vlangel Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 I wonder if there is any chance when I shifted things around, (involved in that was lifting and moving a big rock that had not been moved in ages) that I stirred up things that caused the nitrate spike? I am looking for ways to improve husbandry in my tanks so as to get the nitrates back to what they use to be. The cheato and caulerpa in the seahorse tank are definitely detritus traps but I think if I poof em with the turkey baster and give them a good shakin' every week it should be ok. I already use the baster on the LR to blow detritus off. Finally having the baby seahorses move should still help. Everything is ready for them but I want to test the heater over night before I put the babis in the 20L. That heater hasn't seen action in 6 months or more and I never trust heater anyway! And finally today I installed the Smart ATO...and they were right, it is so easy your parents could do it, (one of the claims the Smart ATO makes) and hitting my mid 50s in February, I guess I qualify! Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 The temperature is good in the 20L this morning so the juvie seahorses will be making the switch. I don't know why I am so nervous about this? The Smart ATO worked perfectly and the sump was right where it needed to be, (it has been down a half gallon or more every morning prior to the Smart ATO). Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 The deed is done! I did a 10g water change in the main system and all that water was used as a water change in the 20L, to help acclimate the juvies. I couldn't bring myself to move most of them yet so I chose 8 of the 15 and tomorrow I will move 4 more if today's group does ok. I plan to keep 3 in the 10g nursery/QT. El Diablo and the 2 littlest babies so I can give special attention to their eating habits. Most likely El Diablo is the pony that I will keep. After all, Adam and Eve need to contend with the devil, right? Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 All the juvies in the 20L ate well and didn't seem to miss a beat. Now to the work of keeping up 2 separate systems. LOL, but hey, lots of you folks do it, so I will too. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 http://s36.photobucket.com/user/vlangelbike/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150107_183454_zps199237f5.jpg.html'> It's been a long time since I posted a FTS of the 36 bowfront. Not a lot changes in it but you can see how dominating the RBTAs are on the upper right! Things have never been more healthy looking in this tank and except a little bubble algae it is pretty much problem free. I probably should spruce it up with a new coral or two. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 http://s36.photobucket.com/user/vlangelbike/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150107_184137_zps16129de1.jpg.html'> The seahorses insisted that they get equal time! I told them that 90% of this thread is about them but they still insisted on a FTS. Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Lovin those tanks!!! I hardly ever post in here but I really love catching up on your play by play of what's going on in the systems. Just wanted to let ya know you're not talking at a wall. LOL If anything this will be a good resource for others looking to rear baby ponies. Anyway glad to see everyone getting along so well in the great wide world of the 20L. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Lovin those tanks!!! I hardly ever post in here but I really love catching up on your play by play of what's going on in the systems. Just wanted to let ya know you're not talking at a wall. LOL If anything this will be a good resource for others looking to rear baby ponies. Anyway glad to see everyone getting along so well in the great wide world of the 20L. Thanks so much Pinner Reef, that is so encouraging to hear and I really appreciate it. There are so many awesome and artistic tanks that at times I am a bit embarrassed at how simple mine are. They are pretty healthy though and now with the seahorses I feel like maybe I found a niche that is a bit different than the norm. Hopefully like you said, if someone else has baby seahorses my posts can help them. Link to comment
gena Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I really need to catch up on your seahorse adventures!!!!!!! Congrats on all the success!!!!! Your tanks are looking fabulous . Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 I really need to catch up on your seahorse adventures!!!!!!! Congrats on all the success!!!!! Your tanks are looking fabulous . Thanks Gena! Yours are some of those awesome artistic tanks so I really appreciate the kind words about mine. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 I have been a little worried about El Diablo, the baby seahorse with the cirri. He seemed kind of depressed when I moved most of his siblings into the 20L. He would only eat live food but not as enthusiastic as he used to and he wouldn't eat frozen at all. Finally yesterday he is getting back to his old self, and selfishly snicking up everything in sight. He still chooses frozen brine shrimp over frozen mysis pieces. Tiny Pippy, the littlest baby is still struggling to compete. He's not growing and even though I shoot food right in front of his nose, he looks at it too long and one of the other 3 tank mates gets it. I have decided that you can lead a seahorse to food, but you can't make him snick! I've done all I can to help the little guy and he will either make it or not. Time will tell. