"Let there be light!" - Kay Tickle's Seahorse Tank Build

[Kay Tickle]

My Seahorses have arrived!!!

My Seahorses have arrived!!!

QT Tank (the heater's gone, just wanted to warm it up a bit to grow some more bacteria before they got here):

My 2 H. erectus, by way of Seahorse Source. Thanks Dan for all your help!

They really like my fake macro:

I'm so happy. They are beautiful, and eating like champs!

 

[namxas]

Pretty SH...Dan, Abby, and the girls are the best.

 

[DanU]

They are beautiful, and eating like champs!

Would I be correct in assuming they are settled down now from shipping & acclimation?

Dan

 

[Kay Tickle]

Yes! I was going to call you later today. They ate when I came home from work and again this morning. They've been hitching to everything and dancing around! Love them! Thank you!!!

 

[TamiW]

Great looking horses! Not that its any surprise from seahorse source.

QT Tank (the heater's gone, just wanted to warm it up a bit to grow some more bacteria before they got here):

If you're worried about them hitching to that heater, its mostly seahorse safe because the heating element is on the inside. The only possible problem would be if you had really tiny seahorses. But I love those heaters for seahorses. They're a little weird, yeah, but overall work really well and no issues if a seahorse hitches to them.

 

[Kay Tickle]

If you're worried about them hitching to that heater, its mostly seahorse safe because the heating element is on the inside. The only possible problem would be if you had really tiny seahorses. But I love those heaters for seahorses. They're a little weird, yeah, but overall work really well and no issues if a seahorse hitches to them.

With all the talk about certain heaters on RC, I picked these up since my friend suggested them. Since I have the sump on my display tank, the 2 heaters will be in there. But, that's good to know. Thanks!

 

[Kay Tickle]

The ammonia in my QT was bouncing around too much for my (and the SHs') comfort, so they moved to the display tank (about 3 weeks earlier than planned). They were in QT for 11 days and I observed them eating very well, and trained them on the feeding station. The time in QT was important, because I was able to gauge how much they ate, pooped and what behaviors were "normal" for my girls. I haven't turned on the main lights yet, but here is the bigger of the girls feeding in the moonlight....

 

[MarineGirl411]

I love them. =) Very nice. I am getting a Cardiff and I am going to make it a seahorse tank. They are really beautiful!

 

[namxas]

Interesting pic Kay!

I love them. =) Very nice. I am getting a Cardiff and I am going to make it a seahorse tank. They are really beautiful!

Make sure you look into the in's and out's of "plug-n-play" systems and SH. Most run quite a bit too warm for SH "out of the box" and many require flow modifications.

Also, small setups with bent glass tend to distort the view of your critters, so consider this as well unless you're absolutely "sold" on a half cylinder-type shape.

HTH

 

[andythorntonjr]

Very nice tank! Getting my QT in order now (and fighting down some cyano in the DT) before I take the plunge myself.

 

[Kay Tickle]

Very nice tank! Getting my QT in order now (and fighting down some cyano in the DT) before I take the plunge myself.

Yeah, I had a flatworm issue before I got the SHs and was very happy to go through those kinds of things without worrying about the SHs in there. Not to say, I won't have issues in the future, but at least I feel more prepared. Thanks for the compliment!

 

[Tankdiver83]

Cant wait to see them in the tank.

 

[Tankdiver83]

that night picture is really cool!!

 

[Kay Tickle]

that night picture is really cool!!

Thanks! I'm quite proud of it and have sent it to everyone I know I'm just glad I figured out the white balance on my camera. LEDs are hard to photograph with just a point & shoot.

 

[Kay Tickle]

Updated with some pics:

 

[Bluemon]

Are those yellow finger gorgs?

I always thought those were harmful to seahorses.

But very BEAUTIFUL
i love your tank

 

[Kay Tickle]

Thanks for the compliment Bluemon!

I had researched quite a bit, and never came across anything negative about gorgonians, except not to make that their main hitch, since it could start to irritate their tails. I hadn't read anything specifically about yellow fingers? I've had that gorgonian for probably 6 months and the seahorses absolutely loved it. However, the gorgonian is not doing so well now. It is non-photosynthetic, so it needs to be fed. After a few months, the polyps stopped opening. It was suggested to move it out of the direct light, and it has since gotten a little better, but I don't know how much longer it has.

 

[NissanVersa1]

Very nice tank and SH.

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