My 25 gallon sea horse tank.

[cj_basser]

Good to see it set up!!!

You did a great job on the filter, too. How did you knotch out the overflow in the filter?

When I bought the fully cured rock from PhishyBusiness, I had a very small cycle. In fact, I had no nitrate/ trite/ or ammonia spike ( but I was also using cheap test ktis.) Definantly let the tank mature, though.

The LR pillars look sweet. It will be hard aquascaping in suchj a tall, narrow space......and not having the rocks touch the glass would be pretty hard.

CJ

 

[xdusty6920]

looks great jordan. are you gonna start cultering pods and mysis to feed?
i would try putting all the liverock on the left side of the tank. have its tallest point at the back of the tank and its lowest point at the front of the tank just left of center. making a slop that slightly curves to the right if that makes sense at all. this way you have 4 things to your benefit.
-covers fuge inlet and heater
-unique aquascape
-leaves almost the entire 2/3 of the right side open for macro
-leaves a great place to stick a few frags just in case the naked LR starts bothering you.
give it a try and see how it looks.

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

This is fun that so many of us are setting up at the same time. I don't mean to hijack your thread, but just thought I'd post a pic of my rockwork, just added it yesterday. I was told it's uncured but I can go right over the tank and there is hardly any smell at all. I will leave it and start testing next weekend to watch my perameters.
Oh, just a note that yes I am removing that sponge filter, it's just so useful for clearing up the water when it's stirred up.

 

[Jordan55]

Thank you all!

CJ- I used a scroll saw to cut out the notches... pretty easy. Thanks for the compliments. Are you going to be able to set upa SH tank?

Dusty- Thank you! I do not think I am going to culture mysis or pods. The horses eat frozen very well. I will however hatch some baby brine shrimp eggs after the cycle and let them grow for about month or 2 before the horses go in. Hopefulyl some pods will turn up in the back fuge so a little snack. Plus with CJ and Hollback, I can take some from them!

I understand what you are saying about the rock.... atleast I think I do, and I like the idea. I will do it in a little bit and see if our ideas are the same.

Debsisterflow- Thank you and nice tank! I like the PVC idea... wish I had room to do it! You're not highjacking at all..... please post more pictures later on!


Thank you everyone.... new rock work will begin in a little bit followed by pictures!

 

[trailer]

as for the rockwork, i made an arch out of similar pieces. i drilled a 1/2" hole thorough my rock and stacked them on top of each other. the supports were a 7/16" lee's rigid tubing i found at my LFS. the rock will lean toward the centar and the two pillars will rest on each other. when i get my camera from my girlfriends house i will post a pic. it look awesome.

 

[cj_basser]

Jordan, i don't think I will be setting up a SH tank. As much as I would like to, I don't think I will have enough time to properly care for them. Currently, I am working on plans for my dads ~135g reef that is going in his new showroom, and this summer i am going to be doing alot of Tournament fishing. As far as a new tnak for myself, I am thinking about setting up a propagation setup to prop rare SPS, LPS, and softies...to help suport my Tournament fishing.

BTW, let me know a few weeks in advance when you want some of the live mysis, so I can collect them from the fuge and get you a nice colony of them.

 

[Jordan55]

Trailer- Thanks, I messed with the rocks today and it looks nice, however, do take a picture because I am still intersted and it will also give others ideas as well.

CJ- Well you can't say 135 gallon is "okay"... lol. I am sure that will be fun! As far as fishing.... good luck! Where do you go? I am thinking I will need the mysis in a few weeks time. I will let you know though.

As I said, I did mess around with the rock I am satisfied with it now.... but maybe in a week I will snag up a few pieces from work.

 

[TippyToeX]

Looking good so far Jordan.

 

[Jordan55]

Okay, here are some pictures.

Full tank, new look ( Only spot where rock is touching glass is left side)

Right side (I managed, no rock is touching back glass)

Left side (No rock on back glass)

Fuge- Left side= 2 sponges just untill the tank clears up 100% (probably tomorrow) and a bag of carbon. Right side=Sand and rock for future pod growth and some chaeto.

Fuge light

Little baggie of baby brine I think...maybe mysis. I will let them gorw for a few weeks in the tank and fuge before the horses arrive.

 

[cj_basser]

I really like that rock work. It will give the horses a ton of space to swim....and the rock (bali?) has a ton of hitchign posts that they could wrap thier tail around. That is one mean looking fuge light, too.

Are you going to make a feeding station for the SH's?

I fish all over the country in junior tournaments...but mostly in Ohio ( ALum Creek, Delaware, O' Shaugnessy, and farm ponds)

CJ

 

[Jordan55]

Yea the rock is pretty sweet. I like it now due to all the little holes and caves and contrast to it. Plenty of room for macro on the sandbed and on the rock.

