can i put a seahorse in a 24g nano cube

[BiggySmalls]

i am not sure

 

[seas_inside]

I think that sounds like an ok size, bigger (like 29g) would be better, but I think you could make it work. The species that would be best would probably be kuda or erectus.

 

[Krustylove]

Don't do it, I recently sold a brand new Nano right out of the box for pennies on the dollar because the thing was a death trap for seahorses. The lights that are built into the canopy heated the water up to a scolding 96 degrees. While I was researching what to do about this dilemma I was placing frozen water bottles into the water that brought the temp. Down to 80 degrees-still to hot for most seahorses-and who wants to be home all day rotating bottles? So then I installed a computer fan into the lid. This thing was really effective in bringing the temp. down-but is was so louder, like a hair dryer or air popcorn maker. I really think these things should come with a warning label-because the heat they generate is still too hot for most fish we would want to put in this. That’s my 2 cents worth, good luck-if you have to have a Nano get a model that has the lights suspended up above the tank on brackets like the coral life compact fluorescents.

 

[BiggySmalls]

ok

 

[sloshesv]

I bought a $700 cooler for my cube. It works great. I also only run the bright lights about 3 hours a day.

 

[sloshesv]

Chiller, not cooler.

 

[bluewatr24]

It can be done i have a 24G AP use to keep a pair of kudas in it till my roomate offered me a nice acan for them. yes the lights increase the temp of the water 9s deg's depends on where u live, but the easy/ no $$$ fix is to prop the feeding lid open 1inch will keep the tank regulated at the desired temp if ur running a digital heater

 

[sloshesv]

Or get a $700 chiller, right?

 

[jesshimom]

I had the same problem with my 24 gallon PC pod. I bought it for horses but the tank temp fluctuations is rediculous. I bought it because I like the tidy look. I got tired of the lid propped up against the wall.... I too bought a chiller but was lucky to find one here used for $150. It's been nice and all the algae is gone which the high temps were not helping..... so the order is in for some erectus FINALLY!

 

[motoman]

While I have no experience other than observation of others' setups, I would say if you bought a 2nd generation or newer NANO Cube you would be able to use it with no problem for a seahorse tank. My sister in law uses nanos for her seahorses and she used to actively breed and grow them for sale in LFS. Now I am saying newer NANOs, the ones with working fans built into the hoods. Anyone foolish enough to buy a 70W Metal Halide hood or one of the nano customs hoods with tons of PCs is just asking for temperature issues and that is a physics issue, not a nano cube issue. Any small tank that is enclosed with a tight fitting hood and a heat source like a metal halide lamp will cause issues no matter who the manufacturer is.

Most of the LFS in my area have their sea horses in nanos for display. I have seen at the LFS both the covered "deluxe" hoods and the open top with a Viper MH (this has no cover whatsoever, just a VIPER MH high above the tank).

Only issue is, if you want to breed them and have good success, my recommendation is that you get a tall hex as they like to swim vertically while performing their mating ritual and the nanos, while they can work are NOT ideal for this task.

 

[Krustylove]

The JBJ Nano cube I bought was a newer model, only a year old and did have working fans built into the hood for the lights, and this sadly was still not enough to keep the temp. anywhere below 86 degrees. Does your sister-in-law live in Alaska? JK Here in CA ambient room temps. In the summer (w AC) can still get pretty hot. I would keep my house thermostat set at 80 degrees just to keep my electric bill slightly lower than my car payment! The cubes that have the elevated lights that are not built into the hood itself are probably a safer bet. There, that’s my 2cents worth.

 

[C_alex]

Isn't nano has strong flow that not suitable for seahorses? How do you guys fed your Sh.. thinking of get a pair of dwarfs.

 

[Krustylove]

Yes, that was another problem-I was able to solve that one by rigging a ball valve onto the pump, but in the end the lights were just too hot for the seahorses. The magnum canister filters have ball valves that are small enough to fit the hose that comes with these things.

 

[motoman]

Well in the Midwest electricty $ are not a problem and the temps don't get too hot. We keep the house in the 70s in summer and mid to high 60s in the Winter so fair statement. If you keep your ambient room temp approaching the median temp for most aquatic animals, then yes I guess adding more heat in any form, whether it be a normal tank next to a window with a Southern Exposure or whatever with shack your livestock.

As for the use of a ball valve, that can work or you can put a flexible hose on the end with a wide fan or multiple outlets via "Y" splitters which will lower the output pressure, per outlet to somethng not so awful. The stock pump is not the highest output. I would recommend, personally, trying to put the pump on a switch so you can easily turn it off during feedings. You would never want to have it chugging away, sucking food into the inlet of the filter anyway which will poison the water quickly depending on how much you feed them. You can also, though I don't recommend it, pop a few pin holes, horizontally, in the uplift tube from the pump which should lower your output pressure. Won't hurt, just recirculates the water behind the partition wall back to the pump.