almost 35 year old reef pictures

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 06:56 PM

My reef will be 35 years old in a few weeks and I have some time so I figured I would post some new pictures. I was getting tired of looking at the old ones anyway.
It's still going strong with the reverse UG filter, the only new addition this year is an algae tray over the water. There is no algae in the tank except for the local New York macro that I collect on the eastern end of Long Island.
Have a great day.
Paul

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 06:58 PM

Ky_Yaker · 12/12/2005, 07:00 PM

I always enjoy seeing pictures of your tank Paul. You're insperation for a lot of us!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 07:02 PM

spalmerm I aspire to retire.
Paul

JENnKerry · 12/12/2005, 07:20 PM

I agre with Spalmer Paul. Always a pleasure to look at. Didn't you have a foxface at one time?

Love that Idol by the way

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 07:33 PM

Kerry, I gave the foxface to someone here on RC. It used to fight with the moorish Idol and steal too much food from him. It also bit off the streamer and so far it has not grown back.
If you look back at some old posts I posted "free foxface to anyone who wants to pick it up"
Paul

JENnKerry · 12/12/2005, 07:36 PM

That was a beautiful fish as well. But you have to do what's best for your Idol right?

jman77 · 12/12/2005, 07:36 PM

Paul B,

Very nice, very nice !!!

Have you ever broken down the tank and re- siliconed it?

romanr · 12/12/2005, 07:38 PM

Is that the original substrate? Although I'm sure you've had to add some as it would have dissolved over time. I guess what I'm really asking is, have you completely changed the substrate at any time? If not what kind of maintenance have you performed to it.

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 07:47 PM

Jman, so far the silicone has remained intact. Romanr, that is the original dolomite substrate. I may have added a little but 98% of it was in there when the tank was brackish in the late sixtees or so. I stir it up once or twice a year and use a diatom filter to clean it out. I can't really move the rocks because of the stuff growing on them but very little of them are hitting the bottom.
I build a lot of my rocks and I designed it that way.
Paul

trippyl · 12/12/2005, 08:00 PM

Great new pics. Would love to see more! Not many people use diatom filters these days, but they were really good back in the day, and probably still are.

gwaco · 12/12/2005, 08:32 PM

kevensquint · 12/12/2005, 08:42 PM

How long have you had your oldest coral?

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 08:51 PM

Kevin, I have no Idea. Some of the mushrooms are maybe 10 years old I can't tell because they multiply and they are all over the place. That star polyp is older than that and the bubble may be 10. That little greenish looking thing in the front is about 8 and that gorgonian is also about 8, give or take a few years.
I can't remember what I ate for breakfast.
Take care.
Paul

scarletknight06 · 12/12/2005, 08:56 PM

very cool. what do you use for lighting and circulation in the tank?

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 08:58 PM

Lighting is some left over MH fixtures I had from lighting up the Plaza Hotel in New York, there is also 2 PC actinics in a 2" plastic pipe sliced in half, and circulation is just two powerheads

Rhas · 12/12/2005, 08:58 PM

I can only hope to such a nice tank one day... For now Ill have to stick the the 30 gallon

That tank is beautiful.

Sullyman · 12/12/2005, 09:00 PM

That bottle still looks great, last time you posted pics, I saw that bottle and never thought it would last. But there it is, hasn't grown much but the color is still great.

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 09:06 PM

Rhas, all of this stuff started out in a 30 gallon tank, it was transfered to the 100 in about 1978 or so.
Sullyman, some of the bottles are so encrusted in star polyps that you can;t see them. There are maybe 8 bottles in there.
This is a picture of a new homemade rock I added yesterday. It is about a foot long and of course still looks like cement but in a few weeks that will change and you will never be able to tell it is not real.
Take care.
Paul
[IMG]Rhas, all of this stuff started out in a 30 gallon tank, it was transfered to the 100 in about 1978 or so.[/IMG]

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 09:07 PM

Wow, that was a mistake

mc-cro · 12/12/2005, 09:17 PM

Paul, do I understand you right to say you only have 2 powerheads for circulation in a 100g tank?

