Seahorse cycling

So i was wondering how long a dwarf seahorse tank needs to cycle. I have set up a 2.5 gallon dwarf seahorse tank with some caulpera and some other macroalgae. I put water in from a tank that had been set up for 2 years. Just wondering because they are getting here on wednesday any info welcome. But I have only one question on feeding. Has anyone ever had these to eat enriched frozen bbs. Because I know the need bbs I just hate hatching them because my hatchery is so loud.

 

post pics later

 

Most definitely the tank needs to cycled to be able to process the amount of food you will need to introduce.

How long depends on how you cycle it, as long as possible IMO.

Using water from an existing running tank is really no advantage, you need fully cured rock.

 

well i have sand from a cured tank

 

It is a fact, that using a STERILE set up, adding ammonia and allowing to cycle, will give you a better chance of success than using water/rock/macro/sand/etc... from another tank. It helps to eliminate the chances of hydroids growing as long as you also sterilize or decap the cysts you use for the brine shrimp.
And, the fewer pathogens you expose the seahorses to, the better your chances of success.
As for frozen bbs, no one has managed to get them converted to frozen bbs for any length of time, although a few have managed it in the short term.

 

This would be true if the tank was not set up on Monday with livestock arriving on Wed. At this junction the tank is not cycled at all regardless of the preferable method.

 

Dwarfs can easily be kept in a gallon jar or other clean container until the cycle is completed in their future home tank.
As ALL uneaten brine shrimp should be removed from the tank before their next feeding, you basically are doing a partial water change at each feeding.
As long as the total water change per day is about 50% of the total volume there should be no problem. You can add a bit of ClorAm-X or similar product each day just to be sure. It doesn't take much.
I do this when I unexpectedly come across new seahorses I don't already have and have to set up the tank AFTER I buy them.

 

To address concerns about the appropriateness of my last post, I stress that this method is ONLY intended for the duration of tank cycling.
Also, in my comment about the "new seahorses", I'm referring to standard sized seahorses and in this case I keep them in a 20g tank. However, the 50% daily water change is still required along with ClorAm-X for safety.