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SH Tank Basics

post #1 of 28
Thread Starter 
Setting up a bare min Seahorse tank

For a small horse such as H. Comes and maybe H Kellogi is a 15 gal tall for 2 horses..
For med, large horse such as Kuda. Erectus, and Reidi a 29 gal or more.
The larger the tank, the better your water quality.

Equipment,
Tank, Power filter, either a HOB or Canister, Power Head for circulation. Also spray bars attached to the canister filter will give you a nice even flow across the back of the tank.
If you want a sump and refuge, then that’s all the better. The hang on back refuges work good for seahorse tanks, but not necessary.

To set up tank, either live sand or dry sand, live rock or dead rock. I prefer dead so as not to introduce and unwanted hitchhikers.

You don’t want more then a lb per gal, you don’t wont to pack the tank full. The horses need rood to swim.

Let the tank cycle, and remain empty but cycled for at least 2 to 4 mo.
You can introduce macro algeas, and pods to the tank. Let the pods grow and reproduce, also add a few snails. (Most crabs are not safe, but very small red hermits should be ok, just keep an eye on them)
If you are planning on any type of tank mates, them intro them after the tank has cycled.
Have plenty of hitches in your tank for the Horses. They can be either live Macros, Plastic plants, fake corals. What ever you prefer.

Temps on you tank should be kept beteen 72 and 77 degrees. A fan attached to the top of tank, or blowing on tank will help keep temps down. Horses prefer cooler temps and helps keep bacterial infections out of your tank.
Regular florescent lights are fine, but you can also have stronger lights if corals are to be added to tank.
Just remember that temps need to be kept lower.
Non stinging corals can be kept with horses. Mushrooms, leathers and zoos make good additions if you have the lighting to support them.

So over view

Tank
Sand
Rock
Filter
power heads
Plants
Pods
snails
Hitches
Horses


these starter kits would work just fine
LL
LL
post #2 of 28
is it possible to keep SH in a large reef tank with strong flow after they get big big?
post #3 of 28
Originally Posted by Tboy View Post
is it possible to keep SH in a large reef tank with strong flow after they get big big?
Depending on the keepers' level of experience and what is in the tank, yes. No stinging corals, and tankmates should be mild.
post #4 of 28
cool
post #5 of 28
good info-- how much do u think all that will cost totally?
post #6 of 28
Thread Starter 
depending on what you pay for a tank, stand, filters, base rock, sand
anywhere from 200.00 to 500.00
post #7 of 28
Thread Starter 
If anyone with more experiance want to add to this, please do.
post #8 of 28
Thank you for the info.
I noticed in your list of SH, you didn't mention H. breviceps.
I've done a tiny bit of reading on them...has anyone had/heard any experience w/ them?? They like it much cooler (upper 60's) I think. Curious if anyone knows how they are to keep.
post #9 of 28
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I didnt put them, because they arent seen much and are a cold water horse. they are a small horse, only 3 to 4 inchs, but you have to have a chiller to keep them.
I like pots, but they too need a chiller and a very lrg, tall tank.
T
post #10 of 28
In the future i might get two dwarf horses. I'm reading up on them. I have heard acouple things. you have to feed them live foods? others say frozen brine shrimp is fine. They also need to be feed 3 times a day? Thanks
post #11 of 28
Great book entirely on keeping dwarf seahorses. I'm not sure if I can say the title here? But google the author: Alisa Wagner Abbott. It should come up. I'm finding her information invaluable in my dwarf-keeping research!
post #12 of 28
Thanks TeresaQ! This is the thread I'm looking for. Considering setting up a 55 SH tank myself. What about making this thread the 'one-stop' for questions? Or is there another thread for that? A sticky at the top would do wonders for this topic.

A couple questions/points I have.

1.) I know copper is not to be used, and FW dips seem recommended to treat pretty much anything. Is that it? What about stuff like Formalin or Marcelyn 2? No no's as well?

2.) What about QT? Are there standards there? Going by my fish knowledge, I would QT a SH much like say a leopard wrasse. Have a well established QT ready to go with live rock and sand (maybe just some crushed coral in place of sand for pods to breed out of for SH's) and treat if necessary. Or is QT unnessecary for SH's themselves, a FW dip will take care of their diseases, but it's adviseable to QT everything else regarding the tank? Like you mentioned using dried base rock instead of live.

3.) Tank size and rock quantity. It seems lately there has been a downward spin on tank size for this guys. Again, falling back to my fish knowledge about pod eaters, you need larger tanks stuffed with live rock for any type of success with fish like mandarins. Is that because SH's consumation rate is that much lower? I realize SH's need the swimming space, but that would only seem like to me to push tank sizes bigger? It seems like you are able to supplemental fed this guys with brine. I thought brine was about the most empty thing nutritionally-wise out there? Is that true or are SH's dietary needs what brine provides? Or do you use other things then brine, like cyclopeeze for instance?

4.) Tankmates. At first it seemed like SH's were strictly speices tanks. But now it seems like they are becoming more of a 'community' tank, heck even in this thread there's talk about that. I thought you couldn't even do pipefish because they had a chance to bring in diseases. Or does a standard QT timeframe of 4-6 weeks eliminate the chance of diseases coming in?

