starting a seahorse tank?

[ann83]

With Kuda, you need to be careful that you are getting the correct species and that they are actually captive bred. When a supplier doesn't know what kind of seahorse they have, they have a tendency to call them "Kuda". I'd find it suspect if a supplier said their "Kuda" get 12" tall, or if they don't specifically say they are captive bred. See www.seahorsesource.com and www.dracomarine.org, they both have true captive bred Kuda. It's worth the extra $5 or $10 per horse to know that you have healthy captive bred true Kudas. Also know that no matter what color it says you are ordering, the seahorse will probably change color, so there really isn't a point to ordering color.
As for hitching posts, you can use macro algae like caulerpa, as well as fake plants. You can also use dried or fake branching corals like staghorns. Nylon rope and anything else they can wrap their tails around works also. Macros are nice though since they also provide some biological filtration and look more natural.
Contact the administrators on seahorse.org if you are having trouble getting registered. In the meantime you should still be able to browse the site.

 

[fishymann]

one thing about the lighting. What type of top should i put on this? I thought i read some where that with compact flourescents you shouldn't have anything covering the water if so can i maybe use a piece of acrylic to cover the part of the tank that the light isnt on (for example the light is towards the back of the tank so i cover the front) The only reason i ask is because i have cats and last thing i need is dead horses and dead cats.

 

[LekicINC]

hey fishymann,
just read the thread. First wanted say to thank ann for providing a lot of great info. For your most recent question, if you have a cat, you need a top. I don't have a seahorse tank, but I helping someone along with one at my school.

One thing i have heard suggested is to go barebottom. This can help cleaning food from the bottom that the SH dont eat which would help with nutrients especially if your not doing macro algae and no skimmer.

I would really recommend using macro, you can get some of the lower light ones with 1 65 watt is seems like. Great hitches and great for water quailty, PERFECT for a SH tank.

I would not skimp on live rock because of the possibe diseases that SH can pick up without perfect water quality. If you do go the bb approach get more than 20 lbs, and even so I would consider more. If you over feed one day, the last thing you would want is an ammonia spike.

A while back you mentioned adding live rock a little at a time, you could do this but it would take very long to cycle. You would cycle with the first set of rock and then go through mini cycles with the next rock if your not using cured LR. Uncured is usually cheaper and has no ill effects other than extra time.

I like Option 2:

37 Gallon with a 30” Satellite 1x65 Watt w\lunar light. Sounds good!

Aquaclear 110 sounds good, consider some of the mods people do to them. They are great filters! A lot people switch around the media, opting to dispose of the ceramic ball things because they create extra nitrates, but do do a good job with ammonia and trate. Also, poeple make them into a fuge.

15-20Lbs of LIVE ROCK....again, ask around, but maybe consider more not sure this is needed?

2” bed of Aragalive Reef Sand---again, i would weigh out the pros and cons of sand i.e. sand means harder to clean, but looks better and offers more breeding ground for nitrifying bacteria.

Another thing is to buy the recent magazines of the major publications, FAMA and TFH, get the last few back issues because they have soom good articles on Sea Horse Tanks, it seems they are hot right now.

Ann recommended a couple weeks on seahorse.org, but I did 1 month and felt i should of done more before helping my classmate with her project. That is before we even bought the tank, rock anything. Of course that means it will be more like 2 months before anything goes in, but the number one rule is patience.

Lastly, you should be applauded for your willingness to not only ask for information but to listen to it as well. I hope you continue to ask q's here and on seahorse.org for a while before getting started. You should consider making a log of your tanks process as it goes up. Though it will be quite some time before you get the animals, watching your rock become alive, and even the set up is fun. Good luck, and I hope to learn from your trials, and more of Ann's comments as this thread continues.

 

[fishymann]

thank you very much LekicINC for the kind words. I'm going with the 2x65watt lighting right off the bat. I am getting good responses over from the .org .

One thing i find funny is theres another kid here asking for help on setting up a tank (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8977325#post8977325)
And all he is getting advice against it, so I'm very glad that you guys are not trying to turn me against it.

I'll ask around more about barebottom or not, i feel like if i go bare bottom i'll have a lot less bacteria and little critters to help clean up.
for the rock im thinking 10-15lbs of live base rock (found a guy on ebay super cheap) and then to make 10-15lbs of branch rock, i realize thats just about a 1:1 ratio but i'm in no rush to get this tank setup, i'm taking my time and am planning on taking at least one month from the time i purchase the last thing, until the rock is in the tank


oh, also how do you "grow" macros?

 

[LekicINC]

2X 65 is better!
My opinion is this, if you take it slowly you can do it. It's one thing to not get something if its important because the money is too high, but its totally different to just try and find the most economic solution to it. So far, the only thing you have been "skimping" on is Live Rock, which you should get more opinions on. LR (along with mechanical filtration) is what keeps your tank running. Base rock will needed to be seeded with live rock that contains bacteria. The bacteria will then need to spread to the base rock. This could take A LOT of time. It may take a while to learn to feed the sea horses without making a HUGE mess, what happends to all the brine and mysis shrimp that are uneaten? They decompose in the tank creating ammonia spikes that can be quickly handled by the microscopic friends living on your rock turning it to the far less toxic nitrate. However, if you dont have enough bacteria, some will stay as ammonia (deadly). Thus the importance of making sure the base rock becomes "live" rock before adding fish, or maybe even a clean-up crew.

