Pot Bellied Seahorses

teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
There are two types of nassarius snail (Ilyanassarius Obsoleta) which I think the ones from the northern coast. They have a blackish brown shell
and the ones like you get on this site and fla that are a brown shell and a little differant in shape. Nassarius Vibex
I have bought the black ones and they do not last long in tropical temps, they really need a cooler tank since they are from the north.

 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Okay! Thanks..a hunting I shall go. I hope I can find them, who would have thought a CUC would be such a challenge.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeresaQ http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469486
The only place I have found them are on the bay. lol
Teresa, I couldn't thank you enough! Just knowing what to look for helped a bundle!
I found them at Blue Zoo, they had them for 47 cents each, and the margaritas for 68 cents!
I ordered 30 of each. That should be a pretty efficient CUC for the 90g. One type eats algae including hair algae, and the other will eat left over food. Both are more happy in a cold tank.
I have the macroalgae and now... to get my Pot Belly horses. A fellow on Seahorse.org said he will have some available come the end of June.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
So I have to ask....where the heck are the tank build pics??

Also. You're going to be cold enuff....have you considered a Catalina goby for a tankmate?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469535
So I have to ask....where the heck are the tank build pics??

Also. You're going to be cold enuff....have you considered a Catalina goby for a tankmate?
I posted a picture....I will have to find it now. Until tonight it hadn't changed.
A catalina goby in a 90g would be invisible. I put my pipes in the 56g the other day and once in a blue moon I can spot them. With all the red macro...invisible, I have to spot them when they move...therefore no pictures there either.
Here is the 90g all redone. I was told pot bellies like open swim room.

Tonight I put the new Sieo power heads in, and the new plastic background. Unfortunately by the time I wrestled the background around all the wires and hoses, getting all the bubbles out proved impossible, and after an hour I gave up and took some pain killers. I used two tubes of the seaview gel which helped to make what did adhere look pretty good.
Someday (not soon) I will reapply the gel and try again. I also put the macros in, the brown sargassum did not survive the 56g tank, the nassarius snails ate it to the nubs. The small piece I had I put in the tank in hopes it can take hold. The codium seems happy enough.
I was going to get the chiller online tonight, but after I attached the background, because of back pain I couldn't do anymore. I also put my little filter in the sump. Then noticed the skimmer.
My skimmer won't produce enough foam to rise to the cup...no matter how high I turn up or down the valve. It was skimming so much goo before, is it possible that with nothing in the tank now there isn't anything in there to skim?....I have a good foam but it's halfway in the container and won't rise...any suggestions? It is now developing skim color in the center of the container instead of the cup. Maybe it isn't deep enough in the water, I did put it back on it's little shelf Acrylic51 made for it when I redid the tank....I wasn't using the shelf before.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469547
I posted a picture....I will have to find it now. Until tonight it hadn't changed.
A catalina goby in a 90g would be invisible. I put my pipes in the 56g the other day and once in a blue moon I can spot them. With all the red macro...invisible, I have to spot them when they move...therefore no pictures there either.
Obviously you haven't read the rules of the forum. ONE build pic over the course of 4.5 pages is simply unacceptable. Regardless of any actual work done or not. I'm glad you posted another couple pics, otherwise it would have been a flogging for you, missy.

