Pot Bellied Seahorses

novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Looks fantastic!
May I make a suggestion? The airlines stick out like a sore thumb. Why don't you try hiding them a bit. The one next to the anchor should be easy; look at the picture, you can hide it right behind the anchor. The one by the wheel would look good if you just put it behind the wheel a little bit more I think.
Not a knock, just a thought. I really love these pieces in there. Very cool.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/320#post_3493462
Looks fantastic!
May I make a suggestion? The airlines stick out like a sore thumb. Why don't you try hiding them a bit. The one next to the anchor should be easy; look at the picture, you can hide it right behind the anchor. The one by the wheel would look good if you just put it behind the wheel a little bit more I think.
Not a knock, just a thought. I really love these pieces in there. Very cool.
Thanks...The ship wreck made a good theme, and the spokes and chain make great seahorse hitches. After making my own ornaments I have a new respect for those guys on that show Tanked, they make thier own stuff for tank themes all the time.
I did have the air lines hidden once before (not this tank), and I totally agree it would look better. I left the macros on them so they didn't look so much like tubes, I did manage to hide the PHs. The reason WHY they are out there like a sore thumb is because the seahorses use them as their favorite hitch, and they were hitching in the back where I couldn't see them just as hidden as the lines. LOL...Thanks allot...now I am going to sit and stare at them until I can figure out something to do.
........
Okay, I changed the lines to the back of the wheel and anchor....The horses were not coming to the front anyway. All the yummy amphipods are in the macro, and all the rocks with macro are in the back hidden from view. My tank looks empty until feeding time. So I figured what difference does it make. The new rock will seed and the macros will grow so the back dwelllers will eventually come on forward, they do seem to like the new hitches and I also think they are still a little upset that everything got so moved around. Fred hangs out in front more then the others....he likes his spot.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
My largest horse (Fred) did not eat this morning. He just kind of mopes and seems healthy enough just sad. He isn't hiding like a stressed fish would do, he is right out in front, and he looked real hard as his food floated past him....but then he dropped his head and didn't eat. He was working real hard to get the water out of his belly just before I began the change...I mean really jerking forward like he was giving birth to nothing. Now his pouch is empty and he just hangs out in his spot.
I'm hoping he is just stressed from me moving stuff around, he is swimming just fine...but not eating has me worried.
I havent seen the shrimp, but even the two chromis are hiding...everyone came out to eat, then went back to being invisable.....everyone but Fred. So I know everything is stressed. I checked for ammonia, (just a stick test) and got a nice fat 0 reading. If I had gotten any kind of reading I would have done a lab test immediately. It's Sabbath, and I hate to have to do it, but I think I should do a full round of water tests after Temple this afternoon.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Update, and test results.
SG:32 ppt
PH: 8.1
NO3: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
PO4: 0
Cal: 300 (very low)
KH: 6 = 107.4
I am out of liquid Calcium so I need to get more. I have a kalkwesser drip but it's such a bother and since I don't have corals dosing with liquid calcium works just fine. I do need to bring it up so I can get some coraline going, that will also help control the macros a bit since macros won't attach where coraline grows.
I don't have a copper test, I never used copper even as treatment. LOL...I don't allow a penny to even come close to my tanks, count your change someplace else. I add no rock if I even see a line that resembles a possible metal. All the rock I used was already in my reef, which I removed and dried out after a good long RO freshwater bath. So no copper should be in my system. So I'm not going to invest in a test kit for it right now.
The shrimps are alive and well...I spotted one on the rock in the back
The Chromis are out and about swimming happily
The horses, including Fred are in the back, where the Amphipods are...looking for a treat to catch.
I have not seen Fred eat today, but he is in the back on the hunt.
So far it looks like things are back to normal. The horses won't hang out in the front until some macros grow and the pods inhabit them. All the yummy pods are in the back so that's where they will stay.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Heh, they're probably just freaked out because of the New Scary Things. They'll get used to it, and hopefully once some macros grow in, they'll be all over the place.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/340#post_3493574
Heh, they're probably just freaked out because of the New Scary Things. They'll get used to it, and hopefully once some macros grow in, they'll be all over the place.
Fred is still not eating...he chases the food and looks at it real hard, but I don't see him snick up anything. I tried to take a video (dog gone battery is low) He has his pouch completely deflated, that's all I can see different on him. I am letting my camera battery charge and I will take video at this evenings feeding, maybe you guys can see something I'm not. He looks healthy to me, and swimming great.
Everything else is back to normal, the fish are out, and the other horses are eating and swimming just fine. I changed the food, it's mysis shrimp but it's a little larger. However it still has some smaller shrimp pieces, the others snick them up without a problem and he is the largest horse....Fred isn't eating the large or small and I'm worried about him.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Hmm. Strange. Did he go off when you changed foods? Is it a different brand? It may look similar but smell different to him...picky eaters will do that....
