Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer

[Paul B]

It was kind of overcast on my beach walk this morning, but I need my exercise, so I got up as I normally do at about 5:00 and went out.

No one there as usual, no Supermodels, celebrities from Dancing with the Stars, or America's Got Talent, just me and the seagulls which is the way I like it.

i also didn't have to save any horseshoe crabs but I did come across this boat, probably from one of the early explorers, maybe Balboa, Rocky Balboa or Rocky and Bulwinkle. (Google Him)

The tide was coming up so I had to hurry because in a few minutes, I wouldn't be able to get back without climbing on these 7' pilings and most of my piling climbing days are over.

There are very few places in New York where you can walk on a beach and look both ways about 5 miles, and never see anyone.

Thats the main thing I love about this place. Peace and solitude. Early in the morning anyway.

I need this quiet time before I start my day and the smell of ocean breezes gets into your blood like dope so if you don't get it, you crave it.

I was stationed in Colorado for a few months before Nam and I loved it. There is a lot of solitude there, but I always thought it needed an ocean. I missed that.

On my way back the water came up over this rock so I had to climb over it, Not that big of a deal and I did find this red sponge. Too bad is was not alive.

 

[diana a]

I was just reading through and I was wondering if you have a preferred place to order amphipods?

https://www.aquaculturenurseryfarms.com/live-saltwater-fish-food/amphipods/

 

[Paul B]

This morning the beach was littered with Codium seaweed as far as I could see and much of it had a holdfast on it so of course I had to collect some.

I stuck it on small rocks and threw it in my tank.

I also collected this beautiful red seaweed that I think is some sort of bladderwrack but I am not sure. It isn't easy to see it here but it is a foot high on the right.

 

[Paul B]

I discovered a new, much faster, much cheaper and much easier to glue corals, and seaweeds to rocks. I used it on these seaweeds so if they don't go floating around the tank, I will make a post about it.

Besides that, I know all these seaweeds I added to my tank won't last very long. As soon as my urchin gets hungry, he bites off the holdfast and they float around and get stuck in my pumps where I remove them. But they should last a few months.

I did notice small creatures in the seaweed some were probably tiny crabs and shrimp. So we will see how that works out and I may be surprised one day with a baby Godzilla.

 

[Paul B]

I discovered a different way to "glue" corals and seaweeds to rocks.
Now I did this about 5 hours ago so I can't comment on long term results yet.

This morning I collected about 6 Macro seaweeds on the beach and brought them home. 5 were codium and one was I think, bladderwrack.

Normally I would put some Crazy Glue on a rock, then put on Reef Putty, then another coat of Crazy glue and stick on the coral or seaweed. But I wanted to try something different, and I get all the seaweeds I want for free, so there was nothing to lose.

I first put some Crazy Glue on a stone, that I used for a weight. Then before it dried, I plopped on Hot Glue from a glue gun.

Before the hot glue solidified, I put on more Crazy glue and stuck on the seaweed.

After about 10 seconds, when the hot glue cooled, I threw them in the tank. So far, every one of them are holding together.

In other words, I just replaced the coral epoxy with hot glue. I like it.

 

[Paul B]