Novahobbies' 37g Seahorse Tank Journal
- Thread starter novahobbies
- Start date
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
LOL, Thanks!
@Smallreef: YES! I know, the whole bedroom looks like a page out of the durned IKEA catalog. Ironically I'm not a huge fan of IKEA, but in this case everything seemed to come together perfectly for the simple, straight lines and colors Michelle was going for. I have to admit when it all finally started coming together I was VERY happy with it.
@ Flower: Yes, I definitely think this is zen/girlie. I have pink and pale blue walls, Soft white curtains with cutsie flower patterns on them, and a floral print duvet cover complete with a big honkin' pink accent pillow.....what part of that ISN'T girlie?
I actually had to fight to keep the "Hello Kitty" stuff out of the room...and she was serious about it...one has to draw the line somewhere!!
Thanks all for the kind complements. I know I need to update sometime soon with some actual horse pictures. I don't think there's much else I can do to this tank though...the project certainly feels like it's coming to a close. Someday I'll complete the stand with the cherry blossoms I mentioned, but aside from ocassionally fragging the Kenya and the toadstool (both need it right now), I doubt I'll be doing anything new to this tank from this point on. Time to start planning and building the 110g aquarium project!
@Smallreef: YES! I know, the whole bedroom looks like a page out of the durned IKEA catalog. Ironically I'm not a huge fan of IKEA, but in this case everything seemed to come together perfectly for the simple, straight lines and colors Michelle was going for. I have to admit when it all finally started coming together I was VERY happy with it.
@ Flower: Yes, I definitely think this is zen/girlie. I have pink and pale blue walls, Soft white curtains with cutsie flower patterns on them, and a floral print duvet cover complete with a big honkin' pink accent pillow.....what part of that ISN'T girlie?
Thanks all for the kind complements. I know I need to update sometime soon with some actual horse pictures. I don't think there's much else I can do to this tank though...the project certainly feels like it's coming to a close. Someday I'll complete the stand with the cherry blossoms I mentioned, but aside from ocassionally fragging the Kenya and the toadstool (both need it right now), I doubt I'll be doing anything new to this tank from this point on. Time to start planning and building the 110g aquarium project!
flower
Well-Known Member
LOL...I know it looks it feminine...I was just enjoying your name for it...Zen/Girlie. My late husband swore he would not sleep in our bedroom if I did it up with flowers. I had brown and blue stripes or southwestern designs until the day he died...34 years later. ...His man card intact.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Really? I think I had to surrender my man card the day we got married! Michelle swore that she wrote a "man-card" clause in the ketubah somewhere.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3463935
Really? I think I had to surrender my man card the day we got married! Michelle swore that she wrote a "man-card" clause in the ketubah somewhere.
LOL...More like I was laughing at Dan, he wouldn't even wear a wine colored shirt I purchased as a gift for him, he called it pink. (it was more red)
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3463935
Really? I think I had to surrender my man card the day we got married! Michelle swore that she wrote a "man-card" clause in the ketubah somewhere.
LOL...More like I was laughing at Dan, he wouldn't even wear a wine colored shirt I purchased as a gift for him, he called it pink. (it was more red)
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Another weekend has flown by, and the house is just a little closer to being finished. Got the flooring in the kitchen and office done this weekend. When this house was constructed, some goat-fiddling moron of a carpenter decided it would be fun to lay the base boards before the flooring was done, and then SCREW them into the studs using 3-inch wood screws. Bad? Nah, that would have been mildly irritating. But get this -- then the flooring guy comes in and tiles the floor, (baseboards are already down, remember) thereby COVERING THE SCREWHEADS WITH TILE AND GROUT. The only way to get these effers out was to demolish them and remove them practically splinter by splinter.
When I get my hands on that guy.....mrflraflfarginggrmbl....
