Sea Pony Frequently Asked Questions
What's that funny rattling noise in my pony?
Important note before you proceed:  Removing weights will affect how the sea pony floats in water (they don't look cute anymore, cause they just lay on top instead of their tail sinking down) and also affect how the year 3 ponies with up-turned heads balance.  Without their weights they have a tendancy to tilt sideways or forwards out of their shell holders.  (#1)

However, leaving weights in if they are rusted is not a good thing either!  The rust can cause discoloration and general nastiness to the inside of your pony.  I personally have removed the weights from all of my Year 3s, but have left the ones that appear to still be intact and rust free in my Year 2s.  It is completely up to you, some people take them all out and some never bother.

The procedure for taking them has taken me anywhere from 1 minute to more than 10, depending on the pony.  So it can require a little patience.  First the head must be removed.  Sea pony heads are usually glued on very well.  I have found removing their heads to be generally more difficult than regular ponies, but maybe that's just me.  Use plenty of hot water around the neck seam
(#2), and do not be afraid to really use some strength on them. (#3 & #4) I have seen some neck seams that were slightly torn though, so do be sure to use as much hot water as you can bear.  Personally I wait until I have no other choice to use an exacto knife on their neck seam, just because the pony does not look so well on display if it is obvious that her neck was cut into at the wrong spot.  But sometimes they are glued so tightly you just don't have any other option. 

In the process of using all that hot water hopefully you have also loosened the glue on your tail weight somewhat.  Of course, if the weight was already loose and rattling your job will be much easier. 

When the head is removed, check inside to see if there is any rust or other nastiness.
(#5) If so, I would recommend pouring in a little hot water and bleach, or other cleaning product you feel comfortable using.  Let it soak for a little while, then scrub with an old toothbrush.  The skinnier the tooth brush is the better, so it can get all in the body and head too. 

If the weight is still glued in, and you have a tool like the one pictured below, or really long needle nose pliers, use those!  Depending on how strong the glue is, you should be able to pull the weight right out.  If you don't have a tool like that, start massaging the tail weight area while applying hot water.  Sometimes this is enough.  But, the glue can be quite strong, and there have been times that I have spent several minutes banging the tail against my sink trying to knock the glue loose.  But please be careful!  The weights are heavy, so don't beat on anything that could possibly break!

Usually the glue will come off in a big chunk.
(#6) Once it is loose, the weight will need to be worked out of the tail area and into the body.  The weight is just big enough that it does not come out of the body very easily.  I have found wrapping a pair of tweezers in a towel (for a better grip) and working the tweezers around the weight is the easiest way to pull the weight free. (#7 & #8) Squeezing underneath the weight around the pony's body helps to push it out also. 

And finally, just let the pony dry out, then put the head back on.  Sometimes if the plastic isn't very soft you may need some tweezers or plyers to squeeze the plastic a bit to get the head to go back into the neck opening.  But just use a little elbow grease, you won't hurt them!
How do I remove the weight?
How do I know which clam shell belongs to whom??
I see a lot of auctions for sea ponies where the owner has written something like: "Pony also makes a rattling noise, but I don't know why."  So, I'm guessing there are some collectors out there with the same question! 

Each adult sea pony came with a circular weight glued into their tail to help them float properly in water.  Occasionally this glue will weaken and the weight will separate from the tail.  I have found two different types of weights, the standard circle, and a skinny oval, which is found in a pair.  The weight is about an inch in diameter, and is made of fairly cheap metal, because man does it rust!  Because of the rusting problem you may choose to remove the weight.  See below for some tips.
Standard circle weight
Double oval weight
Thickness comparison
#1
#8
#7
#6
#4
#3
#2
#5
Why is there a hole in my pony's head?
Since sea ponies were designed to be water toys, each has a tiny hole behind one ear to allow water to be sqeezed out of the body after they have be submerged.  Be sure to use this hole everytime your ponies are in water, as it will help prevent tail rust, mold, mildew, and general nastiness. 
How big is an adult pony compared to a baby?
Adult ponies are just under 6 inches in length, while baby ponies are about 4 inches with forward facing heads, and about 4 1/4 with upward facing heads.
Look at the pictures, of course!
Wave Jumper green, Sealight green.  These two get mixed up all the time!
Wave Jumper green, Sealight green, Sand Dollar aqua
Wavedancer purple, High Tide lilac, Seawinkle pink
Surf Dancer pink, Seawinkle pink.  I cannot tell the slightest bit of difference between these two!
I will be updating with another picture of Sea Spray's purple shell, which is the same as Ambra Marina.  There is a definite difference between it and Wavedancer's shell, although I am not sure I would be able to see it without having the two side by side.
How should I display my ponies?
This is a really good question actually.  I personally have enough shells and floats to go around, so I don't know that many creative ways to display.  I know there are people out there who make custom display stands out of clay, and I have seen stands as simple as syrofoam cups turned upside down, with the bottoms cut out.  An idea from the MLPTP, courtesy of Mavrica, is to take 2 liter soda bottle caps and paint them, then push the baby ponies' tails into them for stands.   Another idea, from Ms Twilight, is to cut the end off a roll of toilet paper and prop the baby's tail under the float with it, to help baby sea ponies stand straight.

