My 5 gallon dwarf seahorse tank build

[Dylan5359]

My ammonia is back at 8.0

 

[Trout11B]

Just keep doing pwc's to bring it down

 

[iDream]

Yeah, it seems to be stalling out being that high

 

[Dylan5359]

Idream, I'm thinking about going to plan B.

 

[XxVooDooxX]

What's plan B?

 

[iDream]

I know how you feel. Like I said though I have no experience with FO tanks, so that was the only advice I could give you.

 

[Dylan5359]

Plan B is getting used filter media from an already established tank.

 

[Brough5754]

I never thought about that... clever you

 

[duoc9119]

Why not get a piece of branching LR as well? Just a thought and would give you more surface area for those beneficial bacteria to live on. It would also give the sea horses some more stuff to hang on

 

[Dylan5359]

This is a *dwarf seahorse tank. LR is bound to have hitch hikers, like hydroids that either sting or take all their food, there so sensitive I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[duoc9119]

Good point! Maybe some base rock? Does the same purpose as well minus the hitchhikers

 

[Dylan5359]

Decided to wait a little to see if the water parameters would change at all, I was wrong, and probably tomorrow, I am going to pick up some cycled filter media and some base rock or branching rock "fully cured or dead rock that I could just put in the tank." any suggestions for the rock?

 

[iDream]

Tonga is branching rock I believe, that would be best for the horses

 

[Dylan5359]

Now I can buy it completely cured and I could just drop it in the tank? Or should I just let it rest in a bucket of SW overnight then place it (making sure all hitch hikers are gone)?

 

[iDream]

Completely cured = little to no cycle and you can drop it right in. But that also means all the hitch hikers will be there.

If you place it in the bucket all night they'll probably still be on the rock

 

[Dylan5359]

Grrr... Could I just purchase dead rock, to make sure there aren't any hitch hikers.?

 

[Dylan5359]

I'm not really going to g with the tonga rock, because the dwarves tails would be to short to wrap around it , I don't want them to get rock burns, and I already am getting a bunch of fern caulerpa so they are set with the hitch posts. Just need some rock to start this dumb cycle -__-

 

[iDream]

Well my only thing with dead rock is that you have no bacteria to start processing the ammonia, but you really have no choice. Either get dead rock and ensure no hitchhikers and possibly start the cycle, or get live and definitely start it and get hitchhikers.

So I really think the cycled media is your best bet in this situation

 

[Dylan5359]

Yeah. Thanks. I really appreciate it, I might just end up buying dead rock too.

 

[iDream]

Definitely would help with biofiltration later on