It is Bali.... best rock I have seen in my life. To be honest I feel I have had better rock than this before.... I would give this a 75% rating because when I set up my 55 I have some SWEET peices. Not that this rock is bad, but that gives you an idea as to how nice it is.

Next thing I need to do is put a nice black background on the tank.

I do not know about a feeding station. I was this tank to really natural, thats why i am going with different types of macro all over the tank. So if I can find/make a feeding station and blend it into the rocks... maybe.

 

[cj_basser]

You could use clam shell that is turned upside down...so the cupped side is facing up. Then, epoxy it to the rock work...or just leave it on the sand. It would give a really nice natural look to it. You could even use a whole clam shell..the horses would really have to get down it to eat, though.

 

[Jordan55]

Yea I will look into that.... but it isn't a real top priority IMO. Does it have any other benefits other than cleaner water in the long run? I like to see the horses hunt for their food

Day 3- Water is clearest yet. Temp. is staying at 78 and that is that the heater is set to.... so I think I have control over the temp probably untill around 72 or so.

Biggest problem I see in the future will be evaporation. I have had the lights on a total of 8-10 hours probably in the past 3 days and I already have about an inch evap because it is right in line of a window.

When I sold my stuff, I sold my RO/DI unit so that means to Walmart I go for water. I think I might have to have around 5 gallons a week or so on evap.

Right now, I just do not have $$ to get one.,... but within the next month or two depending on paychecks, I may be able to snag the one I used to have.

The filter/fuge has a nice flow and on day 3 it is pretty loud due to evap. Hopefully I can get an RO sooner than later.

 

[ReefNutPA]

The advantage of the feeding station is you can monitor exactly how much each seahorse is eating and would notice any change in feeding behavior for a particular seahorse.

Additionally, even though you like to watch them hunt.... mysis shrimp that gets stuck in crevices, sucked into filters and such will start rotting and increase nitrates.

IMO, a feeding station IS important for those reasons - you can monitor feeding behavior and you'll be able to concentrate the food in one area and remove uneaten food after they've had their fill, thus keeping water parameters more stable.

Overall, the choice is yours. However, you'll have the most success if you do what's best for the horses - not what's best for you

Tom

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

thanks, I learned something. Jordan I love the new rockwork! Very nice!

 

[8BALL_99]

Very nice setup.. I like the rockwork Now better then the first way..

 

[Jordan55]

Reef Nut I do agree with you on the monitor factor... but when you have 2 sea horses in a 25 gallon, monitoring wouldn't be that hard.

And when you have a goby and multiple snails and hermits to clean up left over food.... decaying food isn't a HUGE problem.

I do see the advantages though, and thank you for pointing them out... but in my case I think it could go either way.

Thanks 8Ball!

 

[cj_basser]

Any updates?

If you are going to let the horses hunt for the mysis...i would try to strain the food with mesh netting, and then feed only the frozen mysis. This should help eliminte some of the watse juises that the mysis are frozen in. This will help keep the tank cleaner.

 

[Jordan55]

Well... nothing really here on day 5. Water level is low and I haven't had the lights on really at all. Dang the window!

I am glad Phishy is going to have a RO unit in the store because I do not feel like dropping 175$ on a unit when I only need like 5 gallons a week if that.

I haven't noticed any algae or anything.... so I assume I am still in some middle stage in the cycle.

On Saturday I am going to get my water tested at Phishy's and see what we get.

As far as feeding, I still do not know what I want to do. If I strain the mysis, I am afraid I will get rid of a lot of healthier stuff they mysis has to it. You have to realize.... with a careful eye, a nice size clean up crew, and a shrimp goby to help with feeding.... I think I should be alright. So we will see how it goes.

I am just kind of looking for some type of shrimp goby. I think I like the Hi fin banded goby. He stays small and looks pretty sweet.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=181

So.... everything is just going well and I am basically sitting and tapping fingers.

 

[Jordan55]

1 WEEK MARK!

I come with good and bad news.

Bad- The HOBG fuge/filter I got from Cj had a lip missing on the side when I got it. So I patched it up and over the past week I guess it has been springing a tiny leak. Nothing too big, but it sends a couple drops down the back of the tank and I didn't notice really till today. So I am going to go out and buy some silicon and patch it back up again.

Also, my lights seem to be either cheap, or messed up. Sometimes they turn on, sometimes the don't and I think it has to do with me taking it aprt in the beginning. I had to put in the bulbs and undo some screws. So.... today I will unhook that and go in and check it out.

Good news, the tank is doing well. Nothing major happening. I borrowed a test kit from work, so I am going to test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and I will post results.

Wish me good luck, and I will come back with readings later on.