Our seahorse tank arrives

After all our learning & research, on the weekend of Miss 7’s birthday, we went shopping for our new seahorse saltwater tank.  We had researched prices, sizes & brand names the week before and decided on this 160 litre tank (which we got at a great sale price) and began to set it up that day because it needs to settle over 6 weeks before you can atually add the seahorses.

Here’s Miss 7 helping attach the backdrop of coral & rocks that she choose.

Although Daddy had to do most of the fliter and lighting attachments, Miss 7 helped with adding the gravel (substrate) which she also choose and helped wash beforehand. She also helped fill the tank with water. The girls enjoyed getting up each morning to see how much clearer the water had become overnight.

The next weekend, when the tank had settled and we had done a water test, the LIVE ROCK had to be added to get the good & bad bacteria growing, so once again, the water could be tested and would not kill the seahorses when they were added later.

It was very exciting when the phone call came through to say our live rock had arrived – we had to pick it up asap because it was alive with plankton and coral growth. The rock is actually cut from the reef in far north Queensland and shipped in a plane overnight.

Daddy carefully placing the rock, Miss 5 giving advice where it looked best.

Daddy and Miss 7 deciding if it all looked right while admiring the rock and looking for signs of life – they found a seaworm.

Now we wait – the seahorses can be added in 4 more weeks (just in time for Christmas). Hmmm, which type will we get? Next research.

 

 

~ by homeschoollearningforlife on November 21, 2008.