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Dawn's pony garden.


vlangel

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On 7/2/2018 at 10:47 AM, debbeach13 said:

All the pony's are so pretty. This tank is so peaceful. Love it Thanks for the updates.

Thanks for stopping by and looking at my tank.  This is the most peaceful relaxing tank I have ever had.  Seahorses never chase or hurt one another and the pajama cardinals are pretty chill too.  The flow creates lots of waving coral and macro algaes which is always soothing.

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22 hours ago, Dos Ocho said:

Looking great as usual!! Love the tree sponge. Well done. 

I really love the tree sponge too.  If it continues to thrive I am going to add more sponges to the tank, maybe yellow ball sponges and some frilly sponges.

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17 hours ago, Polarcollision said:

Cool sponges! I was just getting reacquainted with the cryptic zone idea and you're adding inspiration to give it a go in the back chambers.

Subsea is the one who inspired and educated me on a cryptic zone.  I believe that cryptic sponges feed on what coral and macros give off (although I can't remember just quite what that is).  It also was easy to set up a small cryptic zone in my return chamber.  If cryptic sponges begin to grow and thrive in the return chamber I will actually paint the sides of the return chamber black and make a black plexiiglass lid for over that chamber.

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Polarcollision
16 hours ago, vlangel said:

Subsea is the one who inspired and educated me on a cryptic zone.  I believe that cryptic sponges feed on what coral and macros give off (although I can't remember just quite what that is).  It also was easy to set up a small cryptic zone in my return chamber.  If cryptic sponges begin to grow and thrive in the return chamber I will actually paint the sides of the return chamber black and make a black plexiiglass lid for over that chamber.

I found an established 400ish gallon tank several years ago that didn't use skimmers or reactors, just a cryptic zone and a chamber designed to catch detritus that was syphoned out each water change.The idea always intrigued me, especially since I like the idea of being as hands off as possible. But it wasn't until lately that I feel ready to really grasp the concept thoroughly. Steve Tyree seems to be the person advocating for them the most and still offers packages on his website. I'm really thinking about it, especially since there' s a large area in the back chamber that is dark and has room for that stuff. It's already growing tons of long tubeworms and some clear sponges... ready to amp it up a bit. And yes, the sponges can filter water several times over compared to skimmers. They remove the microparticles and organics from the water column, keeping nutrients low. I think those little feather dusters do too. So what critters are you growing in your cryptic zone?

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4 hours ago, Polarcollision said:

I found an established 400ish gallon tank several years ago that didn't use skimmers or reactors, just a cryptic zone and a chamber designed to catch detritus that was syphoned out each water change.The idea always intrigued me, especially since I like the idea of being as hands off as possible. But it wasn't until lately that I feel ready to really grasp the concept thoroughly. Steve Tyree seems to be the person advocating for them the most and still offers packages on his website. I'm really thinking about it, especially since there' s a large area in the back chamber that is dark and has room for that stuff. It's already growing tons of long tubeworms and some clear sponges... ready to amp it up a bit. And yes, the sponges can filter water several times over compared to skimmers. They remove the microparticles and organics from the water column, keeping nutrients low. I think those little feather dusters do too. So what critters are you growing in your cryptic zone?

I looked at your tank thread with the six head dosing system.  Gorgeous system.

 

yes, I operate a natural system.  My 75G tank was set up originally with a 75G Jaubert Plenum on top and a 30G EcoSystem mud/macro refugium.  Nine months ago, I turned out the lights on a 25 year old macro refugium and seeded with cryptic sponges from my friend Timfish.  Tim and Steve Tyree have numerous conversations on the subject matter and I emulated their success.  Cryptic sponges do not remove organics from system, they recycle DOC into DIC and Marine Snow, both of which are consumed by coral.

 

PS:  I use detritus as food for micro fauna & fana which in turn feed tank live food of many differrent sizes to grow diversity of filter feeders.  In my refugium, their was no filter sock.  Water from display tank tumbled over the reef rubble compartment breaking up detritus before it entered the large mud / macro section.  In 25 years, with no miracle mud changeout, the level in mud compartment increased by  .5” and felt spongy to the touch.  It was crawling with worms.  Large amphipods and white speck copepods as well as micro starfish were everywhere.  The micro inverts are still there but with the introduction of seeded rock, sponges are on everything.

 

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Polarcollision
8 hours ago, Subsea said:

I looked at your tank thread with the six head dosing system.  Gorgeous system.

