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mere

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I have a strange question as I am new I am looking to get a bigger sump to get some of the live rock out of the main tank and to install a uv my sump is too small as I am keep seahorses and have had alittle guy get air in his pouch while trying to breeding twice and want to open up my bare bottom to allow no pockets of bacteria. So the question is does a sump have to be chambered or can i use a 45-55g tank and just put in skimmer uv rock carbon ect thank you
 

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The chambers are mostly for specific purposes like to remove micro bubbles or to maintain static water levels for skimmers or refugiums. I've used vanilla tanks as refugiums without issue in the past...
 
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The chambers are mostly for specific purposes like to remove micro bubbles or to maintain static water levels for skimmers or refugiums. I've used vanilla tanks as refugiums without issue in the past...
thank you sorry i dont know what a vanilla tank is
 

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My sumps don't have chambers. In addition to what you have planned,consider also doing larger more frequent water changes, siphoning out any trapped debris at the same time. Before siphoning I like to use a small powerhead to blow the trapped debris from around rocks and decor, allowing it all to settle for siphoning.
 
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My sumps don't have chambers. In addition to what you have planned,consider also doing larger more frequent water changes, siphoning out any trapped debris at the same time. Before siphoning I like to use a small powerhead to blow the trapped debris from around rocks and decor, allowing it all to settle for siphoning.
thank you so i do two 10% water changes aweek and vaccum with a battery syphon every night but i only power head blow things once aweak should i be doing more i really want to do right by these little souls they are amazing
 

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I do at least 25% a week, often more. On my substrate tanks I use a gravel vacuum afterwards to siphon the crap out of the substrate. I have power heads with quick filters attached that I clean out every 3 to 4 days.
I don't use anything like a canister filter because they are more work to clean and it's easy for a lazy person like me to skip a chore now and then, ending up somewhere down the road with tragedy.
 
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I do at least 25% a week, often more. On my substrate tanks I use a gravel vacuum afterwards to siphon the crap out of the substrate. I have power heads with quick filters attached that I clean out every 3 to 4 days.
I don't use anything like a canister filter because they are more work to clean and it's easy for a lazy person like me to skip a chore now and then, ending up somewhere down the road with tragedy.
Thank you so much i will increase the water change amounts and see about adding some of those quick filter power heads. I really appriciate the response thank you
 

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You don't have to get the quick filter powerheads as other methods do work also. For me, it wasn't something different to buy as I already have more than 30 of these Hagen powerheads from 20+ yrs of reefing so I just put them to use in the seahorse tanks because they were available and they are simple to clean. Anything that will remove floating debris from the tank just makes the housekeeping chore a bit easier.
As for water changes, each tank varies with its needs depending on stocking density to volume ratio, and, the amount of feeding you do as well as the type of mechanical filtration so it can be hard for someone to tell you just what your needs are.
For me, I prefer to do more than I think is necessary just in case I'm wrong on my perceptions. It's too late once the seahorses are already affected.
 
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You don't have to get the quick filter powerheads as other methods do work also. For me, it wasn't something different to buy as I already have more than 30 of these Hagen powerheads from 20+ yrs of reefing so I just put them to use in the seahorse tanks because they were available and they are simple to clean. Anything that will remove floating debris from the tank just makes the housekeeping chore a bit easier.
As for water changes, each tank varies with its needs depending on stocking density to volume ratio, and, the amount of feeding you do as well as the type of mechanical filtration so it can be hard for someone to tell you just what your needs are.
For me, I prefer to do more than I think is necessary just in case I'm wrong on my perceptions. It's too late once the seahorses are already affected.
Thank you how do you know whats right or is it a guessing game all tests kit test are where they are suposse to be. I have a 129g 15g sump feed 3 times in a dish 8 horses 100 micron sock and skimmer carbon. If he has had pouch air twice while breeding doent that mean I am doing something wrong to hurt him I have not flushed his pouch yet just evact air I appreciated your time and expertise in helping me. Thank you
 

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First off, THERE ARE NO TEST KITS AVAILABLE TO THE HOBBYIST that will tell you when conditions have deteriorated to the point bacterial expansion is probable or already happening. You can have all your test kits testing well within range but that is not going to tell you that there is sufficient rotting detritus to provide food and bedding for a bacterial increase. (clean the sock every few days as what it traps is also food and bedding for the bacteria)
For pouch emphysema, a lot of people think they have all the gas out, as the seahorse returns to normal swimming, but often there is a bit still left and that will again expand to a buoyancy problem again. I only flush if the problem continues. IMO, the pouch emphysema is a great indication of inferior water conditions.
Here is a video that may help: https://fusedjaw.com/diseasehealth/is-your-seahorse-floating-seahorse-pouch-evac-video/
www.fusedjaw.com has a LOT of great information on it if you haven't already been to it.
 
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First off, THERE ARE NO TEST KITS AVAILABLE TO THE HOBBYIST that will tell you when conditions have deteriorated to the point bacterial expansion is probable or already happening. You can have all your test kits testing well within range but that is not going to tell you that there is sufficient rotting detritus to provide food and bedding for a bacterial increase. (clean the sock every few days as what it traps is also food and bedding for the bacteria)
For pouch emphysema, a lot of people think they have all the gas out, as the seahorse returns to normal swimming, but often there is a bit still left and that will again expand to a buoyancy problem again. I only flush if the problem continues. IMO, the pouch emphysema is a great indication of inferior water conditions.
Here is a video that may help: https://fusedjaw.com/diseasehealth/is-your-seahorse-floating-seahorse-pouch-evac-video/
www.fusedjaw.com has a LOT of great information on it if you haven't already been to it.
Thank you I have read fused jaw and seahorse . org ( i will do again) as well a lots of books and stuff on line but I am finding out that there is still so much to learn so if I incress water change amounts add uv get some rocks out and into bigger sump how will I know the water is getting better. Once again I can not thank you enough I really love them and appreciate someone willing to help me help them
 

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I don't know of any way to know for sure. Maybe someone else has some ideas on that. There are a lot of experienced people here including people that have been doing this for maybe a third of the time I have and yet they are MORE knowledgeable than I am.
I personally don't use UV because UV only kills what passes through it. Unfortunately most of the pathogens that do the damage are benthic and NOT pelagic so they adhere to surfaces rather than inhabit the open water column. As such, they don't go through the UV.
 
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I don't know of any way to know for sure. Maybe someone else has some ideas on that. There are a lot of experienced people here including people that have been doing this for maybe a third of the time I have and yet they are MORE knowledgeable than I am.
I personally don't use UV because UV only kills what passes through it. Unfortunately most of the pathogens that do the damage are benthic and NOT pelagic so they adhere to surfaces rather than inhabit the open water column. As such, they don't go through the UV.
Good point never thought of the bacteria being bethnic. Would there be away to kill the bethnic ones. Thank you again
 

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