5.) Selfish question, what could I do in a 55? Would it be enough for a pair of reidi's and some pipefish? I know the general rule is the max size of the SH unfurled, should be a 1/3rd of the tank height. So for a 18" 55gal, max size of a 6" SH? Or perhaps this might be answered already in Q. #3....
post #13 of 28
Thread Starter 
Originally Posted by AquaKnight View Post
Thanks TeresaQ! This is the thread I'm looking for. Considering setting up a 55 SH tank myself. What about making this thread the 'one-stop' for questions? Or is there another thread for that? A sticky at the top would do wonders for this topic.

A couple questions/points I have.

1.) I know copper is not to be used, and FW dips seem recommended to treat pretty much anything. Is that it? What about stuff like Formalin or Marcelyn 2? No no's as well? There are several meds used for horses I will have to research them for ya

2.) What about QT? Are there standards there? Going by my fish knowledge, I would QT a SH much like say a leopard wrasse. Have a well established QT ready to go with live rock and sand (maybe just some crushed coral in place of sand for pods to breed out of for SH's) and treat if necessary. Or is QT unnessecary for SH's themselves, a FW dip will take care of their diseases, but it's adviseable to QT everything else regarding the tank? Like you mentioned using dried base rock instead of live.
I would QT any new horse just as you would fish. most horses are raised in a bare bottom tank if they are captive breed, and are not use to sand and live rock. its always good to QT to be sure they are eatting well and are use to you and to get them use to strange things in thier tanks.

3.) Tank size and rock quantity. It seems lately there has been a downward spin on tank size for this guys. Again, falling back to my fish knowledge about pod eaters, you need larger tanks stuffed with live rock for any type of success with fish like mandarins. Is that because SH's consumation rate is that much lower? I realize SH's need the swimming space, but that would only seem like to me to push tank sizes bigger? It seems like you are able to supplemental fed this guys with brine. I thought brine was about the most empty thing nutritionally-wise out there? Is that true or are SH's dietary needs what brine provides? Or do you use other things then brine, like cyclopeeze for instance?
I would never use brine for lrg species of horses. Most will train to frozen mysis and this should be thier main diet feed two to three times a day.

4.) Tankmates. At first it seemed like SH's were strictly speices tanks. But now it seems like they are becoming more of a 'community' tank, heck even in this thread there's talk about that. I thought you couldn't even do pipefish because they had a chance to bring in diseases. Or does a standard QT timeframe of 4-6 weeks eliminate the chance of diseases coming in?

The problem with pipes is the pathogens they can pass on to horses. Most keepers will not mix them unless you have lots of experiance and or they come from the same source. I would not mix them

5.) Selfish question, what could I do in a 55? Would it be enough for a pair of reidi's and some pipefish? I know the general rule is the max size of the SH unfurled, should be a 1/3rd of the tank height. So for a 18" 55gal, max size of a 6" SH? Or perhaps this might be answered already in Q. #3....
a 55 would be a great size for a couple of pairs of horses. They mostly need the extra height for thier breeding dances.
post #14 of 28
Just think of seahorses as scaleless fish. What applies to them pretty much applies to seahorses. Copper can be used if it were called for an low doses but there really isn't anything it's needed for. There are a few instances when it can be used, but common parasites such as ich are not found commonly in seahorses... actually I've never seen or heard first hand of any seahorse having ich.

I will have 5 seahorses in my 50 gallon. Your tank would be find.
post #15 of 28

H. Kelloggi

You say in the first message that H. Kelloggi can be kept in a 15 gallon tall tank.I thought they are one of the larger seahorses growing up to 11".Did you just mean when they are young they canbe kept in a 15 gallon?
Please let me know as I have a 20 gallon tall and my LFS has captive bred H Kelloggi's for sale.I am well aware of seahorse care just was confused by the first post about H Kelloggi.

Thanks.
post #16 of 28
The Kelloggi's that have been out recently are not true CB. They have been pen raised in the ocean along with all the other cooties. They are better than WC but not as "good" as CB. Ask your LFS where they got them from. If he says a specific breeder, they a CB. If he says from a place in asia they are pen raised.
post #17 of 28
Thanks for the reply.I know they are CB.They come from a breeder my LFS works with.They specialize in seahorses.

But can they still be kept in a 15 Gallon like my original question?
post #18 of 28
Thread Starter 
nope you are right. I always thought they were a smaller species like H. comes, but more research reveals 11 inch at adult hood. so they would need a very tall tank
T
post #19 of 28
Few things I would add:
Koralia powerheads are great seahorse-friendly p-heads, they don't have a chance of sucking a horse against the water intakes. I've run a Koralia-one in mine with no adverse effects, but for long term use I'd recommend two koralia-nanos in a 37 gallon tank. These are perfect for keeping water flowing and eliminating dead spots.

Second, a protein skimmer. Can't throw out enough good comments for these guys. Even a cheapie one increases O2 concentration in the tank, skimming benefits notwithstanding. Of course, a better quality HOB skimmer is only going to improve your water quality.

Live rock: as in any other saltwater tank, LR is nature's filter. Just make sure the rock you get is pest-free.....mantis shrimp are an absolute no-no in a seahorse tank!
post #20 of 28
How long do dwarfs live?
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