90g Seahorse Tank build

[Mikeeee]

Okay so i am setting up a seahorse tank in the living room for my parents and well..myself too i guess hehe..so i have the choice of either using a 75g (48x18x18) which i already have that is not drilled and setting it up for 2 pairs, keeping Tonga branch LR in there with lots of seagrass and other macro algae types. I would be using TEK light 4x54w and 2 Koralia Nanos. For the skimmer this is the part i dont like.. because i am not a big fan of HOB skimmers and the only one i think would be OKAY to use would be the deltec MCE. The problem with most HOB is they take up lots of room in the tank..pump etc.. and the Deltec is the only one i see that uses just a pipe. Since i havnt used or seen the Deltec in person i am not sure how many micro bubbles it produces..and i know this is a nono and want to stay away in a seahorse tank. I have a coralife 65 that i could use but i remember this thing taking up lots of space and being a eye sore and micro bubbles were a PITA.

Or... i could buy a new 90g (48x18x24) (Drilled w/overflow) use the current Oak stand that the 75 currently sits on.. and add a 24x12x12 sump underneath, and have a insump skimmer and Eheim1262 return for flow. This way i would not need any powerheads inside the tank and the micro bubble issue would be solved using baffles in the sump..similar to my 90g reef.

I would already have the 24x12x12g sump.. would just need to add baffles into it like my sump for my current 90g reef. What do you guys think???

 

[Diveshaman]

I always love starting with something new if cost is not an option.

 

[Mikeeee]

Well, i would prefer the tank to be drilled. I have had Non drilled SW tanks.. and now having my 90g reef sps dominate tank... drilled with all my equipment hidden underneath stand to me seems like the way to go. A couple things i like about using 90g instead of 75g is that i have an extra 6" in height which is much better for horsies.. ill have no bulky skimmer on the side and everything can be nicely tucked underneath the stand. Circulation will be easy with just the return pump and the DT water level will always be constant.

This way seems like the smartest way to go..and easiest to maintain.

 

[pledosophy]

If you got the money go big. The 75g would make a nice tank and IME planted tanks don't benefit from skimmers IME. The algae needs the nutrients the skimmer is removing, they grow better without one. I have to add nitrate and phosphate my planted tank even without a skimmer.

If I had the option and money was not a concern I'd go with the 90g, and drill it for a closed loop. I still would probably not use a skimmer on a planted tank, I have extra skimmers in the garage I could use on my tank now, I just choose not to.

JMO

 

[Mikeeee]

I thought with the heavy feeding need for the horsies/pipefish nitrate and phosphate would rise and skimmer would be necessary to remove this?

I still like the idea of 90g w/sump for return pump so no needed powerheads in the tank..and the extra 6" in height.


Another question DSB 4-6" or SSB 0-2" ???

 

[pledosophy]

Ya you would think that, makes sense, but IME, if you are going with a planted tank, you really don't need one. I've never really ran a skimmer on a seahorse tank. I played with a few a few times, but my setups never include them. JMO, other people love skimmers, it's a preference thing IMO. I have enough macro where nitrates and phosphates need to be supplemented.

Extra height and more room is nice to have.

I use shallow sandbeds myself for seahorses. I do DSB's in part of my reef if I'm keeping certain wrasses.

JME