Modifications to Aquapod for Dwarf Seahorses

[dive girl]

As asked for (I started a different thread because I didn't want to hijack the other one)
I've had dwarf seahorses for almost a year now and started them in a 10g. My husband saw an Aquapod while I was at a LFS and surprised me with it at Christmas. Knowing that I couldn't use the tank as is for my seahorses, I had to come up with some changes to make it dwarf safe.
One thing I did add before ever putting my seahorses in it was a chiller. I think that these aquariums get too warm for the dwarfs but then I tend to keep my aquariums on the cooler-side of the temp. range.
I recently removed everyone to give the tank a good cleaning and to make a couple of moves that I didn't want to do with my ponies in there. Before I put them all back in I added the small filter with the spray bar. I took out the ceramic media and added some purigen.

One of the first things I did was to take a saw and enlarge some of the openings on the lid so that I could easily run my tubing out the back without any crimps in it. I stuck my fingers in the photo for scale.
to be continued...

 

[dive girl]

This photo is the back of the aquapod. I have a HOB little canister filter with purigen in it and a spray bar on the out flow. The intake to this filter is actually in the last cubicle of the back part of the aquapod. I didn't want to cover the intake with sponge and didn't want any dwarfs to get sucked up so I stuck the intake where they couldn't get to and put the spray bar in the main part of the tank itself. The intake is in the same area as the heater so the warmed water will go through the filter and come out from that spray bar directly into the tank.

 

[dive girl]

For the chiller pump and return:
The back of the aquapod is divided up into 3 parts. In the first part I have some filter media and charcoal. In the middle one I have my chiller pump and another sponge below the pump. In the last chamber I have the intake to a filter and my heater.
The return from the chiller goes right into the port that is in the wall of the aquapod. It came with a flex-ball divided tube but I thought that would be too much flow for the little guys. So I took some PVC and drilled some holes to make my own spray bar and attached it to diffuse the water coming in from the chiller.
In this photo you can only see 3 holes but I think that there are at least 6.

 

[dive girl]

Aside from temperature on of the main problems I thought about with the aquapod was that the overflow could suck in the little ponies and they'd get caught. I first made a sponge-type wall but didn't like that so I went with a tank divider.
What I did was to warm up the top of the screen holder above the flame on my stove top. Once the plastic was warm and would bend, I made it into a curve. I then took the sides and glued them to the side and back of the tank so they would line up with the curve. I used the super-glue that is okay to use with corals. Silicone probably would have worked better but live and learn...
Here are a couple of views from the top and the side. The side that you can see isn't that pretty but it does the job. I wish that the parts for the divider would have been black instead of blue...

In the new area that I've now created, I've put some macroalgae.

 

[dive girl]

Finally, here's a top-view shot of everything. Of course with the lid on you can't see all the hoses.
I really like the look of the aquapods. I don't know if this is the choice I would have made for myself but since it was a gift, it was worth the work in making the modifications and the added cost of a chiller. (I now run chillers on all my tanks so it would have been something that I got eventually.)
So, I hope this helps. Of course there are many different ways that people do things and what works for one may not work for another but this is my dwarf set up. And since I've only had the little guys almost a year, I wouldn't say that I'm successful yet. That will come in another couple of years.
I know a lot of people like the look of the aquapods and we occasionally get someone that wants to set one up for dwarfs. I firmly believe that if you want to use an aquapod for dwarf seahorses that you need to invest in the chiller before you do the horses. I just think that they get too warm with the lights on and lid down.

 

[dive girl]

This is what I've found to work but if anyone has any thoughts on what might make it even better, I'd love to discuss them.

 

[roxannej]

I love the divider idea! My pico has the toothed inflow and I put a piece of mesh (purigen filter bag cut to fit) over it to keep the dwarfs out, but your divider idea works even better. And you get the refugium going in there was well!
Do you find that the fine mesh of the divider gets clogged?

 

[teresaq]

Would this work better then having a seperate chiller and hob filer. I think you could put purigen in this
CoolWorks Microchiller
The MicroChiller provides a cooling solution for nano-reef tanks and other small aquariums that require cooler temperatures. The new MicroChiller not only solves the cooling problems inherent in nano-reef applications, but it also increases the flow of water in the tank that is necessary for the healthy growth of the coral. The MicroChiller uses solid-state heat pump technology, so there is no messy freon leaks or compressors that make irritating noises, which sets it apart from conventional chillers. Because the MicroChiller has so few moving parts, when used properly, it will provide trouble-free operation for many years. This compact chiller can chill bring down the temperature in a 10 gallon aquarium up to 4-6 degrees. Use in conjunction with the Porportional Thermoelectic Controller (sold seperately).

 

[dive girl]

That new little chiller looks neat. I wonder how it would fit onto an aquapod with the lid closed.
I've haven't had a problem with the clogging. I use a toothbrush to clean the divider. I had some caluerpa in the little fuge but when I saw it starting to grow into the little holes I took it out. I was afraid that would end up clogging it up.
The divider is fairly new. I had originally built a wall using light diffuser, black filter sponge and the screen but didn't like that as much so I changed to this.

