VIDEOS...Loving, Peacemaker...Hoover

In this 1st video, Valentino shows Hoover who is boss...
          And my sweet Hoovie does not object!
P.S. This part of this particular post is being written on March 20th...
Which is the 1st day of Spring...
and which New Yorkers, ummmmm, specifically Long Islander's will tell you was ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
       FER~~~~EEEEEEE~~~~ZZZZZZZZZ~~~~ING OUT!!!
                       It was in the 30's all day!

                                                          
                    Valentina and Hoover hangin' out...
               Valentina always the more aggressive...
            While "The Peace maker, Hoover" allows
                              her freedom                 
                        to push him over...
           And as we know, Hoover is a pushover!!!! 

"THIS MAGIC MOMENT!"

Its now the 23rd of March as I finish up this post.

Its still very, very cold in New York...

"Spring IS (NOT) in the air..."

OR

Anywhere for that ,matter!!!!!!!!!!!

VIDEO Valentina Manga!

Valentina once loved to eat by hitching from the filter pipe or from one of the hoses.

But no more!

Now she is a "bottom feeder" just like Hoover!

Valentina lies on her side playing the "limbo dance"

with the hoses as she makes yummy~yum with the brine!

VIDEO! Herbert Hoover Swims~then Hitches!

Well my blog fans...

Who don't know who you are...

because there are zero of you!!!!!

My video has sound!

Don't ask...

I am so computer illiterate...

And I am not sure how it happened...

But it did...

And let's hope it continues to happen!

Seahorse Talkies!

What a concept!

Just a brief note...

This video shows my beloved Hoovie just "swim floating" in

 his easy way around the tank...then hitching...

Gotta love this "big, little boy"...

OF MINE!!!!!!

VIDEOS!!!!!! Courting ballet!

Okay...

Talk about new territory!

Bare with me!

I am going to post videos.

This one is of very, very poor quality...

Copied from my phone onto my camera.

But the essence of it shows the elaborate courting dance of my beloved, and mystical creatures!

 

For now, I will explain the video in a caption of words while I explore ways to add voice (my voice)...

Look...

Forgive me!...

I'm just getting started!!!!

Thanks!!!!

I dream of a real comment one of these years!

Ha!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ummmmmmm...

Okay....

Don't ask me how!

BUT~~~~>>>>

I GOT SOUND ON THE VIDEOS!!!!!!

 

YIPPEE!!!!!!

VIDEO Hoover Bob A Petit!

Hoover makes yummy yum!

Housekeeping

As you know by now, caring for the seahorses requires a loving and knowledgeable dedication.

It also requires time.
Yes, time!
And plenty of it!

You can still have your career but some flexibility is necessary.
My seahorses are fed twice a day and each feeding is about 2 hours.

Every month, the seahorse tank needs some housecleaning.
The entire process takes about 2 hours from start to finish.
When I first began, it took close to 4 hours.
But you know what they say about , "practice makes..."

There is a hugh, single, reason I so, totally enjoy the tank
house cleaning. That one reason is because I get to gently lift my sweet babies out of the tank and then place them into their temporary holding area...a white bucket.

This housekeeping is actually called "a water exchange"...
And no matter what the water in your water tank,
fresh or salt...
and regardless whats in the tank...
you will have to do a once a month water exchange.

And so yes, once a month I get to cradle my seahorses. They wrap their tails around my finger, lovingly hitching.
Despite their rough exoskeleton, I realize their beautiful fragility.

Approximately 25% of the tank water is removed through a cylinder with tubing. Debris is sucked up from the rock bottom. Glass sides and all peripherals are wiped clean. Artificial plants and ornaments are scrubbed.The filter is thoroughly cleaned up, and new white and charcoal filters are put into place. The bio~wheel is not messed with since it holds the biological balance of the tank in check.

Then, the tank is put back together. New salt water with about a 1.023 salinity is added along with additives "Prime" and "Cycle". Prime conditions the water of impurities like chlorine and ammonia. Cycle adds hundreds of thousands of beneficial bacteria for the seahorses to the tank.

The tank's filter is allowed to run to get the water clarified.

THEN...
THEN...
THEN...
I get to pick up my dolls,
cradle them once more as they hitch to my finger...
and gently return them to where they belong...

Until next month!

Night~~~T~~~Night!!!!




  

The temporary home for the seahorses during the housecleaning

or water exchange...

The coral is placed into t he bucket to give the seahorses a

place to hitch.

 

My favorite part is being able to gentle cradle the

seahorses as their tails grab my finger

in order to hitch. 

The seahorses take a few minutes to acclimate

to the bucket~~

In fact...

They were frazzled and stressed.

The seahorses went around and around and around the bucket.

Feeding them brine quickly calms them down and they

forget they are in the bucket!

Valentina and Hoover enjoys the bucket at last!