Choosing a species (my first time)

[darcitananda]

Hi everyone,
I've been keeping reef tanks for about 8 years now and I have a 20 gallon tall tank in my home office that seems like it would be perfect for some ponies. It does have plenty of live rock and some soft corals in it, but no euphyllia sp, anemones, or clams. It has low flow, but is brightly lit (for the corals). There is a skimmer in place as well. This tank has been running for over a year.

I intend to buy my CB ponies from seahorsesource. My questions are as follows:

is there any reason why I should start with H. Erectus? It seems that if they are captive bred, they should all be equally easy to care for (except for the tiny zosterae). I was considering a pair of Kuda.

Another question, regarding "hitching posts". Most of the corals in my tank aren't really the right shape to be hitching posts. What are some recommended natural (or artificial) things for them to hang on to? I think I want to avoid agressively fast growing macro algaes, but maybe sea grass would be nice? Where does one acquire seagrass? A gorgonian would be pretty, but I would be concerned about the horses damaging it, and also the non-photosynthetic ones need special care. I would want to use this as a last resort. Any other ideas for attractive safe tail twirling?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[TamiW]

erectus in general are just hardier seahorses. they seem to be more resistant to disease and more forgiving of water parameters. but if you're dedicated and vigilant with regards to their care, i don't see why starting with another species would be bad. just keep in mind that they can be less hardy. ime, reidi are next on the list of hardiness, kuda are so/so. however i've only ever kept a pair of kuda (cb, that is)

tonga branch rock works great for hitching posts. otherwise colt corals, kenya tree coral, etc . . . do well.

one thing that concerns me is the size of your tank. a 20 gallon will work, but it is pretty small and shoehorning a pair in there might be tough. be sure to do regular water changes to keep the nutrient levels down.

also, what temp are you keeping the tank at. as a reef tank, the temp might be too high. i'd say nothing over seventy eight degrees, and a lot of people recommend cooler temps. my erectus are being kept at around 74 degrees.

edit; oh yeah, i have a gorgonian with my erectus and they haven't damaged it yet.
i would guess if it was their only hitching post they could, but your seahorses will probably hitch on everything, even if it isn't hitching post shaped.

 

[cmsargent]

Think erectus are often recommended because they are hardy and readily available as CB. Redi and kuda should be fine as well if they're from a reputable source (and seahorsesource is) and you've done your homework (which it sounds like you are). Kuda would actually be a good choice as they're slightly smaller than the others mentioned and and you're planning on a tank on the small side (20g).

My seahorses hitch the most to my powerhead, the heater (a heater gaurd is a good idea), and thermometer. They seem to like to get higher up in the tank when they sleep. During the day they'll hitch to almost everything in the tank (macros, rock, gorgonians, kenya tree, finger leather, eachother...). I've seen quite a few seahorse tanks with gorgs and haven't heard any stories about damage (I'm sure it could happen just isn't that common). Some of the larger, thicker photosythetic gorgs would make nice hitches. Yo can also try some of the less invasive, slower growing macros like codium, feather kelps, red grape, or seagrasses.

 

[darcitananda]

thanks! that is all really helpful info. i definitely don't want them to be cramped, so I think I may have to reconsider keeping them at all. i have another larger tank, but it's also a reef and does have stinging corals and assertive fish, so that tank is definitely out of the question. i was hoping that because of the taller dimensions of my 20 that it would be sufficient. i think if I set up another tank my hubby would flip out. i guess i need to think about it a little longer.

 

[pledosophy]

IMO I think a pair of Kuda would be fine in a 20g. I've kept pairs in smaller tanks.

Seahorsesource.com's kuda's have a great rep for being hearty.

Tami is pretty spot on about the rest.