 

[roxannej]

Originally Posted by Dive Girl
http:///forum/post/3155261
That new little chiller looks neat. I wonder how it would fit onto an aquapod with the lid closed.
I've haven't had a problem with the clogging. I use a toothbrush to clean the divider. I had some caluerpa in the little fuge but when I saw it starting to grow into the little holes I took it out. I was afraid that would end up clogging it up.
The divider is fairly new. I had originally built a wall using light diffuser, black filter sponge and the screen but didn't like that as much so I changed to this.
We got some acrylic from Amy recently, I think I'll ask Dave to see if he can rig up something like this in my dwarf pico.
Excellent idea.

 

[teresaq]

you can also get just the Iceprobe chiller without the hob filter. I want one for my fry tanks.
T

 

[teresaq]

iceprob

 

[shrimpy brains]

You go girl!!!

We all appreciate your posting this info. You did it very quickly. Very nice ideas, spray bars, tank divider, mini fuge.
It's nice that the aquapod already has a tank divider in place. I'm about to put an acrylic divider in the 5g tankthat I have. Thanks for all the great ideas, to continue building a better tank for my babies.
Awesome job!!

 

[dive girl]

LOL! No problem. It gave me something to do (I put off doing something I didn't want to do so it was a win-win).
I like the extra flow that is created with the two spray bars. It's not too harsh but it keeps everything moving. I do have some seahorses that LOVE being in the flow. They will swim over to the bars and play in the flow being pushed around by it. But it's also nice because it creates some areas where others can be out of it.
I'm hoping that some of the mysid I got from Dan will breed and the fry will make it into the little refugium I've created so that they can continue to help populate the tank.
RoxanneJ also just got me into culturing so I just ordered some A. tonsa pods from Dan as well. (She's created a monster! All my critters thank you already Roxanne and once those copepods start breeding they will love you!)
It's a constant learning experience and I feel like I'm always learning something new or different or even something that triggers another idea. That's the great thing about this forum and others. They create a synergy. Even if you don't agree with someone else the discussion may spark the next great idea.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Originally Posted by Dive Girl
http:///forum/post/3155479
LOL! No problem. It gave me something to do (I put off doing something I didn't want to do so it was a win-win).
I like the extra flow that is created with the two spray bars. It's not too harsh but it keeps everything moving. I do have some seahorses that LOVE being in the flow. They will swim over to the bars and play in the flow being pushed around by it. But it's also nice because it creates some areas where others can be out of it.
I'm hoping that some of the mysid I got from Dan will breed and the fry will make it into the little refugium I've created so that they can continue to help populate the tank.
RoxanneJ also just got me into culturing so I just ordered some A. tonsa pods from Dan as well. (She's created a monster! All my critters thank you already Roxanne and once those copepods start breeding they will love you!)
It's a constant learning experience and I feel like I'm always learning something new or different or even something that triggers another idea. That's the great thing about this forum and others. They create a synergy. Even if you don't agree with someone else the discussion may spark the next great idea.

I know what you mean about Roxanne. I first found her thru my local reef club. I was hunting rotifers for my clown babies. Since then, she's got me cultering 2 kinds of phyto, rots., pods, and now I have 3 brine hatcheries going. My sister came over the other day to see the dwarfs and said my house looked like a lab with all the bubbling bottles!!

She is now calling me the mad scientist!! lol
Yes, I really like the 2 spray bar idea. It's funny cuz, that is what I plan for my 65g hex (someday erectus) tank. I never thought of it for the little ones.
I def. agree about the endless learning in this hobby! It is one of the things that attract me to it. I love to hear peeps ideas and see what they have done. Sometimes I copy exactly, or just get an idea. Put 2 or more ideas together! (or don't like it at all) But even then I learn from it!
T, love the ice probe chiller on top of the hob filter. Will be looking into that!

 

[bender77]

Great post, I may be getting the aquarium after the 21st and if I do I will defiantly refer here if I decide to do the zots. I had already thought of the probe chiller. At least I'll have a few months to stare at the thing and contemplate what I want to do with it. I may just use it as my damsels new home and chuck the broken down tank he's in now. I really need to get rid of that fish and can't bring myself to do it.

 

[roxannej]

Originally Posted by Dive Girl
http:///forum/post/3155479
RoxanneJ also just got me into culturing so I just ordered some A. tonsa pods from Dan as well. (She's created a monster! All my critters thank you already Roxanne and once those copepods start breeding they will love you!)

Originally Posted by Shrimpy Brains
http:///forum/post/3155634

I know what you mean about Roxanne. I first found her thru my local reef club. I was hunting rotifers for my clown babies. Since then, she's got me cultering 2 kinds of phyto, rots., pods, and now I have 3 brine hatcheries going. My sister came over the other day to see the dwarfs and said my house looked like a lab with all the bubbling bottles!!

She is now calling me the mad scientist!! lol
Now, see......I'm being "blamed" but you both know you would have done this without me. I was just the person who encouraged you to do it.

OK, OK, so I sent the starter cultures, and explained how to get going.......but, still, sooner or later you both would have jumped in with both feet.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Originally Posted by RoxanneJ
http:///forum/post/3155878
Now, see......I'm being "blamed" but you both know you would have done this without me. I was just the person who encouraged you to do it.

OK, OK, so I sent the starter cultures, and explained how to get going.......but, still, sooner or later you both would have jumped in with both feet.
Well, you are probably right........but it's alot more fun to blame you!!