Re: LPS and Seahorses ???
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10133729#post10133729 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Roland Jacques
I am looking at converting a 125 reef into a seahorse tank. The tank has LPS corals. I would like to no if it would be ok to keep LPS and Seahorse together(open brain, frog spawn, hammer. I assume colt corals, sea apples, polyps, would be fine.
Also the tanks runs about 79-80 degrees on average. (no chiller) are there more higher temp tolerant seahorse?
I'm currently working on getting ride of the aptiasa, with Joes Juice and peppermint shrimp. I'm looking for the hardest / beginner seahorse. Thanks
From your list the frog and hammer are definately a no go, the brain, colt, polyps should be fine. Here is a great guide to any fish/corals you might want to keep with SH's.
http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates.shtml
As for temp, you want to keep it below 74 not because the SH's can't stand the higher temp but because Vibro (a nasty SH killer) thrives at temps higher than 74.
I have a 20gtall with a 10g sump with PC lighting, when the temp started getting too hot and we had some nasty almost 90 deg days here my Sh tank was getting too hot so I reversed my lights to be on from 9pm to 9 am put a fan to blow across the top of the water and turned off my heater. My tank is now getting up to about 70 after my light cycle is finished. Its actually running cooler now than it was during the winter when I had my heater running. On a cool day its around 65, a warm day around 67-70. I also keep my salinity at .21. In the tank I have leathers,a goni,mushrooms, caulerpa, polyps, pep shrimp, snails. All do well at the lowered temp/salinity. So far the only thing that has not thrived in the tank is zenia.
I also have a reef, 75g with a 90 g sump and 55g fuge.2 250 w De MH pendants, and a 175on the fuge. I run my tank lights during the day and my fuge at night. During this last week I've had a fan blowing across the top of my 75g 24/7, turned off the heater, we've been having 80+ deg days this week. My temp has been running about 63-66!
Ok so the reason I just wrote all that was to show you that you can keep your temp where you want/need it in order to keep SH's. Esp in a large body of water like a 125g. In the middle of Aug you *might* have to do a reverse schedule for a couple of weeks to keep the temps in check but its do-able. Also most corals can adjust to a lower temp and salinity.
So if you are willing to give up your froggy and hammer, be sure you kill all your aptaisia, lower your salinity, keep your temp under 74, keep the flow in the tank moderate to low, protect the SH's which are slow/poor swimmers from getting sucked in or stuck to PH's AND you haven't had any ick or other fish sicness in your 125g for the last 6months then IMO yes you can convert to a SH tank.
2 more things, aren't sea apples the animals that can nuke a tank if they die or get scared?If so it would need to go too. What kind of fish do you have now? Only very docile fish can be kept with Sh's. see the list I posted earlier. HTH
If you go the SH route may I suggest Seahorse Source in Florida, Dan raises some beautiful animals and his customer service is amazing.