You know, you're absolutely right about the Catalina....didn't think of it that way, but I can see your point. My friggin' Rainford's is a ghost, and that's in a 37g! I think he lives under the macro in the back of the tank, so more power to 'im.
That background looks pretty nice. How many airlines do you have in there, by the way?
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Flower, the background looks great. This tank will be awesome when it's finished.
Now, I have some concerns. How cool is the water going to be? What is the typical temp of the house?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gemmy http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469574
Flower, the background looks great. This tank will be awesome when it's finished.
Now, I have some concerns. How cool is the water going to be? What is the typical temp of the house?
Thanks, but I see the bubbles in the back...which will drive me to tears until I can get more gel to fix it .Although it does look 100% better than it did. The tremp of the house is 77...even in the summer my mother can't stand the AC lower...LOL, I have a picture of her all bundled up with a scarf and blanket...the AC was set at 77.
I have a 1/10 HP chiller that is good for up to 175g...my tank is 90g with a 24g sump and 18g refugium, that's a max of 132 gallons and not counting the sump is not 100% filled up, and the rock and sand in the DT...so the chiller should have plenty of power to chill the tank properly. I will set the chiller at 65/67 degrees.
It is at 80 right now (heater) to help the cycle advance. I was messing with the chiller to hook it up this morning (I need more SW made up) Once I'm ready with enough SW...I will drop the temp to 75 and take it a degree lower each day until I reach the right temp I want to maintain it at. The snails arrive Tuesday. I have the brown algae outbreak and I have seaweed sheets. If I can find a tank mate for the pots that I like, I will add it soon. Otherwise it's just the snails.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469571
Obviously you haven't read the rules of the forum. ONE build pic over the course of 4.5 pages is simply unacceptable. Regardless of any actual work done or not. I'm glad you posted another couple pics, otherwise it would have been a flogging for you, missy.

