How much flow for 29g seahorse/macro tank?

[glennr1978]

I'm about to set up a 29g seahorse and macro tank. I've got most of the logistics figured out but I'm not sure how much flow I should have through the display. I know I need to keep the flow rate low, just not sure how low. I'll probably be using a koralia or something similar. Any suggestions??

 

[mtc1966]

you dont need to keep it as low as you think as long as you have places for them to hitch and places of lower flow . you will find they will play in the high flow areas.

 

[rayjay]

Most of my seahorse tanks have about 15X flow.
They often "play" in the high output of power heads.

 

[pledosophy]

I keep my returns much much higher then most. I don't want anything to settle on the sand, or the rocks. I have gone as high as a 100x tank volume turnover, but with more efficent pumps found ways to use less and settle around 50x.

You do need areas of lower flow, but these areas need to be open. I try to have high flow through the rocks, so no food enters to where it can decay. I also have a higher lower current so food rarely gets to the sandbed. I don't want the horses eating old dead food.

JMO

 

[The River Reef]

I setup a 34g solana AIO recently that will have a pair of horses eventually. I use the return split into 2 and added a Pico 180gph powerhead. In total, I estimate I am around 15X. The pico is on a timer and turns off with my lights so it gets a little calmer at night...

 

[vsiege]

I agree, they often are seen playing in the return of my marineland bio wheel HOB 200 return. If I can find the videos I will post them.

 

[rlpardue]

I get nervous using powerheads in the same tank as an animal with a prehensile tail. Intake vents and probing tails are scary. I also once found my seahorse stuck to a Koralia nano; those powerheads are probably the ones with the most difuse intake vents too. I drilled a 29g Biocube and installed a 500 gph pump to return water from my sump. I also attached some lock-line to the output from the Biocube's standard pump/outllet to direct flow to the two corners of the tank which the return pump's flow couldn't reach. (I hid the lockline under some rock ledges). 800 gph of flow (before subtracting for head loss) in a 29g tank is like 30x I guess. The seahorses don't seem to mind, and I could probably add more flow.

 

[Psyops]

I have a ball valve in-line to my seahorse tank. I lower the flow for feeding times and increase throughout the day for detritus removal. They actually like the high flow as some have already said. When I initially setup my system, I thought they did not like high flow. Until one day I was curious. They loved it and were playing in the highflow area.

Alex