Possibility of Starting a Seahorse Tank Thread

[howardj]

Well, the title kind of says it.
I'm thinking about setting up a Seahorse tank.
I was looking at Kelloggi SH at my LFS, but another LFS has Southern Erectus that puts the kelloggi's to shame.
So, I was thinking Southern Erectus?
I'm looking at a 20Gallon High for a pair of Erectus, as well as some tonga LR, sand, chaeto, various algaes, and tons of pods.
I would Love to have help getting started.. tips, tricks, pics are great!

 

[rykna]

Hi! Welcome abaord

Well first off, if you planing to get any kind of seahorse of than dwarf seahorses~you're going to need a much larger tank.
What aquarium sizes do you have available?

 

[howardj]

I don't have any empty tanks except the 10 gallon I am going to use for chaeto.
A 20 Gallon High tank will not work for a pair of Erectus?

 

[sueandherzoo]

I don't know what the hard and fast rule of gallonage per horse is but 20 seems too small. I also know that you need a minimum of 20" of height if you want to give them the best environment. When I decided I wanted a horse tank I bought a 46 gallon bowfront and all I have in there are 4 horses. I may get another pair sometime in the future but if I do, I will then be maxed out from what I hear.
I think the primary problem with a 20 gallon is that it will be harder to keep the water pristine - horses need really good water parameters. I'm sure you'll hear from others but I would go bigger than 20 if you're starting fresh.
Sue

 

[howardj]

1. Since Hippocampus Erectus reach adult size at 19 cm (7.48 inches) and a 20 Gallon High aquarium is 16 3/4" high. double the size of the height of the seahorse (14.96") leaving a grand total of 1.79" of sandbed (round to 2") why would a 20 gallon high aquarium not be suitable for two hippocampus erectus? [Not trying to argue, or judge your opinion, I think highly of both of you two ladies, I was just wondering why you both think this way?]2. What kind of filtration is compatible with horses? HOB?
3. Does lighting affect the coloration of Seahorses? What kind of lighting are you using?
4. What kind of live coral can seahorses hitch on (besides gorgonians)? kenya tree?
5. Is there a sure fire way to make darn sure I get all of the Bristle Worms out of Live Rock? I am trying to find Branching Tonga Rock anyway, but if I do not..
6. What do you guys feed your horses? I read Mysis is a great food for them, but do you guys enhance it with anything? Does food always affect the coloration at all?
7. How do I tell Male from Female when I go to pick out my horses?
.. that's all for now, I have more.. but I don't want to overwhelm everyone

 

[sueandherzoo]

Hi there.
It's great to see you doing homework and research before jumping in - I'm sure your horses will be very well cared for.

Here's something I cut and pasted by someone who's been into seahorses a LOT longer than me:
"it's simply a matter of putting a fish into a tank that's too small...if you're given food and water, you could live in a phone booth, but i don't think you'd thrive, not to mention the waste buildup.
SH present a rather heavy bioload on a system, so you need enuff water volume to handle it.
SH appreciate stable temps and chemical water parameters. again, the more water you have, the more stable and less stressful the system will be.
beside using the horizontal room in a tank, SH are "vertically oriented" fish...they'll use all of this space in their day-to-day swimming, and ESPECIALLY if they're mating. if they don't have enuff space to complete their coital spins, there may never be an egg transfer, especially with an inexperienced pair. the rule of thumb here is to provide a tank that's as close to 3x the uncurled height of the SH to be kept. actually, even the larger PNP's are bit shallow, but they're close enuff in most cases."
Regarding filtration, get the best you can - they need really clean water. I have a Fluval 405 on my 46 gallon horse tank, as well as lots of live rock, live sand, and a protein skimmer.
Horses don't require any special lighting - anything is fine. I'm currently upgrading the lights on my horse tank just so the tank will look nicer, but it's not necessary for the well being of the horses.
I don't know much about corals for horses - I'm still pretty new myself. I have macro algae in their tank and they love hanging onto that. They also hang onto my feather dusters and most of the live rock - I hand picked pieces that had built-in hitching posts.
I feed mine frozen mysis shrimp - it's the brand that is already fortified with vitamins and other good stuff. I don't think food has any affect on the horses color, but their health and mood does. They'll also change colors when they are doing their mating game and breeding, etc.
Regarding sexing them, the males have a more subtle curve to their
belly/pouch area whereas the females have a belly that ends abruptly.
I'll go get some photos and post them in a few minutes . . .