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/340#post_3493642
Hmm. Strange. Did he go off when you changed foods? Is it a different brand? It may look similar but smell different to him...picky eaters will do that....
I just noticed him not eating ....yesterday or day before??? Anyway, I changed the food over a week ago, I already went thru one package and started another, if he wasn't eating it he would be dead by now. UNLESS he was feeding on live critters in the macros. I pulled lots of macro out when I changed everything over...if he has quit eating frozen food he is doomed. There is not enough live food to sustain his life.
I ordered some amphipods but they won't be here until the 27th. and the ones ordered are not adults, I ordered them to mature and breed as something yummy for treats because when I changed the decor I didn't see any ...not even one, and as a rule you always find amphipods when you start pulling out live rock and macro.
I will post a video this evening so you can see what I'm seeing...he looks just fine but his pouch is completely deflated...I watched him empty the pouch, and they do that all the time and then blow up to impress the females...now that I think about it, he doesn't seem to have much interest there either....my goodness, he might be almost dead to not care about that.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Well I videoed Fred, but he didn't move from his spot, nor chase after his food like he did this morning. He isn't eating and I'm pretty sure I will loose him. The other horses were all over the place while he just sat there head down and sad looking, with his back to the camera. He deliberately turned from me because he didn't want to be bothered, he usually is very friendly and comes close when I'm near the tank. The healthy horse is freckles....she got in the way, but you can see the difference in behavior.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Have you sent this over to the folks at the ORG site? I know there are a few more people there who have or have had pots...they might have some more input. Geez, if his pouch wasn't deflated I would have said "PREGNANT!", since these are common symptoms of pregnant horses...but I'm sure you knew that. I know some horses go off their food if they are experiencing weak snick...might want to research that.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/340#post_3493714
Have you sent this over to the folks at the ORG site? I know there are a few more people there who have or have had pots...they might have some more input. Geez, if his pouch wasn't deflated I would have said "PREGNANT!", since these are common symptoms of pregnant horses...but I'm sure you knew that. I know some horses go off their food if they are experiencing weak snick...might want to research that.
Hi,
Thanks so much for looking and trying to help. I did look up some information on what makes a horse not eat....I checked out a stuck trigger...his face looks fine, his snout is fine, it's white, but so are the snouts of all the other horses, he has no bubbles or sore spots...his pouch is all sucked in and I have seen both males do that so I know it's a normal behavior....they are supposed to have 1/2 inch fry (that's a big baby and something like 170 in count....he isn't very large, if he has a baby in there... it's only 1, but I know he was doing the dance, and the way he was pushing the water out of his belly it looked allot like giving birth...but no fry emerged. Could a baby be stuck????
My problem is there is like no information on potbelly horses. But thanks for the idea, I will go there and post to see what they may have to say...I can't post a picture on that site to save my life.
How is your little girl horse doing?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Update: Fred is stressed video....I really think Fred is having trouble giving birth...you can see exactly why I think this is a pouch problem. All the horses were in a cluster around him this morning, it's like thay know he is in trouble....
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
OK, just from the first few seconds I'm going to suggest you look up the directions to do a pouch flush. He may not have any fry, but he may have a pouch infection....
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/340#post_3493762
OK, just from the first few seconds I'm going to suggest you look up the directions to do a pouch flush. He may not have any fry, but he may have a pouch infection....
Thanks...a pouch infection??? I posted on the Seahorse.org too....I can't begin to tell you how much I do not want to do that, if the .org folks agrees with you then thats the next step. I will look it up, and at least educate myself.
I'm not sure I can QT this horse, the temps need to be in the 60s...It's kind of chilly here in Illinois, maybe I can set the QT in the garage where it stays cold. I don't think a plastic frozen bottle can keep the temp cold enough for him and I can't get a another chiller...I'm out of money until the 1st.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I looked up the symptoms...my horse does not match them

Symptoms:

  • grossly bloated/swollen pouch
    severely hindered locomotion and buoyancy problems
Freds pouch is deflated and he can swim just fine....I'm still waiting on an answer from the SH.org folks. I am going to google potbelly horses, most of the info are on the more common tropical horses with a regular pouch.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I know he doesn't have pouch emphysema....I was just concerned he has either an infection (doesn't necessarily cause gas bubbles) or possible some kind of parasite. It's clear that SOMEthing is bothering him. I hope the SH.org folks can help...like you said, there is little info on Pots...but there is a lot out there on pouch maladies I think.... :-(
 
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