Pot Bellied Seahorses

flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I read you can keep a group of them in a large enough tank...but what is large enough, and what is a group? I got the pipefish for the 56g...I have spotted them maybe 5Xs since they went in the tank. They are 2 inches long and invisible. Then again there is lots of red in the 56g and the macros in the 90g are dark green...they would stand out a bit.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I know what you mean. My Rainford's goby is a complete no-show. Heck, I don't even know if he's ALIVE. Haven't seen him for weeks, but there are a lot of places for a small fish to hide in this tank.
Just a word of warning with PJs. They look very cute when they're little, but they tend to get ugly as they grow older.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/200#post_3472030
I know what you mean. My Rainford's goby is a complete no-show. Heck, I don't even know if he's ALIVE. Haven't seen him for weeks, but there are a lot of places for a small fish to hide in this tank.
Just a word of warning with PJs. They look very cute when they're little, but they tend to get ugly as they grow older.
HMMMM....My Rainford is out al lthe time........I have 2 PJ's in my 225G...they are quite large...and IMO still adorable....LOL...
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Heh, I guess it's all a matter of perspective about the PJs! Personally I like Banggais a little more, mainly because they don't dull out as they get bigger, but....neither is a fish I would personally put in my tank, though.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/200#post_3472080
I've been busy - I almost packed everything up the other week getting a bit frustrated with not having enough time with everything. My tanks are doing great - really happy with everything. Nice SH you have, those are the pot bellies right.
Yes, they are just little guys for now. I have only had them a few weeks. I have Kuda seahorses in the 56g colunm tank....I like seahorses so much thats all I really want to keep.
You should post some update pictures....I haven't seen your tank in ages. LOL...YOU can Highjack my thread, I don't mind a bit.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Update:
My sand looks terrible. I have cyano and abundant algae all over it. Maybe I can increase the margaritas and black nassarius snails. There are just too many nutrients in the tank because of messy eaters. The macros do not work as good for exporting nutrients because everything is slowed way down. The caulerpa is growing, but not near fast enough. The red botryocladia I tried has turned to rust color, the bulbs look healthy so I still harbor hope, they are not meant for cold water. The sargassum seems to be growing a little slower than the caulerpa...the codium is healthy, but doesn't look like it has grown at all.
The horses are happy and eating well. They are more active in the evening before lights out. If I can figure out a way to get a grip on the algae and cyano outbreak, life will be perfect again. I want to get a few catalina gobies but the budget won't allow for them yet...I still have to replace the skimmer on the Kuda tank, and the birds are in need of new toys. I ordered some goodies to make some toys instead of paying $25.00 to $30.00 per toy....I paid $33.00 to get enough wood blocks, natural string, and plastic pieces to make 5 to 6 big toys.
Suggestions are welcome. I am setting up for a nice big water change, it will take a few days to fill my tub and get the salt all churned and ready. I added a little more water flow, the pots are pretty young, and I don't want to blow them away.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I think you've pretty much nailed it - regular water changes will be a must, and siphoning uneaten food if you can get to it. You may have to set up a daily "toilet flush" siphoning routine to remove fecal material as you find it. You ought to be able to do that with some small rigid tubing and a very narrow (think airline size) siphon tube, so you can do the whole thing in under a gallon of siphon water.
Which species of caulerpa are you using here?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/200#post_3473598
I think you've pretty much nailed it - regular water changes will be a must, and siphoning uneaten food if you can get to it. You may have to set up a daily "toilet flush" siphoning routine to remove fecal material as you find it. You ought to be able to do that with some small rigid tubing and a very narrow (think airline size) siphon tube, so you can do the whole thing in under a gallon of siphon water.
Which species of caulerpa are you using here?
I had a bunch of the prolifera from the 56g when I harvested it, so I put it in the 90g. It is growing nut not fast enough to out compeat the cyano for nutrients. I added a power head that was used in the 56g that had botryocladia attached to it and then I have the codium and sargassum that I ordered for the cold water. So I have plenty of macros in there. The tank is too large to try and siphon anything. I don't see poop or uneaten feed. The pots don't eat at a feeding station, they want to chase their food around, so I shut down the pumps and leave the bubbles running, and release the food after it's thawed. So it goes all over.
I have in the sump, an Octopus skimmer, Aquaripure filter and a small little overflow filter, plus a large overflow type HOB filter running on the DT.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I had cyano in my 56g and 30g with seahorses as well...the macros did eventually out compeat the cyano. I'm beginning to think the cyano is a right of passage if you have seahorses because they are so messy. The 90g setup is pretty new. I can't afford more CUC until next month, and I want a couple of catalina gobies. Because of the need for the cold I won't be able to quarantine them....That's a litte scary.
Oddly the largest pot belly male (Fred) just ignors the famales, but the little fellow (Grandkids named him Spots) is following them around with his belly all puffed up...He really loves Freckles. Oh yes, and the Grandkids also named the smaller female Flutter.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Well I guess it's update time:
LOL...This picture is of my 90g algae factory right now. I can't up the CUC until the 1st. I hate new tanks....I love setting it all up and choosing my critters but this unstable algae growth stage, I can do without forever. I don't think I have hair algae but I do see some red turf stuff started, but splashes of cyano and diatoms abound.

