Seahorse tank questions...

J

jdragunas

Guest
Ok, i'm going to get a seahorse only tank. I just purchased a 35 gallon hex, 24" tall. I want to get some mustang seahorses, and maybe some sunburst seahorses, as i have researched and found these are the hardiest.
My questions are about the tank setup... :help:
1. What kind of filter would be ideal? I know they need very low water flow, and the only filter i'm familiar with is a wet/dry. I know this creates a lot of flow. Would a canister filter be ok? Could i just get a hang-on bio-wheel filter, or is this not enough filtration?
2. Can i have any powerheads in the tank? I plan on getting about 20 nassarius snails, and possibly a few other sifters, so the sand shouldn't be a problem. Should i put just a small powerhead?
3. I know seahorses need no special lighting, so would the hood that comes with the tank be ok with it? I believe they had a 3x15 florescent hood with the tank.
4. I also wanted to maybe put corals in it. Are there any corals that will be ok in a little water flow environment? Maybe gorgonias or a sponge?
I think that's it for now. Any suggestions would be great, especially if you have a seahorse tank!
Jenn
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Hey Jenn, a bio-wheel filter will be fine for your tank. Just make sure you do 35-40 lbs. of live rock, and this way, you will not need the wheel. It will just be something for carbon storage and to move the water a little.
You can do a small powerhead, but nothing that is going to blast the water.
As far as the lighting, that light will be fine if all you are keeping is live rock, inverts, and sea horses. That would be ideal because I have found that sea horses do better under reduced light.
As for the corals you mentioned, they would go well in your enviroment with the exception for the fact that the sea horses might wrap their tails around them and iritate them a bit.
With one watt of light per gallon, the only corals you could really get away with would be maybe some mushrooms or polyps. Other interesting corals to possibly look into would be something in the family of a orange-rounded sponge (something the seahorse could not wrap around), a carnation coral, maybe an orange silk coral, or another type of filter feeding coral that does not branch.
Also, when you are setting up the tank, I would try to find at least a few pieces of branch rock so that the sea horses have something to grab onto.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
Well thanks for replying!
I've decided to turn a 10 gallon tank i have into a fuge with a protein skimmer. I want the chances of the seahorses surviving to be the best!

I've also decided to get a power compact with 10,000k light, and an actinic light, with a dual ballast (sp?). That way, i can have about 100 watts on the tank, just a little under 3 watts per gallon. I read that's in the perfect range for seahorses. Does this increase my selection of corals?
My plan is to have the tank up and running by March, so i have quite a while to go. I'll definately have at least 45lbs of LR, and LS. :cheer:
As for the corals, i'll look into the carnation coral, the round sponge, and the orange silk coral. They said that the seahorses do best with reds and yellows in the tank, so that might work perfectly.

I thought mushrooms and polyps had to have higher lighting??? :notsure: If not, can i get them in my 55 gallon tank? (I have a little less than 1 watt per gallon right now).
Thanks for your help!
Jenn
<---Walter... lol
 
ssweet1

ssweet1

Member
On my tank I have a emperor 400 that provides some surface movement and a HOB skimmer. Right now I have a CPR bakpak which does pretty good but I just ordered a Remora pro. I also have a small powerhead because my tank is a 37gallon tall and the emperor just moves the top. I have xenia and kenya trees and also a Florida native gorgonian which does very well with the 2X 65watts I am using for lighting. I also have some caulerpa growing in there which the seahorses love hunting for pods and hitching onto. Here are some important websites for you www.seahorse.org and www.aquabiotics.net Seahorses are alot of work, you gotta feed them twice a day and they can get sick easily. If you get male and female you can have tons of babies monthly!! They are super cool though and I love them but was not aware of all the required stuff to maintain them properly so just be ready for a nice but busy hobby
Carrie
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
I have two H. Reidi seahorses in a 55. I have about 20 lbs live rock and a HOB bio-wheel filter. I also have a powerhead in there facing the surface on the opposite side of the tank. Just to help aggitate the surface to get gas exchange. If you use a powerhead, make sure you have a sponge on it. I failed to do this initially and had my first female get sucked in.
Your lighting should be fine. I would be careful which corals you get. You don't want anything that will sting as the horses will grab on to them. If you are looking to add color, the safest and easiest is to add colorful fake plants. That is what I did.
The snails are good. I would add a few small hermit crabs as well.
Also, I recommend captive bred horses. They have a higher survival rate and general are on frozen mysis shrimp already. The wild ones tend to mainly only eat live food and that can be difficult to get at times unless you raise your own.
You could go with sponges and gorgonians that are not photsynthetis and feed off plankton. Also a sun coral will be good as well, no lighting requirements.
What ever filtration you get or powerheads make sure there are a minimum of bubbles in the tank at all times. A big no no with horses.
I am not sure what horses you are describing to get as I don't pay attention to common names but I would definitely go with H. Reidi. Very hardy if bought captive bred and don't require temperatures lower or higher than the average saltwater fish tank.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
The two kinds of seahorses i'm getting are both in the same species. H. erectus. They're named by the color, i guess, or maybe it's just the website's name for them. They're guaranteed captive bread & guaranteed to eat frozen mysis. I've decided that i'll have enough to do with the seahorses, so i'm planning on just getting fake decorations. It'll be much less of a headache. I'll get corals in my 55 gallon FOWLR later on.

Also, i have a hex tank, so how should i focus the water flow? i want to get just 1 powerhead, but should i make it so the water swirls in a circle around the tank? Would that create a 'whirlpool' effect? Should i have it circle from top-to-bottom instead of around? Kinda confused about this... :thinking:
Thanks for all of your help!!!
Jenn
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
Your HOB filter will get you the needed water flow. What I did with my powerhead is placed it half way down and angled it up towards the surface on the other side of my tank. Basically it shoots diagonally across my tank upwards.
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
Before I forget, if you go with H. Erectus, do not ever try to mix them with another species of seahorse. This tends to end in the death of the other species. The H. Erectus carries a pathogen that tends to be harmful to other horse species. Captive bre or not they tend to carry this pathogen. Just something to keep in mind for future.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
Ok, great! I've decided to go with a fuge instead of a filter.

Thanks for all of your help!!!
Jenn
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
i'm planning on having 3 mated pairs of h. erectus seahorses, and maybe some sort of goby, or other bottom dwelling fish, but probably just seahorses only.
Jenn
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
Just keep in mind the pathogen problem I mentioned if you add fish with them.
Good luck and enjoy them, I do mine.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
yeppers.. been there many-o-times!
Thanks for all of your help!!!
Jenn
 
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