yveterinarian
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- Jun 7, 2012
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- Innerkip, Ontario
Took a small video of it eating this morning. I removed the sound as my parrot was being very noisy at the time! 
Look What I Picked Up Today!
- Thread starter yveterinarian
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yveterinarian
Super Active Member
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- Jun 7, 2012
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- Innerkip, Ontario
It will certainly be interesting.
I also like the article written by Rob Toonen, Ph.D. in Advanced Aquarist is which he states "Although these animals have a reputation for being extremely dangerous to a coral reef aquarium, they only cause problems in self-defense. A sea apple can make an attractive and interesting addition to well-designed aquarium in which the animal is protected from pump intakes and receives appropriate and sufficient food."
The only thing I have in the tank at the moment which could cause it to react in self-defense is my Copperband Butterfly. I have been watching the Copperband carefully and it is completely ignoring it. I have another tank the copperband can go into if it does begin to pick at the tentacles. In the video I posted the copperband doesn't even look at it. I wonder if that is because this one only eats frozen mysis and I have other corals in the tank which look like these tentacles. Over the next few days I will watch it carefully and at the first hint of picking, the copperband will go in another tank.
This will be a long term project to see if it will survive for me. I won't know for sure unless I can see it pooping and it survives for longer than 18 months. Rob Toonen says they can slowly starve over 18 months if it is not fed properly so my goal is to do everything I can to see if I can make it a success.
scubasteve
Distinguished Member
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- May 4, 2014
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- Cambridge, Ontario
It will certainly be interesting.
I also like the article written by Rob Toonen, Ph.D. in Advanced Aquarist is which he states "Although these animals have a reputation for being extremely dangerous to a coral reef aquarium, they only cause problems in self-defense. A sea apple can make an attractive and interesting addition to well-designed aquarium in which the animal is protected from pump intakes and receives appropriate and sufficient food."
The only thing I have in the tank at the moment which could cause it to react in self-defense is my Copperband Butterfly. I have been watching the Copperband carefully and it is completely ignoring it. I have another tank the copperband can go into if it does begin to pick at the tentacles. In the video I posted the copperband doesn't even look at it. I wonder if that is because this one only eats frozen mysis and I have other corals in the tank which look like these tentacles. Over the next few days I will watch it carefully and at the first hint of picking, the copperband will go in another tank.
This will be a long term project to see if it will survive for me. I won't know for sure unless I can see it pooping and it survives for longer than 18 months. Rob Toonen says they can slowly starve over 18 months if it is not fed properly so my goal is to do everything I can to see if I can make it a success.
id say as long as you turn up some sandbed every now and then or spot feed some reef roids or polyp booster im sure he will love it... all my filter feeders do.... this makes me want one
You sure you mean puffer fish here? Very few puffer fish excrete a toxic slime, and even fewer (I dont know of any common aquarium species off hand that have anything as potent as a seaapple).....boxfish yes, puffer fish no. Just don't want new people thinking a typical puffer fish is the same risk as a sea apple.
It is a nice addition. I think you are a perfect candidate for giving it a home, knowing the amount of feeding/time involved with the seahorse's I think the Sea Apple will have a great chance in your home.
curiousphil
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- Apr 15, 2013
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- London, Ontario
FYI their diet appears to be phytoplankton, not zooplancton which I believe those coral foods are primarily made up of.
What's your plan to keep it fed Yvette? Phytoplex, or some sort of home cultured solution? It's a striking addition and I hope it does well for you in the long-term. With all your seahorse experience you certainly have more than a fighting chance to keep it alive!
scubasteve
Distinguished Member
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- May 4, 2014
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- Cambridge, Ontario
im pretty surepolyp booster is a mix for both i know for sure tho the amino and fatty acids are specific for npt only coral bit fish and inverts as well to enhance colour and health plus triggers a feeding responseFYI their diet appears to be phytoplankton, not zooplancton which I believe those coral foods are primarily made up of.
What's your plan to keep it fed Yvette? Phytoplex, or some sort of home cultured solution? It's a striking addition and I hope it does well for you in the long-term. With all your seahorse experience you certainly have more than a fighting chance to keep it alive!
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
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- Jun 7, 2012
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- Innerkip, Ontario
Yes, Dave you are right. It was the box fish I meant. I remember looking at them and thinking they would be cool but changed my mind when I found out about the toxin.
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
FYI their diet appears to be phytoplankton, not zooplancton which I believe those coral foods are primarily made up of.
What's your plan to keep it fed Yvette? Phytoplex, or some sort of home cultured solution? It's a striking addition and I hope it does well for you in the long-term. With all your seahorse experience you certainly have more than a fighting chance to keep it alive!
