How small can you go with a seahorse tank?
- Thread starter pheinzig
- Start date
aday2remmbr
New member
Here is my Hex tank that I intend to use:
I weighed the rocks prior @38.9lbs
Its not the 50lbs I estimated I would be putting in my tank, but as the picture clearly illustrates....50lbs shouldn't be an excessive amount of LR to place in this system.
great tank! perfect for seahorses.
I hate to say it but while it works for a reef tank, and it may work in your seahorse tank, you may still have problems to watch for.
I have never seen any flow distribution that doesn't have some contact points of rock work that will trap uneaten food and detritus.
It works for a reef because reef fish are more resilient to bacterial influences than seahorses are.
It just means that too be successful I think you have to be more diligent in looking for signs of trouble spots and for me that was just too much to do with all the tanks I have at my age. It does work for many hobbyists, but I wonder how many of those experiencing problems don't realise there is a build up of trapped decaying matter that may be the reason.
I have never seen any flow distribution that doesn't have some contact points of rock work that will trap uneaten food and detritus.
It works for a reef because reef fish are more resilient to bacterial influences than seahorses are.
It just means that too be successful I think you have to be more diligent in looking for signs of trouble spots and for me that was just too much to do with all the tanks I have at my age. It does work for many hobbyists, but I wonder how many of those experiencing problems don't realise there is a build up of trapped decaying matter that may be the reason.
You shouldn't set up a tank based on what an individual thinks, but rather as what a majority of experienced people would recommend. That should give you the best chances of success.
I chose what I do now based on the problems I had in my earlier years keeping seahorses, but what I do now does not mean I don't have some losses still, just that things have improved for me.
There are some pictures on my website but any with live rock in them no longer do as it has all been placed in the sumps now, other than the 5g dwarf tank which has a couple of pieces in it because there is no sump.
MY SEAHORSE PAGE
I chose what I do now based on the problems I had in my earlier years keeping seahorses, but what I do now does not mean I don't have some losses still, just that things have improved for me.
There are some pictures on my website but any with live rock in them no longer do as it has all been placed in the sumps now, other than the 5g dwarf tank which has a couple of pieces in it because there is no sump.
MY SEAHORSE PAGE
aday2remmbr
New member
it depends on the seahorses, if you have dwarfs they are used to living in practically fields of seaweed under water so therefore thats what you should try your best to provide it with. i have found seahorses dont tend to like the rock wall style more just a few large rocks scattered about with hitching posts and such. hope that helps.
pledosophy
Active member
I ran a closed loop under the rock on spraybars. I ran it so you could alternate the flow through the closed loop, with the turn of a ball head which I found very effective. That way I could put 1200 gph through either side of my loop and help clear the rocks of detritus.
If your going for a CL under the rock work, I found that to be very effective.
Here are some pics just for fun
These are from a different system designed the same
HTH
If your going for a CL under the rock work, I found that to be very effective.
Here are some pics just for fun
These are from a different system designed the same
HTH
aday2remmbr
New member
wow great looking tank!
pheinzig
Member
thanks for the pics. indeed that's right along the lines of what I'm thinking. I want to make a hex shaped ring that runs the perimeter of the tank on the bottom with holes drilled to spray a constant flow blowing inward towards the middle. The intake will be somewhere behind the rocks, I also want to direct a couple power heads at the rock work as well to keep the upper surface clear. That leaves the middle and upper portions of the tank with little to no water flow, where i would like to have some plant life that will grow to the upper heights of the tank. Im hoping this gives the livestock the opportunity to choose the degree and intensity of water flow.
pledosophy
Active member
The macro is red grape, it is going white at the tips because of the ex[osure of the picture and party because it was starting to bleach out. It was to thick, I had to thin it out for it to grow better.
It is a fun algae.
Glad i could help
It is a fun algae.
Glad i could help
aday2remmbr
New member
the other day soeone on here had flame caulerpa for sale, that would look awesome.
