Setting up my biocube for seahorses..help!

[lili13]

Hi all!! I recently purchased a 14 gal biocube. It's been up and running since the last week of December. Everything's stable consistently. I have two damsels (just to look at for now and was to get the tank cycling, but will be returning them when we are ready for a seahorse, which is a long way off), a porcelain crab, a peppermint chrimp, about 11 snails and 5 hermit crabs.
We want to do two seahorses, and I'm just wondering what the best way to go about it is? Are the things (besides the damsels) that are in there ok to keep in there? Oh we also have 14 lbs of LR and 10 lbs of LS. I've heard so many differnt things that I wanted to go straight to the source and find someone who has sea horses. No one around here that I know of has them, so everyone tells me something different!!
Thanks so much!

 

[teresaq]

Hi and Welcome. Damsels are way to agressive for seahorses. please look here
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/315559/seahorse-compatibility-chart
Bio cubes are not the best choice for horses, There are heat issues with them as horses need lower temps-you would need a small chiller
Also seahorse tanks really need to be about 3 times as tall as your horses. most horses are 5 to 8 inches tall, so tall tanks are much better for them. Unless you are going with a smaller species such as H fuscus that are 3 to 5 inch long -Barbs and if you wanted to take the temps even lower H. breviceps
I always suggest at least a 29 gal tank.
Also here is another thread that has some good info
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/301907/sh-tank-basics
TeresaQ

 

[lili13]

Thank you

We know about the damsels, we would be returning them to the LFS before we got the little guys. Would it be too small for dwarf sea horses?

 

[teresaq]

accually its a little lrg for dwarfs. Also Dwarfs are only about an inch long so you would have to cover the over flow with mesh. They also require newly hatched BBS two to three times a day.
Here is a new thread I just did with differant species and tank sizes https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/f/

 

[sueandherzoo]

Originally Posted by Lili13
http:///forum/post/2927338
Hi all!! I recently purchased a 14 gal biocube. It's been up and running since the last week of December. Everything's stable consistently. I have two damsels (just to look at for now and was to get the tank cycling, but will be returning them when we are ready for a seahorse, which is a long way off), a porcelain crab, a peppermint chrimp, about 11 snails and 5 hermit crabs.
We want to do two seahorses, and I'm just wondering what the best way to go about it is? Are the things (besides the damsels) that are in there ok to keep in there? Oh we also have 14 lbs of LR and 10 lbs of LS. I've heard so many differnt things that I wanted to go straight to the source and find someone who has sea horses. No one around here that I know of has them, so everyone tells me something different!!
Thanks so much!
Hi there, and welcome. No, you can't keep full-sized seahorses in a 14 gallon biocube - that is way too small of a tank. Seahorses are messy and it would be VERY challenging to keep healthy water parameters in a 14 gallon tank. You could do dwarves and even though I know very little about caring for them I do know the intake on the biocube cold be a problem and I know you have to breed your own live food for dwarves.
Also, you don't want any crabs in there (or at least I wouldn't recommend it) because seahorses are slow-moving and might get their tail nibbled. They also might hitch onto a crab - they hitch onto ANYTHING.
Good luck with whatever you decide, but I think 14 gallons is extremely under-sized for even two seahorses.
Sue

 

[lili13]

thank you both for the great info!!! We have def. decided against it in the biocube...we're going to wait until we get a bigger tank!! Thanks again!!