Anyway, this really has nothing to do with the seahorse forum, but I wanted to vent. In a very tangental way it does have some relationship. In order to do the flooring in the office I had to drain and move the QT tank with the future horse tank resident in it. Rainford's Goby is still doing fine...no evidence of disease, and he's eating algae and (get this!!) cyanobacteria. His little tummy has filled out a bit, so I'm not fussed by the fact that he doesn't eat any frozen or pellet food. There will be plenty of sand fauna for him to knosh on in the horse tank when he's transferred. Right now he's hanging out in a little 2.5g tank with some live rock & algae as a filter and a bubbler for motion and gas exchange. The QT should be back up before sunset. I think this little dude has one more week of QT before his time in the hole is up.
Anyway, this really has nothing to do with the seahorse forum, but I wanted to vent. In a very tangental way it does have some relationship. In order to do the flooring in the office I had to drain and move the QT tank with the future horse tank resident in it. Rainford's Goby is still doing fine...no evidence of disease, and he's eating algae and (get this!!) cyanobacteria. His little tummy has filled out a bit, so I'm not fussed by the fact that he doesn't eat any frozen or pellet food. There will be plenty of sand fauna for him to knosh on in the horse tank when he's transferred. Right now he's hanging out in a little 2.5g tank with some live rock & algae as a filter and a bubbler for motion and gas exchange. The QT should be back up before sunset. I think this little dude has one more week of QT before his time in the hole is up.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Here's a question for ya. When the big tank is back up and running, I am going to move the Mandarin pair out of this tank and into the big display. When that happens, I'll be sitting at 4 hourses and a rainford's goby as my stock list. Do you think I can get away with adding another animal? I have always had bad luck with Royal Grammas (almost as much as Joe!) but I feel like this might be the tank for him. My other option would be a captive bred spotted mandarin. Which do you think would be more appropriate?
S
smallreef
Guest
I dont trust grammas and their jumping ability.... new captive mandarins is a GREAT idea!
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Well the tank is obviously covered, but yeah...a RG would probably figure out that if he jumped just the right way he could become a cat treat. Frelling buggers.....
I just finished making a list of to-do stuff for the house. Granted, some of the things on the list are simple (hanging shelves, etc) but the whole list comes to 52 items. LeSigh......
On the plus side, 5 of those items had to do with the new tank construction. Ang GUESS where I put them on the list in order of importance?
I just finished making a list of to-do stuff for the house. Granted, some of the things on the list are simple (hanging shelves, etc) but the whole list comes to 52 items. LeSigh......
On the plus side, 5 of those items had to do with the new tank construction. Ang GUESS where I put them on the list in order of importance?
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
I've been BAD. A little more than 2 weeks since the last water change.
I was letting cyano get too much of a foothold. I only did a 5g change tonight, but I'll test my chemistry tomorrow and may do another 5g tomorrow night. My acan colonies are suffering...I'm going to need to frag the dead skeleton off and try to salvage what I can. My fault. Also my Xenia has been looking angry for the past couple days, and I sort of use that one as a warning canary for the tank. I'll let my filter catch some of the stirred up scmutz tonight, then swap out the foam after work tomorrow.
I also introduced the Rainford's goby tonight and fragged my Kenya coral. It was getting too big for its britches, and IMO might have been part of the problem for one of the Acans...the Kenya keept brushing up against the Acan, so a couple branches had to go. The Rainford's swam right into the sponge and hasn't been seen since....hope he doesn't become one of those never-seen fish! I hate when they do that.
I also introduced the Rainford's goby tonight and fragged my Kenya coral. It was getting too big for its britches, and IMO might have been part of the problem for one of the Acans...the Kenya keept brushing up against the Acan, so a couple branches had to go. The Rainford's swam right into the sponge and hasn't been seen since....hope he doesn't become one of those never-seen fish! I hate when they do that.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3465998
I've been BAD. A little more than 2 weeks since the last water change.
