Sea Horse Tank

[rockmp]

I was thinking of setting up a Sea Horse tank. I know its challenging but would like to try it. Has anyone around here set one up or has one setup? Here is the list of equipment I currently have and is already setup.

29G tank with stand and live sand with a couple of pieces of live rock
Bak Pak HOB skimmer
A couple of different power heads (probably will not need them)
175w se MH (probably WAY over kill but its what I have on hand)

Is there anything else I would need? Pros/Cons? I was thinking of adding some different algae and some Sea Fans (gargonians). Is there anything else I can add to it?

[phippsj]

I am getting ready to turn my 45 gallon hex into one. From what I understand skimmers are not ideal for sea horses as the microbubbles (the ones we can't see) get under their skin which is problematic.

Flow should be kept minimal, and I believe lighting is dependent on species. In most cases they are timid animals and prefer lower lighting or plent of overcroppings, etc, to hide in (reduces their stress level).

The taller the tank the better. Also, plants are a good thing for them. I think it will be fun just because it is so different than my reef tank (although I will keep zoas in there).

Because of the limitations, I think I will actually do 3lbs live rock per gallon (or at least equivalent mass). Likely I will do power compacts and mold another one of my wall sculpture things to ensure there are enough hiding places. I will then go find some good plants.

In terms of filtration, I will likely use Enheim canister filters. I think the return off of those should be enough flow in the tank (I have 2). Because of that I will let the tank do a 6 month cycle.

That is my plan right now, but I am still researching too.

[rockmp]

From what I understand skimmers are not ideal for sea horses as the microbubbles (the ones we can't see) get under their skin which is problematic.

.

Thanks for the info! I also have an canister sitting around I can use instead of the Bak Pak.

[rockmp]

anyone else?

[corruption]

Great advice from phippsj there -- about the only thing I'd add, is if you're in the planning stage still, add as large of a fuge as possible from the start. The source of natural food/filtration/biotia will help immensely with keeping such delicate critters :)

-Justin

[Still Learning]

There is an issue I have had with a lot live rock and tank raised seahorses. The seahorses that I got were trained to eat frozen mysis from the bottom. I had them in a 20 gallon and put the hang on back filter on one end so that the current run across the top of the tank, hit the other side, and come back on the bottom. This was great because the current would drag the frozen food across the bottom. The only issue would be at the base of live rock, because the food would get stuck there and pile up and become a potential hazard. I then placed my live rock where I could see it clearly and get to all the little 'dead' spots and everything was fine.

I have really enjoyed mine. I have had them in a 40 gallon with an undergravel and canister, a 20 with a hang on the back, a 48 with a refug and canister ( connected to a larger system with a sump and protien skimmer), 90 with a sump.

I don't have any right now, but look forward to getting them again. I am partial to the ones I have posted in the picture of the month.

Do you know what type you like best?

[rockmp]

Thanks for all the info! So should I run a canister filter, HOB or my BakPak or none of the above. I also have a HOB overflow I can use and a 10g tank for a fuge????? Not sure what type I would do just yet, as I am still researching all I can before i take the plunge.

[corruption]

If you ran a fuge, a HOB would probably not be necessary, but would be a good source of water movement without being too turbulent or forceful.. I would skip out on the BakPak altogether. A 10 gal fuge would work, but the larger the better -- if you can fit something larger, go for it :)

Drilling an aquarium is very simple -- its worth considering if you do decide to pump water out of the aquarium... the setup phase is the best place to make this change, and the plumbing is simply more reliable than hang-on-back overflows is. check out http://www.glass-holes.com for some good prices on complete kits (including the hole saw).. Additionally, I'm pretty close to you and could help you with the drilling if you feel uncomfortable doing so :)

Edit: The canister -- I would likely leave out in most cases. It would work great as a media reactor as necessary, or for polishing the water -- but I would likely connect it to the fuge instead of the display once everythings settled in if I were to do this.

-Justin

[rockmp]

Ok BakPak is out. I need to see if the tank is able to be drilled or not (pretty sure it can be). I have plenty of black acrylic i can make an overflow out of.

Corruption...I may take you up on that offer to help me drill it. Also i never thought about running the canister as a media reactor...good info.

[corruption]

If the canister has adjustable speed as well, and can be throttled back, it will work even better as a media reactor.. the slower the draw, the better :)

-Justin

[jc]

There is some debate about whether protein skimmers cause gas bubble disease. I myself run a protein skimmer with no problems. However, my seahorses are all females. I use a hydro-flo to weaken the output but allow a wide spread of water.

