How To Set Up A Seahorse Aquarium

What does Cycling an Aquarium Mean?

"Cycling an aquarium" means you lot are allowing for enough nitrifying bacteria to populate the biological filter to metabolize the toxic ammonia fish create via waste.At that place are many ways to properly cycle an aquarium. This process can take up to 4-six+ weeks, patience is key with saltwater aquarium keeping.

To simplify, fish create waste which adds ammonia (NH3) to the aquarium. Beneficial nitrifying bacteria when present apace metabolize this very toxic ammonia into nitrite (NO2, too very toxic to fish) and and so to Nitrate (NO3). If you do not accept enough beneficial bacteria in the aquarium you will get an ammonia and/or nitrite spike which tin quickly lead to decease and other problems with your fish and alive stock. Making sure your aquarium is well established and fully cycled is extremely of import to prevent losses. Nosotros will be covering how to accomplish this and properly setup your aquarium in this article.

What Size Aquarium and Filtration?

Aquarium Size

In that location is a huge variety of aquarium fish available so if you are planning your saltwater aquarium yous want to familiarize yourself with what fish species are available, what you would like to keep and their tank size requirements.

Aquariums for Seahorse

For our large seahorse species (non Dwarf seahorses,H. zosterae) nosotros recommend a 30 gallon minimum aquarium size for the first pair and an additional ~fifteen gallons for every boosted pair you wish to keep. If possible, going larger is even better and gives y'all some jerk room as well equally room to aggrandize your herd later which most hobbyist end upwards wanting to do. Your seahorses will enjoy the space and many of our larger seahorse species reach 5-7+ inches with maturity, they grow to be large fish.

While 30 gallons is the minimum aquarium size we recommend for keeping seahorses, an aquarium in 45-90+ gallon range will allow you lot to keep a much larger variety, give your seahorses besides as other animals more space, and you likely will non have to worry about upgrading to a large tank size later.

There are many all in ane (AIO) aquariums on the markets now days. These AIO aquariums often include a dorsum compartment that houses the return pump, media, heater and other equipment. Another choice is having a sump which is basically a second aquarium under your display aquarium to house equipment and filteration so this is out of view. Having a sump gives one a lot more options and flexibility with filtration. The extra h2o book with a sump helps stabilize the aquarium. Canister filters can be used for saltwater aquariums only they can be a bit fourth dimension consuming to accept apart and practise maintenance on. If not properly maintained, canister filters tin be nutrient and potentially harmful bacteria sinks in a seahorse and any saltwater aquarium. A standard hang on the back filter by itself is non going to be enough filtration for a seahorse aquarium. In our experience, the best option when possible is having an aquarium with a sump.

Filtration

Water Flow/pump

Having enough and proper water menstruation is one of the about important factors in setting up a good for you environs for your animals. Every aquarium is going to exist unique and a scrap different. Nosotros recommend aiming for 10 to 25 times turnover with your saltwater aquarium for seahorses and most other fish. And so if you take a xxx gallon aquarium you lot should be moving effectually 300+ gallons of water per hour. This can exist achieved via return pumps and additional powerheads may be necessary. You do not want to have dead spots that allow for waste to settle. Having some lower to moderate flow ares for your seahorses to rest is recommended just overall you do not want to take low flow in your aquarium! Flow is very important equally it allows for the filtration to filter the water properly, gas exchange and more. Too footling water menstruum will pb to poor gas substitution which volition pb to a build up carbon dioxide and low pH. Oxygen levels tin can quickly deplete every bit well. Too piddling menses will let with undesirable waste matter and detritus to accumulate in the aquarium leading to an unhealthy and unstable environment for your animals.

