The work begins

[Paulie069]

It’s really nice. Those are all wild caught that you trained onto frozen, right?

Yes all my babies trained and cared for caught every one of them

 

[Paulie069]

Well today I’m a bit sad because when I got home from work last night I found one of my seahorses was caught in the power head. It’s the second time it’s happened in a month (lost one 3 weeks ago same way)
Poor little guy was flopping around like a baseball card in a bicycle wheel. Any suggestions on how to stop this from happening??? I was thinking pantyhose wrapped around the problem area leaving front open but have concerns about food n seahorse poop and other tank crap clogging up intake area
Any thoughts from the more experienced pony owners would be appreciated
Thanks for any advice

 

[Seabiscuit]

Well today I’m a bit sad because when I got home from work last night I found one of my seahorses was caught in the power head. It’s the second time it’s happened in a month (lost one 3 weeks ago same way)
Poor little guy was flopping around like a baseball card in a bicycle wheel. Any suggestions on how to stop this from happening??? I was thinking pantyhose wrapped around the problem area leaving front open but have concerns about food n seahorse poop and other tank crap clogging up intake area
Any thoughts from the more experienced pony owners would be appreciated
Thanks for any advice

There are different types of mesh that you could wrap around the intake. Choose one that will allow for maximum flow while blocking the seahorses. I put one on my intake for my seahorses and also my plants. If a plant gets dis-lodged by a seahorse, it will stay on the mesh of the intake so that I can peel it off and re-attach it in the tank. I attached it with a strong rubberband. I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Paulie069]

There are different types of mesh that you could wrap around the intake. Choose one that will allow for maximum flow while blocking the seahorses. I put one on my intake for my seahorses and also my plants. If a plant gets dis-lodged by a seahorse, it will stay on the mesh of the intake so that I can peel it off and re-attach it in the tank. I attached it with a strong rubberband. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Thank you

 

[rayjay]

Depending on the style of power head, you can use a variety of methods. I prefer something that DISTANCES the seahorses or their parts like tails, but doesn't really restrict flow at all. In my case, I have scads of power heads but they are all hagen 802's from decades ago, now called aquaclears. One powerhead in each tank has a "quick filter" attached to the input, but the others I merely bought some very small seedling baskets used in hydroponics and glue gunned them over the intake. Now, not only can tails not get into the intake to be damaged, the seahorses cannot be sucked up against the intake because at any time there is so much open area for water to be drawn from it doesn't have a strong suction point anywhere.

 

[Paulie069]

Depending on the style of power head, you can use a variety of methods. I prefer something that DISTANCES the seahorses or their parts like tails, but doesn't really restrict flow at all. In my case, I have scads of power heads but they are all hagen 802's from decades ago, now called aquaclears. One powerhead in each tank has a "quick filter" attached to the input, but the others I merely bought some very small seedling baskets used in hydroponics and glue gunned them over the intake. Now, not only can tails not get into the intake to be damaged, the seahorses cannot be sucked up against the intake because at any time there is so much open area for water to be drawn from it doesn't have a strong suction point anywhere.

Thanks for the advice and information my brother I’ll check it out but tonight I’m gonna do the pantyhose thing till I get new one
Much love and respect

 

[ThePurple12]

How's it going?

 

[Paulie069]

How's it going?

Things are going well, I’ve been working so
Me crazy hours lately, so much my boss forced me to take 2 days off because I worked 72hrs in 4 days. It’s no big deal I’m extremely used to that kind schedule, as a commercial fisherman I would work 36-40 hours take 2-3 hour nap then do it all over again , did that for 10 years. I really hate having land job
Well enough about me,, my tank is now 10-11 months old now and is coming into its own, many people told me I wouldn’t be able to keep coral it such a low temperature,, 72.5-73 max. I keep it that low for my ponies,, and I have many beautiful corals n bright colors that thrive n grow. I’m so happy I stuck it out ,, I almost walked away a couple times,
I’ve been meaning to update more, just been busy. Here’s couple of pics of my tank
And I still use 100% ocean water

 

[ThePurple12]

Love the hermit crabs. I would have been worried about them messing with the seahorses at night, but that's clearly not the case. Good job, looks like a healthy, thriving tank!

 

[Paulie069]

Love the hermit crabs. I would have been worried about them messing with the seahorses at night, but that's clearly not the case. Good job, looks like a healthy, thriving tank!

Thank you ,, the hermits are actually in my invert tank,, I’ll write about it tomorrow,, right now I gotta sleep worked from 6am yesterday till 4pm today ,, I’m a little bit tired and I’m on call for emergency jobs tonight. Every time a drunk hits a telephone pole I get double over time.

 

[Paulie069]

So besides my seahorse/reef tank I also have what I like to call a. NJ Invert Tank,, I personally caught everything that’s in it and it’s sooo low maintenance it would make you wish your reef tank could be the same. In it I have
3 baseball size hermit crabs,, 2-3 sea cucumbers,, 4 baby clams, bunch of snails ,, and all the live rock I picked up from the ocean floor. It’s filled with 100% ocean water. I set it up in mid July and to this day I’ve NEVER CLEANED IT,, it just takes care of itself. Sweet.
Here’s couple of pics, wish I had a pic of the sea cucumbers feeding,, it’s so cool I’ll try n get a pic but it’s difficult because you never know when they will pop up

 

[Paulie069]

I forgot I also have a conch in there

 

[ThePurple12]

What are you feeding them? Pretty cool

 

[LRT]

Thanks for the advice and information my brother I’ll check it out but tonight I’m gonna do the pantyhose thing till I get new one
Much love and respect

You could try food grade mesh bags you get oranges or onions in... Some of them are super fine but would still allow for maximum flow. I use them to cover shrooms I need to re attach as well as all my overflows so snails can't get in them.


Along for the ride sir

 

[Paulie069]

What are you feeding them? Pretty cool

Most of them are algae feeders and sea cucumbers are filter feeders and for them all I do is when I do WC to my main tank I take 5-10 gallons from mid tank so it’s not full of detritus and looks nice n clear plus has all kinds of different nutrients in it,, for my beast hermit crabs I toss in a cube of mysis every other day. It’s funny to watch them eat, when the shrimp start falling down ( like rain) they get so excited they almost jump out of their shell

 

[Paulie069]

Today I took 15gal of water from my 55gal drum of pure ocean water to get ready for WC tomorrow, neede to bring inside to get up to room temp 72.5. Still have forty gallons left plus empty drum in the wings waiting to be filled
Also did a salinity test

 

[Devaji]

nice just read through your build thread instead of doing the plumbing on my build... ;/
I have been wanting a SH tank for years...almost happened a cpl of time even started a build thread started getting the gear...then back out form one reason or another.

I travel one a year for 4 weeks and at the time was in a rental bit now we have a house might think about it some day. I want to many tanks more than I can afford or care for.

lucky you that you can use NSW I so would do that if I live where I could collect it again. I did it when I lived in hawaii

how about some close ups of the SH?

 

[Paulie069]

nice just read through your build thread instead of doing the plumbing on my build... ;/
I have been wanting a SH tank for years...almost happened a cpl of time even started a build thread started getting the gear...then back out form one reason or another.

I travel one a year for 4 weeks and at the time was in a rental bit now we have a house might think about it some day. I want to many tanks more than I can afford or care for.

lucky you that you can use NSW I so would do that if I live where I could collect it again. I did it when I lived in hawaii

how about some close ups of the SH?

I’ll post some

 

[Paulie069]

Here’s one at breakfast

 

[sfin52]

70 is the lowest you can go for typical coral. Your doing well.