New Alligator Pipes

[Flipturn88]

I brought them home on Thursday. I was expecting them to only ever eat live foods, but one (the male) is already loving frozen mysis (Hikari brand). The other hunts down ghost and brine with ease, but hasn't taken a liking to anything frozen yet.

They are with 6 seahorses (H. reidi, comes, and erectus) and a couple small gobies in a 46 gallon tank. All fish are fed frozen mysis twice a day, along with enriched live brine and gut-loaded ghost shrimp to hunt for daily. To combat the tank's high bioload, a massive amount of liverock is in both the tank and the sump, and large water changes are done weekly.

And a few pics of the seahorses in the tank:

 

[johnkov418]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


GREAT WORK FLIPTURN!!!!


That is one of the nicest setups I have seen... It would be nice to see a tank like that in the "Tank of the Month" section instead of the 250 gallon SPS tank they do EVERY month.. Great photo's, what type of camera do you use?

I would love to hear more about the tank.. Setup , lighting, filtration, and of course MORE PICTURES!!!


Thank you again for sharing, very nice job, John

 

[johnkov418]

Just looked in your gallery.. Awesome!! You have to tell us what type of camera you are using.. I have a Fuji Finepix S5100 and I am ready to upgrade.. I like to judge a camera on "real shots", not what a Camera magazine's review says..

Thank you , John

 

[bkwudzjeep]

Very Nice!!

I have always wanted to set up a seahorse tank, (well my dad does, but he knows nothing about SW or even FW ) I would like to get one going for him when he visits.

Is it really that complicated?....or no more than a reef tank?

 

[PITSTOP]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn amazing work!!!!!!

 

[Flipturn88]

Thanks everyone! This tank has been a work in progress for awhile now. I combined three previously separate tanks to make it an ideal reef tank for quiet fish such as seahorses and pipes.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6404477#post6404477 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bkwudzjeep
Is it really that complicated?....or no more than a reef tank?

The key to a proper seahorse and pipe tank is a calm, quiet environment, free of active tankmates or ones that could inflict harm (ie LPS corals, anemones, etc). Although corals are not necessary, IMO they add to the tank and can provide hitching posts for the seahorses.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6404435#post6404435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by johnkov418
That is one of the nicest setups I have seen... It would be nice to see a tank like that in the "Tank of the Month" section instead of the 250 gallon SPS tank they do EVERY month.. Great photo's, what type of camera do you use?

I would love to hear more about the tank.. Setup , lighting, filtration, and of course MORE PICTURES!!!

Thanks again John, I use a Canon Powershot A95. Although it is not SLR--nor is it the best point and shoot camera out there--I have learned what works for my desired look very well through taking many pictures. Practice can make close to perfect, and it's a good camera for the cost, especially now that it's been around for a bit.

As for the tank, it's a 46 gallon bowfront. The lighting is the Aqua Medic Oceanlight, with 4 x 39w T5 bulbs--two actinic and two 10k. There is no skimmer, but about 80 lbs of liverock makes up the bulk o f the filtration, as do water changes and carbon. A couple powerheads provide some water movement, but for the most part the flow is rather weak, since this is preferred by the seahorses and pipes.

The corals include a range of softies, such as gorgonians, mushrooms, zoas, clavularia, and others. Other than the seahorses and pipes, the fish in the tank are a green clown goby, pearly jawfish, target mandarin pair, and a firefish. Again, the tank is heavily stocked and frequent feedings are necessary, but the ample liverock and various scavengars (shrimp, starfish, hermits, snails, etc) help to clean up the leftovers.

More pics to come.

 

[hawkfish21]

I have the same camera and can't get those results. What type of settings are you using? Amazing pics!!

 

[johnkov418]

Thank you for the info.... I looked at the camera and looks like you can pick one up for under $350.00 !!! My wife will like that considering I am lookin at cameras in the 7-800 range..

I myself have a 45 gallon with 8 seahorses so I can relate with the high bio-load situation.. That is why I am so interested in you filtration.. I use a skimmer, a couple of powerheads and an ehiem canister that I put 2 bags of chemi-pure in..

I also do a 8 gallon water change every week now, just to make sure everything stays in check..


Thanks again for the info and the great shots, hopefully more to come, John

 

[Swanwillow]

love it!!!
just had to tell ya!

<---started contemplating my lights that I'm saving up for some day and the corals I can keep

is there a totm forum? we can start a poll there for something other than a 250 sps tank!!! and everyone can vote!!
(my fav so far is the 35 year old reef up in the newbie section!!!)

 

[Jordan55]

Looking good Kayla.

Nice to see a good looking tank without so much SPS, tangs, and angels.

I was curious about your sandbed. The 46 bow is 21 inches tall and it looks to me like you have no more than 2 inch sandbed in there with your jawfish. Most would say that isn't enough.

I have had luck with many jawfishes in the past with about 2-3 inches instead of the "required 4 inches."

I have been contemplating the use a 2-3 inch sandbed on my 25 gallon that is 20 inches tall. I have been interested in a jawfish for my SH tank mates.

So I ask you... is it working out for you? I know it is good to keep your water room above 18 inches for the horses but with a DSB fish, it can get hard.

