Newbie

[mellini]

Hi guys n girls I've been thinking about starting a seahorse tank for a while now and hav done a bit of research but still can't seem to find some answers on a few basics. Any straight forward answers to the questions below would be muchly appreciated, cheers

1) Can you have a only live sand tank?

2) If I add live sponges do they carry parisites? and is it easy to cure them?

3) Is it true that only males get gas problems?

4) What clean up crew would you recommend to keep plastic/fake decorations clean if I go that way

5) Is it essential to have a sump bucket of water for a seahorse tank? And if so what is the general ratio for tank:sump? And does the sump water also need a heat light?

I know some of them may seem silly so please take it easy on me lol, thanks for reading & helping

 

[JLynn]

1) If by "only live sand tank" you mean that live sand is literally the only thing in there besides water and seahorses, then no. Seahorses need what we call "hitching posts" so they don't tire themselves out. Hitching posts can be anything that the seahorse can hook it's tail around- fake corals, live corals, macro algae, and zip ties are some common choices.

5)The purpose of the sump is to hide all the equipment, provide extra water volume, help aeriate the water, and make water changes easier. (I may have missed a few things in that list, but you get the idea.) So it is not essential, but it is highly recommended. The ratio for tank:sump is whatever you would like, and the greater the volume of the sump, the better. Generally speaking, I think sumps tend to be at least a third of the volume of the tank. What do you mean by a "heat light"?

 

[rayjay]

Hi guys n girls I've been thinking about starting a seahorse tank for a while now and hav done a bit of research but still can't seem to find some answers on a few basics. Any straight forward answers to the questions below would be muchly appreciated, cheers

1) Can you have a only live sand tank?

If you mean as the only means of biological filtration, yes, as long as you have enough of it.

2) If I add live sponges do they carry parisites? and is it easy to cure them?

Anything live you add CAN carry parasites. Some are easily taken care of, others you can only attempt to control.

3) Is it true that only males get gas problems?

Any seahorse can get gas problems. However, only males get pouch emphysema. (gas in the pouch)

4) What clean up crew would you recommend to keep plastic/fake decorations clean if I go that way

Can't help with that as I have no clean up crew.

5) Is it essential to have a sump bucket of water for a seahorse tank? And if so what is the general ratio for tank:sump? And does the sump water also need a heat light?

Sump is not absolutely necessary, but like a skimmer, it can be a great help to your success in keeping seahorses. In addition to making a place to place equipment, it adds volume to the system that helps to make it "more forgiving" in the advent of problems. (an oversized skimmer is a BIG help to success)

I know some of them may seem silly so please take it easy on me lol, thanks for reading & helping

If you don't know something it is NEVER silly to ask.
You can do some extra reading by checking out the links at the BOTTOM of "My Thoughts on Seahorse Keeping".

 

[mellini]

Ok thanks for your info by only live sand I ment no live rock or sponge and with the heat light I'm just wondering if the sump water needs to be the same temperature as tank water before it passes through?

 

[mellini]

If you mean as the only means of biological filtration, yes, as long as you have enough of it.

Anything live you add CAN carry parasites. Some are easily taken care of, others you can only attempt to control.

Any seahorse can get gas problems. However, only males get pouch emphysema. (gas in the pouch)

Can't help with that as I have no clean up crew.

Sump is not absolutely necessary, but like a skimmer, it can be a great help to your success in keeping seahorses. In addition to making a place to place equipment, it adds volume to the system that helps to make it "more forgiving" in the advent of problems. (an oversized skimmer is a BIG help to success)

If you don't know something it is NEVER silly to ask.
You can do some extra reading by checking out the links at the BOTTOM of "My Thoughts on Seahorse Keeping".

Thanks for your input great help

 

[mellini]

Ok thanks for your info by only live sand I ment no live rock or sponge and with the heat light I'm just wondering if the sump water needs to be the same temperature as tank water before it passes through?

1) If by "only live sand tank" you mean that live sand is literally the only thing in there besides water and seahorses, then no. Seahorses need what we call "hitching posts" so they don't tire themselves out. Hitching posts can be anything that the seahorse can hook it's tail around- fake corals, live corals, macro algae, and zip ties are some common choices.

5)The purpose of the sump is to hide all the equipment, provide extra water volume, help aeriate the water, and make water changes easier. (I may have missed a few things in that list, but you get the idea.) So it is not essential, but it is highly recommended. The ratio for tank:sump is whatever you would like, and the greater the volume of the sump, the better. Generally speaking, I think sumps tend to be at least a third of the volume of the tank. What do you mean by a "heat light"?

Ok thanks for your info by only live sand I ment no live rock or sponge and with the heat light I'm just wondering if the sump water needs to be the same temperature as tank water before it passes through?<br/>

 

[rayjay]

Ok thanks for your info by only live sand I ment no live rock or sponge and with the heat light I'm just wondering if the sump water needs to be the same temperature as tank water before it passes through?

Most people don't use heaters as it's better to keep seahorses in the lower range of 68° to 74°F. There would often be more of a need for chillers than heaters.
If you had a heater, it would need protection to prevent burns from seahorses curling around it when it is hot, or, place it in the sump if you have one.
I don't know anyone that would use a heat light to warm a seahorse tank.
Wherever the heater is located, it should be sufficient rated to maintain the temperature you want throughout the system.

 

[mellini]

Oh really ok I will look into chillers, I'm based in western Australia and most of our winter have been around the 57℉ and summers can peak around 105℉ :/

 

[rayjay]

Here in London Ontario Canada, we go from -20's F in winter to +90's F in summer but it's not the outdoor temp that matters, it's what I choose to keep the home at.
I keep the home at 68°F in winter and 71° or so in summer so my tanks don't get so high that I need to heat them nor cool them.
If one doesn't have air conditioning then yes, a chiller may me in order.

 

[mellini]

Ok awesome that makes sense! N yay to aircon

 

[Fallling]

I live in southern California and don't have central AC... without a heater plugged in, my tank is already running 78 -80F, and it gets in the upper 90's low 100's in the summer. This is a seahorse setup that is cycling right now. The tank is 125 gal, and I carefully choose equipment that runs quiet and low heat. A chiller is going to be an absolute must (which I have gotten... just need to plumb).