New saltwater keeper here!

Elijah F · Dec 6, 2022

ScubaShane said:
Welcome to Reef2Reef! Some say certain macro algae are harder to keep than some corals.

I can agree with that sentiment so far; I've been struggling with my gracilaria parvispora. I'm hoping the new light i orderd will do the trick when it get here. My chaeto however is growing really well, it's like the saltwater equivalent to Java moss or duckweed.

KrisReef · Dec 6, 2022

Elijah F said:
Greetings! I've been keeping freshwater planted tanks for a couple years now, and after much hesitation, decided to try put saltwater! I currently only have a 2 month old 20 gallon, where I plan on keeping macroalgae, some softies, and a couple small fish and inverts. I'm hoping I can apply some of my skills growing freshwater plants to macroalgae, as it's what got me interested in saltwater from the start.

If you have a planted tank with slow water movement you can grow a lot of pods and keep seahorses in there for a really excellent smaller tank, imo.
Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Fish Think Pink · Dec 6, 2022

Elijah F said:
Greetings! I've been keeping freshwater planted tanks for a couple years now, and after much hesitation, decided to try put saltwater! I currently only have a 2 month old 20 gallon, where I plan on keeping macroalgae, some softies, and a couple small fish and inverts. I'm hoping I can apply some of my skills growing freshwater plants to macroalgae, as it's what got me interested in saltwater from the start.

Welcome! Glad you joined. Check out Reef Hobbyist Magazine current issue right now - free at some LFSs or you can look at it online in the meantime - GREAT issue containing macroalgae article.

Have you considered starting your build thread? I found its a great place to document my tank's evolution for myself. I started tank first then joined, so I'm still finding myself going back collecting pictures & updating historically as well as current state. Once you create your first post in your thread and link it to your account, they will give you build badge (look left, under my ID)

This might help you find people local to you, if Antelope is in USA:

Local Reef Club Discussion

Looking for some locals to share frags and info with? This is the place! Find a local club that meets in your area! If you want to add your club just contact us.

www.reef2reef.com

This might help you find people local to you, if Antelope is outside USA:

Global Local Reef Club Discussion

Looking for some locals to share frags and info with? This is the place! Find a local club that meets in your area! If you want to add your club just contact us.

www.reef2reef.com

I'd love to live in a town with such a COOL name!! Antelope just seems like a great place to live...

This is a good reference book type online article I still review:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

Elijah F · Dec 7, 2022

KrisReef said:
If you have a planted tank with slow water movement you can grow a lot of pods and keep seahorses in there for a really excellent smaller tank, imo.
Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I was thinking of keeping seahorses, though based on the research I've done, it seems that my tank is a bit too small for some of the hardier species like h. erectus, and the smaller species like h. zosterae are pretty tricky to keep.

I think that I might go for some pipefish instead though, specifically bluestripe pipefish. They're similar to seahorses, but can adapt to a wider range of foods and are hardier. At least that's what I've heard anyways, if anyone's had success with seahorses in a 20 gallon I'd love to hear about your experience

Elijah F · Dec 7, 2022

Fish Think Pink said:
Welcome! Glad you joined. Check out Reef Hobbyist Magazine current issue right now - free at some LFSs or you can look at it online in the meantime - GREAT issue containing macroalgae article.

Thanks! I'll be sure to give it a read

Fish Think Pink said:
Have you considered starting your build thread? I found its a great place to document my tank's evolution for myself. I started tank first then joined, so I'm still finding myself going back collecting pictures & updating historically as well as current state. Once you create your first post in your thread and link it to your account, they will give you build badge (look left, under my ID)

I just created my build thread a little bit ago, I'll see if I can link it to my account.

Fish Think Pink said:
This might help you find people local to you, if Antelope is in USA:

Local Reef Club Discussion

Looking for some locals to share frags and info with? This is the place! Find a local club that meets in your area! If you want to add your club just contact us.

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks alot! There aren't too many aquarium stores in my area, so it would be great to find other local hobbyists to trade with.

Fish Think Pink said:
I'd love to live in a town with such a COOL name!! Antelope just seems like a great place to live...

This is the first time I've ever heard someone compliment my town; it's right smack in the middle of California, with scorching dry summers, soggy cold winters, and fairly average scenery. Though, I guess that the name is pretty neat now that I think about it!

Fish Think Pink said:
This is a good reference book type online article I still review:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks again for all the help, it looks like it's got lots of helpful information in it!

Fishy888 · Dec 7, 2022

Hi and welcome to R2R! As you’re seeing, people here are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. We’re glad you joined!

VanCityReef · Dec 7, 2022

Welcome! Excited to hear about how everything goes for you

Elijah F · Dec 7, 2022

So, I don't know why my build thread hasn't shown up in my profile yet, but Here's the link to my build if you'd like to see it

KrisReef · Dec 7, 2022

Elijah F said:
I was thinking of keeping seahorses, though based on the research I've done, it seems that my tank is a bit too small for some of the hardier species like h. erectus, and the smaller species like h. zosterae are pretty tricky to keep.

I think that I might go for some pipefish instead though, specifically bluestripe pipefish. They're similar to seahorses, but can adapt to a wider range of foods and are hardier. At least that's what I've heard anyways, if anyone's had success with seahorses in a 20 gallon I'd love to hear about your experience

I was thinking about the dwarves and yes 20 is really small for any ocean dwellers from a purely size scale discussion. My lfs keeps them for sale in a small display and they also sell macro algae from the same tank.

I don’t have practical experience with them but I’ve enjoyed the beautiful plant & Seahorse display and would like one, and the typical trajectory in aquarium is starting small and then upgrading to a larger box!

Your knowledge of the subject is impressive and I think your plant tank is going to be fantastic!

I once observed a seahorse on a reef in Cayman Brac (so I fancy myself as an almost- expert on them-

. I was impressed with the fact that the water was only 1-2’ deep and the horse hung there in shallow water and was not disturbed at my presence. The lack of motion of the animal to flee and head for a hole or deeper water and cover wasn’t typically what fishes do in these situations.
practically the space that horse was using was much less than 20 gallons if one ignores the food and Fresh water drift dimensions. That’s the extent of my “understanding” and the experience of finding a seahorse in the wild in shallow water and significant plant growth is a memory I would enjoy recreating in a tank but my plant keeping skills isn’t that good/ and probably not good enough for keeping a seahorse happy long term.