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 I tested the system for nitrates again. It was 5-10ppm, probably closer to 10. I was pleased to see they had come down but I was hoping for more improvement than there was. I have been doing 4-5 gallons WCs every day for the past week and a half. My system is only about 70 gallons so that's a big percentage of water. I will keep it up for another week or so and test again. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 I was under the weather a couple of days. I saved all my energy just to care for the seahorses although my hubby helped me with the water changes. Both they and I survived. Yoohoo, it feels good to feel good! Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Today the juvenile seahorses are 12 weeks old! I still have 15 although little Pippy is not growing. I just don't know if he's gonna make it. Everyone else have come a long way. Now they are weaned on to frozen food, although a lot of them still prefer frozen omega brine shrimp to mysis but they are getting there. I plan to start giving them slightly bigger meals and cutting them back to 3 meals a day instead of the current 4. Hopefully some of the biggest will be ready for new homes in a month or so. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Good luck Pippy!! Thanks Kimber. I have Pippy in the 10g with just a few siblings so I can cater to his feeding. Even then it's hard because he looks at food in front of his nose and then a sibling swoops in and eats it. He needs to be more assertive! Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 Baby seahorses must be inspired to eat by watching their siblings eat. I am having a tough time with El Diablo and his 3 little friends at meal time. They are less than enthusiastic at meals, especially with the mysis. On the contrary their siblings in the 20 will snick up anything but he who hesitates in that tank goes hungry! It seems lIke seeing your brothers and sisters eating inspires even the finicky eaters. I am half tempted to move everyone into the 20 but the heater scares me. What if it stuck on and I lost them all? This way I am protected against a disaster in either tank wiping all of them out. Link to comment
kimberbee Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 What about mixing them up? Making sure a couple of your best eaters are in with your picky ones? Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 What about mixing them up? Making sure a couple of your best eaters are in with your picky ones? That is a good idea. Maybe I will try that. I do worry about tank swapping causing some stress though. Link to comment
kimberbee Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 That is a good idea. Maybe I will try that. I do worry about tank swapping causing some stress though. Use your best judgement though... I know nothing about seahorse babies!! Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 Maybe I will just swap out 2 babies in each tank and see how they do. When I moved the 11 into the 20g none of them missed a beat. Link to comment
teenyreef Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I love your tanks! Someday I hope to be brave enough to try a seahorse tank but right now I'd be too scared that I might have to leave them unattended when I go out of town Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 What about mixing them up? Making sure a couple of your best eaters are in with your picky ones? Well, today they ate great so I didn't move them. I will just see how it goes. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 I love your tanks! Someday I hope to be brave enough to try a seahorse tank but right now I'd be too scared that I might have to leave them unattended when I go out of town Thanks teeny and yes that held me off a long time. Right now with the babies leaving them is out of the question with the daily WCs. I have a plan someday for the adult seahorses. A neighbor boy whose dad knows salt water is the one I will ask. I will have pre-measured mysis in containers to be thawed and put in their feeding station for every other day. I will also have live shrimp in a 5 gallon that are being fed a gut load food to be fed the other every other day and I will pay my lfs to do a weekly WC. Hopefully that should work. It's not ideal in that they only get one meal but they will be ok for a week or so like that. Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 http://s36.photobucket.com/user/vlangelbike/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150117_162235_zps8d4c686a.jpg.html'> Here is something you don't see every day, a male seahorse with orange eggs hanging out of his pouch. Apparently Adam and Eve are having timing issues or something. In their dances before this she missed his pouch completely and spilled the eggs on the bottom of the tank. This time I have no way of knowing if any of the eggs made it inside the pouch or not? Time will tell. Link to comment
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