Just can't make up my mind...how difficult *are* seahorses, anyway?

[velvetelvis]

I have a 50G custom cube system that's been being built for several months now. It's getting closer to being finished now, and I just can't decide what to keep. I originally wanted to keep H. erectus from Seahorse Source with macros and gorgonians, because I'm from FL and wanted a biotope from my home state. Then I started reading about chillers, medications, feeding stations...and got cold feet.

The tank specs are as follows: 50G, 24" x 24" x 20", 10G sump w/refugium, LED lighting, no powerheads (will probably rely on a Mag Drive and loc-line for flow). I was planning to keep some aquacultured Atlantic/Caribbean gorgonians and macroalgae (maybe Caulerpa cupressoides and/or prolifera) for hitching posts. I'd probably have a friend of mine make me some artificial rock so I could avoid any nasty hitchhikers.

So here are my questions:

(1) Is a chiller absolutely necessary? I keep the blinds and curtains drawn in my living room all the time and my apartment stays in the low to mid 70s in the summer. I'll have LED lighting on the tank, so that should help with heat buildup.

(2) Are they very difficult to feed? The person who watches my pets when I go out of town isn't experienced with marine aquariums. If they have to be fed 3x daily and have the flow cut off for them while they eat, this is probably asking too much from her.

(3) One other option I'm considering is a clownfish/BTA system (obviously I'll do one or the other, not both!). For those of you who have kept BTAs before, which would you say is higher-maintenance: seahorses, or bubbletip anemones?

Sorry to be asking so many questions, but I'm somewhat obsessive and like to do lots of research before making any decisions. I'd rather obsessively research now and avoid making any costly mistakes further down the road. Thanks!

 

[cynster]

1. I think most people keep the temp 68-74F if they are tropical

I don't know the answer to the others though

 

[B3ach]

Maybe this will help with a the chiller question a bit....

I have also heard that tank bred seahorses live in temps around 78* because they were raised in it. Is this true?

Im not certain if ORA does this. But i know H.reidi lives in warmer waters than other species so thats why they arent stressed by higher temps.

 

[rayjay]

Seahorses could be called difficult because of the need to keep the tank cleaner than for corals or standard marine fish.
Because they are so prone to succumbing to bacterial infestations, it's wise to do more tank husbandry than a reef tank.
I don't use heaters or chillers but instead have my house air conditioned and keep the tanks in the 72° range.
There are links at the bottom of My thoughts on Seahorsekeeping that can give you the basics you should be aware of before starting into the hobby.
For feeding, hobbyists have varying ways to accomplish this, but for my case I have timers that I turn off the pumps for feeding the frozen food with one mini jet 404 pumping water to keep the food in suspension as long as possible.
Others prefer to use feeding dishes.
I would rate seahorses to be higher maintenance than BTA's.

 

[namxas]

We don't turn the flow off for our SH to eat. They simply chase the food in the water column, or wait for it to float by. If you get TRUE CB specimens, they should come to you eating frozen mysis, so they really shouldn't be hard to feed.

Temp-wise, keeping the tank <75*F is best, but stability is the key. The SH do better if the temp isn't bouncing around too much.

As for BTA's vs. SH...BTA's won't necessarily stay where you put them, and will move around on you until THEY find that "happy spot". Other than that, a 'nem is easier to care for.

 

[velvetelvis]

Thanks for the advice and the honest answers, everyone...they are much appreciated. rayjay, that link was very helpful.

We don't turn the flow off for our SH to eat. They simply chase the food in the water column, or wait for it to float by. If you get TRUE CB specimens, they should come to you eating frozen mysis, so they really shouldn't be hard to feed.

Temp-wise, keeping the tank <75*F is best, but stability is the key. The SH do better if the temp isn't bouncing around too much.

As for BTA's vs. SH...BTA's won't necessarily stay where you put them, and will move around on you until THEY find that "happy spot". Other than that, a 'nem is easier to care for.

I was afraid of that. I still am really tempted, but a chiller is out of my price range at this point, so I'm worried about temperatures (we've had almost two weeks of triple-digit heat recently--not for the first time, either). And like I said, I don't have an experienced SW aquarist--let alone an experienced SH keeper--to look after them when I'm gone. I might better leave the SH alone for now.