 

yes, I operate a natural system.  My 75G tank was set up originally with a 75G Jaubert Plenum on top and a 30G EcoSystem mud/macro refugium.  Nine months ago, I turned out the lights on a 25 year old macro refugium and seeded with cryptic sponges from my friend Timfish.  Tim and Steve Tyree have numerous conversations on the subject matter and I emulated their success.  Cryptic sponges do not remove organics from system, they recycle DOC into DIC and Marine Snow, both of which are consumed by coral.

 

PS:  I use detritus as food for micro fauna & fana which in turn feed tank live food of many differrent sizes to grow diversity of filter feeders.  In my refugium, their was no filter sock.  Water from display tank tumbled over the reef rubble compartment breaking up detritus before it entered the large mud / macro section.  In 25 years, with no miracle mud changeout, the level in mud compartment increased by  .5” and felt spongy to the touch.  It was crawling with worms.  Large amphipods and white speck copepods as well as micro starfish were everywhere.  The micro inverts are still there but with the introduction of seeded rock, sponges are on everything.

 

Do you recall—25 year’s later—what mud you used? I’d also like to know what sponges you use in the cryptic zone

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System was bought used so I don’t know.  After 25 years, it is pure detritus.  

 

https://www.amazon.com/Carib-Sea-ACS00526-Aquarium-1-Gallon/dp/B00025YVQW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1530910717&sr=8-2&keywords=miracle+mud

 

CaribSea products are good.  I would add Miracle Mud first then live sand with diversity on top.  Consider protein skimmer as a back up system in an emergency and leave it off permenantly.  Operate system without filtersocks so that your refugium diversity has food to eat.

 

I can’t tell you the name of the sponges.  A friend gave them to me.  I have seen some of those sponges in previous dark areas of rock aquascaping with no effort on my part to introduce them.  

 

Steve Tyree website has seeded rock.  His ebook gets deep into it.  

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16 hours ago, Polarcollision said:

I found an established 400ish gallon tank several years ago that didn't use skimmers or reactors, just a cryptic zone and a chamber designed to catch detritus that was syphoned out each water change.The idea always intrigued me, especially since I like the idea of being as hands off as possible. But it wasn't until lately that I feel ready to really grasp the concept thoroughly. Steve Tyree seems to be the person advocating for them the most and still offers packages on his website. I'm really thinking about it, especially since there' s a large area in the back chamber that is dark and has room for that stuff. It's already growing tons of long tubeworms and some clear sponges... ready to amp it up a bit. And yes, the sponges can filter water several times over compared to skimmers. They remove the microparticles and organics from the water column, keeping nutrients low. I think those little feather dusters do too. So what critters are you growing in your cryptic zone?

I wasn't planning on seeding sponges because my display has a variety of sponges already on the live rock.  I figured if the enviroment was favorable that the display would automatically seed the cryptic zone.

 

This is a fairly new venture for me so I have not really looked to see what critters are living there.

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1 hour ago, vlangel said:

I wasn't planning on seeding sponges because my display has a variety of sponges already on the live rock.  I figured if the enviroment was favorable that the display would automatically seed the cryptic zone.

 

This is a fairly new venture for me so I have not really looked to see what critters are living there.

I truly see no need to seed for cryptic sponges in your tank.  You have much diversity already.  

 

I have at least three types of new growth.  For certain, two are sponges one somewhat yellow/brown and one almost clear.  The other growth looks like a tangle of spider webs.  I have no idea what it is.

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13 hours ago, Subsea said:

I truly see no need to seed for cryptic sponges in your tank.  You have much diversity already.  

 

I have at least three types of new growth.  For certain, two are sponges one somewhat yellow/brown and one almost clear.  The other growth looks like a tangle of spider webs.  I have no idea what it is.

Are the spider web growth white and somewhat cotteny?  I have a growth like that in my system.  I have also seen a bright pink encrusting sponge and a charcoal gray encrusting sponge on my live rock in the dark areas of the tank, along with white and light yellow sponges and little tunicate looking things.

 

There are so many things in my tank and system that I also have no idea what they are, ha ha.  As long as they don't mutate and I start hearing 'Jaws' music in the backround, I am good with it!

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The tank is chugging along just fine.  I have been feeding a bit more because Samson was looking a bit thinner after my hecticness and vacation.  I thought I better target feed him to fatten him up a bit.  Lazy stallion doesn't bother to come to the feeding bowl now.😕

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13 minutes ago, vlangel said:

The tank is chugging along just fine.  I have been feeding a bit more because Samson was looking a bit thinner after my hecticness and vacation.  I thought I better target feed him to fatten him up a bit.  Lazy stallion doesn't bother to come to the feeding bowl now.😕

How did I get so far behind in your thread. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Sorry for all the notifications that must be popping up!

