Novahobbies' 37g Seahorse Tank Journal

novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Yikes! Don't know where the time went these past few days.
Suffice it to say, we closed the deal on Friday morning. Got in the new place, and immediately called Molly Maids. It's funny how filthy a home can get during a move-out. There was a layer of greasy grime over the entire floor (all tiled), schmutz in the cabinets, dust everywhere, and a general feeling of unkemptness to the place. The previous owner also owned three cats, so let’s just say that the litter box area was immediately apparent. I’m still trying to get that smell out; I don’t want my one cat to smell that area and think “I must cover that…” Cleaners did their thing on Saturday morning, Terminix came calling around noon, and some recently ordered furniture was delivered by Saturday evening. Sunday, predictably, was spent shopping, as we discovered one of the amusing truths of every new homebuyer: we have nothing in the house.
But you don’t want to know about all that. This is an aquarium forum after all, and specifically a seahorse section. Well….. MY LITTLE GIRL COMES HOME NEXT WEEKEND!
I’m going to be painting the bedroom and laying the wood floor for that room on Saturday, so I expect I’ll do the aquarium on Sunday. I’ll have to move the tank into the living room for about a month before it makes its final move into the bedroom (wife insists the new stand be built before it migrates to the bedroom), but I think it’s definitely time I get the tank back in my own home – even under the best of intentions, it’s suffering a little bit over at my aunt’s place. The final move from room A to room B won’t be nearly such a stress as the big move, anyway.
Soooo…… who wants to drive over to South Florida and help me move a tank? A nice, shiny can of the liquid refreshment of your choice is in the offering!
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
LOl...Would love to Rick...If only you were closer
Can't wait to see pics of the house
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///forum/thread/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/300#post_3402862
Heheheh, yeah, I'm looking forward to having a place to display a few of those as well. Can't have the whole collection out at the same time, of course. Don't need to advertise my geekhood that blatantly.....

I was sharing our geekhood.....

At least you didn't post a wish for that Star Trek pizza cutter like stdreb27 did last week...oh wait...I replied to that one to....
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
No, but just yesterday I was lamenting the fact that a trekkie-based Key didn't exist. I could totally see how one might be made, too.
Oops. I just geeked myself. Again.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Whew. So much for "my little girl comes home next weekend...." Didn't happen.
DID happen, finally, yesterday. Took about 6 hours all together, with the animals in bags for 2 or 3.
Here is the tank at my horse-sitter's house, partially broken down:

I kept the filter running until the very last second. Once that filter turns off, the clock starts ticking. I removed the powerheads, protein skimmer, iceprobe housing, and all the little trappings that make a tank a home and cleaned them before the filter turned off. As best I could, I tried to have most of the dried equipment (and dry goods) packed and down by the car before the life support went off line.

This was the best way I could consider transporting the rock. Since the structure is a single foamed-in three-tiered column (with many live corals permanently attached!) I searched to find a tote big enough to keep it flat. The towels were run through a clean water washer with no detergent to make sure they were as chemical free as possible, then wrapped around the rock and soaked through with saltwater.

In the new spot. I know this will cause some eyes to roll, but this is still a temporary spot. The final move is just one room away, though....so no overly involved moving machinations will be necessary.

Half full. The fish are in the tank at this point. Just hiding and/or sulking in the corners.
More to come......
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member

This was the coral frag and Caulerpa tote. Most of the snails made the trip in this one, too. No snail casualties this trip, BTW....which is more than I can say for the last time I moved this tank.

Some of the larger colonies, including two Acan colonies, a clove polyp rock, and a faily large Kenya.

Mostly full, and now with the rock column added back. I'm really happy to see that only a couple individual GSPs died off -- the xenia, zoas, rics, and God knows what else seem to have pulled through the transport with flying colors. All the rics were completely open within minutes of being back in the water. As you can see here I'm running a battery operated aerator as well as the one small Koralia for now. Pump is obviously still not running here....

........but it is now! Note the coral, sponge, or feeding dish are still absent here. Took a break at this point to watch Tanked....interesting show, but not sure if I really like it.
I kept a record of the actual water volume I have running in this system when I was refilling. My total water volume is actually only 31 gallons, with an extra gallon through the filter. I didn't think I had 6 volumetric gallons in rock and sand, but I suppose that's a close enough ballpark.

Sulking seahorse....... looks like she has a bit of algae growing on her. Going to need to find a super soft toothbrush again!!

And finally.......


I want to get those coral frags reattached to the rock frame soon, but I didn't think yesterday was a good day to do it -- they looked torqued off enough. I'll start in with the superglue tonight and tomorrow.
......But YAY it's finally home!
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Now the fun begins. I haven't really had time to plan out and measure the tank for the new stand sleeve, but I've got no excuses now that it's in the house. We've rethought the design after looking at the space, and now it's going to be just the tank stand and ONE side cabinet to hide the topoff system. I'm going to make the side cabinet a little wider now as well, because I want to partition off the electric from the topoff water with a splash guard. Better safe than sorry there....
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
Glad to see your little girl home. hope she settles in ok after her move. lol Cant wait to see your stand design.
T
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Oh boy...FINALLY home!!!! I love that sea horse, she's so beautiful. The tank looks great. So now you are going to build around it. Keep us updated on those pictures. So did your Aunti get the saltwater bug taking care of your tank? I can't imagine after having something so beautiful in her house for that long, that she won't miss it.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Oh, she had the bug all right..... But she didn't really have a lot ot time to devote to it. She had a 90g for a while, but couldn't keep it in the house due to weak floors. She took over her son's 26g tank which is currently home to a single clownfish and my recently donated sand sifting goby. Goby had gotten too big for the horse tank.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/300#post_3416412
Oh, she had the bug all right..... But she didn't really have a lot ot time to devote to it. She had a 90g for a while, but couldn't keep it in the house due to weak floors. She took over her son's 26g tank which is currently home to a single clownfish and my recently donated sand sifting goby. Goby had gotten too big for the horse tank.
Ahh...she already was infected, BEFORE the sea horse came to visit...LOL...LOL
I have a 90g...I say fix the dang floors. For a while I thought I would have to go live in a mobile home, (I hate apartments) and you know how weak those floors are, and can't get wet. I already had my fix it guy waiting to do the work. I found a house to move into, so all is well...oh and I sign papers next Monday to purchase...so all is good.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Hooray for you Flower!
Waitaminit. You're setting up a new tank NOW, knowing full well you'll be moving soon? You crazier than me! :rotfl:
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/300#post_3416530
I'm thinking this is the same house she is in.....
Yes, it's the same little house...I don't want to move. we have been trying to close the deal on this place for more months than I care to count. I want to change the carpeting and some other things like a bathroom upgrade, but not until it's mine.
At least I'm already in my house...Poor Nova has been waiting forever....so FINALLY...time to party.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top