I'm in the middle of setting up the new sea horse tank. I didn't reuse the sand from the old tank as I had originally planned. I purchased 2 40lb bags of reef sand from the LFS and then I purchased a 30lb bag of agra-alive sand packed in water. That is all in the tank right now.
I plan to use 40 lbs Live rock that is just finishing up its curing cycle. (ammonia 0-nitrate 0- nitrite under .25 ph 8.4)
I plan to use 35G of water from my reef tank and the rest is newly made saltwater.
I have TONS of macros that are loaded with pods and othere critters.
This tank has a 29G sump attached.
How long will it take to cycle? I want to get the horses in their new home asap, but I don't want them to be in there if the tank has a long cycle.
Any suggestions? If i keep an eye on the water parameters and do daily water changes if necessary, can I add the sea horses now? The tank they are in currently is too small (20G) and it is having a severe HA and cyno outbreak due to insufficient filtering and bad lighting. ( all of thease issues have been fixed in the new tank)
If your LR is still at the end of its curing, you will still have spikes and therefore an elongated cycle pattern. Even when fully cured, when you switch from the curing system to your new system, there will be some differences in the water parameters and you COULD see additional die off from the rock. Best to wait until the LR is in the display, and the water in the display is checked over a period of days to ensure that you are "done". Seahorses are scaleless fish and are VERY susceptible to burns from ammonia and other nasties.
In my opinion, if you truly saw a CURE; Ammonia rise, fall, nitrite rise, fall, death and sludge sloughing from the rock, and then ultimately a peak and fall in nitrate, then you should just move the rock to the display tank. I'm not sure if you mixed up your LR cure report, putting nitrate before nitrite, but if you did, and NITRATE is dropping, you should be okay. If NITRATE is still and always was zero..and it is your NITRITE that is .25 or under, you are still in the process of the cycle/cure of the LR. Wait until it is done before putting it into your system.
The seahorses will be okay in a 20G tank for some time. They aren't thrilled, but we've all had to live in a smaller apartment or hotel from time to time... they'll get over it. My tank had cyano and hair algae in it for months while I battled an issue brought upon by the death of TURBO-ZILLA, my golf ball sized snail. The water params shifted constantly, the algae blooms were butt ugly etc. but the ponies fared well. Remember, they are lagoonal species (for the most part) and can deal with less than pleasing aesthetics The ammonia however, will hurt them.
Thanks David, I will leave them in th 20 G for awhile yet. I have the 65G up and running with the live rock added. I will test it every other day for a week or two and see what the parameters are.
The female is on a hunger strike again. She is very thin. My male is FAT and always eating. The female on the other hand wont even go after the live shrimp I put in there. She has alwasy been the slower and less aggresive feeder. There is some cyno on the female sea horse, is that possibly the problem?
Nahh.. Seahorses grow cyano on their back often. If it's in the tank, it will be on the back..especially the more submissive ponies. Those that are the stronger hunters etc, tend to have the "best spot" in the tank, whether it be a hitch with a good flow by it, to bring it food, or an area that is more shaded..or whatever. So, the submissive fish will have areas of brighter light, lower flow etc. and that's all you need for cyano soup.
They also grow macros on their backs. Many wild seahorses are photographed with alga on them. It also blends in with their cirri and provides additional camoflague. It doesn't harm them at all. It may also help shade them from the damage of the sun/lights. The only problem I have with my ponies and algae/bacterium on them is that the pesky hermit crabs want to preen them and can nip them from time to time.
I'm guessing that your cyano sporting, hunger strike fish is smaller, and less dominant than your other fish. It isn't in the right place at the right time and is therefore just a little weaker and timid than the other. There's lots of info out there about feeding stations and target feeding ponies using turkey basters or ridgid tubing etc. See if you can entice her with that method. Simply dangle the food in front of her and wiggle it to stimulate the feeding reaction. You could also use garlic extract or other enrichment on the food to attract the fish to eat.
Again, as long as your 20G has good water quality, a little cyano or hair algae wont hurt them. Ensure the new tank is done and done right. You said "one or two weeks", but the truth is, test, note and watch the cycle. It is a cycle, you will see the fluctuations in the various stages of the nitrogen cycle and when you have 0-0-0, you are ready to go.
I wont put the ponies in untill I get "0-0-0". When I said I will test every other day for a week or two I meant I will just test that often for 2 weeks, then I will test less frequently, not add the ponies then.
As for the non eating female, I do target feed with a piece of rigid airline tubing and I do use garlic extreme, still nothing. I was using P.E. shrimp and that seemed too big so i bought hakari, which seems too small. She ate 1 live feeder shrimp but that was it. I just don't get it. She used to be a very agressive feeder just like the male. Then slowly she started to get more timid and almost shy. I wish I know what was wrong with her, if anything. She worries me to no end. If the male wasn't so fat, maybe she wouldn't seem so skinny LOL.
In will look for it, thanks. The female is swimming around the tank, so she must be getting energy someplace. I think she's eating the amphipods when I'm not looking. I've noticed there arn't too many left in the tank. I'll have to exchange the clump of chaeto for a fresh batch from the sump of the 125. I do this on a regular basis so the ponies always have a fresh pod supply. My sump is full of them.
Hmm.. I had the same problems with my batch of current Reidi fry. If they are eating frozen..and then you provide live food, they sometimes become food snobs once again. I literally had to 'starve' my fry for two days before they started eating frozen again.
Be careful.. I'd actually stretch out the time between refressing that cheato. See if you can get her back on frozen again. IF she's withering away, and you see no pods left, you can try upping the populations again. I'd just be afraid of her not going back to frozen at all. I lost 4 three month old babies doing this last
I have been testing the water daily and all readings are finally 0-0-0. They have been this way for 3 days. I'm going to add the sea horses today. They are drip acclimating as I type. I will post some pics when I add them.
New 65G sea horse tank.
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The ammonia however, will hurt them.
