beginning my 35-40 gallon hex

[burch2006]

I'm debating what kind of lights to put on top. Tank is like 4ft tall, and I want a clam in with the seahorses. Whats the best stuff to put on the substrate for them to cling too? I want it to look as real as possible.

 

[teresaq]

Clams and horses don't mix. Horses are too slow. Clams can hurt them badly. If this can happen to a healthy tang just think what it would do to a slow moving horse.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/271837/oh-my-god-grip-of-death
as far as hitches, most people use fake stuff. you can use dead seafans, macro alges. tonga branch.

 

[indjen98]

I have my horses in my 35 gal hex. It is a bit of a pain as you can not put real plants in it cause the light does not get deep enough down. On the other hand the tank gives them tons of room. I have a few bits of live rock, a fake coral and plant I got at walmart and today I found a fake plant at Pet Supply Plus. The plant sits on the bottom of the tank and just about reaches the top of it. I also have a few snails in the tank, but they are getting removed soon. I thought it would help with the "clean up", but once in awhile I will find a horse wrapped around one then it thrashes back and forth to get free as the snail will cling to it. Not a good thing.

 

[reefnutpa]

Agreed. Clams are not a seahorse-safe tankmate. Hex tanks are really a PITA to light properly without the use of halide pendants to penetrate the depth of the water.
Tom

 

[cleve_seahorse]

You can get red macros like gracillera or red fire bush...they do fine under low to med. lights...On my hex tank I run 50/50 power compacts and my reds grow fine , along with codium which is a green macro that needs med. light-med. flow...you can find them at live-plants dot com....thats where I buy all my macros .Just don't buy the browns...they need halides to survive, and will melt without the high lighting....

 

[dingus890]

Yes do not mix clams with seahorses.They can close there mantle on the horses tail and hurt the horses badly.

 

[premilove]

+1 on lighting for a hex. i had a hex for a good 8 months. i used a K2 150 watt and that was barely enough. same exact tank as yours. i literally had to bring down the k2 to the surface of the water for my zoas towards the bottomof the tank to be happy..