Seahorse tank setup plans

[MarkS]

I have a 55 gallon that currently houses an iguana. I am going to build the iguana an enclosure and would like to use the 55 for seahorses. Yes, it will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with bleach and water before being used....

The setup that I have in mind is:


4" of VERY live sand. I mean visible amounts of worms, pods, ministars, microhermits, etc. I want to see the sand pulsate. I plan on making this myself in a large vat. I expect that I will need about 4 orders of IPSF's 9 for 99 and let the sand "cure" for about three months with regular, daily, feedings.

50 pounds of Fiji live rock.

Massive amounts of macroalgae.

A Remora Pro skimmer.

4 x 96watts of PC lighting.

A few branching gorgonians.

A few non aggressive corals. Need ideas here. NO SPS!

Two Maxijet 400's for circulation.

A 20 gallon above tank refugium with 4" of live sand, about 20 pounds of live rock and 3 x 36 watts of PC lighting.


So, is this a good set up? Are there any changes I should make?

I will not be using a sump because the return would create far too much current. This is why I need a hang on skimmer.

Please post any and all comments, both positive and negative. I am well aware of seahoses requirements though.

Thanks,
Mark

[Airel]

Hi Mark,
I just replied to your questions at Seahorse.org but I will copy and paste here also for the benefit of others that may be reading.

Your set up sounds GREAT and your horses should LOVE it!! Be sure to get the prefilter sponges for the Maxi-jets so the horses won't get sucked up.

Corals....I'll list a few I have with my horses. Watermelon mushrooms, Blue mushrooms, Moonstone coral, Fox coral, Feather dusters, Red sponge tree, cultured gorgian, Sun coral and Xenia.

Tankmates....Red scooter blennies are my favorites. I also keep a blue fairy wrasse and a Midas Blenny. I agree with Chris about the clowns. I'm not saying it can't be done but I have a pair of True Percs in my reef tank and there is NO way I'd put them with my horses. They are very protective of my colt coral that they have adopted as their host. They would no hesitate to attack a horse that would hitch onto the colt. I also enjoy the Cleaner shrimp and Peppermint shrimp as tankmates. Horses enjoy an occasional cleaning and LOVE to snack on the fry produced by the shrimp. Bangaii Cardnials and Firefish would also make good tankmates.

The only other issue I can think of to address is heat from your lighting. Horses like a cooler temp than we are used to keeping our reefs. My horse tank is a stable 76.

HTH,
DeAnne :)
:)

[MarkS]

Thanks!

I see that you are a moderator here. Can you tell me why that little envlope icon next to my this thread has a little black dot in the center? This doesn't have anything to do with seahorses, but is very strange.

Mark

[SeaNemesis]

It means that you have entered a post in that thread. :)

[desdemona]

Hi DeAnne,

I am new to the forum.
I'm thinking about a seahorse tank. I already have a 40 gal breeder reef tank (ok call me an addict, I am powerless and all that. :-))

>Tankmates....Red scooter blennies are my >>favorites. I also keep a blue fairy wrasse and a Midas Blenny.

Really! A Midas Blenny! I'm surprised that that fish would allow your seahorses to eat. I have one in the reef tank. It's a wonderful fish, my favorite. Not aggressive, but just always looking for food. I have a refugium so there is always some.

I agree with Chris about the clowns. I'm not saying it can't be done but I have a pair of True Percs in my reef tank and there is NO way I'd put them with

No way. Carol says "yes", but they are rather aggressive, imo.


HTH,
DeAnne :)
:) [/B][/QUOTE]


--desdemona

[Airel]

Hi desdemona,

I haven't had any problems with the Midas. He is rather aggressive, but seems that he's only aggressive towards the Fairy Wrasse. They are both pretty big eaters. I feed them first and then the horses. It works out well.

I find that Carol recommends several fish that I would not dream of putting with my horses. Tangs for instance. NO WAY!!!!! My clowns are rather aggressive but only when someone (human or fish) is close to their host. They live in my colt coral and I prop it pretty regularly. They nip at me while I'm cutting and they will actually run off my Purple Tang if he gets closer than they want him. I've read numerous threads of keepers getting bit by clowns and actually drawing blood. Now, imagine what they would do to a hitching horse?? Horses live in their own little world. They do not take "hints" or warnings and would care less that the colt belongs to the clowns!!

HTH,
DeAnne :D

[biomekanic]

Hi all! First time posting to this forum.

Mark, you might want to consider some other sources for seeding your tank:
http://www.inlandaquatics.com - Dr. Ron recommends them and IPSF for seeding. Diversity = Good
also:
http://www.billsreef.com - he sells macroalgae, turtle grass, and seeder stuff, and I've heard a lot of good things about him.
http://www.candybass.com - seeders and macroalgae yet again.

I'm going w/one "kit" from each when I set up my refugium on the 300g I have in planning.


desdemona, do the initials PF mean anything to you?