If you have any other ideas you would like to share with everyone please let me know and I will post them!  :)
How do I make my Pretty & Pearly babies pearly again?
For another answer courtesy of the MLPTP, this time from Whippetluv:  To replace the pearly finish you can buy pear dust in most fine arts and crafts stores.  It is a dry pearl pigment...then mix with matte clear coating or gel and paint away!  Most small brushstrokes dissappear and best of all even though it looks milky it dries perfect!
How many baby sea ponies were featured in the shows, and which ones were they?
The answer to this one is coming as soon as I have time to watch and tally!  :)
And finally, I asked on the MLPTP for questions that people would like answers to...
And I got a lot of questions that I do not know the answers myself!  So I am reposting them here. Please, if you have a suggestion for the answer, email me and I will post it.  Thanks!
How do you clean away nail polish and other cleanable stains on the pearly baby sea ponies?
Is it possible to have the color changing babies change colors again? 
(On this one I am 99% sure that once they have lost that ability it is gone for good, but since I am not positive I thought I would add it in here.)
What is the best paint for repainting baby floats?
Is there a way to replace the suction cups on shells, and how?
Why didn't the adults have babies?
Were the babies cheaper to produce or just more popular than adults?
Why weren't the adults in the TV series?
(My guess on this one is because years 2 and 3 were not seen in the series, just Firefly's Adventure and Escape from Catrina, in which you can find both series of sea ponies.)
Why didn't adults/earlier babies have symbols?
Back to Sea Pony Utopia!
Why does everyone always say "Shoo be Doo" when talking about sea ponies?
Well, this is because that is what the sea ponies themselves always said whenever they appeared in the cartoons!  They always sang a few notes whenever they made an appearance, whether they were with happy music, or in a couple instances, in an alarmed tone.
Ambra Marina purple, Wavedancer purple.
Wavebreaker yellow, Giada Marina yellow
Are there any tips for cleaning mold and mildew?
How do you remove age spots from sea ponies?
For this question I got a tip from Amy on the MLPTP.  Her suggestion is to boil the ponies for a minute or two in oxi-clean or denture cleaner.  The suggestion retyped verbatim is:  "I put the pony in the water on medium and then when it is hot but not boiling yet I add the denture/oxi cleaner.  When it starts boiling I turn it down or off and leave the pony in the water with the cleaner.  It never gets hot enough to melt the pony.  I generally stir with whatever is lying around, spoons will do, you can do it in any pot, but my pots are Revere copper bottomed ones." 

I retyped it just like that so there would be as little confusion as possible.  And remember, Sea Pony Utopia! is not liable for any damage that may occur to ponies using any techniques listed.  :)
This tip comes from PrincessStarbust on the MLPTP.  She suggests using Tilex brand Mildew Remover on the ponies.  According to her:  "I spray some into the pony and let it sit for a few moments.  Then, I get an old toothbrush and scrub away.  If the pony has any hard to reach or small places (ie: horns, wing tips, ears, fins, baby hooves, etc.) then I use a Q-tip soaked in the Tilex stuff and I work it around slowly and carefully so that it doesn't break.  This will get about 98% of the mildew inside the pony.  Of course, Tilex uses chlorine bleach in its product so if you have that, it should work too.  Oh, and do this in a well ventilated area otherwise you'll feel a little sick/weird after awhile."
In regards to the above instructions, I got a helpful tip from Amy on the MLPTP.  She sent the picture to the left, of a tool she found at Michael's Crafts in the embroidery/sewing section.  They look like scissors, but have blunt edges that can grip and help pull out the glue and weights from inside adult ponies. 
Is there a good substitute for the weights in sea ponies?
Again, from the MLPTP I got two tips.  The first, from Cuddlebuggy, is to use teardrop shaped, plain metal fishing weights.  The second, from Heaven Draven, is to use a small glass marble. 
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