Suggestions for fry tank? - I'm having ammonia problems

C

CarolynM

[I am currently raising a batch of erectus seahorse fry. I have gotten them to 7 weeks old now, but am losing them one by one to ammonia spikes in my fry tank.

I didn't have a cycled hydoid free ank to put them into when I got them, so I have been using a 10 gallon with an uncycled sponge filter and doing lots of water changes.

But I still can't keep the ammonia at bay. Example: Sunday night I had a trace of ammonia (<.25pppm) so changed out 20%, Monday morning I had a reading of .5 ppm, so changed out about 40% over the day, Tuesday it was back at .5 more water changes. Tonight I gave up and dumped the tank and put the little guys in water I had ready.

I need help! I have tried adding bacteria starters and haven't had any luck with them. I have a sponge filter in a bucket I'm currently cycling - I'm at the nitrite phase with that, but it may still be a while. I'm in desperate need of suggestions. I have some live rock I could add to the tank, but I'm so afraid of introducing hydroids that could wipe out my fry in a nano second.

Any suggestions??

Carolyn]
 
[Go to a larger tank - 'The solution to pollution is dilution' - that in itself will help smooth the peaks and vallies you're currently having.
I'm also feeling like you need some sort of buffering agent as the changes in ammonia, tho slight, will have some effect on the pH. Could be as simple as the typical teaspoonful-will-do-ya buffering agent or - and I think you gotta be careful with this one - dropping in some sand or base rock. The caveat on the sand or base rock is that I would prolly bake it or boil it to sterilize it and then drop it in a bucket (after it cooled) to hydrate it and then check the pH levels to see what the impact would be before dropping in a whole new neighborhood for your fry...
Best of luck - what you're trying is not usually recommended for the faint-of-heart and if this works, name one for me. :D]



Edited By cpalmist on 1112454931
 
[What about putting some LR in the tank wrapped in a layer of pantyhose? I'm thinking if the water can still get filtered, it will be okay and the pantyhose would keep the fry away from any hydroids. Fish net, bridal veil, embroidery perferated plastic screen.... anything to keep the fry away from the LR.

These are just some WAGs on my part. I hope you find a solution.

Btw, check your source water to make sure you aren't adding ammonia with every water change.]
 
[Thanks for the tips. I think what would probably help is what was suggested above - to add more volume to the system. I guess upgrading to a 15 might be the easiest and then adding a sump.

Live rock just scares me - I've got these little guys this far, I'd hate to loose them to hydroids - I dont think any kind of netting would hold them back and least the free floaters. Now I haven't seen any free floaters in my reef tank but I have seen the little colonies - will they eventually become the free floaters? Hoping not but thinking they probably will!

Carolyn]
 
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