[Still Learning]

protein skimmers have also been used to add extra oxygen in low oxygen situations. Seahorses have rudimentary gills so this can be an issue....usually caused by low circulation/flow situations.

So just remember...there isn't ONE right way...there are lots of different right ways to do it.

[rockmp]

protein skimmers have also been used to add extra oxygen in low oxygen situations. Seahorses have rudimentary gills so this can be an issue....usually caused by low circulation/flow situations.

So just remember...there isn't ONE right way...there are lots of different right ways to do it.

Thanks! Now I need to see if I want to drill this tank or use my HOB overflow that i have in the garage. Also i really dont need much flow at all right?

[d3rryc]

I asked the skimmer question myself on seahorse.org just a few days ago. The answer I got from Dan, who is one of the really well-respected guys on the site and I think one of the owners of seahorsesource.com, is as follows:



At one time I bought into the theory that skimmers caused GBD and/or Pouch Emphysema. We seemed to be doing pouch evacs rather regularly (we do have a lot of horses). Since studying some on Dissolved and Nondissolved organics, I decided to try adding skimmers. We found that systems with skimmers had a lower incidence of Pouch Emphysema. We have since put a hard foucs on all of our systems to remove as much Dissolved and Nondissolved organics as possible. We done 1 pouch evac in the last 6 months and it was at least 6 months prior to that since we had done one. We still have a lot of seahorses. Some HOB skimmers do have bubbles that go into the tank. Many get worried over this. We don't. It isn't sightly for some but have yet to see ill effects. To further this, I have had several customers that had reoccurring pouch emphysema issues. Those that followed our advice and added a quality skimmer have had significantly less issues.

IGBD or subcutaneous GBD is not fully understood. It could be a gas exchange, bacterial or parasitic issue. Regardless, a skimmer would help in each case. It helps with the gas exchanges, lowers the organic load which the bacteria or protozoans feed off of.

As a result, I'm now looking for an HOB skimmer for my 20-gal seahorse tank. :shades:

[corruption]

Stated by someone far more experienced with seahorses than me -- I'd include the BakPak then, Mark! :)

-Justin

[rockmp]

Stated by someone far more experienced with seahorses than me -- I'd include the BakPak then, Mark! :)

-Justin

LOL i think I will since its still on the tank. :thumbs_up:

[phippsj]

That is great info.

[rockmp]

Thanks everyone for your input. Here is what I have so far. I am going with a 29g tank (its been up for about a year, was hold all my coral till I got my cube). use a BakPak skimmer, HOB overflow with a 10G fuge/sump (need to make baffles) with all kinds of macro in the fuge and tank. Use a quietone pump to shoot the water back up. I was toying with the idea of using a SCWD with low flow. ALso I am going to put either 2 T5's or an PC fixture on it.Thoughts?

Also if anyone has any different macro they can spare please let me know. I already have chaeto.

[leliataylor]

Due to the high bio load seahorses place on a tank, as Dan has said many times, a good skimmer is essential in a seahorse tank. As for the micro bubble issue, I have kept and raised seahorses for a few years and found bacterial infections not micro bubbles to be the cause of pouch emphysema. Most people keep their seahorse tanks too warm which allows for the proliferation of bacteria, 72' max. for most most seahorse species and some, such as pots, below 68'.

[rockmp]

how would i keep the temp that low without having a chiller?

[Europhyllia]

The need for a chiller has always been the final deterent to start a seahorse tank for me.
I spoke to the people at seahorsesource one time and they said some seahorses do okay with up to 78 degrees but I bet I have days where it would go up to 80. So no seahorse tank for me :(
I bet you could find a used chiller for a smallish tank for pretty reasonable though!

[leliataylor]

You are correct some species of seahorses can tolerate temps up to 78'. The problem arises with prolonged exposure to higher temps which enhances pathogen growth. We see it every year in our emergency forum.

As for the chiller, most of the people I know run cooling fans over the top of the tanks or over the sump during the warmer months. Just be sure to have extra buffered top off water handy. Keeping the lights off during the day will also help keep the tanks cooler. With 11 seahorse tanks, I can't afford a chiller for each tank, so I use the low tech solution. A good cooling can keep the tank up to 4' cooler.

Then again, you could do the whole house chiller and set you AC at 68'. LOL

MH & PC lights generate a lot of heat so it is better to T5's or older models of fluorescent lighting.