I was letting cyano get too much of a foothold. I only did a 5g change tonight, but I'll test my chemistry tomorrow and may do another 5g tomorrow night. My acan colonies are suffering...I'm going to need to frag the dead skeleton off and try to salvage what I can. My fault. Also my Xenia has been looking angry for the past couple days, and I sort of use that one as a warning canary for the tank. I'll let my filter catch some of the stirred up scmutz tonight, then swap out the foam after work tomorrow.
I also introduced the Rainford's goby tonight and fragged my Kenya coral. It was getting too big for its britches, and IMO might have been part of the problem for one of the Acans...the Kenya keept brushing up against the Acan, so a couple branches had to go. The Rainford's swam right into the sponge and hasn't been seen since....hope he doesn't become one of those never-seen fish! I hate when they do that.
I gave up trying to keep coral in a horse tank, they are so messy when they eat it just pollutes the tank and the corals draw up. Macroalgae feeds on their waste...I don't know how I would keep a SH tank without macro to absorb all the extra nutrient...but since I switched, I have no more cyano.
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3465998
I've been BAD. A little more than 2 weeks since the last water change.
I also introduced the Rainford's goby tonight and fragged my Kenya coral. It was getting too big for its britches, and IMO might have been part of the problem for one of the Acans...the Kenya keept brushing up against the Acan, so a couple branches had to go. The Rainford's swam right into the sponge and hasn't been seen since....hope he doesn't become one of those never-seen fish! I hate when they do that.
I gave up trying to keep coral in a horse tank, they are so messy when they eat it just pollutes the tank and the corals draw up. Macroalgae feeds on their waste...I don't know how I would keep a SH tank without macro to absorb all the extra nutrient...but since I switched, I have no more cyano.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Most of the coral I chose is pretty hardy and can handle less than pristine water....the softies, of course, are HUGE. The coralimorphs were hit and miss - my ricordias are doing great, but I had a few mushrooms in here that surprisingly didn't do well, and are very small all the time. My zoa colonies are all about the same. They don't grow as fast as they might in warmer water. The GSP and Anthelia is doing well, with the GSP requiring periodic scraping. I have two chalice frags in here that are about the same as when I got them....again, I wonder if it's the water temp, and I'd like to try these in a warmer environment someday.
The only thing that's doing REALLY poorly are my acans, which is a shame. I think they have some sort of tissue recession disease, but (shame) I just haven't had the time or energy to set up a small QT tank to try the Furan trick I read about with them. I really need to stop making excuses and just do it while I still have something to save.
The only thing that's doing REALLY poorly are my acans, which is a shame. I think they have some sort of tissue recession disease, but (shame) I just haven't had the time or energy to set up a small QT tank to try the Furan trick I read about with them. I really need to stop making excuses and just do it while I still have something to save.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3466038
Most of the coral I chose is pretty hardy and can handle less than pristine water....the softies, of course, are HUGE. The coralimorphs were hit and miss - my ricordias are doing great, but I had a few mushrooms in here that surprisingly didn't do well, and are very small all the time. My zoa colonies are all about the same. They don't grow as fast as they might in warmer water. The GSP and Anthelia is doing well, with the GSP requiring periodic scraping. I have two chalice frags in here that are about the same as when I got them....again, I wonder if it's the water temp, and I'd like to try these in a warmer environment someday.
The only thing that's doing REALLY poorly are my acans, which is a shame. I think they have some sort of tissue recession disease, but (shame) I just haven't had the time or energy to set up a small QT tank to try the Furan trick I read about with them. I really need to stop making excuses and just do it while I still have something to save.
Oh I had lots of soft coral too, remember the 30g long?...It was loaded with beautiful coral, then came the hair algae. It was an impossible battle, the corals drew up and were overgrown and I had nightmares of waking up covered in it because it got out of the tank. I gave up getting any coral for the new 56g SH tank so I could manage any problems because they are messy eaters. I found the pretty red macros and the prolifera...so I don't have coral, only the macros now. I also gave up on a rock wall for the same reason. I want to be able to remove everything and clean it up.
