JustDavidP's Seahorse Corral and Sump Project

[JustDavidP]

Well... we had a nasty storm the other day. The power was out for hours. I had JUST finished building and installing a DIY sump for my 26 gallon bow front. It was running with the new sump for just a month...and then... disaster! Well...in the eyes of my wife anyway....

I neglected to drill the return nozzles to break the siphon in times of pump failure or power outage. Because the 26 Bow front stand is not "roomy", I was forced to make a real small sump. It obviously is NOT capable of handling extra overflow from the display tank. I had in and around 5 gallons of salt water on my wife's carpet in the family room! :shock:

Some pictures of the original configuration below:





Please folks, if your sump can not handle overflow from the display in these emergency conditions you really should modify the return to include a siphon break of sorts. I knew that I should do this (and it took all of 2 minutes to do..after the fact) but I was lazy and didn't get around to it. Learn from my mistakes!

So... I am making a serious modification to that system and I will document it here for all to learn from.

My project includes drilling through the family room floor and running the overflow to the fish room in the basement. In there, I have an unused 75 gallon tank (scratched and abused) that will be my new sump Imagine that... the display is 26 gallons..the sump will run in and around 50 gallons. How much fun is that!!!

I am starting this weekend and will have pics and news for y'all soonest.

Have a stellar weekend!

Dave

[Rob]

yes, this is great advice...
and i have had that problem as well, but not as drastic. my sump was only about a gallon or so to small to take the drain back from the display, but now that i have installed the new SCWD and all that plumbing with siphon break holes, i am cool.. no worried about overflows
(except when the feed from my kalk bucket falls out of the tank.. Grrr, what a messs )

PS, i would love to see mroe pics of the tank it self...lol

[JustDavidP]

Okie Dokie... I'll dig up some pics now. I'm guessing since this is my thread and my project that it is appropriate to post them here.

D

[JustDavidP]

Here's a full tank shot taken just a couple weeks ago.



I drilled my own overflow using a wooden template and a dremel. It was messy, and loud, but it worked very well. By the way, not that I recommend doing this, but I drilled and installed the overflow with the fish, rock, sand and 2/3 of the water in the tank. Again, this is NOT for everybody. I was patient and also had a bit of luck on my side.



I also built my own hood to match the AGA stand. I installed 2X55 PC, one actinic and one full spec. I wanted to introduce some gorgonians and soft corals that are seahorse compatible.



One of the many inhabitants:



I have two pair of Hippocampus Reidi in there. I also have the mandarin, and a single blue striped pipe fish. I'm looking for a mate for him.

More to come....

[JustDavidP]

Seabiscuit, my busiest female H. Reidi



Ponyboy, her mate, and you can see why I say they are "busy". They produce offspring EVERY two weeks.



Just minutes after expelling the last fry from his brooding pouch, he entices her to make another egg drop. My Reidi have a gestation period of exactly 14 days. This makes life easy when predicting the birthing and preparing the kreisels etc. Here he is making his plea for more babies.



My male bluestripe pipe fish

[JustDavidP]

Babies! Everyone loves babies!

Gathering to "roost" for the night. Doesn't it look like the one on top is kissin 'nite nite' to the one below it?







My growout system



Okay.. I promise...the rest of the thread WILL be about my project.

Dave

[Rob]

thanks, those are awesome pics...
great job on the tank, it looks great...

[pham411]

nice picz mang!!! ill post up my 75 gal proj in a little bit. what ever happen to that photo gallery rob? is that up already?

[gwen_o_lyn]

Nice pictures!

[Jimm]

I love reading about DIY projects like this. You did a great job matching the hood to the stand. And who doesn't like seahorse pictures?

[JustDavidP]

Thanks Jim...

Now I need to beef up the stand. I'm sure that AGA did NOT imagine this tank and stand to be full of a DSB and 2lb/gallon LR. I can't even open the front door anymore...it leans forward I may just build a brand new stand all together.

Dave

[Reefbaby]

Hey Dave,

Great setup. It looks very peaceful for the little water-equines!

How has your experience been with seahorses? Do you think it's a super difficult species to take care of? Do you think that seahorses could be kept in a refugium??

Cheers,
Christi

[byseven]

Hey !!!

Couple mouths ago I over fill the sump and then guess what hapened ?
Power was out for couple hours and my WIFE was at the house with the baby.
I got about 5 gal in the kitchen , breakfast area, pantry, landry ....it was THE MESS. ( glad was tile)

I drow two lines on the sump , so I know the limits running and off
Always Lern from mistakes

[JustDavidP]

Great questions Christi....

In answering the first question... I love my experiences with Seahorses. I was recently forced to break down my 75 Gallon Reef due to business/travel needs. I really needed "something" to keep me grounded. "I was born in the sign of water..and it's there where I feel my best" So, I was going to set up a simple 26 gallon bowfront as a Fish Only. A fellow reefer in the Boston area had a trio of Hippocampus Reidi that he needed to sell. I researched the species for three months, and rebuilt the 26 to fit their needs. The rest is history.

