Dawn's pony garden.

[tanacharison]

I'm sad I missed the presentation! Works been really crazy but I'm glad to hear it went well. After seeing them in the seahorse tank I've added macros to my cube 😀I think your tank is looking great.

[teenyreef]

I'm glad your presentation went well! And what a great way to introduce the subject.

[vlangel]

On 5/2/2018 at 8:36 PM, tanacharison said:

I'm sad I missed the presentation! Works been really crazy but I'm glad to hear it went well. After seeing them in the seahorse tank I've added macros to my cube 😀I think your tank is looking great.

Thanks!  It was a very nice day when I did my presentation so we were down in numbers but that was ok.  A few folks came just to hear about seahorses so they could ask questions and it all worked out well.  I love my macro algae as much as coral.  I mostly just want a natural backround to showcase the ponies and whether its coral or macros, I don't care.  I will have to check out the cube!

[vlangel]

On 5/3/2018 at 1:07 PM, teenyreef said:

I'm glad your presentation went well! And what a great way to introduce the subject.

Thanks teeny.  Yep, I started with a scripture verse and then a joke.  Our club's newsletter billed me as a nationally recognised seahorse expert and that was way too much pressure.  So I said, "I know you all came out to hear a nationally recognised seahorse expert but she couldn't make it, so you got me instead!"  

FTS May 2018 by Dawn Gilson, on Flickr

May 2018 FTS

[vlangel]

My ladies!

[vlangel]

 

All 3 ponies in view! by Dawn Gilson

 

[SeaFurn]

40 minutes ago, vlangel said:

My ladies!

Love love love!! 

[vlangel]

1 minute ago, SeaFurn said:

Love love love!! 

Thanks SeaFurn!

[vlangel]

I am a bit concerned about Eve.  She is acting off by spending more time hitched with her head down.  Also she was sucked to the powerheads both yesterday and today.  She was able to get loose but she has never been sucked to a powerhead ever until the last 2 days.  She is acting weaker although her appetite is still quite good.  She is closing in on 4 and a half years old minimally and 5 is a normal lifespan in an aquarium.  She may even be 5 already because she was pretty big when I got her.

[Subsea]

On 5/5/2018 at 7:08 PM, vlangel said:

My ladies!

Your love of Creation is well displayed in your tank.  Kudos to excellence.

 

When we know our tank inhabitants by name and personality, it hurts sometimes.  I don’t get attached anymore, but I consider tank inhabitants under my care and I will provide that care to the best of my abilities.  

 

Hope Eve gets better.  

[vlangel]

Thanks Subsea.  Yeah, it hurts when I lose a pony under any circumstance but at least she is nearing a full life in aquaria.  She is my oldest seahorse because she is my surviving original pony.

I can't seem to help myself about naming my fish.

[Dos Ocho]

Sorry to hear about Eve, but it’s obvious you’ve provided a fantastic environment and care for your ponies over the years. They were definitely lucky they ended up with you!

[vlangel]

9 hours ago, Dos Ocho said:

Sorry to hear about Eve, but it’s obvious you’ve provided a fantastic environment and care for your ponies over the years. They were definitely lucky they ended up with you!

I checked on her this morning and she looks alright.  She is just chillin' hitched to some macro algae.  This may be a slow progression of decline if it is just old age.  She does not seem to be suffering in any way, just weaker and less active.

[Pjanssen]

Hope Eve (and you) are doing okay.

[JBM]

Very Lucky ponies indeed. 4 and a half years under your care. That's something to be proud of. I'm sure you've spent much time examining her and watching her movements. Any chance this could be parasitic or a curable condition like stress? It did just recently change from winter straight to summer with no spring. Tank still a stable temp?

[debbeach13]

Sorry to read about Eve. I agree with many others that she has enjoyed a pampered life because of you. Old age is a lucky way to go. 

[vlangel]

18 hours ago, Pjanssen said:

Hope Eve (and you) are doing okay.

 

7 hours ago, JBM said:

Very Lucky ponies indeed. 4 and a half years under your care. That's something to be proud of. I'm sure you've spent much time examining her and watching her movements. Any chance this could be parasitic or a curable condition like stress? It did just recently change from winter straight to summer with no spring. Tank still a stable temp?

 

7 hours ago, debbeach13 said:

Sorry to read about Eve. I agree with many others that she has enjoyed a pampered life because of you. Old age is a lucky way to go. 

Thank you all for you kind thoughts and enquiries about Eve. 

 

She is not doing bad, just slightly off.  At the prompting of a very experienced seahorse keeper I have moved her into my 10 g QT/HT.  Right now I am only observing her and I am encouraged.  I added live ghost shrimp gut loaded with an excellant seahorse supplement.  She went for them immediately and some of the ghosties are sizable.  That means she is not really weak.  I plan to do a freshwater dip on her tomorrow.  If she thrashes around that means she probably is suffering from ich or some parasite, (lets hope its not that).  If it is I will have to move everybody into the 30g XH tank and leave my DT fallow.  I would probably buy a UV sterilizer too.

 

I can remove the live rock in the QT and turn it into a HT if I think it is bacterial in nature.  The tank temperature did go up to 76° F one day last week. 

 

So all in all I feel pretty good about Eve coming through this.

[JBM]

All wonderful news.  

[JBM]

Checking in on Eve. How is she doing?

[vlangel]

On 5/17/2018 at 6:46 PM, JBM said:

Checking in on Eve. How is she doing?

Oops so sorry JBM, I did not see this.  Eve is doing well and is back in the display tank.

 

That is Eve in this pic.  I also got a new tree sponge in the lower right.

[teenyreef]

I'm so glad Eve is doing OK now! 

[vlangel]

7 hours ago, teenyreef said:

I'm so glad Eve is doing OK now! 

Me too teeny!  She's special because she was one of my 1st seahorses and had to live through the learning curve. 😆

[Subsea]

On 5/27/2018 at 7:46 PM, vlangel said:

Oops so sorry JBM, I did not see this.  Eve is doing well and is back in the display tank.

 

That is Eve in this pic.  I also got a new tree sponge in the lower right.

I really like the red macro next to red tree sponge.  Did you get your sponge from live-plants.com?  If so, consider a yellow ball sponge.  I have had better results with yellow ball.  The colors in your tank are very well coordinated like an interior decorator would do.   The Yellow Ball would stick out like a sore thumb.  Being a Cajun, I like Marci Gras colors and they work for me.

 

https://www.live-plants.com/yellowball.htm

[vlangel]

23 hours ago, Subsea said:

I really like the red macro next to red tree sponge.  Did you get your sponge from live-plants.com?  If so, consider a yellow ball sponge.  I have had better results with yellow ball.  The colors in your tank are very well coordinated like an interior decorator would do.   The Yellow Ball would stick out like a sore thumb.  Being a Cajun, I like Marci Gras colors and they work for me.

 

https://www.live-plants.com/yellowball.htm

Thanks subsea.  Actually I was going for a look in my tank similar to your tanks, ha ha!

 

I got my red sponge from a lfs near me and I do not know where they got it.  I am hoping that it is not starved already or that my seahorse tank has enough diversity of nutrients to meet its needs.  Natural sponges on the rock have been thriving in my tank for years which is why I thought I would try the tree sponge.  I put it under the red macro to shade it so that it does not get algae on it plus I know that there is good flow there.

 

I have always wanted to try live-plants.com and when I do, I will definitely order a yellow ball sponge or two.

[got2envy]

This is so nice! I have thought about keeping ponies in my reef years but I am to chicken, they take so much care.