Crazy Idea...

TikiDan

TikiDan

Premium Member
I was looking at my 34 gallon seahorse tank today and started thinking about doing my 120 as a huge seahorse tank.

Everyone has SPS tanks but I have never seen a seahorse tank bigger than 40 gallons

I have a great skimmer now, and everything is running its course, so I am thinking how great it would be to make something totally different! I could do the whole sand bed in a planted sea grass and maybe 5 pairs of seahorses and maybe some other fish. Instead of doing hard coral I could make a yuma and zoo garden along with a variety of colorful gorgonians.

If I go SPS I would have to buy a calcium reactor, or with sea horses I would need a chiller. both close to the same expense, and the seahorses would be about the same as a lot of the SPS that i want. So as far as prices I think they are pretty close.

one quick question would be, how hard would it be to get good water flow in the tank without too much flow for the horses.

do you think it would be worth it, or should I stick to the plan?
 
stick to the plan..................thought i would play devils advocate. Sounds cool though:beer:
 
So what are your reasons for sticking to the plan? Do you think it would be too hard to get good water movement in the tank?
 
I've seen it done many times. i have a friend with a 120 gallon fully stocked reef tank with a pair of sea horses that he purchased from me over three years ago. The male tends to hide a lot but the female is very active in the front of the tank. If it doesn't work for you then just move them to a smaller tank. I don't think it would be that difficult to get enough water movement just avoid large powerhead type pumps eg. Rio's. But I think you should try it.
 
so if I went towards the seahorse plan, What do you think would be some nice tank mates? Here is a list of some that I found would be compatible



1) Helfrichi fire fish

2) Mandarin Dragonette

3) Yellow headed jawfish

4) pair of pipe fish

5) Pair of Bangaii Cardinals

6) Catalina Goby or Rainfords goby

Still researching for other ideas
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12288242#post12288242 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jkreefer
stick to the plan..................thought i would play devils advocate. Sounds cool though:beer:
Click to expand...

+1
 
People keep saying to stick to SPS but nobody is saying why! I want to hear your opinions and an argument pointing one way or the other :)
 
Re: Crazy Idea...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12287979#post12287979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TikiDan
I have never seen a seahorse tank bigger than 40 gallon
Click to expand...
You should stop by my office... we have a seahorse tank that is about 500 gallons!

-Scott
 
Caesars Palace :D
Great excuse to come to Vegas... "I have to check out the seahorse tank."
 
Dan you don't look like the trendy type, do what you want. SPS is only a fad anyway. (I didn't just type that, did I?) Hmmm.:)
 
It's harder to keep seahorses in a tank with sps, due to the flow issues, but it can be done. It all really depends on what you would rather have, lots of sps, or some sps, lps, zoos, etc and seahorses. Which do YOU like more? If keeping the ponies, just avoid some of the sps that really need high flow to be happy.
As for your fish list, just remember that nearly all on that list eat the same pods as the seahorses, so there will be competetion for food. If anything on that list won't take to prepared foods, it'll starve and die.
As for the Catalina gobies, they are a colder water species, and don't tend to last very long at the temps we keep our tanks. I would avoid those.
 
I would also feed frozen mysis shrimp daily. Most CB seahorses accept frozen and then graze for pods as a filler meal

I have a Mandarin in my 34g seahorse tank right now and it loves frozen food.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12299784#post12299784 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TikiDan
I would also feed frozen mysis shrimp daily. Most CB seahorses accept frozen and then graze for pods as a filler meal
Click to expand...

That comment was referring more to some of the other fish, like the pipefish, mandarin, and rainsfords. Some eat mysis without a problm, and others can be trained to eat mysis, but some simply refuse. It's less of an issue nowadays, with all of the different foods available, but still a consideration. My last Rainsford refused to even eat Arctipods.
 
There are plenty of exciting corals I could collect also.
Acceptable corals for a seahorse tank include

1) Acans
2) Ricordia
3) Maze coral
4) Gorgonians
5) Zoas
6) Sponges
7) toadstools
8) any softies
9) mushrooms

So I am sure I can come up with a beautifully colored and Diverse tank, that will stand out from the crowd :)
 
Stubborn fish!!!! thanks for the info, I will be sure they eat frozen before I buy them.

I thought everything would eat frozen food. :)
 
do you think it would be hard to contain the sea grass to the sand bed?

I just checked my PM's and there is only 4 so i don't know why it says its full.....hmmmmmm
 
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