I have my seahorse tank build almost done!

[cassilyn]

As you can see there are a LOT of opinions on how to start seahorse keeping. Indeed there are MANY ways to succeed.
My 18 years of keeping has impinged on me the degree of attention needed to water quality probably over and above any other need, especially as test kits we have DO NOT tell us when bacteria (the biggest killer) are going to be problematic.
However, for STARTING a first tank, the immediate concern is to make sure the cycle has completed so that our seahorses don't get exposed to any levels of ammonia when inhabiting their new home.
So it really doesn't matter a lot HOW you cycle the tank, just that is IS cycled. The way to determine if the tank is cycled properly is to CHALLENGE the tank once you think it is ready. To CHALLENGE the tank, add an ammonia source like pure ammonia liquid or ammonium chloride powder so that the ammonia level goes up to 2ppm or higher depending on just how much load you will be placing on the biological filter right off the bat. If the ammonia clears overnight, you should be good to go. I've never waited 6 months or even six days before adding the seahorses after the cycle has been challenged successfully, although I DO usually challenge the tank two days in a row just to be sure.
Use of the variety of product aids for cycling is just a personal choice and not a necessary one.
I have personally never used anything other than ammonia or ammonium chloride to cycle a tank but again, that is just my choice.
I much prefer also to start a tank off COMPLETELY STERILE, with only artificial hitching and no other tankmates. This way if something does go wrong, I have already eliminated a lot of possible sources of any problem that develops. This was extremely important to me until I gained some years of experience. (it's also a GREAT way to be sure you won't have to deal with aiptasia or bristle worms)
Back to water quality, as there are no test kits available to the hobbyist to tell us when the bacteria are going to be a problem, it is obvious to me that husbandry and water change protocols need to be what many consider to be excessive so that you don't have to end up treating severe problem cases that develop. Figure out what you THINK you need to do and then do even more.
You can accomplish the water quality by doing frequent and large water changes as I do, or as many others do, lesser water changes but using more equipment to clean up the water dirtied by the way seahorses take in and digest their food. A greatly oversized skimmer goes a long way to help this.
That all being said, if you are MORE comfortable waiting longer, even 6 months, then go for it. It isn't going to make anything worse, and MOST of the pods you may introduce if the system isn't sterile, will be smaller than the seahorses are going to be interested in. Amphipod size though would be ideal.
Again on my personal outlook, I've never added pods or anything not sterile until well over a year into a tanks setup.

I started with a sterile tank, but with Reel Reef rock and Carib Sea live sand. They are supposed to be free of pests. I didn't want to start out with the pests you get from actual ocean live rock.

How do I challenge the tank? I am using ammonium chloride in my cycle, but I don't know how much to add to raise it to 2ppm to clear it overnight once I've finished my Dr. Tim's cycle. I have a 54 gallon tank and 26 gallon sump that have a total of 70 gallons of water (after rock and sand displacement). Do you have a forumula/recipe? I have a huge skimmer (way oversized for my tank) and a very large chiller to make sure the temp stays low (70-74 degrees). I tried my best to overbuild my tank to give myself the best start I could.

I was planning to add copepods and amphipods to my sump. Should I wait or is this a personal thing? I'm also going to add macro algae in the sump. I plan on sticking to artificial hitching posts for a while, too, and only adding a few other seahorse safe fish.

 

[rayjay]

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to add other fish while cycling or even after. In fact, as I've already mentioned, it is preferable that you don't add any fish to the seahorse tanks until you have succeeded in keeping them problem free for at least many months. That way you aren't adding other parameters to the mix to figure out why the problem(s) occurred.
If you much later add other fish to the tank, and then have problems then you can usually narrow it down to something caused by the additions. Not everyone succeeds in keeping other fish with seahorses as it can depend on the pathogens introduced and by the inherent immune capability of the involved individual seahorses.
It's also inhumane IMO to add any fish before the cycle is completed and successfully challenged as ANY level of ammonia however small can be severely felt by the fish.

