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View Full Version : which skimmer?


GailHM
04/01/2002, 11:58 AM
I am in the process of setting up a 40 gal tank for seahorses. The tank is 30" wide, 21" tall, and 12 '' deep. Which skimmer do you think would do the job well without creating too much circulation or bubbles? I would like the skimmer to be the only means of filtration besides a deep sand bed and LR.

THanks for your suggestions!

Gail in Nova Scotia

Airel
04/01/2002, 10:22 PM
Hi Gail,

I would look at the CPR Bak Pak. Maybe someone else will chime in with other suggestions.

Good Luck,
DeAnne:D

Ky Joe
05/08/2002, 11:09 AM
Would a CPR Bakpak 2R be too much circulation for seahorses in a 26G bowfront?

Beth&Dave
05/09/2002, 09:45 AM
From what we've learned recently, what a skimmer does is remove from salt water better than any other means, the slime coating that fish constantly regenerate. The fish produces a slime coating periodically, and the "old" slime coating detaches from the fish and mixes with the water. There are also some other minor protiens and such that can be removed, but this is the point of skimming - again, from what we've learned from Oceanrider, The Marine Atlas, and a LFS guy. Now, seahorses do not produce such coating. Yet another way that they are unique. Ergo, a seahorse only tank (even with a few inverts, such a shrimp or crabs) does not require a skimmer.

GailHM
05/11/2002, 08:58 PM
Uh, have any of these sources ever used a skimmer?? Have you?

I ask because my skimmer pulled lots of stuff out of the water before there were fish in my reef tank. An LFS which doesn't use skimmers may well suggest other means of filtration. An outdated book will too. And a facility which uses pumped in marine water probably doesn't use skimmers either. However, I think you will find that most successful seahorse keepers do, in fact use them with good results. JMO.

breaume
05/12/2002, 08:00 PM
Gail,

I have the exact tank you are speaking of. I is currently a fw tank. But I am converting it over to a reef with sea hroses. I will be using a Remora pro with the skimmer box. I really think this will work out great. the box allows it to skim the surface and there is a hole on the bottom with a sponge to release the water.


just to compare notes. I plan on a 6" DSB with around 40 LBs of LR. for Ligthing I will be using 2 x 65 watt PC I may up that later to 4 x 65.

What is your plans for your tank

Brian

GailHM
05/12/2002, 08:19 PM
Hi Brian. I think this tank is great for seahorses. I already have a big 90 gal reef, so I am not going to get many corals and shouldn't need as much in the way of lighting. I am planning on a 3- 4 inch sand bed and enough LR to provide good hiding for the horses.
I found a used CPR Bakpak so I am going to go with that and hope it works out OK. I'm sure the Remora PRo will work fine too.

How many horses are you planning on? I thought I would start with four. I am getting CB horses that come from Tracey in Australia through a Canadian distributor.

breaume
05/12/2002, 08:30 PM
I thought I would start out with 4 horses also from OR. I am converting my 65g to SPS only and want to move my leathers and other softies to the 40 gal.

Do you think adding 2 maxijet 400s is too much flow for horses. I would like to get a good balance of flow for everything.

GailHM
05/13/2002, 06:14 AM
Being a newbie to horses myself, I don't know either. If you check out the tank specs on Seahorse.org it should give a good idea of what is working for others. I know with my reef tank I used what had been recommended and found it was too much flow for my LPS and had to downgrade to MJ 600's from 1200's to make everybody happy. I imagine we'll have to experiment to get it right. :-)

Beth&Dave
05/13/2002, 12:14 PM
To GailHM:

Yes, yes, and yes. I've heard of a skimmer, I've used a skimmer, and the LFS sells and uses skimmers. The info I got was from Craig at OR - less than two weeks before I posted, the Marine Atlas just arrived 2 days before I posted, and the LFS has been in business for over 20 years. They also recommend skimmers for fish tanks. Seahorses do not produce a slime coating, which you seem to have ignored. There are other means of filtration for "Seahorses" that do just as good a job at maintaining a healthy environment for "Seahorses". You want to use a skimmer? Go ahead! You asked for opinions and you got one. What you do with the info is your business.