Now it may seem I would be contradicting myself by then saying consider bare bottom. 1. I am not sure about this method so its only something to look into, and 2. my theory is that if you can remove the nutrients (siphoning out the food, poop etc.) then there is less work for the bacteria, esp. with just 15 lbs of rock which is really where most of the biological filtration will take place.

What do you plan on using in your AC? Sponge, ceramics, just carbon? This is something you should consider while consider the amount of LS and LR, because they can effect nutrient breakdown as well.

Whats the arguement against Protein skimmers for the sea horse tank, because that would help remove nutrients as well.

That said, you are familar with nitrification from freshwater tanks, if you didnt knwo this stuff already I would be concerned. Also, you should know the importance of water changes which will be a similar method but a totally different experience. Much more frequent and with care in temperature and salinity matching. What will you be doing for you water source (tap water is strongly not recommended).

So, patience is the key. Try adding the rock, test your water and if you need more add more before you get living things in there. Then get a crew and spend a couple weeks practicing WC and feeding with just the clean up crew. Then get the sea horses. Forums are the best, but basic articles in mags, books and the internet are essential, because a lot of knowledge is assumed to be known on forums. I would spend at least another month planning and reading , then get all your equipment, not to forget 2 heaters, hydrometer and a FULL test kit, PLUS a water source. Then get the rock and sand, wait about a month, probably longer for the method your going with for a cycle. Then add some living stuff, practice water changes, keeping nitrates down for a few weeks. SHs wont come till around April.

 

[fishymann]

oh yes i know the importance of wc and water purification. i'm going to have to find another water source though for my SH tank other than the tap (any ideas?)

Also i'm not trying to cut corners with less rock, i'm going to have to find places other than my LFS to buy it because they charge 5$ a pound :O! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...loc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget
thats the rock i was looking at getting.

 

[ann83]

Water source: RO/DI (reverse osmosis / distilled). You can get this at your petstore, or better yet, at walmart, your grocery store, or lots of times pharmacies and gas stations. Basically, find "drinking water" that has been treated using reverse osmosis and distillation. I use my tap, but I have good tap for saltwater so all I have to add is Amquel Plus to remove the chloramine.
Getting some good live rock is so nice. Really, try posting on your local board at www.craigslist.com under "items wanted", and also on your local saltwater board if you've found it. That way the LR has already been cured and established in another aquarium so it is full of life and ready to go, and usually cheaper than your LFS. Don't bother getting cured if it has to be shipped, b/c there will still be die off. But, I would search the internet for sites selling pre-cured rock (uncured will make your aquarium room really stink). Off the top of my head, I'd try liveaquaria.com and floridapets.com, but try google and see what you come up with.
Look up "feeding station" on seahorse.org. That will save you from doing a bare bottom or having seahorse food floating around rotting in your aquarium. You put a cup shaped fake coral, shell, reptile bowl, petri dish, etc. somewhere in your aquarium. Then when it is time to feed, you turn off or turn down your filter and/or powerheads, drop the food in the using rigid clear tubing, wait for them to eat it, and then remove the uneaten portion with a turkey baster. You do have to train them to the feeding station.

 

[fishymann]

what is this "good tap for saltwater" what type of parameters are we talking

 

[ann83]

No phospates, no copper, decent source of calcium, allows me to maintain stable pH at 8.3 without buffering.

 

[fishymann]

i know my lfs has salt water and freshwater "on tap" sold by the gallon (when i say on tap i mean you its like a hose and you can fill up a bucket). is that what i would want or more like bottled water?

 

[ann83]

Any RO/DI water. Water is filtered many ways, you will have to ask your lfs or read the labels on the jugs of water at the store. Will say "Reverse Osmosis and Distillation". That being said, you don't have to use RO/DI. If the water has the correct parameters you can use something like Amquel Plus on it and then use it. You'll have to get testing kits anyway, so go ahead and buy some now and test the different sources of water you have at your disposal.

 

[fishymann]

alright i will be sure to pick up test kits next time i get a chance. right now the tank is in debate, my mom loves the idea, and we told my dad about it today and its not that he is against it, he's just not sure where it will go. Where i wanted it he said no, so now i've gotta find a different place.

 

[LekicINC]

5 dollars a lb. is not expensive for me for live rock. In the city where I live its 8.99. If i got around it, its usually about 6 bucks a pound...for good rock anyway. buy thirty lbs, its only 150 bucks.

 

[orb]

hey lekicINC where are the good stores at in the city? will be in midtown all next week. last time, i couldn't find any good ones inside the city-maybe i'm spoiled with the lfs down here, but i've seen some nice pics on manhattan reefers. i must not have seen the good stores. sorry to de-rail this thread. ok-back on topic.

 

[nynex]

Ya everywhere up north live rock is 8.99 a pound. I was up in Detroit a month ago,
I went in a LFS and just being curious I asked about liverock and it was 9.99 a pound for Fiji. I laughed when the guy told me that. Here in florida its around 3.98 for fiji and 4.99 for others. Fishymann pointed out a good deal on ebay...

 

[fishymann]

finally got onto seahorse.org but had to re register ahha, the guys up there are saying my setup sounds great, but they sound skeptical about the rock. im trying to clear up their thoughts.

 

[nynex]

Really? Are they saying No Live Rock???

 

[fishymann]

they'r just warning against it because of hitch hikers. but im sort of PRO rock since it will help with filtration

 

[nynex]

exactly...everyone Ive talked to...said put atleast some live rock in. You can also
put a small cleaner crew in there too.

 

[Fredfish]

Some folks are a little more worried than others about unspecified hitchikers. I personally don't worry about that.

Fred