salt question!

[4luvofhrses]

Hi! Just wondering.... I do water changes on my small 10gal seahorse tank every other day of anywhere from 1-2 gallons. Is it feasibly possible for me to make say, 4 gallons or even a week's worth of saltwater ahead of time and keep it in my plastic bucket? Obviously, I'll need to retest the salinity to account for evaporation, right, but do people do this? What is the advice on this? Thanks!

[Samala]

Lots of people do this and I would even recommend it. After I do a water change I mix up enough saltwater for next weeks change, as well as a little extra. For me, that's about five gallons worth. I use a powerhead to mix it up for a few hours, shut it off, seal the bucket with a good lid, and forget about it until I need it again.

Having prepared saltwater can be a lifesaver in the event of a tank system problem.

When its time for the next waterchange, I open up the lid, stick in an airstone, and let it bubble like mad for a few hours while I run errands, siphon the tank, cleanup any algae, service filters.. you get the idea. I check the salinity (and its usually spot on) and repeat the process to make saltwater for next week.

I think I would be remiss if I did not add that a ten gallon is considered too small for all the commercially available seahorses on the market. The smallest stable and recommended size is a 29gallon tank for a pair of SH. So you might want to make plans for an upgrade as the horses grow. :)

>Sarah

[Pea-brain]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11766660#post11766660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Samala

I think I would be remiss if I did not add that a ten gallon is considered too small for all the commercially available seahorses on the market. The smallest stable and recommended size is a 29gallon tank for a pair of SH. So you might want to make plans for an upgrade as the horses grow. :)

>Sarah

Except of course dwarf seahorses, which is what i would guess she has in a 10 gallon.....

I second mixing water in advance. I mix my water for several weeks ahead and just airate it for a couple hours before use.

Dan

[4luvofhrses]

...I have 2 fuscus in my 10gal. (I forgot to mention that it's a high one) But, I must say that right now, the horses are each about 31/2 or 33/4 inches long. They max out at 5 inches, and from all of my studying, 5 inches is considered rather large-ish. So far, it's only been 3 weeks, they are fine. Water changes every other day. Eating like pigs, swimming around, courting. But, I agree with you- they should have a larger space. I have my 30gal cycling... should be ready for them in about 3 or 4 more weeks. I think I will get one more pair for the 30gal, since they are small.

Thanks for the mandarin advice, too. I didn't consider.... 5 inches?! Wow! I thought smaller for some reason.... will definitely go with a smaller gobi, then. Maybe will try adding a fire shrimp- live babies could be a great advantage!

Thanks also for the saltwater advice, too! Will try the airstone method before I use it.

Cheers!