 

[howardj]

Thank you!
Photos are ALWAYS awesome

 

[sueandherzoo]

Here's a male - subtle curve at the bottom of his pouch:

And here's a female with a much more severe 90 degree angle at the bottom of her pouch:

 

[howardj]

Ah. Awesome! That helps a lot, I can definitely see the difference in the two. Are they both yours?

 

[sueandherzoo]

Yes, those two Erectus were my first horses, then I added these two a few weeks later:

They're just as addicting as this hobby of ours ..... you've been warned!
Sue

 

[howardj]

Wow! I really like your yellow Erectus!

 

[sueandherzoo]

Originally Posted by HowardJ
http:///forum/post/2893272
Wow! I really like your yellow Erectus!
Actually, the two yellow ones are "Red Reidi". They're smaller than the Erectus but make a bigger hole in the wallet.

Sue

 

[howardj]

Haha. Have your horses ever had babies?

 

[chels0717]

Feeding your pets frozen mysis (as long as they are captive-bred) enhanced with Vibrance works really well! And if you want to bring out the seahorses' color, use darker live rock/substrate/decorations. I have metal halide HQI lighting so that I can have corals as well, but you have to make sure the seahorses have places to hide and escape the light so they can sunbathe as they please .
And I was wondering if anyone has bought seahorses from this website? They're a lot cheaper than Ocean Rider, but I've never bought them from this website but i know OR is supposedly the best...

 

[teresaq]

Hi howard, Welcome to the wonderful world of seahorses.
I just skimmed thru this thread, but wanted to say that 20 gal would be the bare minimum for a pair of erectus. I always suggest 29 gal or more. I have my pair in a 20 gal QT right now and can tell you they need more room. They have been courting and just do not have enough hight to dance proper. There just isnt enough room for a proper egg transfer, not to mention thier love of hunting. Mine will be moved to thier permant home this next week.
T

 

[sueandherzoo]

Originally Posted by chels0717
http:///forum/post/2894033
Feeding your pets frozen mysis (as long as they are captive-bred) enhanced with Vibrance works really well! And if you want to bring out the seahorses' color, use darker live rock/substrate/decorations. I have metal halide HQI lighting so that I can have corals as well, but you have to make sure the seahorses have places to hide and escape the light so they can sunbathe as they please .
And I was wondering if anyone has bought seahorses from this website? They're a lot cheaper than Ocean Rider, but I've never bought them from this website but i know OR is supposedly the best...
No, sorry, never purchased horses from this site.... the four I have were all ordered from ORA through my LFS.
Nope, no babies yet, but I'm anxiously awaiting the commencement of their "dance" in the future.
Sue

 

[teresaq]

Originally Posted by HowardJhttp:///forum/post/28925031. Since Hippocampus Erectus reach adult size at 19 cm (7.48 inches) and a 20 Gallon High aquarium is 16 3/4" high. double the size of the height of the seahorse (14.96") leaving a grand total of 1.79" of sandbed (round to 2") why would a 20 gallon high aquarium not be suitable for two hippocampus erectus? [Not trying to argue, or judge your opinion, I think highly of both of you two ladies, I was just wondering why you both think this way?]
2. What kind of filtration is compatible with horses? HOB? yes you can use a lrg hob but a canister with a spray bar is better. they are messy
3. Does lighting affect the coloration of Seahorses? What kind of lighting are you using? Lighting does not effect thier color, but the colors of your hitches can. They are good at camo
4. What kind of live coral can seahorses hitch on (besides gorgonians)? kenya tree? yes you can use kenta trees, colts, finger leathers.
5. Is there a sure fire way to make darn sure I get all of the Bristle Worms out of Live Rock? I am trying to find Branching Tonga Rock anyway, but if I do not.. You can try dipping in high salitiy water or quick fresh water dip.
6. What do you guys feed your horses? I read Mysis is a great food for them, but do you guys enhance it with anything? Does food always affect the coloration at all? no food doesnt effect color, but any good quality mysis will do. [/COLOR]7.[/b]
How do I tell Male from Female when I go to pick out my horses?
.. that's all for now, I have more.. but I don't want to overwhelm everyone

Be sure to only buy captive bred horses either have your lfs order them for you or find a local breeder. Wild caught horses are much harder to care for. As per my above post a 20 gal would be the bare min for a pair of Erectus. (per a respected breeder site) If there is anyway to go bigger the better for the horses.
TeresaQ

 

[howardj]

Thanks Teresa