[desdemona]

I'm going w/one "kit" from each when I set up my refugium on the 300g I have in planning.


desdemona, do the initials PF mean anything to you?

Is this some nutty guy on wetwebfoto? Sounds suspicious anyway. What with the 300 gal and all.
You don't have a liking for mantis do you by any chance?

--des

[biomekanic]

got it in one des, and yes, mantis are fine little (or not so little, 4 lbs!?!) uber-predators. I like seahorses too.

I go by PF because Bob tagged me with it, biomekanic is my usual online alter ego. my own fault really, there were a bunch of Mike's posting and I suggested he give us nicknames to tell us apart. PF is actually related to the mantis tank: Bob suggested pieces of rock that size for burrow building material.

just think, a whole 'nother place for me to pontificate. :D

sorry about the chat btw, I thought EST was 2 hours behind... D'OH!

and to see the Little Red Squid From Hell, go to Dr. Ron's forum and check out his character tag.

[desdemona]

Originally posted by biomekanic
got it in one des, and yes, mantis are fine little (or not so little, 4 lbs!?!) uber-predators. I like seahorses too.

>I go by PF because Bob tagged me with it,

How you'll be with a mantis!!!!

>just think, a whole 'nother place for me to >>
pontificate. :D

Me too.

>sorry about the chat btw, I thought EST was 2 >hours behind... D'OH!

I came but nobody else did. :-(

>and to see the Little Red Squid From Hell, go to Dr. Ron's forum and check out his character tag.

I've seen the darn little red squid from hell!! As I read Dr. Ron.

Didn't know you like seahorses. They are nice quiet good critters, whereas manti are evil and nasty. Ah hah, your two sides.


--des

[biomekanic]

How you'll be with a mantis!!!!

ummm, that statement confused me.

Didn't know you like seahorses. They are nice quiet good critters, whereas manti are evil and nasty. Ah hah, your two sides.

I used to play an online game, Earth2020, a strategic/political warfare game. My tag was "I said I was a Quaker, I never said I was a good one", as most everyone else were kids (no offense intended to the boards younger members) Quaker to them meant the computer game, not the Religious Society of Friends, so they didn't get the joke (I was also the clans biggest war monger and one of the most active aggressors we had). I'm big on dichotomy's.

[desdemona]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by biomekanic
[B]How you'll be with a mantis!!!!

ummm, that statement confused me.

Pinky fingers, because they are called "thumb splitters".


Didn't know you like seahorses. They are nice quiet good critters, whereas manti are evil and nasty. Ah hah, your two sides.


one", as most everyone else were kids (no offense intended to the boards younger members) Quaker to them meant the computer game, not the Religious Society of Friends, so they didn't get the joke (I was also the clans biggest war monger and one of

Hah!!

--des

[Aquamans Reef]

Just make sure there's no agressive eating fish or the seahorse will die from starvation.

[desdemona]

>I find that Carol recommends several fish that I
>would not dream of putting with my horses. Tangs >for instance. NO WAY!!!!! My clowns are rather


Well there are Tangs and there are Tangs. Have you ever had a Kole? This is a much more mellow Tang than say something in the zebrasoma family (ie Yellow, Purple, Sailfin). I had a Sailfin who was an aggressive feeder and definitely ran the tank.
He got too big for the tank, btw.
The Kole is much quieter with a more leisurely swimming pace and manner.

>I've read numerous threads of keepers getting bit >by clowns and actually drawing blood. Now,
>imagine what they would do to a hitching horse??

One of my Clarkiis (I goofed, I have Clarkiis not Percs) is a very feisty fish. Does not really have a host but is not averse to biting everybody else.
Hasn't got me (yet).



HTH,
DeAnne :D [/B][/QUOTE]

--desdemona

[Broke]

Hi MarkS,

The tank sounds great, but I would change two or three things. First I would cut down on the lighting a bit. We keep soft corals, gorgs and macroalgae in a similar tank with only 1 55W 10K + a 55W actinic PC (our tank is 36" tall with corals from top to bottom). Too much light bleaches coraline, shrivels shrooms, heats the tank and drowns out colors (not to mention potential algae problems).

Secondly, I wouldn't go overboard with the macroalgaes. Buy variety, but not quantity. It should grow like a weed during the first couple of months. After that the sand bed and LR will consume nitrogen like a sponge. You will need a very heavy bioload to keep it from dieing off or crashing.

Our 75G (36x24x20 HxWxL) tank uses a night lit (40W) 20G split sump/refugium with a Rio 2500 as the return pump. Inside the tank we have a single Maxijet-400 to provide a bit more directional control of the currents. The water return is through a 1" diameter vertical pipe that runs from the top to the bottom of the tank in the back. The pipe has a dozen 1/4" holes drilled in it to create mild currents throughout the tank. Zooplankton and animals up to 1/4" can pass between the refugium and the main tank (and vice versa). So, Yes! a sump can work, but this works best with a drilled tank (avoid hang-on overflows).

Good Luck!
Russ.