Poly peptide Skimmer

We highly recommend using an over sized poly peptide skimmer with seahorses and any saltwater aquarium. Modest nano tanks under approximately ten gallons can usually get away without a protein skimmer equally large water changes are piece of cake and these small tanks are going to have a small bio-load. Using a poly peptide skimmer will greatly reduce organic build up in an aquarium. Protein skimmers assistance reduce undesirable nutrients in the aquarium by pulling out waste earlier it breaks downwardly further. Also a limited stocked small nano tank, we would not setup a seahorse or saltwater aquarium without a skimmer. Seahorses are messy fish and for them we recommend ideally going with a skimmer that is twice rated for your aquarium. For example, if you lot take a xxx gallon aquarium we recommend using a poly peptide skimmer that is rated for at least a 60 gallon aquarium. A poly peptide skimmer will also help prevent a build up of inorganics in your arrangement as well.

SCA Poly peptide Skimmer, one we highly recommend for those who are using a sump

Live Rock, Substrate, Media or a Combination of Both

What is liverock? Natural Live Stone

Live rock is a term used to describe calcium carbonate based rocks from the bounding main that have living micro-organisms often including nitrifying benign bacteria, desirable purple coralline algae, copepods and more. It can accept other living organisms and sometimes unwanted "hitch hikers" that can be harmful to the aquarium then ane wants to be cautious and observant when using these in the aquarium. Liverock has the beneficial nitrifying bacteria the aquarium needs to metabolize ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. Information technology is also important to buffer and maintain pH in the saltwater aquarium. In full general, we recommend about a pound per gallon give or take in the aquarium.

When using natural liverock from the ocean i needs to exist aware of how it has been handled. If the liverock has been dried out, some or all of the alive organisms on it may have died off. If this is the case, this will add toxic ammonia and likely cause some bacterial blooms so one will need to wait for the nitrifying bacteria to metabolize this and the breakdown of these organisms to consummate. You want to make sure you have no ammonia or nitrites for at least a week before you try adding fish.

Using natural live rock tin create a very realistic reef display and add a lot of variety to your home aquarium.

Manufactured Liverock

Now days there is some really nice manufactured, human being-made, liverock available. This is what a lot of hobbyist are using at present days to avoid pest and unwanted hitch hikers. Real Reef liverock is our favorite manufacturer of liverock for saltwater aquariums. This rock is seeded with nitrifying bacteria. It too has rubber dyes as well every bit live coralline algae to brand information technology wait very realistic and natural.

If starting with all liverock and live sand you likely will not see much of a cycle at all with your aquarium significant y'all likely will non see any detectable ammonia and nitrites. We recommend keeping a very close center on your h2o parameters including ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. It is besides important to stock the aquarium slowly and not add besides much at 1 time. This manner your beneficial nitrifying bacteria populations accept fourth dimension to populate.

Photograph credit Existent Reef Manufacturing, Inc

Dry Rock

Dryrock is calcium cabonate based rock from the sea that has been completely dried out. At that place is too fossilized coral reefs that are mined for dry out stone for aquariums. This rock has no living beneficial leaner or micro organisms. It is often a lot less costly than liverock which is a do good. Being dried out, yous are non going to have undesirable hitch-hikers but the cycling process will likely have longer.

Since dry rock has no living benign nitrifying bacteria you lot will want to seed the aquarium with nitrifying leaner after calculation this stone. We recommend using FritzZyme 9 or Dr. Tim's 1 and Only nitrifying bacteria products for seeding the aquarium when starting with all dry rock. Nil volition exist breaking downwardly in the aquarium to allow these leaner to populate so it is helpful and often necessary to add Ammonium choride (ammonia) to allow the benign bacterial to populate and make certain your aquarium can handle your future fish bio-load. Nosotros recommend Dr. Tim's Ammonium chloride production and follow the manufacture's didactics for dosage. By adding Ammonium chloride to your uncycled aquarium yous are essentially "feeding" these beneficial bacterial populations while they institute in the aquarium. It is VERY of import to remember this process is adding straight ammonia to the system which very toxic to fish and other living organisms. You do not desire to exercise this if your aquarium has live fish and invertebrates in information technology! Information technology volition kill them! This method of "ghost" dosing the aquarium volition allow the aquarium to bike. Testing the h2o daily during this cycling process is helpful to know where the aquarium is at in its wheel. You will see detectable ammonia at first. One time enough bacteria build up to metabolize the ammonia (NH3) it will convert to nitrites (NO2) and then eventually to Nitrates (NO3). Ammonia and Nitrites are very toxic to fish and invertebrates (crabs, snails, corals, ect). Nitrates nether <25 ppm or less are ideal. Oft times when "ghost" dosing ammonia you volition stop upwards with very high nitrates so a large water change(s) may be necessary to bring these down subsequently yous have completed the cycle and before calculation fish.

