New Seahorse Tank with Video

annaflowerpower

New Member
http://youtu.be/IuMV1PPMZz0
Here is a video of my tank.
I will be adding snails when the cycle is finished.
Do you think there are too many bubbles? How can I stop this?
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by annaflowerpower http:///t/395837/new-seahorse-tank-with-video#post_3525123
http://youtu.be/IuMV1PPMZz0
Here is a video of my tank.
I will be adding snails when the cycle is finished.
Do you think there are too many bubbles? How can I stop this?
Hi Anna,
Your tank is set up for freshwater, not saltwater. The substrate needs to be sand or crushed coral (CC) even no substrate at all because it is easier to keep clean. The CC or sand, helps to keep the PH balanced. You have river rock in your tank, which has trace elements not suitable for saltwater. Saltwater is very corrosive, and any junk in the rocks are going be released over time and cause you problems...not to mention how impossible the stone will be to keep clear of debris
Seahorses are messy eaters, and the CUC critters (snails and shrimp) need to be able to reach the wasted food to keep it from polluting the tank, river rock will make that job near impossible.. All the pretty fake plants are going to get really ugly, really fast. What you need is macroalgae. Look up Golf coast Ecosystems...they have the pretty Botryocladia, and Caulerpa prolifera, seahorses love to hitch on it, and it will help stabilize your tanks water parameters.
I checked the site myself just now...it looks like the prolifera is available, you can watch for when the Botryocladia comes into season and get some of that. I don't personally recommend the other caulerpa species because they tend to go sexual, and make the tank look like milk. That's preventable, and many use the grape (because it's so pretty)...I don't want to watch my tank for any possible maco trouble.
I don't see what bubbles you are talking about. You need to run two air lines (no stone) attached by a SW rock, resin décor or use rigid tubing...Saltwater has to move, the wave is the life of the ocean and your SW tank.
There is less oxygen in SW then freshwater, so the top has to look like it's boiling up. Usually for a SW tank, I use a couple of Koralia power heads, but with seahorses they tend to try and hitch on them, which could hurt their tails...so the air lines help a great deal to replace that movement.
So I'm afraid my advice is for you to redo your entire tank. I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's better now then find out later when it all goes down hill. The good news is if you listen to my advice and get the macroalgae...your tank will cycle perfectly, and be ready in no time for your horses. Macoalgae will make keeping your horses alive and healthy, a breeze. The macros use up all the nasty from the water the horses pollute, and the horses enjoy playing in the stuff hitching to it enjoying a phosphate, nitrate free tank. They work together in great harmony.
 

annaflowerpower

New Member
Okay thank you!!!
I changed to sand today.
And I have 4 small prolifera in my tank already. The plastic is temp until the algae grow.
Anything else???
My salt readings are good. My ammonia is spiked and waiting for that to lower and the cycle to finish.
How should I set up a feeding station? It helps keep the tank cleaner = less ammonia. Right?
Thanks so much ill put up more media as my tank grows!!
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by annaflowerpower http:///t/395837/new-seahorse-tank-with-video#post_3525203
Okay thank you!!!
I changed to sand today.
And I have 4 small prolifera in my tank already. The plastic is temp until the algae grow.
Anything else???
My salt readings are good. My ammonia is spiked and waiting for that to lower and the cycle to finish.
How should I set up a feeding station? It helps keep the tank cleaner = less ammonia. Right?
Thanks so much ill put up more media as my tank grows!!
Hi,
I'm glad to hear you got some caulerpa and the fake plants are temporary, I did the same thing. I'm glad you switched to sand...

Yes a feeding station will help keep the tank clean. My erectus horses would go to the feeding station, but the Kuda and Potbelly seem to like to chase their food down. I think it has something to do with how the fry were taught to eat, but I'm no expert.
A feeding station is just a shallow dish with something for hitches around it. Even the erectus horses would wallow in the dish and send food floating off everywhere. So the dish really didn't help much with the keeping the tank clear concept. However the feeding dish made it easier to count heads, and check them for health.
I got the erectus to feed from a sea squirt (google it...it looks like a giant eye dropper)...then I released a little food, and they would follow it, until I got them herded to the dish...then later they would go right right to the dish as soon as they saw the sea squirt. The Kuda and potbelly acted like the sea squirt was a monster, and they got so upset they wouldn't eat at all. So I released the food and let the air line bubbles send it every which way...they were happy to chase it down to eat, so that's what I left them to do.
I do turn off the filter pumps for an hour at feeding time, and just leave the air line bubbles run. I don't want the filter to gobble up the food...the air lines just send the food swirling around. I also keep peppermint shrimp, they help to clean up any food the horses miss. I rely a great deal on my peppermints and the macroalgae for keeping the tank clear of ammonia, I think macros are a must have, I don't think I could keep seahorses without it...calling them messy eaters is a huge understatement.
 
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