 

[Paulie069]

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to add other fish while cycling or even after. In fact, as I've already mentioned, it is preferable that you don't add any fish to the seahorse tanks until you have succeeded in keeping them problem free for at least many months. That way you aren't adding other parameters to the mix to figure out why the problem(s) occurred.
If you much later add other fish to the tank, and then have problems then you can usually narrow it down to something caused by the additions. Not everyone succeeds in keeping other fish with seahorses as it can depend on the pathogens introduced and by the inherent immune capability of the involved individual seahorses.
It's also inhumane IMO to add any fish before the cycle is completed and successfully challenged as ANY level of ammonia however small can be severely felt by the fish.

Always soaking up your knowledge RayJay

 

[cassilyn]

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to add other fish while cycling or even after. In fact, as I've already mentioned, it is preferable that you don't add any fish to the seahorse tanks until you have succeeded in keeping them problem free for at least many months. That way you aren't adding other parameters to the mix to figure out why the problem(s) occurred.
If you much later add other fish to the tank, and then have problems then you can usually narrow it down to something caused by the additions. Not everyone succeeds in keeping other fish with seahorses as it can depend on the pathogens introduced and by the inherent immune capability of the involved individual seahorses.
It's also inhumane IMO to add any fish before the cycle is completed and successfully challenged as ANY level of ammonia however small can be severely felt by the fish.

Thank you. I was getting contradictory information, so I wanted to be sure. I assumed that you would want to add the seahorses first, at the least so they could establish their "territory." It makes sense not to add anything else until after I know they are healthy and happy too. My Dr. Tim's cycle is now complete, but I still don't plan on adding anything to the tank for at least 30 days, just so it cycles for a while before adding them. Thanks for your feedback and advice.

 

[Paulie069]

Thank you. I was getting contradictory information, so I wanted to be sure. I assumed that you would want to add the seahorses first, at the least so they could establish their "territory." It makes sense not to add anything else until after I know they are healthy and happy too. My Dr. Tim's cycle is now complete, but I still don't plan on adding anything to the tank for at least 30 days, just so it cycles for a while before adding them. Thanks for your feedback and advice.

Seahorse Guru strikes again, you the man rayjay

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I have my build post up at https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/finally-getting-my-seahorse-started.754479/ and have almost completed my Dr. Tim's cycle. It won't be long now until I can add my seahorses. How long should I wait after I get it cycled to introduce the seahorses? I think I'm getting the new Northern h. erectus from Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy. I can't believe it's finally almost here!

That's great, thanks for sharing period if I may ask , where can you get seahorses?
Many thanks

 

[Paulie069]

That's great, thanks for sharing period if I may ask , where can you get seahorses?
Many thanks

Where you located

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Where you located

Located southern California, my main home is Fullerton

 

[Paulie069]

Located southern California, my main home is Fullerton

Never mind I’m in Jersey and I give seahorses away for free all time, at moment I have 25 ponies up for adoption. I’ve herd great things about// seahorse source I believe it’s called

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Never mind I’m in Jersey and I give seahorses away for free all time, at moment I have 25 ponies up for adoption. I’ve herd great things about// seahorse source I believe it’s called

I have friend in NY, would that help. From time to time he has red and yellow ones. So he's familiar with care of them, can he come by in my place. Let me know. Thanks

 

[cassilyn]

That's great, thanks for sharing period if I may ask , where can you get seahorses?
Many thanks

There are a couple of great places to get them, but I am going with Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy (www.seahorsesavvy.com) because she has a new Northern h. erectus I am very interested in. The articles posted in the seahorse forum list a couple of other great suppliers I think.

 

[Paulie069]

There are a couple of great places to get them, but I am going with Alyssa's Seahorse Savvy (www.seahorsesavvy.com) because she has a new Northern h. erectus I am very interested in. The articles posted in the seahorse forum list a couple of other great suppliers I think.

