Sharbuckle Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Wow close one! Glad nothing serious happened! 1 Quote Link to comment
RIP Sebastian Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 There was a little water in the chamber, maybe 1 and a half inches or even 2. Perhaps that kept things cool enough not to trash the pump. Its been working all day. I had bought a DCT-6000 on black Friday just because my pump is so old so I have a back up. I need to buy the plumbing fixtures so that it is ready to just swap out. I hate to put the DC pump in while this old mag drive keeps going. I am afraid to try and keep the mag drive as a back up as if its laying around it might not ever start up again, kind of like me, ha ha! Thanks fishfreak, I was trying not to be an alarmist but I can never resist creating a little drama in my thread. I felt that same worry when I saw all the dead looking macros in my fuge. I was scared bacteria would get a foothold and attack my ponies. They are still looking good today and the tank looks alright too. I did a small 5 gallon WC today and am making a brute can of water to do another bigger change tonight. Thanks Nick. I hope your Christmas was nice and that you enjoyed New Years as well. It was probably a nice break anyhow. Same to you! 1 Quote Link to comment
ReefWeeds Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 A bit late but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well! We had a great trip but I almost came home to a disaster tank wise. When I got home I checked the sump because my sitter texted me and said the tank was gurgling. I asked them to check the sump level and they replied that it was low. I told them to use the ro/di water I had in the brute can and fill to the line. They replied that fixed it. All was well I thought until I got home and found the return chamber pumped dry! I turned off the return and looked for a leak. It was with the chiller so I took it off line. The macros in the fuge looked poor so I weeded out most and only kept the healthy looking ones. Then I drained the sump and refilled with freshly made saltwater. I couldn't hardly believe it but when I turned on the 10 year old used 9.5 mag drive pump that ran dry, she started right up! That pump is almost bullet proof. The salinity was down to .020 but with the water change I have it up to .022 now. I am making more ro/di tonight and will do another change tomorrow. Amazingly both the ponies and the coral look fine so I think I dodged a bullet. Wow, so good to hear. That's scary! Happy New Year! 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Wow, so good to hear. That's scary! Happy New Year! Thanks Rachel and Happy 2017 to you as well. Yes, it was scary but when I walked into the livingroom the first thing I checked was the seahorse tank. I noticed that it had more algae on the glass than I expected but the coral and the ponies looked good. It was only when I went to the basement to check on the sump that I realized that the return was not returning. That is when I am really glad that I have 2 powerheads from a totally different circuit on the tank and some large pieces of live rock. They were still getting aeration and even biological filtration. Wow close one! Glad nothing serious happened! Me too Sharbuckle, me too! 1 Quote Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 A bit late but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well! We had a great trip but I almost came home to a disaster tank wise. When I got home I checked the sump because my sitter texted me and said the tank was gurgling. I asked them to check the sump level and they replied that it was low. I told them to use the ro/di water I had in the brute can and fill to the line. They replied that fixed it. All was well I thought until I got home and found the return chamber pumped dry! I turned off the return and looked for a leak. It was with the chiller so I took it off line. The macros in the fuge looked poor so I weeded out most and only kept the healthy looking ones. Then I drained the sump and refilled with freshly made saltwater. I couldn't hardly believe it but when I turned on the 10 year old used 9.5 mag drive pump that ran dry, she started right up! That pump is almost bullet proof. The salinity was down to .020 but with the water change I have it up to .022 now. I am making more ro/di tonight and will do another change tomorrow. Amazingly both the ponies and the coral look fine so I think I dodged a bullet. Glad to hear that things are relatively okay. Vacations and reef tanks...always a concern. 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Glad to hear that things are relatively okay. Vacations and reef tanks...always a concern. I am sure you know that even more than me. 12 gallons does not have nearly the margin for error that 70 gallons has! Kudos to you for keeping your tank all those years through vacations and everything else that life can throw at ya. 1 Quote Link to comment
HarryPotter Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Super smart having things on different circuits! Just caught up, the new ponies look awesome and I think it's time for a FTS! 2 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Super smart having things on different circuits! Just caught up, the new ponies look awesome and I think it's time for a FTS!Thanks Harry for checking out the ponies. As an aquarium tech who went to folks houses to maintenance their tanks I saw more than 1 crash due to a tripped circuit while the family was away. GFCI's are crucial to protect against electrocution but they can trip over almost nothing. I recommended at a minimum of having a battery backup on a circuit that has a circulating pump. I am still getting the tank in shape after my trip but I will take a FTS soon. Also Ruth is more pinto all the time and I want a pic to show how cool she looks! Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Not the best cell phone pic but it is a FTS. This pic is absolutely adorable. Ruth and Eve sharing some girl talk! You can see how much patch work Ruth has now. I love her pinto coloring! A rare shot of all 3 ponies in different spots. Can you see them? 5 Quote Link to comment
RIP Sebastian Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Really digging the new scape, Dawn! The picture of Ruth and Eve is wonderful. How's Boaz doing? 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Really digging the new scape, Dawn! The picture of Ruth and Eve is wonderful. How's Boaz doing? Ha ha, every time I syphon detritus out of the tank I move stuff around so the scape gets slightly changed. Anyway, I am glad that you are digging this week's scape! Boaz is doing great. If you look at the last pic and the big clump of red grape caulerpa you can see him hitched there. He was courting with Eve last night but I did not get a pic. Quote Link to comment
Slowtwitch Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Love the pinto coloring. So tempted to start a pony tank seeing these guys. Just not sure how to handle the husbandry when i'm away from home. 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 Love the pinto coloring. So tempted to start a pony tank seeing these guys. Just not sure how to handle the husbandry when i'm away from home. She is such a beauty, isn't she? I know just how you feel about travelling because it was my biggest hang up too. I lurked, and researched seahorse threads and info for about a year before I actually started a seahorse tank. How long are your trips when you go? Maybe I can offer suggestions if I know what your trips are like. Quote Link to comment