Sullyman · 12/12/2005, 09:22 PM

Paul, now that I look closer I can see more bottles. I was only kidding about it though, I saw your tank before and it's one of a kind. In a good way.
Bob

Shawnts106 · 12/12/2005, 09:26 PM

Well this tank is far from "high-tech" and whatnot...

But this definately wins the most unique tank of the year!
pretty neat!

wetWolger · 12/12/2005, 09:29 PM

I love how natural your tank looks! I would have removed the bottles, but it oddly fits (unfortantly probbly makes it even more athentic).

Paul B · 12/12/2005, 09:35 PM

mc-cro, there are only 2 powerheads and I usually only run one. Most of my corals are lps and the extra current annoys them.
Sullyman, is this the bottle you are talking about? This is a new picture

and this is the bottle last year, yeah it does look about the same. But it's a bottle, I think it will always stay like that.
Paul

12/12/2005, 06:56 PM	#1
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	almost 35 year old reef pictures My reef will be 35 years old in a few weeks and I have some time so I figured I would post some new pictures. I was getting tired of looking at the old ones anyway. It's still going strong with the reverse UG filter, the only new addition this year is an algae tray over the water. There is no algae in the tank except for the local New York macro that I collect on the eastern end of Long Island. Have a great day. Paul

12/12/2005, 07:00 PM	#3
Ky_Yaker Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 313	I always enjoy seeing pictures of your tank Paul. You're insperation for a lot of us!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ To err is human. To really mess things up, you need a computer.

12/12/2005, 07:02 PM	#4
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	spalmerm I aspire to retire. Paul __________________ All of your animals came from NSW, None of them came from ASW Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1972

12/12/2005, 07:20 PM	#5
JENnKerry Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jersey Posts: 7,283	I agre with Spalmer Paul. Always a pleasure to look at. Didn't you have a foxface at one time? Love that Idol by the way __________________ We Don't Have a Signature..... Current Tank Info: 125 gallon reef~3x250 MH 4x96 PC, 10 Gallon Coral Only~Softie Dominated with Some LPS

12/12/2005, 07:33 PM	#6
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	Kerry, I gave the foxface to someone here on RC. It used to fight with the moorish Idol and steal too much food from him. It also bit off the streamer and so far it has not grown back. If you look back at some old posts I posted "free foxface to anyone who wants to pick it up" Paul __________________ All of your animals came from NSW, None of them came from ASW Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1972

12/12/2005, 06:58 PM	#2
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394

12/12/2005, 07:36 PM	#7
JENnKerry Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jersey Posts: 7,283	That was a beautiful fish as well. But you have to do what's best for your Idol right? __________________ We Don't Have a Signature..... Current Tank Info: 125 gallon reef~3x250 MH 4x96 PC, 10 Gallon Coral Only~Softie Dominated with Some LPS

12/12/2005, 07:36 PM	#8
jman77 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 2,536	Paul B, Very nice, very nice !!! Have you ever broken down the tank and re- siliconed it?

12/12/2005, 07:38 PM	#9
romanr Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Central Florida Posts: 806	Is that the original substrate? Although I'm sure you've had to add some as it would have dissolved over time. I guess what I'm really asking is, have you completely changed the substrate at any time? If not what kind of maintenance have you performed to it. __________________ Raul Roman Current Tank Info: 65G mixed reef with way too many fish, 10G sump/refugium, Deltec MCE600 w/ ozone, 400W MH & 65W PC, Internet accessible ACIII controller , Vortech MP10, APC 1500 UPS

12/12/2005, 07:47 PM	#10
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	Jman, so far the silicone has remained intact. Romanr, that is the original dolomite substrate. I may have added a little but 98% of it was in there when the tank was brackish in the late sixtees or so. I stir it up once or twice a year and use a diatom filter to clean it out. I can't really move the rocks because of the stuff growing on them but very little of them are hitting the bottom. I build a lot of my rocks and I designed it that way. Paul

12/12/2005, 08:00 PM	#11
trippyl Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Here Posts: 1,106	Great new pics. Would love to see more! Not many people use diatom filters these days, but they were really good back in the day, and probably still are.

