Vess1

Great contest Paddy! I always think it's neat to see what CT members are up to and everybody loves pets.

Here's my nomination for the contest. It's Burnside's bridge, Antietam Maryland near Sharpsburg. I took this pic on vacation in Sept. 2007.



Originally built in 1836, it was mainly for farmers to take produce across Antietam Creek to Sharpsburg. The stone wall I'm standing behind was there during the battle. This is the view looking across at the formerly confederate controlled side.
It was here on Sept. 17th, 1862 that a small number of confederate soldiers from Georgia held off a large detachment of Union troops (12,000+) for several hours in the afternoon phase of the battle of Antietam. They finally made it across but the confederates were reinforced by A.P. Hill who arrived in the nick of time to help fend off the Union advance. As night fell, the Union withdrew.

For those who may not know the significance of this day, 17,000 troops lost their lives on that single day of conflict through three seperate phases of battles. The single most costliest day of American lives in history.
This bridge was a pretty good drive, several miles away, from the rest of the battle fields.

Here's the commemorative. Not mine but I'd like to get one:





On a side note, it looks like I better add Pete1970 to my buddy list! Here are mine hanging out in their bubble tipped anemone today:



The female is 3.5 years old. I've had the GBTA for 4 years. She lays a big batch (2" across) of bright orange eggs on the back glass about once a week. I estimate 5-800 eggs each time. The male fertilizes them and they hatch out every time, but quickly become coral food. Never have took the time to raise them. I don't know what I'd do with a couple hundred maroons anyway!
I think it's all in the diet and consistant lighting periods, including my moonlights with moon phases. These guys rarely eat the same thing twice in a week. I feed New Life Spectrum pellets quite often. Cyclop-eeze wafers, Ocean Nutrition flakes including Spirulina, along with frozen foods mixed with refrigerated vitamin supplement. I also have a pretty quiet tank which plays a big role. They only share it with a Coral Beauty Angel, hermits, starfish and coral.

__________________
When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.
- Benjamin Franklin

Vess1

This is our dog. It's a pure bred Boston Terrier, but if you ask my wife, she "saved her from the pet shop". (It had kennel cough ) I always wanted one so my wife (then girlfriend) surprised me with her. I found out via picture message on my phone. Anyone who has never been around one of these dogs doesn't know what they're missing. A mixture of very high speed to a downright lazy lap dog and very social.

__________________
When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.
- Benjamin Franklin

micheldura2

Anyone know where I can get a Baby coin? lol

Paddy54

ah...try kids are us! LOL

Paddy54

Originally built in 1836, it was mainly for farmers to take produce across Antietam Creek to Sharpsburg. The stone wall I'm standing behind was there during the battle. This is the view looking across at the formerly confederate controlled side.
It was here on Sept. 17th, 1862 that a small number of confederate soldiers from Georgia held off a large detachment of Union troops (12,000+) for several hours in the afternoon phase of the battle of Antietam. They finally made it across but the confederates were reinforced by A.P. Hill who arrived in the nick of time to help fend off the Union advance. As night fell, the Union withdrew.

For those who may not know the significance of this day, 17,000 troops lost their lives on that single day of conflict through three seperate phases of battles. The single most costliest day of American lives in history.
This bridge was a pretty good drive, several miles away, from the rest of the battle fields Nice post Vess 1 , I was near this area the other day on business Leesburg Va....as I live in Maryland near alot of history from Baltimore to Annapolis to the shore and mountains. Another fact about this battle they say it was such a bloody battle the Potomic river ran red with the blood of both Confederates & Union troops! I can't believe how much history I have around my home...within an hour drive. I could drive an hour or less in any direction and be kneel deep in history! Maybe one day I'll post some pic's .....When I was younger they called Maryland America in minature..as we have it all! sea coast the bay the mountains, rivers.....etc etc. Thanks again for your post & good luck!

Vess1

You live in a really cool area. We stayed in Gettysburg for a few days while we were out there and on the last day, I said I've got to drive down and see that area while I was there. We spent the whole day driving around Antietam. I guess I just wanted to get a feel for how much area it was because you don't get a feel for it watching the movies.

Driving around out there, it's hard to believe that people marched that far through mountains, sometimes 20 miles a day and then had to go out and fight at day break the next morning. If they didn't have to fight in the afternoon when they got there! We don't know how easy we've got it.

