THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[albertthiel]

Well that is quite a story Paul ...

 

Love the error in the WHAT ?

 

 

 

Albert

[Paul B]

I found my Log book starting in 1974

This is the first page of my log book. I also found a book that I started writing at that time. I was listing the fish that I kept and wrote a page or so for each fish. The pictures were drawings that I did at the time. It's a little out dated now. Remember this was before just about anyone carried salt water fish and there were no salt water medications or any information. We had to figure out everything through guesswork. I noticed most of my notes were about diseases.

 

 

 

I found it interesting that I had a Moorish Idol and a copperband butterfly in 1976

 

[albertthiel]

Wow you sure kept good notes Paul

 

Albert

[Paul B]

In 1976 I was still living in my apartment and the tank was 40 gallons. I had that copperband, French Angel and a Moorish Idol in a 40 gallon

[albertthiel]

In 1976 I was still living in my apartment and the tank was 40 gallons. I had that copperband, French Angel and a Moorish Idol in a 40 gallon

A lot of fish for that tank but in those days we did no know any better unfortunately

 

Albert

[Paul B]

I think it is interesting. I read it and laugh at the medications I tried.

I have not seen this book in decades.

I probably used medications I was taking as there were absolutely no salt water fish medications. I think we may have had copper but that's it. The log is full of trial and errors and plenty of dead fish.

 

This was the only publication.

 

[albertthiel]

I am sure we all did a lot of trial and error in those days Paul

 

 

Albert

[Paul B]

This is from the day I moved from Queens New York to New Hyde Park, Long Island. A trip of about 9 miles. I put the water and fish in 2 five gallon buckets for the trip and dumped it all back in in my new home. I still had not gotten the new 100 gallon tank here. I think it took me a few months to afford that. In those days there was no live rock or coral to worry about, it was just water and gravel. The decorations were just dead coral skeletons that I removed and soaked in bleach whenever they turned green. That's how all salt tanks were run then. We didn't know or consider bacteria as a helpful thing much. But it seemed the move went well.

I see my tank was also plagued by HLLE possibly because I had so many fish in a 40 gallon tank and the food was most likely flakes or pellets. I don't remember but I am sure I will find it in my notes. I was also using tap water in those days.

 

[albertthiel]

How well I remember those days Paul ....

 

 

Albert

[atoll]

Yes those were the days Paul, Just a bit before i got into marines mind. I started of on UG filters with a large 4 outlet air pump that vibrated the fillings out of your teeth if you got within 10 feet of it. Salt spray everywhere, large pieces of bleached white coral skeletons. Hair algae, Coral gravel with a plastic netting thing called a gravel tidy in between the gravel and a 22 topping of coral sand. The only lights we had were Growlux and something called northlight T12 (I think they were) tubes. Not much choice when it came to salt just 2 or 3 brands. Tropic Marine was the salt of choice back then. Forget nems you couldn't hope to keep one so it was clowns without nems. Damsels and a few others. Some of the fish like butterflies came in later that only eat coral polyps and so died. Damsels like blue devils were your best bet fo survival. . .

[albertthiel]

Yes those were the days Paul, Just a bit before i got into marines mind. I started of on UG filters with a large 4 outlet air pump that vibrated the fillings out of your teeth if you got within 10 feet of it. Salt spray everywhere, large pieces of bleached white coral skeletons. Hair algae, Coral gravel with a plastic netting thing called a gravel tidy in between the gravel and a 22 topping of coral sand. The only lights we had were Growlux and something called northlight T12 (I think they were) tubes. Not much choice when it came to salt just 2 or 3 brands. Tropic Marine was the salt of choice back then. Forget nems you couldn't hope to keep one so it was clowns without nems. Damsels and a few others. Some of the fish like butterflies came in later that only eat coral polyps and so died. Damsels like blue devils were your best bet fo survival. . .

Yes I remember all of that. And we had two sets of dead coral decorations so the second one could be used while the first one was being bleached

 

And as to fish : I had a Panther Grouper in the beginning as well. A small one so he would not eat the damsels ??

 

Albert

[Paul B]

That is correct Albert as you can see in this picture when I was installing my new tank in my new home. The green dead corals were transported from the tank in my old home and the new, bleached white ones must have been the new ones I bought to take up the extra space because this tank was much larger.

 

[Paul B]

I was just on my deck feeding my tomato plants when I noticed a wasp nest in my air conditioner. I didn't know if it was an old nest as I didn't see any wasps. So I (smartly) banged on the air conditioner and immediately got my answer. One of them, the meanest one I assume because he seemed to have a tattoo on his ankle, made a "Beeline" or more accurately a "Waspline" for my face. He was to quick for me and got me between my eyes. It feels like I got hit with a hammer. A small hammer but a hammer none the less. Not to worry. I got even with him and he won't be siring any more babies. The rest of his family also better have better insurance than Obamacare because they are going to need it.

[StinkyBunny]

I'll be up in your neck of the woods tomorrow Paul, air freighted Indo live rock tomorrow. What happened to the $80 boxes of live rock? 50 kg are just shy of $1000. Indo only ships live rock 1-2 times a year and I always seem to be somewhere else when it happens. My bank account has been catching hell the last month.

[Paul B]

I will be out in my boat and hope to do some collecting (and partying) Where are you going?

[atoll]

Added a splash guard to my spray bar. I used 2 pieces of clear acrylic I had knocking around and glued a piece either side of the spray bar. I tried a few glues without much success but Evo Stick extreme bond did the trick. Now when i get a bit of water diversion away from the screen (due to algae build up) it bounces back onto the screen. I may put some black plastic tape I have over them to help reduce algae growth on the spray slot.