Northeast Atlantic H. Erectus is all I get,, it is the most hardy of seahorses, can handle a lot of stress and bounce right back. I give them away for free because I have an endless supply basically in my backyard,, at moment I have 25 seahorses ready for adoption, I only give them away when they are 100% trained to eat frozen mysis and brine shrimp
So you know the H.Erectus likes cooler temperature than what most aquariums are set at. 73 degrees is the highest temperature you would want, they prefer 69-72 is thier sweet spot. I wish you luck with yours even though mailing seahorses always makes me very nervous

 

[cassilyn]

Northeast Atlantic H. Erectus is all I get,, it is the most hardy of seahorses, can handle a lot of stress and bounce right back. I give them away for free because I have an endless supply basically in my backyard,, at moment I have 25 seahorses ready for adoption, I only give them away when they are 100% trained to eat frozen mysis and brine shrimp
So you know the H.Erectus likes cooler temperature than what most aquariums are set at. 73 degrees is the highest temperature you would want, they prefer 69-72 is thier sweet spot. I wish you luck with yours even though mailing seahorses always makes me very nervous

Oh my gosh, they are adorable! I can't wait to get mine. I'm nervous about shipping too but have spoken to my local delivery drivers so I can pick them up as soon as they get on the trucks, so they won't have to sit in the truck all day. We don't have morning delivery here otherwise. I have a 1/4 hp chiller on a 54-gallon aquarium with a 26-gallon sump. I have it set on 73 degrees, but I'll lower it now thanks! Beautiful tank!

 

[Paulie069]

Oh my gosh, they are adorable! I can't wait to get mine. I'm nervous about shipping too but have spoken to my local delivery drivers so I can pick them up as soon as they get on the trucks, so they won't have to sit in the truck all day. We don't have morning delivery here otherwise. I have a 1/4 hp chiller on a 54-gallon aquarium with a 26-gallon sump. I have it set on 73 degrees, but I'll lower it now thanks! Beautiful tank!

You can also have coral in a tank with low temperature I’ve proven that for 6 months now

 

[cassilyn]

You can also have coral in a tank with low temperature I’ve proven that for 6 months now

That's great because I really want to add some corals in the future. Thanks!

 

[Paulie069]

That's great because I really want to add some corals in the future. Thanks!

Anytime, I’m a junkie when it comes to seahorses, my wife said I have a problem,, at moment I have 36 seahorses, all Erectus
And please don’t forget about water temperature,, they like it cool.
just out of curiosity how much do they charge for Erectus seahorses and what size are they,, I find smaller the better plus they live longer. Some say I’m crazy to have that many ponies but they don’t understand that 90% of them are barley an inch and a half,, so 4 of them equals one adult

 

[rayjay]

The caveat being that you still need to think about which corals have the best chances of surviving under seahorse best conditions. Some corals are not good for seahorses, but also, some corals don't do well because of the temperature OR the "dirty" water produced by the seahorses and gradually go downhill over a year or two.

 

[Paulie069]

The caveat being that you still need to think about which corals have the best chances of surviving under seahorse best conditions. Some corals are not good for seahorses, but also, some corals don't do well because of the temperature OR the "dirty" water produced by the seahorses and gradually go downhill over a year or two.

It has only been 6-7 months but so far so good,, I’m sure my corals would grow faster in warmer water but they seem to adapt fine so far

 

[rayjay]

Well I'd personally never worry about slow growth. I've really had very few corals in my seahorse tanks, but the leathers and the Kenyas grow to fast to suit me. I just wish I could get more macros up here in Canada. What IS available for the most part, I have no interest in. Hopefully you will have continued success Paulie.

 

[Seabiscuit]

I'd add one seahorse at a time. For a lot of people, that's hard to do because shipping costs can add up. How ever many you end up starting with, it's so tempting to overfeed. I've heard people say feeding sessions should last anywhere between 1 to 30 minutes. I have always target fed my new seahorses instead of trying to siphon the left-overs out of the tank afterwards. When I see them start to pass up food I stop. I only feed them twice a day, but some people feed them up to 4 times a day. I usually feed in 7-10 minute sessions, but the first couple of days, be prepared for up to a half hour because the new seahorses may just be stressed and overwhelmed with their changes in environments. Whether you start with one seahorse or more, just keep a close eye on your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and if any of those get too high, have some new saltwater ready to go for water changes.