Sea Horse tank

[ziggyrocket]

I am currently trying to set up a seahorse tank with an acrylic hex tank. The tank is roughly 16 inches in diameter, by 48" high. I am wondering if anyone has experience with any of the macro algaes that will grow 48" tall. I have heard that dictyota would work, but i have never had any experience with it. I am also wondering if a 70 watt metal halide would penetrate 48" to the bottom of the tank, to get the dictyota going to the top. Any ideas on macros, or lighting?...has anyone done this kind of setup before?

[sholzrichter]

I alway like sea horses. I can't put Sea Horses in my 180 tank, so I got a neno tank which I am planning to put sea horses in. I don't know what I need to put into the tank for the sea horses to hang on. Your algae idea sounds good. Another thing is that I haven't seen any place in Austin that sell Sea Horses. My neno tank only has some corals and no fish right now.

[ziggyrocket]

I am thinking about going with caulerpa prolifera...anybody have experience with it?

[alexwolf]

i really want a small seahorse tank as well. I was thinking about maybe turning my Eclipse 37 into one, but im wondering if thats enough filtration? It hs the PC retrofit on it......do they need a lot of light?

[ziggyrocket]

Seahorses don't require alot of light, just good water quality, low water movement..and regular feeding.

[Inno]

They also prefer more vertical than horizontal tank dimmensions because of their swimming styles. I am not sure what else you plan to keep with the seahorses nor what type of horses you are interested in, but do realize there are corals that can sting their delicate skin, usually when the horse is searching for a post. I don't see too many horse tanks that contain halides. Majority of the tanks I've witnessed are rather medium lighted (pcs) with macro beds often implemented (caulerpas widely used, but really anything not flimsy and realtively lengthy that ou can keep living). Also, skeletons of seafans or acros areoften used for posts. Since you have an acrylic tank you can create hitching posts yourself as well as a custom feeding zone (trough?).

[texasranchers]

I have my horses in a 35 gal hex tall. There are very few fish that can be with SHs. Shs are a little slower getting food than a fish that can swim horizontally. I personally have not had fish with mine. My Shs have found that Chocolate Chip Star makes a good hitching post. He just moves around the side of the tank with them hanging on. Some snails, hermit crabs, few tall 'dead' or fake corals for height. Ribbon from Wal Mart makes great hitching posts also. Very inexpensive, colorful, and you can change them out in a SH flash. Be sure to get the ribbon in CRAFTS..it is even less expensive.

[alexwolf]

What about filtration? Are you using a HOB or an overflow?

[texasranchers]

We use Skilter 250.

[alexwolf]

oops, here comes my newbie side again........whats Skilter? :oops:

[SaltyJim]

Protein Skimmer-Filter .... Skilter

[GaryP]

I've been kicking around the idea of doing a nano SH tank as well. I'm thinking about getting some pipefish. I know Sales and Service used to sell them. Anyone have any experience with them?

Gary

[MikeP]

I am thinking about going with caulerpa prolifera...anybody have experience with it?

C.prolifera sends out runners and grows in rows on the substrate. I would say at 48" deep you would be hard pressed to find any light that will punch down from the top. It might grow up rocks and such but I am used to seeing it grow on the sand.

I'd just grow macro algaes for looks and maybe put some fake gorgonians or something towards the top for them to latch onto.

[GaryP]

One of the folks on the tank tour in Austin had a great sea horse tank with a bunch of Caulerpa. I can't remember her name off the top of my head. I don't think she posts on the site. I was thinking about putting seahoeses in my fuge but then decided to go with an HOB and that would defeat the purpose since I wouldn't be able to see them.

Gary

[Instar]

I have something like caulerpa prolifera except its heavier like an eel grass. It gets very long in a tall water column. I've had pieces over 24 inches long before I cut it. It grows under any lights.
If I had a 48 inch tall tank, I would use a 20K XM, 400 watt and suppliment with one actinic and a couple daylight pc's. The light is good for them as they are daylight oriented when it comes to hunting for food. I have my tank raised gold brazilian in my reef. You would be surprised at how well they negotiate currents. I wouldn't put a wild one in such a tank without really good acclimation to such an environment though.
He holds his own competeing for food with a copperband! They naturally live in areas with lots of linear flow when compared to a tank, and high light, grass flats. It is not necessary to keep low lights for some reason. You will want to grow all kinds of macro and that takes lights. And half way decent circulation (not turbulence) to keep frozen foods in suspension if you plan to try to convert them to frozen foods. A good many of the seahorse problems with ick and such, I believe come from poor circulation. The more the macro grows, the more it will slow the water movement. Most of the time my seahorse negotiates the pump blast from the nozzel of a 650 gallon per hour pump when he swims in there while its on - they are very agile swimmers.