Nominate Paul B's 34 yr old reef for TOTM!

sjm817 · #1 08/27/2005, 11:59 AM

I cant believe this tank hasn't been TOTM. This is truly a remarkable tank that was started in 1972. It is not the usual setup and would be an interesting departure from the "norm".

Anyone 2nd the motion?

deedo · #2 08/27/2005, 12:03 PM

here here

Bomber · #3 08/27/2005, 12:05 PM

and a third!

Sindjin · #4 08/27/2005, 12:07 PM

Most Definately.

mrme · #5 08/27/2005, 12:10 PM

wow , pretty cool

Azurel · #6 08/27/2005, 12:26 PM

Very much unheard of being up and going for that long of a period......Well worth tank of the month.

arconom · #7 08/27/2005, 12:28 PM

You have my vote

10" Red Devil · #8 08/27/2005, 12:34 PM

How long has the moorish idol been in there, I think that warrants a nod right there if its been a while.

I gotta say though that the tank is kind of cruddy looking and while I personally think that is probably a more natural appearance, it seems most people on this board prefer a more gardened or terraced look.

Chihuahua6 · #9 08/27/2005, 02:01 PM

Many different style tanks have won totm so they don't all need to be reef garden. One was a 65 gallon zooanthid tank, one was an anemone tank. Paul gets my vote for many reasons: time it's been running, natural materials from the sound, age of inhabitants and last but not least looks.

Chihuahua6 · #10 08/27/2005, 02:04 PM

I don't understand what you think is cruddy about it, pretty rude if you ask me.

corpsman · #11 08/27/2005, 02:12 PM

Got my vote!

Electrobes · #12 08/27/2005, 02:13 PM

I don't think he meant it as an insult Chi, I believe he meant to say that its not the super precise clean look... "more natural". I prefer the look of Paul B's look than the "perfect" garden look, if you know what I mean.

I definitely would voye for TOTM... I am glad I got to see this tank.. I want to know specs though... have a bit of an equipment feitsh...

Beautiful Moorish by the way.

LukFox · #13 08/27/2005, 02:33 PM

I love the look of that tank, it's definently one of my favorites. It certainly gets my vote!

secrest · #14 08/27/2005, 02:39 PM

Definately has my vote as well, I would love to see Paul's tank as TOTM

discocarp · #15 08/27/2005, 02:59 PM

Got my backing.

bingoreefer42 · #16 08/27/2005, 03:11 PM

here here, too ... I wonder how many water changes that tank's gone through in 34 years ... ?

Andrew · #17 08/27/2005, 03:32 PM

Paul- Can we see a tank shot thats stright on?

RicksReefs · #18 08/27/2005, 03:43 PM

i'm all for it.

JD52 · #19 08/27/2005, 03:59 PM

Is that a 34 year old sandbed??? hhhmmmmmm.....

Paul B · #20 08/27/2005, 04:02 PM

Thanks guys, I never even thought of the "Tank of the Month" thing, but I guess it would be an honor. The tank was featured in "Marine Fish Monthly" about ten years ago. Here is an article about the history of it if anyone is interested. It has been posted a few times already as were all of the pictures I have right now.
It is boreing so you don't have to read it.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...postid=2127079

Quote:

I gotta say though that the tank is kind of cruddy looking and while I personally think that is probably a more natural appearance, it seems most people on this board prefer a more gardened or terraced look.

Red Devil, thank you, I was going for Cruddy, and you are correct that I think most people like a cleaner looking terraced tank. I have been diving for many years but most of my diving has been in New York right near the City and believe me, you have not seen cruddy yet. I obviousely like a more natural looking tank thats why there is nothing in the tank that is store bought except the dolomite gravel. I either collected or made all of the rocks, some of which are asphalt along with the skimmer, reverse UG filter, algae tray filter and lighting system Thats why it has never been TOTM, I think my methods scare people.
Most of the corals are LPS with only a few SPS, all of the corals have been in there over five years and I think the bubble is closer to eight or ten. I never feed any of them but I do dump in amphipods, water and other things that I find on muddy beaches on the Long Island Sound. There is also some algae growing and thats the way I want it. There also has never been a disease or paracite in almost twenty years, maybe longer, who remembers.
The moorish Idol has been with me for a little over a year, he is an ongoing experiment as is the algae filter and a feeding dish that I invented that seems to help immensely with these types of fish.
Thanks again guys. Oh, someone wanted a front view of the tank, it has been on here many times but I can do it again.
Have a great day Paul

Paul B · #21 08/27/2005, 04:04 PM

And sometimes it changes a little to get a little more cruddy.
This one I removed the large homemade PVC cement rock. I get carried away.
Paul

MIKE NY · #22 08/27/2005, 04:38 PM

you got my vote!....... beautiful very natural looking tank. I even like the bottles. As stated already most including myself go for the caribbean/south seas looking aquascapes, but yours proves that northern/colder water aquascape tanks can be beautiful too.

reefrubble · #23 08/27/2005, 04:47 PM

Way to go, Paul B.s slice of the ocean ,for TOTM. You got my vote

skippy2 · #24 08/27/2005, 04:55 PM

You have my vote. I think it should have been made totm al long time ago.

Paul B · #25 08/27/2005, 04:57 PM

Mike I havent decided what type of biotope I have, it's kind of Tahiti-NewYorkish-England
I guess it's a lagoon on a garbage dump sort of a place. If you did any diving in the Caribbean in a channel that goes to the sea you will see bottom's like this. Most of those bottles I collected diving, the rest of them I "built" to look old.
First and third in the lower picture I made to look old, the others I collected from a small deserted Island in NYC that was a big party place during prohibition
Take care.
Paul