Hi, I'm new to this and have no idea what I'm doing but I wanted to introduce myself to the group. My name is Christy and my boyfriend Bob and I are starting a Tiger Tail seahorse coral reef tank. We currently have a 150 gallon African Cichlid tank but I have never done saltwater before. Bob has but he is an Alaskan fisherman and gone during the summer. I believe I everything ready and am about to start the month long cycle. This is the most stressful point in our endeavor as it will become real very soon instead of a project I'm working on! If there is anyone out these that has had Tiger Tail seahorse and can give me some tips, I would appreciate anything! The goal is to become a breeder.
Tiger Tail Seahorse
- Thread starter Christina Aitken
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Crabs McJones
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Welcome to R2R! Never had seahorses but it is something I'd be interested in venturing into some day 
#WelcometoR2R
HotRocks
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welcome to r2r!
SeahorseKeeper
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Welcome to R2R and world of keeping seahorses!!
Feel free to ask any questions. The biggest thing I recommend doing is to take your time and make sure you set the tank up right the first time.
Can you tell us a little about your setup?
Feel free to ask any questions. The biggest thing I recommend doing is to take your time and make sure you set the tank up right the first time.
Can you tell us a little about your setup?
dbl
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Welcome to R2R and your new reefing family and welcome to the salty side.
Reefer Deez
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Hello and welcome to R2R
It's a pleasure to have you here with us
It's a pleasure to have you here with us
Hi, thanks for responding. Yes, I am doing my best to get it right the first time but am sooo nervous now that I'm about to start the cycle process! It's getting real, VERY SOON! The folks at Woody's Seahorse Aquarium & Supply in Portland OR have been advising me and am so lucky to have them share their expertise. When you ask about our setup, what do you mean? It is a corner 54 gallon tank, painted blue on the 2 back panels, with the pipes for the sump already installed in the tank, just waiting to be hooked up to the sump in the stand. We have a RODI unit and I have been making water for a while now. Last night I mixed the 20+ gallons of RODO h2o w/ salt and added it to Food Grade barrel I purchased for the sole purpose of storing salt water. This afternoon I tested the barrel w/ my Red Sea Refractometer and I had to much salt in the h2o. My reading was 1.030 and I'm told it should read 1.025
Thanks!Welcome to R2R! Never had seahorses but it is something I'd be interested in venturing into some day#WelcometoR2R
Thanks.. never knew I had a salty side but loving the journey! I had NO idea it could be so frustrating and so satisfying.. all at the same time!
Thanks!Hello and welcome to R2R
It's a pleasure to have you here with us
Gosh, I hope not! Seahorses are so delicate that the care anyone gives to successfully raise both adults and babies, I hope doesn't deviate to much!
!!! Welcome to R2R Christina !!! Don't forget to make your Build Thread so you can keep track of your progress and for us to learn from your experience.
Welcome to Reef2Reef!!
Here's a pic from one of my favorite articles on reefkeeping, applicable to new hobbyists and old as well:
If you're coming from FW, here is (to me) the biggest difference: the nitrogen cycle is only the startup of a SW tank cycle. The next 6-12 months is a maturing phase, and it's typically in this time frame where algae outbreaks occur and things can sort of roller-coaster, and if you stock the tank up too quickly, you might see corals randomly dying & fish getting sick, etc...hobbyists can very easily fall into the trap of chasing problems = making more problems => giving up and selling everything off. We don't want that to happen to anyone!
Long-term stability and balance are the keys, and you just can't shortcut the process significantly. That's always the #1 thing to keep in mind!
Here's a pic from one of my favorite articles on reefkeeping, applicable to new hobbyists and old as well:
If you're coming from FW, here is (to me) the biggest difference: the nitrogen cycle is only the startup of a SW tank cycle. The next 6-12 months is a maturing phase, and it's typically in this time frame where algae outbreaks occur and things can sort of roller-coaster, and if you stock the tank up too quickly, you might see corals randomly dying & fish getting sick, etc...hobbyists can very easily fall into the trap of chasing problems = making more problems => giving up and selling everything off. We don't want that to happen to anyone!
Long-term stability and balance are the keys, and you just can't shortcut the process significantly. That's always the #1 thing to keep in mind!
Thanks.. being an impatient person I have definitely seen the truth of being patient in the endeavor! Slow and steady is my new approach now. I don't want my own impatience to sabotage my tank. My seahorse guy tells me that I can put the seahorses in right after the cycle but have decided to just add the Diamond Goby, pipefish and coral after the cycle is finished. I want to have a happy, thriving tank before I add such delicate creatures.Welcome to Reef2Reef!!
Here's a pic from one of my favorite articles on reefkeeping, applicable to new hobbyists and old as well:
If you're coming from FW, here is (to me) the biggest difference: the nitrogen cycle is only the startup of a SW tank cycle. The next 6-12 months is a maturing phase, and it's typically in this time frame where algae outbreaks occur and things can sort of roller-coaster, and if you stock the tank up too quickly, you might see corals randomly dying & fish getting sick, etc...hobbyists can very easily fall into the trap of chasing problems = making more problems => giving up and selling everything off. We don't want that to happen to anyone!
Long-term stability and balance are the keys, and you just can't shortcut the process significantly. That's always the #1 thing to keep in mind!
Lovemyreef2015
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Welcome to R2R
Coldwater might have another set of circumstances also, but still, it's saltwater, and I think therefore there is just more potential water chemistry issues. Stability again is the key, keep thing stable for 3-6 months and that is the groundwork for a health system for your inhabitants