PS- How did you like the 25 gallon as a tank for your horses. Other than it was cramped..... would 2 horses be fine in there?

Looking good, and keep it up!

 

[jcatblum]

Wow how pretty!!!!!

 

[LisaD]

gorgeous tank and animals. thanks for sharing those wonderful pictures. what an inpsiration! good luck with the alligator pipes, you are off to a great start with them!

 

[edshern]

3 Questions if you don't mind:
1-Where did you get the alligator pipes from?
2-please let us know which powerheads you use,?
3-are your pics above with or without flash
Thanks
Great Tank
Ed

 

[Flipturn88]

Thanks again everyone for the kind words, and I apologize for my delayed reply.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6404792#post6404792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hawkfish21
I have the same camera and can't get those results. What type of settings are you using? Amazing pics!!

I use the fastest available shutter speed, even when using a tripod. For close ups, as I consider the majority of these to be, I use the macro and avoid flash when possible (but sometimes it's necessary when photographing an especially fast fish, which obviously isn't the case for these guys). However, the key to my sucess is simply taking a massive number of pics each time; maybe 5 out of every 100 I consider decent, so I have a rather large memory card to compensate!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6404870#post6404870 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by johnkov418
I myself have a 45 gallon with 8 seahorses so I can relate with the high bio-load situation.. That is why I am so interested in you filtration.. I use a skimmer, a couple of powerheads and an ehiem canister that I put 2 bags of chemi-pure in..

I also do a 8 gallon water change every week now, just to make sure everything stays in check..

Sounds like you have more filtration than me! I personally find liverock to be the best source of filtration, as it is natural and does what many other "filters can not. But, considering the potential risks involved and seahorses, I can understand the concern expressed by those who are in favor of other methods.

One thing we can all agree on, though: water changes.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6405157#post6405157 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jordan55
So I ask you... is it working out for you? I know it is good to keep your water room above 18 inches for the horses but with a DSB fish, it can get hard.

PS- How did you like the 25 gallon as a tank for your horses. Other than it was cramped..... would 2 horses be fine in there?

Hey Jordo, honestly, Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m not a big fan of DSBs, or really any sand bed over a couple inches due to their limited lifespan and filtration utilization (which in my experience has led to algae and other nutrient problems in the future). However, in anticipation of the Jawfish, I added extra sand to certain parts of the tank to ensure he would have adequate room to burrow, and sure enough, he adopted a couple of my desired locations immediately. I do think that seahorses should be given as much room as possible as well, so if your tank isnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t very tall (nor wide/deep) to begin with, I would avoid anything that requires a deeper sand bed, but thatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s just my opinion based on my personal experiences.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6407490#post6407490 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisaD
gorgeous tank and animals. thanks for sharing those wonderful pictures. what an inpsiration! good luck with the alligator pipes, you are off to a great start with them!

Thanks again, Lisa. This means a lot coming from someone as experienced as yourself. I hope to give them ideal care in captivity, and their willingness to eat frozen along with an apparently voracious appetite certainly does help the process.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6423588#post6423588 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edshern
3 Questions if you don't mind:
1-Where did you get the alligator pipes from?
2-please let us know which powerheads you use,?
3-are your pics above with or without flash
Thanks
Great Tank
Ed

Thanks, Ed, and no problem with the Qs.
1.) They are from the LFS where I work; I asked my manager to order me some.
2.) I have only two powerheads in the whole tank, besides the return pump. The two powerheads are only Aquaclear Minis with the intake carefully blocked off. Although the flow is very little for a tank of that size, the seahorses and pipes appreciate minimal water movement.
The majority (with the exception of one or two) are without flash. A tripod, fast shutter speed, and/or steady hand certainly helps.

 

[Flipturn88]

Here are a couple more pics. The brown one (below) is the pipe who has been eating frozen.

 

[equinecpa]

Cool Pipes. Where did they come from?

What is the curly red polyped coral in the 3rd picture?

Carolyn

 

[pledosophy]

Very Nice Kayla!!!

I'm drooling over the horses and those gorgs'

Great stuff.

 

[Flipturn88]

Thanks again!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6442588#post6442588 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by equinecpa
Cool Pipes. Where did they come from?

What is the curly red polyped coral in the 3rd picture?

Carolyn

Thanks! They are actually from the LFS where I work (I ordered them from one of our wholesale companies after a bit of research and planning).

It's a corky finger gorgonian...I think. I'm not sure of the exact species, but it is photosynthetic and quite large! A local reefer sold it to me when he tore down his reef, and it is definitely one of the best purchases I made for my horses (it's their favorite hitching post).

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Nice aquarium and fantastic pics. I think the gorg is either Plexaura or Psuedoplexaura. (I have similar)
A type of Briarium is usually called "Corky Sea Finger".

I tried an Alligator Pipefish once. This is definitely a bad fish choice for a typical reef aquarium with good water flow. It looks like you've provided a great environment for them, flip.

 

[SuzLucky]

Flipturn88: absolutely fantastic tank. Which LFS in Atlanta do you work. I've been in a couple since my daughter lives down there. Would love to see more of your set up too.