 

I’m so glad everything is doing well! Delilah is still my favorite though with her punk rock cirri. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi N-R fam!  Sorry, you know you are long overdue for an update when your last post was 1/2 a month ago and your journal is back 6 pages, LOL.  What can I say...its been a busy summer.

 

Anyway the seahorses are doing well.  Since Samson has been getting special attention he has fattened up a bit.  I doubt he will ever be as round as the girls but he looks good.

 

It seems the sun polpys are doing better as they have been opening up every day.  I try to make sure that they get some mysis.  I lost about half of the original colony but I am hoping that they will eventually recover.  They add some great color to the seahorse garden.

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29 minutes ago, vlangel said:

Hi N-R fam!  Sorry, you know you are long overdue for an update when your last post was 1/2 a month ago and your journal is back 6 pages, LOL.  What can I say...its been a busy summer.

 

Anyway the seahorses are doing well.  Since Samson has been getting special attention he has fattened up a bit.  I doubt he will ever be as round as the girls but he looks good.

 

It seems the sun polpys are doing better as they have been opening up every day.  I try to make sure that they get some mysis.  I lost about half of the original colony but I am hoping that they will eventually recover.  They add some great color to the seahorse garden.

Happy to hear all is well and Samson is getting fatter 🙂 

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1 hour ago, Sharbuckle said:

Happy to hear all is well and Samson is getting fatter 🙂 

My limited experience tells me that males are more fragile than the females, when it comes to seahorses.  Whether that is really true or not I don't know but I scrutinize Samson anyway.

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1 hour ago, vlangel said:

Almost FTS

The ponies are hiding but you can see how vibrant the sun polyps are.  I should have cleaned the glass but I didn't.

I love how Natural this tank is! Fantastic. 

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  • 1 month later...

The seahorses are alive and well and say 'Hi' to everyone at N-R! The pajama cardinals and the peppermint shrimp are also thriving. 

 

Our grown kids were home and of course we wanted the old homestead looking its best so I have not been around much.  Also we enclosed a broken down porch with a screen enclosure and have been loving that.  It did require back filling and landscaping to make it finished and polished looking so that has kept Dave and I busy, and mostly out of trouble. 😉

 

The cyano/diatomous algae has subsided greatly.  I stir and clean the shallow portion of the sandbed every week and I am sure that is helping.  

This tank is hitting its sweet spot.  I do my 7-8 gal WCs 3Xs a week and once a week I baste the rockwork and move coral to look for trapped food. That is also when I stir the SSB.  The tank does not have much in the way of nuisance algaes, just a little film algae on the glass and a little HA on the codium.  Both are fairly easily dealt with.  I will take a pic soon.

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FTS Aug 2018

 

Sorry about the reflection but here is the promised pic.

Samson hanging out in a macro jungle.

 

Samson peeking over the caulerpa tops!

Samson and Delilah!  They love each other.

The young lovers!

Eve, the matriarch.

Finally Eve who is coming up on 5 years old soon.

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Christopher Marks

Glad to hear everyone is well, family and fish family! ☺️ I can't believe Eve is nearly 5 years old, time is flying by!

3 hours ago, vlangel said:

Our grown kids were home and of course we wanted the old homestead looking its best so I have not been around much.  Also we enclosed a broken down porch with a screen enclosure and have been loving that.  It did require back filling and landscaping to make it finished and polished looking so that has kept Dave and I busy, and mostly out of trouble. 😉

That sounds really nice, screened in porches are the best thing! Share a photo if you can, I'd love to see. 

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43 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

Glad to hear everyone is well, family and fish family! ☺️ I can't believe Eve is nearly 5 years old, time is flying by!

That sounds really nice, screened in porches are the best thing! Share a photo if you can, I'd love to see. 

Time has flown by.  Adam and Eve were around 1 year old when I got them and on Oct 2nd I will have had Eve for 4 years!  I still consider myself a novice with seahorses because most of the other keepers I know have been keeping ponies much longer.  I guess I am kinda past novice however.

 

I will share a pic of the screened in porch.  I should have taken a before shot.  We have lived in this house for 31 years and it needed a lot of TLC.  The caved in porch was low on the priority list.

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50 minutes ago, yoshii said:

Wow she's almost 5 now? Amazing 🙂

I have not had her for 5 years because she was around a year old when I got her.  Oct 2nd I will have had her 4 years.

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