HELP! Seahorse noobie cycling tank

annaflowerpower

New Member
Okay so I've decided to put together a seahorse tank.
I refuse to buy them until the water is PERFECT.
I have a 36 gallon tank. Lots of plastic plants for them to hitch on.
Added salt.
Added 10 lbs of live rock. Tested the water and added all treatments and conditioners necessary.
After adding the rock, my ammonia levels have spiked to 2.0ppm.
My pH is now at 8.4.
I have a HOB filter and two 185gph pumps (Do you think this is too much flow?)
I have the light that came with the tank its not too bright.
Will take pictures and video if needed.
I basically need to know what i'm doing wrong/what I'm not doing.
Please help so my seahorses dont die!
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by annaflowerpower http:///t/395725/help-seahorse-noobie-cycling-tank#post_3523873
Okay so I've decided to put together a seahorse tank.
I refuse to buy them until the water is PERFECT.
I have a 36 gallon tank. Lots of plastic plants for them to hitch on.
Added salt.
Added 10 lbs of live rock. Tested the water and added all treatments and conditioners necessary.
After adding the rock, my ammonia levels have spiked to 2.0ppm.
My pH is now at 8.4.
I have a HOB filter and two 185gph pumps (Do you think this is too much flow?)
I have the light that came with the tank its not too bright.
Will take pictures and video if needed.
I basically need to know what i'm doing wrong/what I'm not doing.
Please help so my seahorses dont die!
Hi...and welcome to the site.
What type of seahorses were you planning to keep?...My advice is for any CB seahorse besides the Zosterae. When it's time, I can tell you where to go for your horses. A chiller would really help you to keep the horses in good health, since they all need cooler waters. Keeping the water good and cool at around 74 for most horses, such as Kuda, Erectus and such, will prevent disease.
Macroalgae such as caulerpa prolifera is what will help your parameters to stay perfect for seahorses. The red macros are pretty, but ONLY if you are not going to have corals. Seahorses are messy, messy eaters, so a couple of peppermint shrimp will also help to eat any lost food in the rocks, and eat any asptasia outbreaks (they sting). You will also need some snails, so when you see algae add a few. I always kept a variety since each snail eats different stuff.
All tanks must go through the first cycle. Ammonia first, then nitrites, then nitrates. The cycle isn't complete until ammonia and nitrites are at 0. Then do a water change, and wait 1 week more (ghost feed the tank some flakes) and retest...IF you still see no ammonia and no nitrites
...the cycle is complete, and you are ready for seahorses as soon as you do another small water change.
LOL...I like the user name you have...Flower power is why I use the name Flower. I have Kuda, in a 56g and Potbelly seahorses in a 90g.
 
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