This method of adding Ammonium chloride for cycling a new aquarium is a much cleaner method than another methods we have heard of. Some hobbyist volition add together frozen or pellet food to the aquarium and allow this to rot in the aquarium to create ammonia. When doing this you are allowing potentially nasty bacteria to also build upward in the aquarium which is not good.

Photograph credit, Tevin Lee in Singapore

Substrate-Sand or Bare Bottom (no Sand)

Some hobbyist prefer to have a natural looking sand bed in their aquarium and others adopt no sand also refereed to as a blank-bottom aquarium. Nosotros will be covering both options.

Sand

Having sand in the aquarium is more aesthetically pleasing to most keepers. A sand-bed in the aquarium creates a more natural expect. You can also take a variety of sand dwelling house make clean up crew inverts including Nassarius snails, Cerith snails and sea cucumbers which really demand a sandbed to thrive. Nassarius snails are especially good clean up crew with seahorses every bit they help swallow leftover meaty foods. Yous will as well accept a lot more than beneficial micro-brute with a sand-bed.

If you are interested in keeping other tank-mates with your seahorses this may too play into your decision on whether to go bare bottom or with sand. Some species of gobies are substrate habitation and actually practise best with a sand-bed. In improver, there are a diverseness of cute rooted macro-algaes that tin can be kept with seahorses besides. Information technology is of import to really research and understand the needs of the animals you wish to keep.

If yous decide to get with sand in your seahorse aquarium we recommend using an aragonite substrate in the ~0.v-i.five mm range. CaribSea Fiji Pink aragonite is our favorite. Avoid larger substrate such equally crushed coral. Over fourth dimension larger substrate will allow for a build upward of detritus and waste. We accept seen a lot of hobbyist have issues keeping their seahorses in an aquarium with fibroid crushed coral substrate.

Using live sand significant sand with living nitrifying bacteria can also really help speed up your aquarium cycling process.

Having sufficient water period nearly your sand-bed will also assist prevent build up of waste matter and keep the aquarium healthier.

Photo credit Savannah Coon

Bare Bottom (no Sand)

Having a bare bottom aquarium (no sand) tin can brand keeping your aquarium cleaner much easier. With no substrate on the bottom it is easy to make certain waste product isn't building upwards in the aquarium. Build upwards of detritus (waste) in the aquarium creates instability and can promote nasty bacterial growth that tin can make your seahorses more than susceptible to problems. Keeping build upwardly of waste out of the aquarium is one of the keys to long term success with seahorse and saltwater aquarium keeping. If your aquarium is bare-bottom and you are getting a build upwardly of food or waste on the lesser you need to add more water flow or tweak the h2o catamenia at the bottom of the aquarium.

From our experience, we detect information technology much easier to keep the aquarium clean and water quality up with having no sand.

Bio-filtration

MarinePure Media

In add-on to liverock, we really like using MarinePure media in our systems. This is a highly porous ceramic based product that has a ton of expanse for nitrifying bacteria to populate. Nosotros use this media in our sumps but it can besides be added directly to the display tank, in hang on the dorsum filters, or canister filters. This volition drastically increase your beneficial bacteria population with fourth dimension and allow for much higher stability in the aquarium. We highly recommend using this.

