I just realized my reef is 44 years old this month.

[Paul B]

Thank you

 

[Paul B]

Just after Thanksgiving I had a hand operation. If you worked construction for 40 years and your joints still work, you didn't work hard enough. One finger (the one I use to point at Supermodels) was becoming stuck in the bent position so I went in to have it fixed. They "fixed" my knee at the same time. Well, the knee surgery didn't do anything and neither did the hand surgery. If I see a Supermodel now, I will have to point with my foot or chin.
The surgeon sent me for hand therapy and all that. Even the Supermodel in the therapists office massaging my hand couldn't fix it so I went in today to see a "different" surgeon. This guy only does hands. The other guy did arms, legs, ears, teeth and anything that ails you so I figure I would go to a guy who only does hands.
The nurse comes in and asks me all the silly questions, things like "Do you use your right hand much?" and "what do you use it mostly for?" "how soon would you like it fixed?". I said, "I don't have to comb my hair but if someone was hitting you in the face with a hammer, would you like him to slow down, or stop?".
Then she takes me for an X Ray. The Doctor comes in and he is a little older than my Grand Son. He bends my finger around a little asking me if this hurts and if that hurts. Now there isn't any part of my hand that doesn't hurt.
He says, We have three options. I can give you a cortisone shot in the finger. I ask, "does that ever work?" He says, "No". Then he says "We can try putting me on steroids for two weeks" I ask, "Does that ever work?" He says "Usually not, but it may make me fat" So another surgery it is. This time they are not going to knock me out so they can ask me stupid things while they cut open my hand, maybe tell some knock knock jokes.
This week I need to work on my boat outdrives to get them ready because I won't be able to use my right hand for a few weeks so if I need to pick my nose, I will have to use my toe.

 

[Paul B]

In a few weeks my boat will be in the water and it will be amphipod hunting season. The early summer is when they are free swimming and possibly breeding but I really don't know. I do know that there are so many of them at that time that all I have to do is put my arm in the water (in a tide pool at low tide) and I am covered in them. If I anchor my boat, the anchor line is full of them. I normally hang a frayed rope off my dock and it becomes filled with amphipods. To me, this is very important as is all live foods. Not just for the obvious health benefit of feeding live food, but more importantly for the living (wild) bacteria in their guts. I feel this is the main reason my fish seem to be immune from everything so far so I will keep collecting and feeding live foods. Of course I still feed live blackworms and earthworms for the same reason.

 

[reynaldoramon]

Hey...I'm curious Paul. What LFS do you use there in New York?

 

[Paul B]

Aquarium Village in Westbury.

 

[Paul B]

A fishes Lateral Line system. (By me)

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/wish-were-fish-with-lateral-line-system-6482/

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

For an experiment, you can take a permanent marker and draw a line from your eye, down your sides, right to your toes. Then blindfold yourself and run through a forest or Times Square in Manhattan on New Year’s Eve. I bet you come out all beaten up and bloody.

That’s because you are not a fish.

ROFL

 

[Paul B]

I had my second hand surgery yesterday because I guess the first one was only practice. Now they tell me they have it down to a science. My right hand is bandaged from my knuckles almost to my elbow. It is amazing how many times you need your right hand during the day. Luckily I am used to this from my last hand surgery 3 months ago. If this works, I will be as good as new. Not as good as I was 30 years ago, but good enough. It's a good thing that I don't have to comb my hair but holding a tooth brush is a little of a challenge, but nothing I can't manage. I just put the brush in the vise, bite on it and move my face back and forth. Today I cleaned the glass on my tank and noticed that everything is still alive. I saw some fish I thought were gone as that seems to happen a lot lately. I am not sure if I am just senile and the fish have always been there or they go into another dimension for a while. But they are all back and eating all the clams and worms I can buy. I can't open clams for a while so they will have to live on Mysis and cake for a couple of weeks.
My algae scrubber keeps getting full of slimy algae but I cleaned it the day before surgery so I am good for a couple of weeks.
I have a speaking engagement in September that I am excited about because it is in Boston and we have friends there that we will visit.
This is in the mangrove roots on Key Largo.

 

[Paul B]

I have been experimenting with this little anemone crab for a couple of months by giving him a live blackworm every day. At first he just looked at me like I was crazy and continued filter feeding. But now he comes out for the worm as soon as he sees the feeder and grabs the worm. He also gave up living on corals and prefers to stay in this spot on the rock. He doesn't seem to filter feed any more which is good because these crabs don't usually live long in a tank. I assume they don't usually get enough food. But I will see how long he will live on worms. I want to get a few more of them so they will mate.



This is him when I got him.

 

[cameronh]

Awesome!

 

[duckdodgers]

Thats cool man i hope im still doing this 40 years from now

 

[Paul B]

Thats cool man i hope im still doing this 40 years from now

I am fairly sure I won't be doing anything 40 years from now.

 

[Paul B]

Taking pictures.


It's almost impossible to get a picture of this guy

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[cilyjr]

How's the hand paul?
My stepdad had that surgery a few years ago and he was pretty happy because he can point at supermodels again, but really only if they are to his left. But that's an improvement because before, they would have to have been in his lap.

 

[Paul B]

They still have to sit on my lap but now I can point again. I get the stitches out Wednesday and then I will be able to try it. Maybe practice by pointing at some fish first.

 

[cilyjr]

Well in the mean time just flap your arms wildly at them.

 

[ZoaReefer]

How old is the oldest coral in your tank? Is your 25+ old clown the oldest fish?

 

[Paul B]

I don't remember how old the oldest coral is but I think it is a gorgonian which may be 15 or so years old.
The fireclown is my oldest fish.
I think this is that gorgonian.


Fireclown, He is starting to show his age now. I think he needs some Botox and maybe a good dentist

 

[kevantheman35]

There's speculation that these anemone crabs consume slime from their host anemones that helps them along. I have one which hosts a rose bubble anemone and has been doing so going on three years now. I do hang him a mysis, krill, or black worm when I think about it. Very interesting crabs!

 

[Paul B]

My anemone crab doesn't go on the corals any more. He prefers to stay on that rock and never moves.