12/12/2005, 08:32 PM	#12
gwaco Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: in limbo Posts: 671	__________________ c.a.g. tank owner

12/12/2005, 08:42 PM	#13
kevensquint Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: montreal Posts: 1,777	How long have you had your oldest coral? __________________ My wife thinks everything in this hobby costs $20. ;) Current Tank Info: 125 gallon BB, SPS/calms with a few leftover GSP and zoo's.

12/12/2005, 08:51 PM	#14
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	Kevin, I have no Idea. Some of the mushrooms are maybe 10 years old I can't tell because they multiply and they are all over the place. That star polyp is older than that and the bubble may be 10. That little greenish looking thing in the front is about 8 and that gorgonian is also about 8, give or take a few years. I can't remember what I ate for breakfast. Take care. Paul

12/12/2005, 08:56 PM	#15
scarletknight06 Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 2,376	very cool. what do you use for lighting and circulation in the tank?

12/12/2005, 08:58 PM	#16
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	Lighting is some left over MH fixtures I had from lighting up the Plaza Hotel in New York, there is also 2 PC actinics in a 2" plastic pipe sliced in half, and circulation is just two powerheads __________________ All of your animals came from NSW, None of them came from ASW Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1972

12/12/2005, 08:58 PM	#17
Rhas Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brockton Ma. Posts: 47	I can only hope to such a nice tank one day... For now Ill have to stick the the 30 gallon That tank is beautiful.

12/12/2005, 09:00 PM	#18
Sullyman Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: chicago, Il. Posts: 2,931	That bottle still looks great, last time you posted pics, I saw that bottle and never thought it would last. But there it is, hasn't grown much but the color is still great.

12/12/2005, 09:06 PM	#19
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	Rhas, all of this stuff started out in a 30 gallon tank, it was transfered to the 100 in about 1978 or so. Sullyman, some of the bottles are so encrusted in star polyps that you can;t see them. There are maybe 8 bottles in there. This is a picture of a new homemade rock I added yesterday. It is about a foot long and of course still looks like cement but in a few weeks that will change and you will never be able to tell it is not real. Take care. Paul [IMG]Rhas, all of this stuff started out in a 30 gallon tank, it was transfered to the 100 in about 1978 or so.[/IMG]

12/12/2005, 09:07 PM	#20
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	Wow, that was a mistake

12/12/2005, 09:17 PM	#21
mc-cro Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 1,201	Paul, do I understand you right to say you only have 2 powerheads for circulation in a 100g tank? __________________ Good judgement comes from experience.........experience comes from bad judgement Current Tank Info: 72g bow display, 40g fuge, 60 rubbermaid lagoon, 40g frag tank, 100g sump; ASMG4 recirc, MH, VHO

12/12/2005, 09:22 PM	#22
Sullyman Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: chicago, Il. Posts: 2,931	Paul, now that I look closer I can see more bottles. I was only kidding about it though, I saw your tank before and it's one of a kind. In a good way. Bob

12/12/2005, 09:26 PM	#23
Shawnts106 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,412	Well this tank is far from "high-tech" and whatnot... But this definately wins the most unique tank of the year! pretty neat! __________________ SOFT CORALS ARE EVIL! LPS AND SPS RULE THE WORLD!!! Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haa!

12/12/2005, 09:29 PM	#24
wetWolger Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: A Town Posts: 1,669	I love how natural your tank looks! I would have removed the bottles, but it oddly fits (unfortantly probbly makes it even more athentic). __________________ cheers, jent d-_-b Current Tank Info: Oceanic 180 gal

12/12/2005, 09:35 PM	#25
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 9,394	mc-cro, there are only 2 powerheads and I usually only run one. Most of my corals are lps and the extra current annoys them. Sullyman, is this the bottle you are talking about? This is a new picture and this is the bottle last year, yeah it does look about the same. But it's a bottle, I think it will always stay like that. Paul