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[New&no clue]

The Cycle That Wouldn't Spin (and the Light That Wouldn't Chill)

Well, folks, we've officially hit that part of the build where I question all my life choices. My cycle is stuck. Like really stuck. And to make things weirder, this is a first for me. I've always used live rock—either from a trusted LFS, a fellow reefer, or one of my other tanks—and the cycle just cycled. But this time, I went all dry rock, trying to keep things squeaky clean for the delicate seahorses I plan to add. No pests, no surprises, just... apparently no bacteria either.

My ammonia levels are holding steady and refusing to drop. It's like the tank has decided it's just going to be a permanent ammonia spa. Now I'm debating: do I do a big water change and dose more bacteria? Or do I channel my inner Zen and wait it out another week to see if anything finally kicks in?

Meanwhile, in other news: lighting drama. I started with the light inside the canopy, thinking I was being clever. Spoiler alert: it was a sauna in there. Tank temps went up faster than my frustration. So now the light is sitting on top of the canopy like it's just chillin'—literally. It's not the prettiest solution, but at least it's no longer trying to roast the tank.

Still holding on to that reefkeeping patience and reminding myself this is the perfect time to work out the bugs before the ponies arrive.

 

[New&no clue]

The cycle is moving again. Sometimes you need to fully give up before the universe will give in.

 

[SaltyinNJ]

Glad you got it going again. Yes starting with dry rock definitely tests your patience. I have kept seahorses for over 10 years but am seahorse-less for the past two years. The horses will love the height of that tank. It’s challenging to light a tank light that tall though because seahorses don’t like intense light but you need strong lighting if you want corals. The other thing to watch out for is the heat put off by lights but you seem to be aware of this already. I ran my seahorse tank at 72 degrees max to keep risk of pathogens low. Where are you planning to get your seahorses from?

 

[New&no clue]

Glad you got it going again. Yes starting with dry rock definitely tests your patience. I have kept seahorses for over 10 years but am seahorse-less for the past two years. The horses will love the height of that tank. It’s challenging to light a tank light that tall though because seahorses don’t like intense light but you need strong lighting if you want corals. The other thing to watch out for is the heat put off by lights but you seem to be aware of this already. I ran my seahorse tank at 72 degrees max to keep risk of pathogens low. Where are you planning to get your seahorses from?

Thanks! I’ve definitely learned the meaning of “patience” with this dry rock cycle—feels like watching paint dry… underwater.

That’s awesome you had seahorses for so long! I bet it feels strange not having any now. I’m hoping the height of the tank will be a playground for them once everything is up and running smoothly. Lighting has definitely been a challenge—I started with the light in the canopy, but it overheated fast, so now it’s sitting on top (for now). I’m only planning softies, so fingers crossed I can find a sweet spot that’s gentle enough for the ponies but still keeps the corals happy.

Heat is my current nemesis—trying to stay under 74, but 72 would be even better. I may end up ditching the canopy or adding a fan if needed. As for where I’m getting the seahorses… still undecided! Open to suggestions if you had a favorite breeder or shop!

 

[SaltyinNJ]

Thanks! I’ve definitely learned the meaning of “patience” with this dry rock cycle—feels like watching paint dry… underwater.

That’s awesome you had seahorses for so long! I bet it feels strange not having any now. I’m hoping the height of the tank will be a playground for them once everything is up and running smoothly. Lighting has definitely been a challenge—I started with the light in the canopy, but it overheated fast, so now it’s sitting on top (for now). I’m only planning softies, so fingers crossed I can find a sweet spot that’s gentle enough for the ponies but still keeps the corals happy.

Heat is my current nemesis—trying to stay under 74, but 72 would be even better. I may end up ditching the canopy or adding a fan if needed. As for where I’m getting the seahorses… still undecided! Open to suggestions if you had a favorite breeder or shop!

Lol, for sure the aquatic equivalent of watching pain dry.

Well, I have been looking at seahorse-related posts like yours lately and I am getting the itch again lol. But it is a commitment and I must give it more thought. I am currently busy getting my reef tank back in shape and I am not sure the timing is the best, but I am weak! I have all the equipment and the tank to do it again so will post if I set it up again.

Softies are the way to go with seahorses in general, and they will work best for the lighting you will have.
74 temp is not bad and should work well. I used a fan in the warmer weather which works well but just increases your evaporation more. You might have to ditch the canopy.

The place I purchased horses was Seahorssource.com but they are no longer in business. They were great. Seahorsesavvy.com is where I would purchase them now. I know there are others out there, but I don't know enough about them. Some members on here list captive bred seahorses (definitely only purchase captive bred!) but their pricing is similar to Seahorsesavvy.

Keep posting pictures! Let us know what you decide to do with your build and horses.

 

[New&no clue]

The Tank is Alive!

We have movement! I kicked things off with a small but mighty clean-up crew from reefcleaners.com—some snails, a few crabs, and a couple of conches (because let’s be honest, conches are just little tank bulldozers and I love them).

But what I’ve really added the most of is… pods, pods, and more pods! A few years back, I used to get the best pods from a member here on R2R, but it looks like they’re no longer selling . I’ve been ordering from a mix of places lately, but if anyone here still sells pods, hit me up! I’d love to support a fellow hobbyist.

In other news, I finally turned the skimmer on… and instantly watched my temperature climb . So, I’ve added a fan to the sump to help fight the heat. We’ll see if it works or if I’m just creating the world’s tiniest wind tunnel.

Also—cleaning this tank is a struggle. Cylindrical tanks = pretty, but also = nearly impossible to clean. It’s like fighting algae on a slippery merry-go-round.

Let the micro life boom begin!

 

[New&no clue]

Hey All, it's been a minute.

The tank is continuing, still with no seahorses, but mostly because I've found they're hard to come by. However, I've used the time to let the tank continue to mature and get into a groove. I know the motto in Reef Keeping is slow and steady, and patience, and this tank has really held to that standard. I will say this is probably the easiest tank I've had during the "ugly stage," and I think it's because of several factors.

1. Adding bioload slowly. I have not been in a rush to add fish, corals, inverts, and other things. I currently have one fish, a handful of snails and crabs, and several soft corals. I feed very little and keep everything pretty consistent.
2. Not having time to panic! This is a big one. In prior tanks, I spent a lot of time overanalyzing, researching every little change, trying to get everything perfect at all times. I don't have time with this tank to do that. Instead of constantly trying to "fix" issues, I just let them ride. For example, in prior tanks, I have always found Nerite snails to be the best with hair algae. Because of that, I opted for a CUC with more nerites. When the hair algae started showing up on rocks, I didn't try 12 different things to fix it; I just let it be, and in a couple of weeks, the snails had taken care of it and kept it in line going forward.

What I have been spending time on is finding a feeding station. I'd love to print something myself on my 3D printer, but I haven't seen a good design yet, and I'm not very good at designing my own.

 

[New&no clue]

One of my goals with this tank is to have a lot of natural hitching spots for the seahorses so I’ve been adding lots of Gorgonian in.

 

[dedragon]

https://seahorse.com/product-category/seahorses/

ocean rider seems to be a good source, but will depend on how cold your area is if they will ship
this tank is awesome, but cleaning the acrylic will probably be a pita. wish you the best and following along.