New seahorse aquarium.

[Flyride95]

So after my wife going on and on about seahorses I finally decided to set up an aquarium for them. This aquarium is very very tall and an eclipse filtration system which I like because of how it is slowly moving the water. Right now it is in the nitrite phase of the cycle. Anyway what would you guys recommend for a skimmer or just do a 5 gal water change every month?
http://i.imgur.com/51FUkKZ.jpg

[BBQHILLBILLY]

nice setup thats a tall tank

[Flyride95]

And this eclipse has 1 t5 outlet built into it. I know seahorses do not require a crazy lighting system but I do want it to look nice. What would you guys recommend? I was thinking about running a 10k t5 and a blue antinic led strip.

[Flyride95]

It is taller then my 90gal lol. Honestly I'm scared of it falling over lol.

[leliataylor]

Nice tank, I love the aquascaping. As for the lighting, as long as the seahorses have shaded areas to hide they can handle the light. How many gallons is the tank and what is your GPH turnover rate? The reason I am asking is we recommend a turnover rate of 15-20 times the water volume per hour. Seahorses are predators and, as such, are very messy eaters. If you decide you need more flow I have some Fuval 404's and 405's laying around, that I think still work and could give you one. You might also want to add a smaller powerhead near the bottom to prevent any detritus build up. Just be sure the impeller is well enough covered that the seahorses can not get their tails stuck. I use MJ 900-1100 on some of my tanks. Also, with a canopy you may find the tank will become too warm during the summer months. They are best kept below 74'. If there is a place across the back of the canopy to attach a clip on fan, you can direct the air flow into the tank and it should drop the tank temp by 2-3'. As for a skimmer, they can survive without one, however it will go a long way in keeping the tank cleaner and maintaining stable water parameters. I hope this helps and best of luck with your new adventure.

[Flyride95]

It looks like I need to step it up on the filtration which I thought. It is a 20 gallon but the filter is 150 gph so that is only 7.5. Right now it has 1 t5 light but I may switch that over to LEDs to help with the temperature. Thank you for the info I want to make this right the first time and learn as much as I can.

[Europhyllia]

20g seems pretty small for seahorses. what kind of seahorses were you thinking off?

[Flyride95]

2 kudas

[Flyride95]

If I am correct seahorse need height not the width. That is why I went with the 20 tall and not with a 40gal long. Yea they would have more room in the 40 gal but it would only be so deep I believe 15" minus 3-4 for sand so only 12 inches deep. My 20gal xtall is I believe 26" deep -3-4" for sand that leaves 22-23 inches for them to swim. Let me know if I'm wrong.

[leliataylor]

It varies by species. Erectus and kuda like to dance gradually circling toward the top of the tank as they complete a egg transfer. My comes typically complete a egg transfer while hitched and only venture higher in the tank when the male is about to deliver. My erectus would rarely swim the length of a 48' x12" tank, however my comes will traverse a 36"x18" foot print tank several times a day. Ingens on the other hand will use every inch of a 36"x 18"x24" tank multiple times a day. One of the problems with deeper tanks is finding a way to keep detritus from collecting on the bottom and provide good flow throughout the tank. It is a good idea to run a return near the top and another along the bottom. If this is not possible position a seahorse safe powerhead near the bottom to provide a continuous flow. Keep in mind, the larger the tank, the more stable the water parameters.

A 20 gallon could work for 2 kudas when they are young, however once they grow you will need to double their water volume. We recommend a minimum of 30 gallons for a single pair. Ultimately it comes down to your filtration and how many water changes you are willing to do per week.

[aquasport24]

You're in good hand now, the seahorse's SME had spoken

[Flyride95]

Thank you for your input. I planned on doing 4-5gal water change every week. Let me know it it is not enough.

[leliataylor]

I can not tell you if a 4-5 gallon water change will be enough. You will need to test your water parameters twice daily for the first few weeks to determine if your filtration can handle the bioload of 2 seahorses. It comes down to how efficient your filtration is and how good your skimmer is. Most first time seahorse keepers way under estimate the bioload seahorses place on a tank. They have a very rudimentary digestive tract thereby releasing massive amounts of waste into the tank. This translates into the production of ammonia.

[Europhyllia]

I have about 70 gallons for 4 seahorses. That is pretty much maximum occupancy for me (60 gallon cube tank with a large sump underneath (estimated water volume of 10 gallons in the sump) I have an oversized skimmer, an oversized external filter with purigen and a UV sterilizer if I feel the need for it. It also has a large Oxidator. Before you put a lot of effort into the little tank maybe consider just upgrading now? They eat like crazy and grow like weed. And they live a long time. Life changes. You may feel like doing weekly water changes now but eventually we all (okay not Cheryl -but the rest of us) get busy with something and go through periods of a bit of neglect. It's nice to have that extra cushion of knowing the tank volume can handle a lazy couple of weeks.