They are not super difficult to keep as long as you don't neglect them. I say this with a hint of fear in my voice because they certainly are NOT for everyone and a seahorse could suffer in the hands of the wrong person. In all my time in marine aquaria, this is the EASIEST tank I've maintained. They do require feedings daily if not twice daily of frozen mysid shrimp. They have no stomach, instead utilizing a single and FAST tract much like our intestines. They can not "hold" food in a belly and therefore need to eat little meals, and often.

If you keep in mind that they are a lagoon or reef edge species (At least H. Reidi, the species that I keep and breed), and you treat them as such, they can and will thrive in your system(s). With that said, their tanks should look much like a refugium, but you should NOT keep them in a refugium for a reef tank. Confusing? Of course it is....

There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, although tropical, H. Reidi do NOT like water temperatures in the 80's where we keep our reef systems. H. Reidi tend to thrive in waters in the mid to upper 70's (F). Other species do, in fact, like warmer waters. Others, like H. Erectus are found as far northward as New England and are 'temperate', requiring waters in the 60's and 70's. Folks who keep them often have chillers on thier systems.

Another reason why it is NOT a good idea to put them in a refugium is, well.. you'd no longer have a refugium. While most seahorses in the hobby are now tank raised or captive bred, others are wild and will clean your fuge of every mysid and pod that you own. Even those that are tank raised will quickly learn to enjoy the wild food and may even shun frozen thereafter. All in all, it's not a real good idea.

Finally, seahorses are prone to bacterial and viral infections that could be introduced by other fish (who are resistant, but carry) or corals. They are a scaleless fish and have very few, if any, mechanisms for protection against disease that they do not deal with in the wilds.

Seahorses are best kept in a "Species Only" system, designed uniquely for their needs. If and when you have them established in their little oasis, you can then find other 'complimenting' species to keep with them. Others, including myself, keep pipefish in the same systems as they are very closely related and have the same needs. Mandarins are also a good choice ONLY if you find one that eats frozen foods. More agressive fish or fish that are agressive eaters should NOT be kept with ponies or they will ultimately outcompete and kill them.

I coud go on all day about seahorses, but have to get to work some time If you have any other specifics you'd like to know about..ask away. If I don't have an answer, I'll find one for you.

Dave

[Reefbaby]

Thanks Dave for the awesome info!

Hey - I'm an aquarius too! Must have something to do with my love for the marine world and amazing calm that it brings with it.

Yeah, unfortunately, that's what I thought you would say about having seaponies in a refugium. I would love to have them someday, but I guess I have to focus on getting my new upgrade up and running first. (upgrading from 550liter to 1600liters! - I'm going to have to snorkel to get into the tank!). My husband, I think, would kill me right now if I came up with yet another idea for reefkeeping! :-)

All the best,
Christi

[JustDavidP]

Actually *giggling* I'm a Cancer...but if ANYONE tries to tell me it's not a water sign I fight it tooth and nail! The crab IS the sign of cancer... and it just so happens that it is my favorite time of the year, spending hours on the waters of Cape Cod during the Summer days in New England.

Dave

[Jimm]

Goes off singing...."TIME FOR...A COOL CHANGE!"

[JustDavidP]

Jim is helping me show my age Great song eh?

[Jimm]

Rock on Brother! That was my favorite song back in the day.

[JustDavidP]

Sump Stand is completed!! This 2X4 construction is 1 foot off the floor to help my old back and to help insulate the sump. You can see where the overflow will come down from the room above and enter the 75G sump. There will be a refugium on the far side, fed by a "T" and a ball valve. I will be using a Mag 18 or other large pump to push water back to the first floor. You can also see the RO/DI unit and holding tank that will be my auto top off.



More later...

Dave

[Reefbaby]

Looks good Dave!

Hey - I thought you might enjoy this movie...happened to run across it on RC.

Birth of Seahorse


Cheers!

[JustDavidP]

Here's a better shot of the top off reservoir:



Another of the float valve connected to the Auto Shut Off (ASO) on the RO/DI unit.



The end of the line. This is my waste line, plumbed into my drain from the upstairs bathroom. In the warmer weather, I connect this line directly to my Koi pond outside and it is allowed to overflow in the pond and water the bog / marginal plants. I also use it to water the houseplants. Finally, I've used the wastewater to do laundry! Why not... it should NOT be wasted if at all possible.

The break in the line allows me to do this and more. It is GREAT when disconnecting the unit for service or backflushing.



Dave

[JustDavidP]

Thanks Christi.. neat stuff.

Go figure... Sweedish, A Neuro scientist, into marine aquaria.. where have ya been my whole life ...er um...Kidding Mr. ReefBaby

D

[JustDavidP]

Seahorse with a clownfish.... really *sigh*

I guess if you are looking for "automatic feeders", there's an option. I can guarentee you that none of those fry lived for more than 10 minutes.

Person should be hung by his/her eyelids.

D

[Reefbaby]

Well...according to him, the clowns don't eat the fry....but, then again, he's trying to breed maroons with ocellaris??

Ouch...eyelids....that just makes my knees ache! :-)