You know, you're absolutely right about the Catalina....didn't think of it that way, but I can see your point. My friggin' Rainford's is a ghost, and that's in a 37g! I think he lives under the macro in the back of the tank, so more power to 'im.
That background looks pretty nice. How many airlines do you have in there, by the way?
I have two air lines...plus one rigid line goes to the lifter pump to help it stay put. It looks like more because I let the bubbles be defused against the rock and spreading them out....I just like the bubbles. I just now put a cat looking scull in the tank (temporary) with some clear fishline attached with clips to hold seaweed for the snails, because I know there is not enough algae for 60 snails in there, but I can't afford $39.00 per order for shipping, so getting a couple to start was something that I could not do...although it SHOULD be done that way.
It is the only thing in the tank not covered in brown algae.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469577
The temp of the house is 77...even in the summer my mother can't stand the AC lower...LOL, I have a picture of her all bundled up with a scarf and blanket...the AC was set at 77.
I have a 1/10 HP chiller that is good for up to 175g...my tank is 90g with a 24g sump and 18g refugium, that's a max of 132 gallons and not counting the sump is not 100% filled up, and the rock and sand in the DT...so the chiller should have plenty of power to chill the tank properly. I will set the chiller at 65/67 degrees.
Yup, looks like a diatom bloom or brown algae bloom to me! Cyclin' away I see.....
I wanted to point out that you may have some condensation issues with the tank temp and the outside house temperature. I've read that this can be a problem in chilled tanks. You may want to consider insulating some of the tank by wrapping it in insulating foam board from your local hardware store. I see you have a lot of stuff hanging from the back of the tank, maybe you can at least insulate the bottom half of the tank's back as well as both sides of the tank. Almost all aquariums are built with tropical temperatures in mind, so the glass is far to thin to prevent heat transfer and "sweating" from condensation forming on the glass. Just something to think about. I'm not sure if this is such an issue with 65 degree tanks, or if it's only a problem for 60 and lower COLD coldwater tanks.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469586
Yup, looks like a diatom bloom or brown algae bloom to me! Cyclin' away I see.....
I wanted to point out that you may have some condensation issues with the tank temp and the outside house temperature. I've read that this can be a problem in chilled tanks. You may want to consider insulating some of the tank by wrapping it in insulating foam board from your local hardware store. I see you have a lot of stuff hanging from the back of the tank, maybe you can at least insulate the bottom half of the tank's back as well as both sides of the tank. Almost all aquariums are built with tropical temperatures in mind, so the glass is far to thin to prevent heat transfer and "sweating" from condensation forming on the glass. Just something to think about. I'm not sure if this is such an issue with 65 degree tanks, or if it's only a problem for 60 and lower COLD coldwater tanks.
Condensation will be an issue when the tank is colder than the dewpoint. This was one of the concerns that I was thinking about. I also think that the chiller may be under rated for the purpose of the tank. It would be beneficial to insulate the sump as well as the tank. It will help keep the tank cooler and prevent condensation.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469586
Yup, looks like a diatom bloom or brown algae bloom to me! Cyclin' away I see.....
I wanted to point out that you may have some condensation issues with the tank temp and the outside house temperature. I've read that this can be a problem in chilled tanks. You may want to consider insulating some of the tank by wrapping it in insulating foam board from your local hardware store. I see you have a lot of stuff hanging from the back of the tank, maybe you can at least insulate the bottom half of the tank's back as well as both sides of the tank. Almost all aquariums are built with tropical temperatures in mind, so the glass is far to thin to prevent heat transfer and "sweating" from condensation forming on the glass. Just something to think about. I'm not sure if this is such an issue with 65 degree tanks, or if it's only a problem for 60 and lower COLD coldwater tanks.
There is not a problem with glass breaking is there? How would insulating the back keep the front from developing condensation? LOL...I can see my poor old mothers face if I tell her we must now use the AC to keep the house at 68 degrees...she will have to live her life cocooned in her electric blanket set on high, with ear muffs on.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I'm less concerned with the condensation as I am with insulating the tank. You can always wipe condensation off the glass -- this will be water formed from the vapor in the warmer AIR condensing against the tank, and has nothing to do with the saltwater in the tank or salt creep.
Insulating the tank (and the sump, thanks for the reminder Gemmy!) will help keep your tank cool and (hopefully) means you won't be taxing your chiller. It's an energy and cost savings trick, since I'm sure you don't want the chiller to burn out in a year or so. Tempered or non-tempered doesn't enter into it...we were thinking of the thickness of the glass itself.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469609
I'm less concerned with the condensation as I am with insulating the tank. You can always wipe condensation off the glass -- this will be water formed from the vapor in the warmer AIR condensing against the tank, and has nothing to do with the saltwater in the tank or salt creep.
Insulating the tank (and the sump, thanks for the reminder Gemmy!) will help keep your tank cool and (hopefully) means you won't be taxing your chiller. It's an energy and cost savings trick, since I'm sure you don't want the chiller to burn out in a year or so. Tempered or non-tempered doesn't enter into it...we were thinking of the thickness of the glass itself.
That is exactly what I was thinking. I was reading a cold water tank thread on RC is what made me think of it. Flower, I can PM you the link if you want.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/391007/pot-bellied-seahorses/80#post_3469609
I'm less concerned with the condensation as I am with insulating the tank. You can always wipe condensation off the glass -- this will be water formed from the vapor in the warmer AIR condensing against the tank, and has nothing to do with the saltwater in the tank or salt creep.
Insulating the tank (and the sump, thanks for the reminder Gemmy!) will help keep your tank cool and (hopefully) means you won't be taxing your chiller. It's an energy and cost savings trick, since I'm sure you don't want the chiller to burn out in a year or so. Tempered or non-tempered doesn't enter into it...we were thinking of the thickness of the glass itself.
Okay...forgive my ignorance because this is all new to me. On all the things I have looked at on the web about cold water salt tanks, nobody mentioned this until now.
How thick should the insulation be? They do sell in 6 panel sections..... some white regid foam, it's about 3/4th inches thick, I can tape it on....they also sell the pink stuff that is an inch thick. I have way too many hoses from the sump to be able to insulate it properly...I can cover the back acrylic tanks themselves, but not the opening in the back.
I can cover the back and leave cutouts for the overflows. I can cover one side of the tank but want the side that faces us in the living room open for us to see the horses. I can use the solution of water and vinegar for the front so I won't have to wipe it all the time...I hope.
Will doing that protect my tank and help keep it's cool? I would prefer the white and may have to use white on the sump as there is not much room down there....Acrylic51 made the tanks almost to the very sides of the stand.
 
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