IMO, you should be buffering. alkalinity will gradually drop in all marine aquariums over time. water changes are helpful, but unless the new water has alkalinity elevated above NSW levels, or they are very large, they cannot be expected to restore your alkalinity without additional buffering.
Frustrated. My tank still looks like c**p.
- Thread starter lcs
- Start date
IMO, you should be buffering. alkalinity will gradually drop in all marine aquariums over time. water changes are helpful, but unless the new water has alkalinity elevated above NSW levels, or they are very large, they cannot be expected to restore your alkalinity without additional buffering.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
JMO.
in the case of a Seahorse tank you should grow macroalgae in the display. This is where Hippocampus occur in nature and this is what the aquarist should strive to re-create.
Water changes are not as crucial in a pony tank as a reef aquarium and your alkalinity could easily be buffered up with a supplement. Avoid unusually high (500ppm) levels of calcium.
in the case of a Seahorse tank you should grow macroalgae in the display. This is where Hippocampus occur in nature and this is what the aquarist should strive to re-create.
Water changes are not as crucial in a pony tank as a reef aquarium and your alkalinity could easily be buffered up with a supplement. Avoid unusually high (500ppm) levels of calcium.
also, this thread should be helpful.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1810028
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1810028
lcs
It's Spring!!!!!!!
Wonderfully, perfect thread for me Flanders! Thanks!
So it looks like I’ll be dosing. I want to keep things simple and there is no room for anything else under the stand. What would be a good way for me to dose? Something I won’t mind doing – maybe add it to the top off water that I add each day? I did a quick look around on Marine Depot's site and I was wondering . . . do I have to do the 2-part if my Ca is already high? If not, what else would I use? Just sodium bicarbonate?
You guys are the best!
So it looks like I’ll be dosing. I want to keep things simple and there is no room for anything else under the stand. What would be a good way for me to dose? Something I won’t mind doing – maybe add it to the top off water that I add each day? I did a quick look around on Marine Depot's site and I was wondering . . . do I have to do the 2-part if my Ca is already high? If not, what else would I use? Just sodium bicarbonate?
I agree wholeheartedly! I did have some macros a while ago, but I had some shipping issues so they didn’t make it. I was actually planning on trying again sometime soon. Even if I end up not keeping the seahorses, the (dwarf) angel I get someday will be very happy. Yes?
You guys are the best!
lcs
It's Spring!!!!!!!
Heh. I can only imagine what it might come up with if you only typed "erectus" :eek2:
I tested the DT this morning using my API carbonate hardness kit and I got a reading of 8-9 dKH. That's a good normal reading isn't it?
I'll be doing a 10% water change tomorrow and I'll test again after to see if it goes up at all. Mostly just because I'm curious.
My rocks are such a lovely shade of brown. :bum:
lcs
It's Spring!!!!!!!
What about flow? Would increasing the flow help the situation at all? I have an Eheim 1250 (maybe 250gph w/ head loss) and a Maxijet 600 (160gph). The fuge will add another little bit, but not much and it will be toward the surface - maybe another 150gph.
Wow, that's only 660gph total. Although it is around 10X tank volume. Certainly not enough for SPS or LPS and maybe not enough to keep the nasties from growing on the rocks?
Wow, that's only 660gph total. Although it is around 10X tank volume. Certainly not enough for SPS or LPS and maybe not enough to keep the nasties from growing on the rocks?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
lcs:
lcs:
do you visit the Seahorse and Pipefish Forum on RC?
Sygnathiids have special requirements...
and Angelfish are usually considered a no-no in a Seahorse aquarium.
lcs:
do you visit the Seahorse and Pipefish Forum on RC?
Sygnathiids have special requirements...
and Angelfish are usually considered a no-no in a Seahorse aquarium.
Cptn Spaulding
New member
there can be excessive flow in certain areas of a seahorse tank, the only things they need are places to rest or hang out.
lcs
It's Spring!!!!!!!
That's what I learned as well. There have been folks who have had significant amounts of flow in their seahorse tanks, but it was very broken up - ie spraybars, closed loops, etc. The advantage I have since I've had them for a while is that I know where they like to rest during the day and at night so I could make sure to minimize water movement in those areas.
Definitely! I have had three years to research these guys before I even started setting up the tank. That's also why I've been putting up with some other issues as I don't want to do anything that would be bad for them.
Yeah, they are def. a big no-no! Bullies and would hog all the food for sure. No, I mentioned an angel because, should I decide to re-home the seahorses, I have a coral beauty on my wish list. Someday.
So. All that being said, would increasing the flow help me out with the lovely brown . . . whatever . . . that is everywhere? I really need to post a pic. I'll try to do that today.
lcs
It's Spring!!!!!!!
I think I have a couple (three) things going on here
1)bit of slimey cyano on a couple rocks and small areas of sand
2)dinoflagellates on dead rock
3)some type of slimey brown algae (?) that is on some rock and likes zoas (figures!), but the rics are fine.
So, after reading and discussing, and reading some more, here's the plan . . .
I'm going to start with cutting my photoperiod and as soon as possible get my 'fuge going which should be this weekend. After a couple weeks, if I still don't see improvement I'll start running GFO.
1)bit of slimey cyano on a couple rocks and small areas of sand
2)dinoflagellates on dead rock
3)some type of slimey brown algae (?) that is on some rock and likes zoas (figures!), but the rics are fine.
So, after reading and discussing, and reading some more, here's the plan . . .
I'm going to start with cutting my photoperiod and as soon as possible get my 'fuge going which should be this weekend. After a couple weeks, if I still don't see improvement I'll start running GFO.