 

[albertthiel]

That is correct Albert as you can see in this picture when I was installing my new tank in my new home. The green dead corals were transported from the tank in my old home and the new, bleached white ones must have been the new ones I bought to take up the extra space because this tank was much larger.

 

Yes I see it Paul

 

 

 

I was just on my deck feeding my tomato plants when I noticed a wasp nest in my air conditioner. I didn't know if it was an old nest as I didn't see any wasps. So I (smartly) banged on the air conditioner and immediately got my answer. One of them, the meanest one I assume because he seemed to have a tattoo on his ankle, made a "Beeline" or more accurately a "Waspline" for my face. He was to quick for me and got me between my eyes. It feels like I got hit with a hammer. A small hammer but a hammer none the less. Not to worry. I got even with him and he won't be siring any more babies. The rest of his family also better have better insurance than Obamacare because they are going to need it.

Sorry about that Paul

 

 

 

I'll be up in your neck of the woods tomorrow Paul, air freighted Indo live rock tomorrow. What happened to the $80 boxes of live rock? 50 kg are just shy of $1000. Indo only ships live rock 1-2 times a year and I always seem to be somewhere else when it happens. My bank account has been catching hell the last month.

Wow ... 1000. Amazed

 

 

 

Added a splash guard to my spray bar. I used 2 pieces of clear acrylic I had knocking around and glued a piece either side of the spray bar. I tried a few glues without much success but Evo Stick extreme bond did the trick. Now when i get a bit of water diversion away from the screen (due to algae build up) it bounces back onto the screen. I may put some black plastic tape I have over them to help reduce algae growth on the spray slot.

 

Glad to read it worked for you

 

Albert

[atoll]

I am away on Wednesday returning home on Sunday off walking and camping in the English Lake District with friends. we have had a poor summer so far but we are getting a bit of sun now. The English lakes are beautiful in summer but when it rains it can be a miserable place esp camping so fingers crossed. Hope my tank survives until my return

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lake+district&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjayOrhlP3NAhXHJsAKHXj1AQQQ_AUIBygC

[albertthiel]

I am away on Wednesday returning home on Sunday off walking and camping in the English Lake District with friends. we have had a poor summer so far but we are getting a bit of sun now. The English lakes are beautiful in summer but when it rains it can be a miserable place esp camping so fingers crossed. Hope my tank survives until my return

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lake+district&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjayOrhlP3NAhXHJsAKHXj1AQQQ_AUIBygC

 

 

Have a great time Les

 

 

Albert

[Paul B]

I had this guy in my tank for quite a while and he got pretty big. But he always looked sad so a few weeks ago I went on E Harmony/Crab.com and found him a date.

When I first put her in I thought it was love at first sight because he "ran" right over to her. But it was really love at first bite as he quickly got her into a Ricky Nelson.

(Headlock for you kids) I quickly removed the both of them from the water until he got the idea and let her go. Then I released them on opposite sides of the tank so they could be properly introduced gradually.

Now I am happy to report that they spend quality time together and sometimes hold hands, or claws.

I hope to mate them but I think they are way ahead of me. I have not had arrow crabs spawn in my reef in many years and I am excited for it to happen. I know I won't be able to raise them but that's not the point.

They hang in the dark in the back of the tank but if I can get a shot of the both of them, I will try to get it. In the meantime, this is just him, handsome devil that he is.

 

[albertthiel]

I had this guy in my tank for quite a while and he got pretty big. But he always looked sad so a few weeks ago I went on E Harmony/Crab.com and found him a date.

When I first put her in I thought it was love at first sight because he "ran" right over to her. But it was really love at first bite as he quickly got her into a Ricky Nelson.

(Headlock for you kids) I quickly removed the both of them from the water until he got the idea and let her go. Then I released them on opposite sides of the tank so they could be properly introduced gradually.

Now I am happy to report that they spend quality time together and sometimes hold hands, or claws.

I hope to mate them but I think they are way ahead of me. I have not had arrow crabs spawn in my reef in many years and I am excited for it to happen. I know I won't be able to raise them but that's not the point.

They hang in the dark in the back of the tank but if I can get a shot of the both of them, I will try to get it. In the meantime, this is just him, handsome devil that he is.

 

Quite an adventure Paul

 

Try Match . Com next time maybe ??

 

Albert

[Paul B]

I will try that Albert. Match/crab.com

[albertthiel]

I will try that Albert. Match/crab.com

?????

[Paul B]

From my notes it looks like my tank had nothing but diseases but then I realized that I only wrote something in the log book when something happened, like a disease. I rarely wrote anything if nothing was happening as I have months in between logging anything. In the very beginning it was all diseases because the fish all came on the verge of croaking. The stores would throw out all their fish in the first few days if they didn't sell because they died anyway. Eventually we figured it out and kept copper pennies in the water to control parasites.

[albertthiel]

From my notes it looks like my tank had nothing but diseases but then I realized that I only wrote something in the log book when something happened, like a disease. I rarely wrote anything if nothing was happening as I have months in between logging anything. In the very beginning it was all diseases because the fish all came on the verge of croaking. The stores would throw out all their fish in the first few days if they didn't sell because they died anyway. Eventually we figured it out and kept copper pennies in the water to control parasites.

 

Yes it do remember the copper penny trick well Paul ... of course in those days the pennies HAD copper in it ... nowadays I believe there is very very little and of course we do not really use that method any longer

 

Albert