Sump at our farm with MarinePure media blocks, SCA protein skimmer, filter socks, UV sterilizers, Carbon, heater and return pump

Nitrifying Bacteria-Good Bacteria in the Aquarium

As we mentioned before, Fritz Aquatics FritzZyme 9 Saltwater Nitrifying Bacteria is one of our favorite products for calculation to the aquarium when you first set it upward. This will give yous a boost of beneficial nitrifying bacteria to help ensure you have plenty "good" bacteria in the aquarium. This can be used and is also beneficial in any new aquarium, not just one started with dry rock. Dr. Timm'southward One and Only Alive Nitrifying Leaner is another proficient product for seeding your bio-filters and aquarium with beneficial leaner. Both of these products are ordinarily available at local aquarium stores and online retailers.

Photo credit Savannah Coon

Test Kits and Supplies

What H2o Parameters Should You Test?

Some of the bones h2o parameters one should test for in a saltwater aquarium include ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, calcium, pH, alkalinity, specific gravity, magnesium and temperature. Come across chart beneath for recommended levels for well-nigh seahorses, saltwater fish, corals, and inverts. Salifert makes actually skillful test kits and we recommend them. Some other aquarium exam kit manufacturer is API and Hanna.

For checking salinity (salt concentration) in the abode aquarium we highly recommend a refractometer. These are actually pretty inexpensive now days and can exist found at most local aquarium stores and online outlets. Hydrometers are as well available merely they are less accurate and not every bit user friendly.

Full general H2o Parameters for Seahorses

Parameter	Recommended level
Specific Gravity	1.020-one.025
pH	viii.1-8.4
Alkalinity	8-12 Dkh
Ammonia (NH3)	Undetectable (Toxic to fish and corals)
Nitrite (NO2)	Undetectable (Toxic to fish and corals)
Nitrate (no3)	(Ideally undetectable) <25 PPM
Phosphate (PO4)	(Ideally undetectable) <0.ii PPM
Calcium	350-450 ppm
Magnesium	1250-1350 ppm
Temperature	lxx-74 F (21-23 C) for almost Seahorse Species. We keep H. comes at a slightly higher range (75-76 F). If keeping fish but (no seahorses) we recommend 76-79 F. If you lot are keeping peaceful fish with seahorses almost handle the cooler range no problem.

Heater

We always recommend having a heater on your aquarium. Many aquarium heaters are now available with a digital temperature reading which is helpful for monitoring temperature. Having a heater volition help continue the aquarium stable and prevent it from getting too common cold.

When keeping seahorses it is of import to identify the heater in your sump, dorsum of your AIO or have a heater guard. If a seahorse hitches to the heater it can burn down them then you want to keep it out of reach!

Royal Gramma                                      Toadstool Leather Coral

When is the Aquarium Ready for Fish and Corals?

Once you have all your rock in the aquarium, sand if you are going with sand rather than blank-lesser, proper filtration and the tank is fully cycled y'all should exist set up to add together some livestock. We recommend waiting at least a week from seeing no ammonia or nitrites earlier adding whatsoever live animals.

It is common for new tanks to go through a bit of an algae stage in the beginning. This is a good fourth dimension to start adding "make clean up coiffure" invertebrates to the aquarium. Clean up crew can include snails such equally Astrea, Nassarius, Cerith, and Turbo, crabs including blue leg hermits, scarlet leg hermits, Emerald venereal, as well as Peppermint shrimp ect. These inverts will consume the algae, waste and as well help build up your benign leaner. If you practise non have algae growing in the aquarium yous can nevertheless add invertebrates simply you may want to lightly feed them. Afterward this, if all is well, you can try adding a hardy fish or if you are confident yous can add together your seahorses.

It is very of import to keep a shut eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels after adding fish. You exercise not want to have a spike in ammonia or nitrite in your new aquarium. Making sure you do not have left over food sitting in the aquarium is also key. If you want to also go on live corals, macro algae, ect you tin beginning calculation piece of cake to go along corals at the same fourth dimension or shortly later you add your beginning fish. It is important to make sure you have proper lighting for keeping corals. We really like LED lighting and in that location are many available aquarium LED lighting options on the market place these days. Having them programmable is definitely recommended and so you tin properly set up them for your aquarium.

