nature
Saturday, August 30th, 2008
by Brian Daniel Eisenberg
My day started at Zoka Coffee in the University District.
Coffee, breakfast, and some light coding / app config. Then bailed for home, which is where I’m at right now. As it’s a holiday weekend, where many our out squeezing in one last extended summer weekend, I’m pretty well tied up with the reality that are my unavoidable deliverables. I’ve got no problem spending my weekend this way, as I know I am working hard towards something much bigger. So with that, here’s a list of what I’ve got on tap this Labor Day weekend.
What are you all doing? @infinitelymeta me on Twitter or *Like* this post on Friendfeed to get in on the conversation. That’s where I tend to hang out on socnets these days.
Happy Labor Day everyone!
Brian’s Uber List
- New range/oven delivery for unit 2214 (one of my new tenants stove broke so I replaced it with this:
- Put out For Rent sign for my soon to be available 1BR apartment in Eastlake, Seattle WA 98102. It rents for $1400 and is the entire lower floor of an historic Victorian home that was built in 1908. An excellent spacious unit with great lighting. Email eastlakeassociates at gmail if interested or call 206.328.3379 and leave a message.
- Java/JSF/AJAX - I’m putting the final interfaces and code tweaks in place for a project that I’ve spend a quarter working on. Final interfaces in place, but still have 75+ line item bug list. Need to go code complete by Monday evening to begin FTP transfer of Development VMware image from one side of our network to an internal only host. Still have A LOT of work ahead of me to finish this project and go into team only beta next week with Public Beta (internal corp net) on Sept 8.
- Landscaping & trim to prep for fall. Luckily, I really enjoy this task. Especially when my 5.5 yr old nephew Logan joins me. He makes some pretty good coin and he’s a GREAT helper.
- Working with my friend Thom, the Ichthyogenius on our latest project, Reef In A Box that we are looking to launch in the coming months.
- Working on the YTranslate.us engine. Coding in PHP/mySQL/Python/etc. Toying with new SMS gateway (thanks to Mona’ Friendfeed post).
- Meeting with contractor on some fix-r-up-r projects for 3 of my apts in preparation for Fall/Winter.
- Looking for electrician to install some motion-sensor aware lighting in my back alley and in between my building to deal with my unwanted-persons-on-my-property challenge.
- Water changes & general maintenance on my 300 gallon reef tank.
- Prep/meet with GC on new reef tank project. Wait till you see what I’m going to build. It’s gonna pop!
- Shade garden v2. Part of the landscaping stuff I suppose, but definitely worthy of mention.
- Replace fire extinguisher in common area to be in compliance with recent Seattle City Fire Department inspection.
That’s all I can remember for now.
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
by Brian Daniel Eisenberg
This is a repost from another blog I used to have setup that I’m now consolidating. Here’s the cut & paste from the original post, where I explain how my 300 gallon reef tank came to be, along with a rough approximation of how much it cost me to setup.
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With a background in the biological sciences, I’ve always been amazed at the complexity of natural systems, especially those that exist in the oceans. Just over 10 years ago, I got into salt water reef tanks and the science of growing corals and other marine species. I started with a 50 gallon setup, and before I knew it I had like 6-7 reef systems up and running. Over time, this became quite cumbersome and time consuming to maintain as separate tanks, so when I had the opportunity to remodel one of my apt units, I decided to take the plunge and go big. The result is an in-wall 300 gallon salt water reef aquarium that is filled with exotics collections of marine life. Here are some links to some older pics. I hope to post lots more and also video clips of the amazingly complex ecosystem and slice of the ocean in my living room.
Quite often, I’m asked what it really takes to pull something like this off, so here are some rough estimates. This is a 10 year project in the making and some of my live animals are original species that I still have from my first few reef tanks. It took about a year and a half to get everything in order and dialed in to where it is now - which is basically a thriving 100% biologically filtered marine ecosystem.
I will try to post some new HD video clips soon (new Panasonic HDC-SD1P AVCHD video camera).
Cost estimates:
- Tank - $2250 - SeaClear custom ordered from The Fish Store in Seattle, WA USA. It’s 96″x18″x30″ (LxWxH)
- Primary flow pump - Dolphin AMP Master S-Series - 5600/4700 extenal pump - $330 - main flow pump from 2x 40 gallon sump tanks.
