We Have Life On The Reef!

Das captain is one happy bunny! Over the course of the week, the snails and crabs have flourished and we have had 5 further additions.....3 fish and a pair of shrimps.




The shrimps and a baggi zebra looking thingy arrived yesterday along with more lotions and potions, yes yet more. He is never to complain about the price of Molten Brown shower gel ever again!




We are heading towards coral purchasing time, we saw some beauties last week and I have to say I am looking forward to them being added. No Nemo as of yet but if we continue as we are then a pair of Nemo,s aren't far off.

On the bot front the curse of the Roffeeeees strikes again. The engine has arrived but the fitter had a rudder fall on his leg (not ours) so work has ground to a halt until he is fit again. We are frustrated.com as just want to get back into the water and set swailing. We reckon now it won't be until the end of May.

These things are sent to try us and as said before, nothing is straightforward when it comes to bots!


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More Gizmondo,s!

I talked last week about high maintenance, well it's never ending. Several new additions have arrived this week, more pumps, filters, phosphates and an all singing all dancing Aquaray Multi control system that actually creates a thunderstorm amongst other things in the reef!

Yep I said it a thunderstorm.....its one pampered reef and we still have no fish! It was demonstrated to full effect on Friday evening when some friends came over much to their delight. They were impressed.

Crabs and snails were added this week, two snails have died and have been buried with full military honours. The rest of the week das captain has been battling algae, yep so more lotions and potions yesterday.

On the bot front, as with yards dates are forever shifting. The prop has been removed so we are hoping that that is a sign that they are about to start fitting the new engine, here's hoping as finally we have some sunshine and decent weather and I am mourning that we can't make the most of it out on the water. If they crack on now, then it will only be a few weekends of bot labour and we,ll be ready to make the big splash for 2013.

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High Maintenance

The barrier reef is one high maintenance gizmondo! The kit continues to arrive on a daily basis and das captain every night sits patiently and mixes the lotions and potions to nurture the reef.

It's still trial and mainly error on the salt front, much to my amusement and his frustration, but the fruits of his labour is slowly beginning to pay off. He has numerous gadgets to measure the salinity and is beginning to look like some mad professor! The good news is the hard work is paying off as the reef is growing nicely, with the odd critter now appearing.

We should be able to add some starfish et al mid week and then we really will be on the final countdown to adding Nemo and friends. Having a bot is high maintenance but this is something else!


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Das Bot Is Out!

On a very cold and blustery day yesterday one bot was launched and ours came out, both safe and sound.

You never settle or calm the nerves until its done even after all these years. Mairadon is safely nestled in her new berth at Mayflower and ours is safely nestled in her cradle as it seemed bonkers to put ours up when that was sat there.

No barnacle growth after a year in the water but she has one filthy and sloughy bottom. No harm done and she,ll look better after the power washer has done her job.

So the work begins, operation new engine here we come!


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Progress

The top of the mountain great barrier reef is slowly coming together. The water was ready for sand on Monday and the Bali liverock delivery arrived yesterday and has been safely installed, much to das captains delight.




New lights have gone in as the ones that came with the aquarium were a tad noisy, so the silencer is now doing the job it was intended to do. The next two weeks is reef mature time, that starts today, so in two weeks time roughly Nemo may arrive in his new home.

Progress on the other home front project has been a mare......I am still ovenless. It's here, but after the drama with fitting the gas hob, we have a ne pipe that's in the wrong place, prohibiting the oven to fit properly.

All being well that will get sorted today and then it's a wait until Monday for the oven fitter to come back again for what I hope will be the last time and life will get back to some kind of normality.

Here's hoping das bots new engine being fitted is less traumatic. Lift out is now confirmed for Monday.


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It's All Go!

After a major oven malfunction a few weeks ago we are almost back to normal again. It's funny how you become dependent on something and probably take it for granted. We have been living off the hob and boy have I missed the oven.

It's taken a while to choose one, then add Easter into the mix plus difficult to get hold of fitters it's been a long haul.

Delivery happened yesterday....late and so the hob is being fitted today and finally the oven tomorrow. A somewhat disruptive week but looking forward to trying out my new gizmondos!

On the other gizmondo front we now have sand in the top of the mountain Great Barrier Reef, the salty water is staying salty and not too salty...so live rock next!

Yep it's all go go go here!

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Good As New!

Check these beauties out! Das floorboards are done!


This has probably turned out to be one of the most simplest boat jobs das captain has done, and more importantly he didn't think it would be!

Simply swooper duper and finish off the bot a treat after all the labour last year on the interior.

Job done, good old hard as nails!

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