Photo credit Savannah Coon

Seahorse Savvy Display Aquarium, Yellow Clown Goby on a Feather Duster decorator worm

What Happens if y'all Become an Ammonia or Nitrite Spike in Your Aquarium?

If you lot test your h2o and you have detectable Ammonia or Nitrites we recommend adding an ammonia blocker such as Prime or Amquel correct away.  In addition to adding an Ammonia blocker, y ou also desire to do a large ~thirty-50% h2o change and add together boosted nitrifying bacteria to stabilize the system.

A spike in ammonia and/or nitrites in an already cycled aquarium means something went really wrong or you may also not take enough nitrifying leaner in your aquarium and the tank is "recycling". This usually only occurs when 1 stocks the aquarium too apace (too many fish), over feeds, rinses media in freshwater (this will kill nitrifying bacteria), ability outages, stirs upward the sand bed too much or another issue.

Exist prepared to continue to monitor your levels and do more large water changes. A mutual misconception is a large water change volition remove too much beneficial nitrifying bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria are benthic meaning they are in your sand, liverock and media. They are not in the water column so no worries about this removing beneficial bacteria. When doing a large water change it is important to brand sure the specific gravity and temperature lucifer the system and then you exercise non "stupor' the system and animals. Any time you have something go wrong in the aquarium a large water change and adding fresh activated carbon unremarkably helps.

Photo credit Cheryl Taylor, H. comes (Tiger Tail seahorse)

Hitching Posts for Seahorses

When setting up a seahorse aquarium you want to make sure you have enough of "hitching" posts for your seahorses to hold onto with their prehensile tail. These can include branching artificial corals for saltwater aquariums, anchored plastic chains, alive Gorgonian corals, alive soft corals such as leather corals, macro algae and more.

Does the Aquarium Need an Established Copepod Population Before Adding Seahorses?

This is a common question we get asked. Copepods are very beneficial in any saltwater aquarium simply y'all do not need a huge population in a seahorse aquarium. Our larger species of captive bred seahorses are completely weaned to frozen Mysis shrimp and unremarkably do not recognize tiny copepods as a food source. Copepods are definitely not plenty to sustain seahorses in their aquarium. Our seahorses need to be fed frozen Mysis shrimp two-3 times daily.

Give thanks you lot very much for reading. We promise you notice this helpful. Understanding water parameters and balance in the aquarium is one of the keys to success. Nosotros dear helping hobbyist, specially new hobbyist. If y'all have any questions please reach out. Nosotros are happy to help and want you to exist a successful keeper. Likewise see links to more than resources below.

Contact Information:

E-mail: alyssa@seahorsesavvy.com

Phone: 410-618-3604

Hours: Monday-Friday 11:00 a.1000. to 5:00 p.k. EST

Carmine Ball Sponge                                    Royal Colt Photosynthetic Gorgonian

Other Helpful Resource and Farther Reads

Basic Aquarium Husbandry and Maintenance

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/bones-aquarium-husbandry-and-maintenance

Temperature Range for Keeping Seahorses in the Dwelling house Aquarium and Why

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/temperature-range-for-keeping-seahorses-in-the-dwelling-aquarium-and-why

H2o Menses in a Seahorse Aquarium

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/h2o-period-in-a-seahorse-aquarium

Substrate in a Seahorse Aquarium-Bare Lesser vs Sand

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/substrate-in-a-seahorse-aquarium-blank-bottom-vs-sand

Choosing Your Seahorse Species and Stocking

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/choosing-your-seahorse-species-and-stocking

Feeding Your Captive Bred Seahorses

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/feeding-your-captive-bred-seahorses

Tank-Mates for Seahorses-Fish

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/tank-mates-for-seahorses-fish

Tank-Mates for Captive Bred Seahorses-Live Corals

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/tank-mates-for-captive-bred-seahorses

Why Mixing Seahorse Species is Not Recommended

https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/why-mixing-seahorse-species-is-non-recommended

How To Set Up A Seahorse Aquarium,

Source: https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/cycling-a-saltwater-aquarium-for-seahorses

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