- Power head circulation pumps 4x @ $250/pump - EcoTech Marine Vortech Magnetic impeller pumps. AMAZING TECH.
- ~500 lbs of live rock - $6-10/lb - assorted Fiji, Marshall Island, Tonga live rock.
- Custom tank room - $10k - contractor helped build, electrician wired
- MH Lighting - 4x @ $125/ballast/reflector - 250W IceCap Metal Halide lamps + ballast
- MH Lamps - ~$100 each - 2x 20k Radium Blue, 2x 10k Ushuii White
- VHO ballasts - 2x @ ~$315/ballast - Icecap 660 VHO
- 48″ VHO lamps - 4x @ $25/lamp - super actinic (420nm), 4x @ $25/lamp AquaSun
- Animals - hard to estimate - rough guess - $5000 live corals, fish, inverts.
- Titanium Heater - ~$200
- Auto top off and mixing system - ~$600
- Air, Water, Ice - RO/DI - $250 + filter media
- Assorted test / water quality / monitoring kits - ~100
- Salt / additives / foodstuffs - ~$200/month
- EcoTech Marine Battery backup units - 2x @ $150/unit
- Monthly electrical cost ~$150
GRAND TOTAL (rough estimate - probably a bit low, but fairly close) = $26480
Monday, August 11th, 2008
by Brian Daniel Eisenberg
I thought I’d post some pictures I took while walking around our “camp”, which is where I spent my summer vacation this year. Below, you will find a Flickr set that contains some pictures of “Camp HateToQuitIt” which has been in my mother’s family since around 1898. My folks own about 1000‘ 400′ of shoreline on the Great Sacandaga Lake and about 100 acres of forest up the mountain behind our “camp”.
I’ve been coming up here since I can remember and it is here that I often find peace and serenity. Enjoy the pics, and please understand my sometimes extended absense from posting, as it’s quite nice to be able to unplug and get away from it all.
Here’s the flickr set that should help set the proper context.
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
by Brian Daniel Eisenberg
The territorial battles in my reef tank continue today. Lots more Icky white specks on the Achilles Tang and Foxface. I see a new puncture wound on the Achilles as well. But all fish are alive and moving. My friend Thom the Ichthyogenius (more on that later) stopped by yesterday to pick up some fresh RO/DI mixed Salt Water (to 1.023 specific gravity) for a couple of his clients so I got to get his take on the situation.
My other buddy Jon also stopped by to check out my new Jade Green Elephant Ear Mushroom and the new Crocea Clam I introduced yesterday (see below).
After watching these fish go at it constantly pretty much non stop for the past week, its starting to become clear what is happening. Patterns are emerging and I’m hoping that I can get rid of the Ick and let this battle come to a eventual conclusion with a new pecking order in place.
Right now the Achilles tang is vying for top spot on the fish food chain in my tank. He has clearly marked his territory by pecking at a very specific area of live rock in my tank. This area happens to have been the Foxface’s old home. So the Achilles is basically trying to move in and claim the best cave/spot in my reef tank and the Foxface wants nothing to do with it.
Unfortunately both fish are pretty aggressive, and the battle is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. I will continue to monitor the tank, feed a bit more (to distract them), and go out and get some cleaner shrimp to help with the Ick. Aside from that 40 gallon water changes every couple days is about as best I can do.
Monday, June 30th, 2008
by Brian Daniel Eisenberg
Day 5? 6? 7? I lost track. I think my Achilles Tang has been in my tank for a little over a week now and WOW what a week it’s been. Day after day of fighting for dominance over my Magnificant Foxface, Purple Tank, Clarkii Clownfish, Coral Beauty, and assorted Damsel fish.
The Achilles has been punctured no fewer than 10 times by the Foxface, whose dorsal spines contain a deadly neurotoxin, which, while clearly effective, does not deliver a fatal blow to the Achilles Tang. Sure it’s pretty beat up in its belly, fin, eye, and other areas of its body, but it has been steadfast and held its ground. It may emerge as the new dominant fish in my tank - IF - it can survive a bout of the Ick. There are lots of parasites on the body of the Achilles and I’ve only got one cleaner shrimp, so tomorrow, I’m off to the fish store to get a few more cleaner shrimp to help control the Ick.
I’ve got some video footage of the action that I need to edit, and you can always check out the action on my Reef Tank Live page here.