Naturally since that was my mind set...no hair algae. (hey, I just noticed that the forum stuff is back to normal, all yesterday the smileys were on the side)
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3466038
Most of the coral I chose is pretty hardy and can handle less than pristine water....the softies, of course, are HUGE. The coralimorphs were hit and miss - my ricordias are doing great, but I had a few mushrooms in here that surprisingly didn't do well, and are very small all the time. My zoa colonies are all about the same. They don't grow as fast as they might in warmer water. The GSP and Anthelia is doing well, with the GSP requiring periodic scraping. I have two chalice frags in here that are about the same as when I got them....again, I wonder if it's the water temp, and I'd like to try these in a warmer environment someday.
The only thing that's doing REALLY poorly are my acans, which is a shame. I think they have some sort of tissue recession disease, but (shame) I just haven't had the time or energy to set up a small QT tank to try the Furan trick I read about with them. I really need to stop making excuses and just do it while I still have something to save.
Oh I had lots of soft coral too, remember the 30g long?...It was loaded with beautiful coral, then came the hair algae. It was an impossible battle, the corals drew up and were overgrown and I had nightmares of waking up covered in it because it got out of the tank. I gave up getting any coral for the new 56g SH tank so I could manage any problems because they are messy eaters. I found the pretty red macros and the prolifera...so I don't have coral, only the macros now. I also gave up on a rock wall for the same reason. I want to be able to remove everything and clean it up.
Naturally since that was my mind set...no hair algae. (hey, I just noticed that the forum stuff is back to normal, all yesterday the smileys were on the side)
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
LOL, I'd actually almost rather have cyano than hair algae. (knock on wood...)
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3466045
LOL, I'd actually almost rather have cyano than hair algae. (knock on wood...)
LOL...I changed tanks, that's why I go the 56g. I had used that miracle mud and there was no getting rid of the nutrients once it started. I had one side of the tank with 6 inch mixed sand and miricle mud trying to get turtle grass to grow. Now I have prolifera...the best fake turtle grass around.
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/620#post_3466045
LOL, I'd actually almost rather have cyano than hair algae. (knock on wood...)
LOL...I changed tanks, that's why I go the 56g. I had used that miracle mud and there was no getting rid of the nutrients once it started. I had one side of the tank with 6 inch mixed sand and miricle mud trying to get turtle grass to grow. Now I have prolifera...the best fake turtle grass around.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Yes, I like my macros in the background, but I find I have to blow off the sand back there now. Lot of detritus gathers in the macro fields there...which, in a way, is exactly what happens in nature, and kind of the POINT. The grass slows the water flow, allowing the particulates to fall out of suspension, and the accumulated crud helps to concentrate the nutrients for the plants to take up.
This tank has been behaving itself for quite a while, and when you consider the crap I've put it through (3 full breakdowns and moves in a years time, temp fluctuations when the iceprobe crapped out), I should probably count myself lucky. I like keeping my macros as sort of a backdrop, but it's a constant battle for space that involves a lot of pruning. This comes from my wanting the best of both worlds. I think I've made it work, but keeping everything in balance is definitely a piece of work.
This tank has been behaving itself for quite a while, and when you consider the crap I've put it through (3 full breakdowns and moves in a years time, temp fluctuations when the iceprobe crapped out), I should probably count myself lucky. I like keeping my macros as sort of a backdrop, but it's a constant battle for space that involves a lot of pruning. This comes from my wanting the best of both worlds. I think I've made it work, but keeping everything in balance is definitely a piece of work.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
My Rainford's goby made an appearance tonight! Cute little bugger...picking his way around the sand bed. Of course as soon as I pulled out the camera phone he darted back into a hole, but hopefully it's a good sign that he's out and about this soon after transferring him.