tank question

[jaodissa]

I was thinking in 6 months or so I would like to have a sea horse tank. Your guy's pictures are amazing. I figured while I was reading and learning about them I could start letting the tank cycle. It has to sit for 2-4 months anyways before I could start to think about putting sea horse it. So far here are my ideas...
I would like 8 H. zosterae. I've read that they like to be in groups and the ideal amount would be 1 pair per gallon of water. I was thinking I would do either the Marineland Eclipse System Six or the Oceanic BioCube 8 Aquarium. Would either of these tanks be good. Would one be better over the other?
They also require live feeding of brine shrimp ever day. What about pods instead? If you had a refugium like area to breed the pods how would that play in the feeding area?
I rather not do fake hitches so what type of corals could I use for seahorses that would be adequate under either of the above tanks system?
Last, can someone send me in the direction for a good book. Someone posted one already by Alisa Wagner Abbott that I am going to go search for tomorrow, but any other advice would be great. Thanks for the help.

 

[reefnutpa]

If you'd like my opinion.... neither the Marineland or BioCube tanks are suitable for dwarf seahorses. Both would need major modifications, tend to run too hot... and you'd save a ton of money just buying a standard 10 gallon tank and setting up a proper environment from the start.
For your first time venturing into the world of dwarf seahorses - KEEP IT SIMPLE! Start with dead rock, dry sand, cycle the tank. Don't start off thinking about adding this coral or that gorgonian or whatnot. KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Nuisance algae is a huuuge pain in dwarf tanks if they aren't maintained properly. It's for that reason I advise people NOT to add gorgs and stuff for at least a couple months. The algae can get quickly out of control, gorgs/corals smother and die, the algae continues to take over the tank, people quit and tear down the tank. Set up a proper tank from the start. Start slow. Maintain the tank diligently. That's half the battle.
No matter if you decide to supplement their diet with copepods (NOT amphipods!) you will still need to hatch brine shrimp daily, feed 2 to 3 times per day, enrich the pods and day old brine shrimp. No way around it.
The book you mention is good for first-timers, but so much of that book is "old technology" and outdated. Good first-time reference book though.
Remember, anything live you add to your dwarf tank increases the likelyhood of hydroids. The treatment for hydroids leaves the tank uninhabitable for many snails, macroalgaes, clean-up-crews, etc.
Dwarfs would do best in a tank with minimal rock and a ton of caulerpa - such as the prolifera I used in my tank. (The avatar under my name shows a pic of a few of my dwarfs in their "caulerpa forest".)
Do tons of research and reading... and take everything you read and create your own system. By reading through posts on this website and others, you'll be able to see who has had long-term (meaning 1+ years with the SAME dwarf seahorses) and who has stopped posting after a few months.
No matter which way you decide to set up your tank - you'll find dwarfs very compelling and rewarding. A bit more labor intensive than the larger seahorses, but very rewarding non-the-less.
Tom

 

[jaodissa]

Thanks for your reply! I agree that both tanks would be harder to use after my reading today. So While I am out on the hunt for my tank I have a couple more questions.
At pet stores you can buy live sand bagged that is suppose to be free of any parasites or nasties that would otherwise be in sand. Would this be a good option? You can also buy boxed ocean water. (It claims to be natural I haven't yet researched much about it.) It is an expensive route to go but one that would be really easy to use and I am willing to spend the extra money if it is safer. What are you thoughts?
Hatching brine shrimp seems like an easy enough process and my local pet store also breeds and sells them so I'm pretty certain feeding them wouldn't become a problem.
Another question. From the tanks I have been viewing today that all seem heavily covered in caulerpa. It's not my favorite looking and I was hoping that Agar could be used.(I love the different shades and would like to be able to have reds, greens, yellows) I tried googling it but could not find any information. Could you direct me somewhere to learn about the best hitches and plants for dwarf sea horses?