It was a really neat experience. I got to visit Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge and Philadelphia while I was out there as well. Originally, I was going to post a pic I took of the Liberty bell and a Franklin half. Philadelphia was a neat old city too.

Thanks again for the contest!

__________________
When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.
- Benjamin Franklin

Paddy54

Your very welcome .... I was down in southern Md about 9 days ago I do alot of driving in the tristate area. I was right up the road from Dr. Mud's house....you know Dr. Mud? the doctor who set Booths leg....after he shot Lincoln....let me tell you one heck of a ride on a horse back from the crime to the doctors house...as Dr. Muds house is in Southern Maryland a good hour or better from my home 10 miles south of Baltimore.

pete1970

That is unusual for them to reproduce like that. If I were you I would get
something to house the fry and try to raise them. They sell little plastic containers(usually used so the bigger fish don't eat them)that hook on to the lip of the tank.If they are too tiny you can wrap pantyhose around it so they don't escape.
If not,It is a good source of free nutrition for your corals.I bet they love hatching time.
If you have any troubles trying to find a home,just send em my way!First class mail.LOL

Vess1

I have the Clownfish book by Joyce Wilkerson. I've read up on what it takes to raise the fry and it is A LOT. I've come very close to doing it in the past but I think eventually I'd have way too much supply for the demand. Granted, you will not have success raising all 800 through metamorphasys to young fry but after a while, you could end up with several hundred pretty easily after you raise 10-20 batches.

You have to have grow out tanks and you have to culture green water to feed rotifiers that you also have to culture, which feed the fry. Which means 7 bottles of green water bubbling all the time to have enough food on hand and rotifier cultures going in a couple tanks. Because the cultures can crash if contaminated. Then you have to raise decapsulated baby brine shrimp a.k.a. BBS (decapsulated so they don't choke on shells) once they get a little bigger (a few more millimeters longer!)

They are attracted to light so if you turn all the pumps off, you can shine a flashlight at the surface and they will all swim to it and you can scoop most of them out that way.

Anyway, long story short......... I have a small house, a limited budget and an already borderline tolerant wife. lol Not to say I won't ever give it a go someday. The equipment does add up though. No matter how simple a set up you want to do.

Then you need buyers or seperate tanks once they get bigger because they'll eventually fight and kill each other as they mature.

I know a guy in Canada that raises Onyx Perculas and he has hundreds of them! He sells a lot but it doesn't matter. He has an awesome setup for raising them.

__________________
When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.
- Benjamin Franklin

Vess1

That's part of the problem. You may or may not know but Maroons are just about the meanest, most agressive of the clownfish species.

Your female already has a mate. If you tried adding another maroon, the female would kill it or chase it out of the tank. Whichever happened first. If you added a percula or a pink skunk, the female would kill it unless you've got a really large tank. If you added a tomato, the female Maroon and the tomato would fight to the death.
Traditionally, it's not that easy even pairing Maroons together themselves! There's about a 50/50 chance that the female will kill the new partner if not initially protected! They don't mix with other clownfish. Especially as they age.

When I clean the tank, it swipes at my arm and bites my hand. If it doesn't like a rock where I put it, it shoves it out of the way. It kicks up sand and sometimes even spits sand at me. It's a wonder why anybody wants one with all that's available out there.

__________________
When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.
- Benjamin Franklin

Paddy54

I'm Thinking Fish fry here........hushpuppies...well H E double Hockey sticks...if they are going to kill one another no use wasting them!

Twiggs

tomato fight? Sounds messy

pete1970

Hey vess!! I think we are speaking in Greek to these folks.
I agree with you, the cost for everything adds up real quick.Just like coin collecting!
It certainly would be a big pain trying to raise all those fish.
And I am with you on the borderline tolerant wife thing.
She would rather me spend the money on her. I always hear about it if I buy some new coins,or fish accessories.

Paddy54

I have to say that those are great looking fish and tanks. I have always wanted to do an aquarium myself. ...if I ever got into it salt would be the only way I want to go. I have heard that the cost is alot of $$$$! would love to get some feed back from you two on this matter. Paddy

pete1970

the cost is a little high,but the most important factor when starting up a new salt environment is patience.
If you fail to let it properly set up and dump a bunch of fish in a new system they will most likely end up dying.Many people make this mistake and waste alot of money.
Just get a couple of the cheap fish to start out with like some damsels.
If your just doing fish the cost is not that bad,but corals on the other hand is where it gets pricey.