Seahorse tank

[Annaflowerpower]

I have a 36 gallon tank I intend to have seahorses in. Erectus.
I have 400gph of flow. A HOB filter. 36 lbs of live rock. A bunch of plastic hitches until my macroalgae grows.
The tank is currently cycling and the temp stays at about 72-74 F.
I have live sand as substrate.

Am I missing anything?

 

[obscurereef]

Is this your first saltwater tank? HOB filters aren't the best since seahorses could get caught in them (not that it's a usual occasion). Also if there's no sump, the heater would be in the tank, and seahorses like to wrap their tails around things so they could get burned, leading to a potential infection and death. Seahorses are awesome creatures, but it's really important to be aware of their specific needs and know how sensitive they are. Where do you intend on ordering them?

 

[jwh0818]

Fish!!! And pics!!!

 

[Annaflowerpower]

Is this your first saltwater tank? HOB filters aren't the best since seahorses could get caught in them (not that it's a usual occasion). Also if there's no sump, the heater would be in the tank, and seahorses like to wrap their tails around things so they could get burned, leading to a potential infection and death. Seahorses are awesome creatures, but it's really important to be aware of their specific needs and know how sensitive they are. Where do you intend on ordering them?

I have a pump facing near the HOB filter so the seahorses steer away from it. And I dont have a heater at all. I'm in Florida where its always hot, so if I leave the temperature how it is, it stays at 72-74 all the time, which I've read is good for seahorses.

I plan on going to seahorsecorral.com or seahorsesource.com I havent decided yet. Both are local so I can go pick them up myself.

 

[obscurereef]

What's the gph of the pump? You seem like you know enough about them to know they don't like lots of flow. So no heater problem. That's good.

Lucky! I'm so jealous that you can pick them up in person when I'd have to pay almost $40 for shipping. LA fish guys used seahorses from seahorse source so based on that, seems like a reputable. This isn't your first tank though right?

 

[Annaflowerpower]

I'm not gonna lie. It's totally my first tank (not including the coral-only tank I'm cycling in my room).
I'm a chemistry major so I've taken a lot of science classes and understand the nitrogen cycle pretty well.
I've also spent hours researching and spoken to many fish store owners and "pro" seahorse care takers.

I'm just trying to see if I'm missing anything.
How long should the cycle take? It's been over a week and my ammonia is still rocket high. I've added bottled bacteria to help aid the process.
Anything else I should be doing?
Is my filter good enough? It said specific for 40 gallon tanks and mine is 36.

I have two 185gph pumps plus the flow of the hob.

 

[obscurereef]

Coral only? But fish are awesome! I don't understand why, but I know a few people who just don't care for the fish, but drool over the corals. Learn all you want, but you will make mistakes. You don't need to be a chemistry major to know how salinity works, but it can be a little hard to get under control at first. That sounded like I belittled you...ahh I don't mean it like that. You seem to know how it all works and what you need to do though which is great. What I'm trying to say is that applying the knowledge is a different story.

I wish you the best. Maybe instead of getting seahorses first, try out some gobies or little fish that won't compete and make sure those do well (after the tank cycles of course). Then you'll have your "test" fish that won't be a huge investment/loss.

I researched a lot before I started and thought I knew a bunch, but I still made mistakes or wasn't consistent, etc.

Cycle can take 1-2 months usually. Different for every tank. Having LR and live sand will make it shorter.

What brand is the filter? Can you put bags of media that you want? That would be the best advantage for a filter (instead of having to buy specific filters/carbon, etc for it). A good rule for HOB filters is rated double the tank size, so 36 gallon tank, a HOB filter for 70 gallons. Aquaclear is my fav. filter since you can put bags of anything you want and can cut up large sponges which is cheaper.

The only thing I think you're missing is a refractometer and accurate test kits.

 

[obscurereef]

The powerheads are not too strong. Pointing them towards the surface will of course agitate the surface and keep the surface from getting film. It will also direct the flow away from the seahorses. Make sure the seahorses aren't flying around as if there were a hurricane

 

[Annaflowerpower]

Heres my tank. What do you think about the water flow? Too strong? What do I do about microbubbles? Are they harmful?
I have macroalgae growing in a seperate tank, you wont see them here.

 

[obscurereef]

Were you trying to show a pic? Try uploading them from photobucket then copying the link to here.

Are you getting the microbubbles from the filter? Microbubbles can irritate corals, but a little won't hurt. They stick to things and aren't super attractive imo. You have the macroalgae in the coral-only tank you're cycling?

 

[Annaflowerpower]

seahorsetank2 - YouTube
No no the algae is in another 55 gallon i have that is already cycled. Theres nothing but live rock and sand in there. That's for another project, I just have it cycled so Its ready when I am.

 

[obscurereef]

I like how it's a bowfront . Lots of hitching places which is great. It looks like a lot of flow...maybe just one pump?

 

[obscurereef]

Any progress?