Slowtwitch Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 I do a lot of long weekends camping with my boys plus one or two 7 day trips per year. I have someone who can take care of my reef tanks while I'm gone because they are at my offices and I have trained a couple of my employees how to care for them. The ponies would be at home. My wife could feed on the long weekends, but I'd need to have someone else take care of them during the longer trips. She is such a beauty, isn't she?I know just how you feel about travelling because it was my biggest hang up too. I lurked, and researched seahorse threads and info for about a year before I actually started a seahorse tank.How long are your trips when you go? Maybe I can offer suggestions if I know what your trips are like. 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 I do a lot of long weekends camping with my boys plus one or two 7 day trips per year. I have someone who can take care of my reef tanks while I'm gone because they are at my offices and I have trained a couple of my employees how to care for them. The ponies would be at home. My wife could feed on the long weekends, but I'd need to have someone else take care of them during the longer trips. Yes, it sounds like the weekend trips are manageable. Its the 7 day trips that need addressed. Well fed seahorses can and actually should be fasted 1 day out of every 7 to prevent fat from depositing and building up around their livers. However they absolutely do need to eat the other 6. I never want a fish sitter to come twice a day so for long trips I have them feed my ponies half the amount of frozen mysis that I feed. I have it premeasured for them. This helps keep the tank cleaner and is enough to keep the ponies healthy even if not quite satisfied. Then after the seahorses polish that food off I have my sitter net about 4-5 live ghost shrimp per seahorse from a feeder tank I keep. (I also premeasure the feeder shrimp's food.) That way the ponies can hunt their 2nd meal. The shrimp that are not eatten will help clean up frozen mysis that is caught in rock, coral or macro algae. Using this method of feeding and if your seahorse tank is not overstocked, the tank could go a week without husbandry or a water change provided that you are keeping up with it normally. (I always have a brute can of water made in case an emergency comes up when I am on a long trip however). So what you need to decide is, if there is anyone you can train to feed the ponies and be trustworthy in your house the 6 days they need fed. If not then I agree with you that it really isn't possible in a practical way. I am very fortunate to have a sister to do it and now I am training a neighbor family with my sister as a backup/trouble shooter. I walk the neighbor's dog so its a good arrangement and we compensate each other with gift cards. Folks in my local reef club have offered to help as well. 1 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 A little late but Happy New Year to you, Gena!Thank you!!!!! So glad everything turned out ok after your trip!!!!! Love the latest photos....the ponies really do a good job of blending in with their surroundings . 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 Thank you!!!!!So glad everything turned out ok after your trip!!!!!Love the latest photos....the ponies really do a good job of blending in with their surroundings . Me too! Its always nerve wracking to come home and find things not right with the tank. I am a little concerned about Boaz. He did not eat today. He does not look thin however. I had added live ghost shrimp to the tank last night and I heard snicking so someone was hunting them. I am hoping it was Boaz. Tomorrow I will be doing a water change but the tank looks clean and healthy. Ruth and Eve both look a picture of health and actually Boaz does too, so it is probably nothing. 4 Quote Link to comment
teenyreef Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Me too! Its always nerve wracking to come home and find things not right with the tank. I am a little concerned about Boaz. He did not eat today. He does not look thin however. I had added live ghost shrimp to the tank last night and I heard snicking so someone was hunting them. I am hoping it was Boaz. Tomorrow I will be doing a water change but the tank looks clean and healthy. Ruth and Eve both look a picture of health and actually Boaz does too, so it is probably nothing. Hope he's OK! Their coloration is beautiful now 1 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Oh, I hope he's ok!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 Well, bad news folks. I thought I had dodged a bullet when the tank had a problem while we were away but now I think I didn't get away unscathed. Boaz is indeed very sick. He isn't eating and he is having buoyancy problems. Its doubtful that he is going to recover. I don't see an antibiotic or a parasite med helping this. I don't want to stress him by isolating him and I don't think he's contagious. All I can figure is the instability with the system when we were away has caused an inbalance inside Boaz. It is so sad. Eve keeps going up to where he is hitched on the return and checking on him, which makes it even more heart breaking. I will probably keep doing my 7 gallon WCs more often this week to make sure the water quality is what it needs to be. Quote Link to comment
RIP Sebastian Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Oh no! I hope he pulls through. If you need anything (knowing you you probably wont), please let me know! Quote Link to comment
Slowtwitch Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Well, bad news folks. I thought I had dodged a bullet when the tank had a problem while we were away but now I think I didn't get away unscathed. Boaz is indeed very sick. He isn't eating and he is having buoyancy problems. Its doubtful that he is going to recover. I don't see an antibiotic or a parasite med helping this. I don't want to stress him by isolating him and I don't think he's contagious. All I can figure is the instability with the system when we were away has caused an inbalance inside Boaz. It is so sad. Eve keeps going up to where he is hitched on the return and checking on him, which makes it even more heart breaking. I will probably keep doing my 7 gallon WCs more often this week to make sure the water quality is what it needs to be.This makes me sad.? 1 Quote Link to comment
reeferbrownies Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Can't believe I actually wasn't following this tank, very nice looking! 1 Quote Link to comment
ReefWeeds Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Oh no!! So sorry dawn. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for little Boaz! 1 Quote Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I hope he can make a comeback! If anyone can get him better it would be you 1 Quote Link to comment
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