seahorse water quality?

Question

I just started up a seahorse tank with 2 kudas. What is the best way to keep the water quality in good condition? I notice they dont eat all thier food and it seems impossible to get out all uneaten food. I plan on doing 10% water changes every 2 weeks.

Answer 1

I would add some small hermits to eat the leftover food, and possibly some Nassarius Snails too.

Regards

Answer 2

With seahorses, water quality is pretty important. Are you spot feeding (using a pair of forceps or a baster to deliver the food right to the fish)? In a larger tank, this can help them "find" the food, rather than just adding it to the tank and letting it float around. Also, seahorses should be fed a few small feedings throughout the day. You might be giving yours too much at one time.

Without knowing the size of your tank, I can't comment on 10% changes every other week, but that might not be enough if the tank is small and there's a lot of food that's not eaten. You should remove anything not eaten as soon as possible, and monitor the nitrogenous wastes (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) with water tests. You might want to consider a small, peaceful bottom feeder (hermit crabs, clown goby) to clean up after your seahorses.

These are the water parameters to aim for: pH - 8.2 to 8.4
Specific gravity - around 1.024
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - <10 ppm