I had a beautiful culture of Nanno right up until last week when it crashed on me so I have decided to give Phyto Max Super Concentrated solution a try to see how it works for me. I may get another culture of Nanno going but haven't decided yet. I'll probably stick with the super concentrated or the refrigerated packages because I have enough pop bottles on the go at the moment for my brine shrimp.
theyangman
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- May 22, 2013
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- London, Ontario
you have to piss one of these things off pretty bad from what I've read to get it to nuke your tank. Providing you keep an eye on it, you should be fine. The more common danger seems to be that these things move around and can get chopped up in a power head and then *bam*
Dangertown. Population, you.
Dangertown. Population, you.
DerekL
Member
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- Jun 23, 2013
- Location
- Windsor, Ontario
I had one in my old 75 gallon for over 3 years and never had an issue. It would grab mysis shrimp when I fed te fish as well. Very cool creature to watch eat and also adds very bright vivid colours to a reef tank. The only reason I got rid of it was that we moved and I shit that tank down and downsized to a 29 gallon bio cube. Very cool new addition.
yveterinarian
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- Jun 7, 2012
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- Innerkip, Ontario
The Sea Apple decided to move to a better location today and I'm quite happy it has chosen this spot. The colors are showing better and I can see the anus/breathing vent so hopefully I can see when it poops if it stays in this location. I have covered all of the powerheads with a fine mesh fabric so that it can't get mangled.
Sorry it's not in focus but I wanted to show the beautiful blue color it has at its mouth. It is so strange, the picture looked in great focus when I looked on the viewfinder.
The beautiful red of its other side. At the bottom is the breathing vent. It has attached itself very well to the rock behind it and has become a much better size instead of being over inflated. It was feeding very well today so I hope that's a good sign.
The butterfly fish is still ignoring it.
Sorry it's not in focus but I wanted to show the beautiful blue color it has at its mouth. It is so strange, the picture looked in great focus when I looked on the viewfinder.
The beautiful red of its other side. At the bottom is the breathing vent. It has attached itself very well to the rock behind it and has become a much better size instead of being over inflated. It was feeding very well today so I hope that's a good sign.
The butterfly fish is still ignoring it.
pulpfiction1
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It looks awesome
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sunnykita
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- Oct 5, 2012
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- Woodstock, Ontario
if an!yone can keep this guy happy you can ! great news that it's moved to a great spot and position, looks fabulous
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
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- Jun 7, 2012
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- Innerkip, Ontario
After trying hard to find the correct amount of food to add to keep this guy happy I think I have finally hit on the right amount. Too little and it closes up and doesn't open when I put the food in to the tank. I am now feeding it twice a day for the last week and it is out feeding almost all the time now. I'm just waiting now to see it poop so I know for sure I have the right amount.
Here is a picture I took this morning of it feeding. It was finding so much food that it was "two fisting" it and stuffing two tentacles in it's mouth each time.
Here is a picture I took this morning of it feeding. It was finding so much food that it was "two fisting" it and stuffing two tentacles in it's mouth each time.
sunnykita
Super Active Member
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- Oct 5, 2012
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
beautiful and colourful addition to the tank Yvette !
EricTMah
Aquariums by Design
Looking good.
Just watch your no3 with that many more feedings. A client of mine has one in his tank and after the first month of feeding it daily,his no3 shot up to over 50ppm. So just watch it closely or it might creep up on you pretty quickly
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Just watch your no3 with that many more feedings. A client of mine has one in his tank and after the first month of feeding it daily,his no3 shot up to over 50ppm. So just watch it closely or it might creep up on you pretty quickly
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yveterinarian
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- Jun 7, 2012
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- Innerkip, Ontario
Yes I have been monitoring because this is the tank that I already have the high nitrates. I am vodka dosing and have adjusted the vodka. Most likely will have to adjust the vodka higher again soon.
EricTMah
Aquariums by Design
Some carbon will also help catch some of the uneaten food before it will rot and cause higher NO3.
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
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- Jun 7, 2012
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- Innerkip, Ontario
Thanks, I have the carbon reactor now and have ordered the carbon. I'm just waiting for it to come in. Someone recommended Rox08 to me and said it was readily available so I ordered that 2 weeks ago and it still hasn't come in. Do you use a different brand that I can find more easily?
EricTMah
Aquariums by Design
I'm the wrong person to ask. I don't buy "high" end carbon.
I use cheap carbon and change it very frequently.
But I have heard good things about that carbon. I'm not saying it's not better than others and not worth the extra money. But I prefer cheap carbon changes more often. That's just me.
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I use cheap carbon and change it very frequently.
But I have heard good things about that carbon. I'm not saying it's not better than others and not worth the extra money. But I prefer cheap carbon changes more often. That's just me.
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