This is the ulva macroalgae that is growing...along with some dino bubbles

The horses have grown but you really can't tell much because the tank is so large. I know in about 29 days I will have babies...I caught Freckles and Spot (grandkids named the smaller male) in the very act of egg transfer..pretty cool but it was over too fast to run get my camera (sorry).
This is Fred, the only horse out and about when I had the camera in hand...

I introduced into the tank caulerpa prolifera, codium, red botryocladia, and sargassium...I have never had Ulva macroalgae...yet it is growing quite well on the output hose from the sump. Nicely attached and happy as can be, I have no idea where it came from. A light green algae is covering everything including the glass and it's not easy to get off, it's as bad as coraline. I think it must be something to do with the cold water making it so hard to deal with.
The red macros look rust color instead of the bright red it should be, and I see bubbles starting to develope on it...so the cold is not good for it....I have some more water getting set up for another water change.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
New problem.....it's warm here now, and my change water is not cold enough to do a 1/3 water change...what can I do to cool the water without adding ice that will mess with the SG???? The water in my tub is like bath water. The tank water is 66.8 and it warms up fast, so I can't take the chiller off-line to cool the tub, it would take all day to cool off 37gs
My mom is cold at 77 degrees, so I can't cool the house with the AC...I need some ideas. I'm thinking jugs in the refrigerator....but I don't have that many one gallon jugs and the 5g jugs won't fit.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Ice in zip loc baggies. Go to the local store get a 5 lb bag of ice and break it up. Double bag the ice in baggies add to the water for the water change.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Agreed. I would use 1 and 2 gallon zip bags.....you could double bag an entire 10lb bag of ice in a trash bag, but I wouldn't want to run the risk of something on the trash bag, unless you're SURE it doesn't have an antimicrobial coating or a scented coating like so many do now.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/200#post_3476734
Agreed. I would use 1 and 2 gallon zip bags.....you could double bag an entire 10lb bag of ice in a trash bag, but I wouldn't want to run the risk of something on the trash bag, unless you're SURE it doesn't have an antimicrobial coating or a scented coating like so many do now.
Okay...a trash bag would be to hard to manage, I don't think it would be used long enough to leak anything.....but the double gallon bags might work. Keeping a cold water tank has some real challenges.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
UPDATE:
I just got the extra CUC in...one peppermint shrimp is DOA. I was told to go real slow and MAYBE the peppermints can handle the cold. The big question is HOW SLOW?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaodissa http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/200#post_3477840
How did the peppermints handle the acclimation ??
I added 5...They were alive and healthy when they went into the tank and seemed to be moving just fine, so they handled the acclimation okay....I have not seen any of them since, I still have aptasia. It's only been three days and I keep hoping to spot one. It's a big tank so I'm not surprised to not see them, so the aptasia population is my only way to find out if they will do their intended duty or not. I also added 50 more margarita snails and they are cleaning up the algae like little champs.
I harvested quite a bit of caulerpa out of there. I have some more to harvest in the 56g tank (a friend wants some from me and I didn't want to get it from the out of balance tank). That means caulerpa prolifera handles the cold water without any problems. It has become my favorite macro for seahorses. The codium just got hair algae all over it....so I removed most of it. The botryocladia is not as red in the cold water, but it's growing quite well. Oddly I have ulva macroalgae growing like a happy weed off the return hose at the top of the tank by the light. I never introduced it to my knowledge but ...macroalgae is macroalgae, it all serves the same purpose.
I sure hope the peppermints make it and do thier job...I see lots of little aptasia all over, everywhere I look I seem to spot another, and I'm afraid it will be out of hand very soon.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/200#post_3476728
New problem.....it's warm here now, and my change water is not cold enough to do a 1/3 water change...what can I do to cool the water without adding ice that will mess with the SG???? The water in my tub is like bath water. The tank water is 66.8 and it warms up fast, so I can't take the chiller off-line to cool the tub, it would take all day to cool off 37gs
My mom is cold at 77 degrees, so I can't cool the house with the AC...I need some ideas. I'm thinking jugs in the refrigerator....but I don't have that many one gallon jugs and the 5g jugs won't fit.
Sorry, I am a little late to the party.
You can freeze some reg water in a 1g jug or some 2L pop bottles (leave some room at the top for expansion). And presto you got a giant ice block that won't leak into your RO/DI water, that should cool it down real nice.
 
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