lot of blood added to the tank ..

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/general-reef-topics/does-human-blood-hurt-fish-tank-72291.html#post696939

 

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Islandoftiki found another link that deals with feeding cattle blood

 

But again not much information ...

 

I do remember Marc Weiss though from when I lived in CT in the 80's when he was really into selling Discus and using those kind of desiccated foods to feed his Fish ..

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/coral-health/black-powder-56905.html#.UqDDnJF5uyh

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

On the use of Baking Soda and How to Use to maximize its Effect

 

 

Link :

 

 

http://www.reef2reef.com/blog/baking-soda-the-reef-aquarium/

 

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Rest in Peace Nelson Mandela

[albertthiel]

Ecological Disturbance Theory in Space Limited Environments - Can one species outcompete all others ... and more

 

 

Link :

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/5/aafeature

 

 

Albert