Seahorse Help

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

I've decided that my new project is going to be a Seahorse aquarium. I've done my research, and I think I know all the basic. Please add any advice or tips. I know that for parameter wise, everythings the same as a reef, but the tempature needs to around 72-78. I know the flow needs to be low and they need "hitches" such as microalgea and gorgonians. For feeding, as long as you have a captive-bred, frozen food such as mysis will be good. I was also advised on putting the food in a dish and turning off the flow. My only concern and problem is when on vacation. I think I already stretch the limits on asking the neighbor to top off and drop a cube in my reef, but asking them to feed several times a day is way to much. So, I brain-stormed and came up with this solution.

Please tweek and give help on the design. I would also like to add that I am completely new to live food in general and I need a lot of help on what kind to feed and how to make sure that it's self sustaining and all the neighbor has to do is pour the food into the bucket so the live food and grow and breed in the bucket. Thanks in advance.

 

[TamiW]

Temperature should be lower than that - you don't want to go above 74 for tropical species, and 72 for H. erectus. I also keep my pumps going when feeding, as it keeps the mysis in suspension longer. Though mine are not trained to a feeding station, so keeping it in suspension longer is important.

Low flow is somewhat of a myth - you don't want it to blow them out of the water, but a good moderate turn over of 10x-20x is good for them, it sweeps detritus away and generally is a healthier environment. What you don't want is for them to be blown around the tank, so their should be a even flow, and spots they can hitch where it is more sheltered from the flow (but not a dead spot).

For vacation feeding, I don't think the set up you're proposing will work. The type of live food you would need get chopped to pieces going through the pump. You might be able to get away with an uplift pump, which might work, and maybe adult brine shrimp. But you'd also need to aerate the container, and it would likely get pretty nasty, which you'd be dumping in to your tank.

Another possibility is a portabile fridge/cooler there, with thawed mysis, that is feed out the way you're proposing. You'd still need something like an uplift pump or peristaltic pump, and probably aeration again so all the food doesn't settle. You might want to look into how people are feeding non-photosynthetic corals, I believe they'd done similar types of things.

What I do for vacation care is I portion out everything they need in advance, free it in individual containers, (walmart sells portion cups that work great for this), label each day, and advise the sitter to thaw the next day's cup in the fridge when they feed the current day, and leave one thawed in the fridge for that day.

It's a little more complicated than that because I have multiple tanks, but for one that should be all you need.

There are three factors I've found when getting a pet sitter to take care of complicated fish things are:
- Leave written instructions
- put notes with instructions on everything.
- do a walk through of how to take care of everything.

 

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

Thanks for the tips and help.

If the sitter fed once a day for about a week, would the seahorses be able to thrive with only one helping a day?

I don't quite understand the freezer idea, may you please elaborate?

If you were setting up an auto-feeding machine for frozen food, what would you do?

 

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

What's the most common seahorse found in the trade?

Do you you think a 14 gallon would suffice the one common seahorse?

 

[mtc1966]

What's the most common seahorse found in the trade?

Do you you think a 14 gallon would suffice the one common seahorse?

I think you made need to do some more research 29 30 is the general recommended for the 1st pr of seahorses .

 

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

1 pr = 1 pair?

If that's the case
"Do you you think a 14 gallon would suffice the one common seahorse?"

 

[TamiW]

Thanks for the tips and help.

If the sitter fed once a day for about a week, would the seahorses be able to thrive with only one helping a day?

Yes. That's what I do on vacation so as not to drive the sitter crazy. (except last time, when I had babies. Bless my friends wonderful patience, she fed the babys twice a day).

I don't quite understand the freezer idea, may you please elaborate?

I portion the food out into small portion cups (like the ones you get with a side of tartar sauce or similar). I uses mysis cubes, so I put the right number for one day into a cup, put the day it should be fed (Monday), do that for the number of days I'll be gone. The day I leave, I put the next days in the fridge to thaw with water. I tell the sitter when they feed that out, to put the next day's into the fridge to thaw for the following day.

If you were setting up an auto-feeding machine for frozen food, what would you do?

You'd need a dorm fridge. Here is a thread with a similar idea:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1925790

Note, I have no idea if this would work, I just know people have tried it for Non-Photosynthetic corals.

What's the most common seahorse found in the trade?

In the US, H. erectus.

Do you you think a 14 gallon would suffice the one common seahorse?

As mentioned above, no, that's too small. Either a 20 or a 30 gallon, depending on the species. I also wanted to add, if you're thinking of a 14 gallon, you're probably thinking of a bio-cube. Biocubes tend to get too warm for seahorses, so I wouldn't consider one unless you plan on having a chiller.

 

[Molehs]

An adult erectus in a 14g? Sure I bet it's possible, but I also bet it's incredibly unlikely to survive. If you want to have the best chance at success you NEED to do more research and listen to the people above.

You have to understand that to some of us seahorses are more than just another fish. It takes more and different knowledge and effort to be successful with a seahorse tank as compared to a marine/FOWLER/reef tank.

Far too often do new owners listen only to the advice of the LFS and show up here with a sick seahorse that is too far gone to save. And it's not that the LFS is trying to give bad advice, but rather they just don't know what it takes to have the best chances to keep the horse alive and healthy.

And really when it comes down to how much water is enough for a seahorse? More water is better. I run in upwards of 150g for 4 adult erectus and my horses are doing awesome.

We really do want you to be successful. It's worth the extra time. It's worth the extra money. It's worth the extra effort. Seahorses are so incredibly amazing.

[I'll get off my soapbox now, LOL]

 

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

Alright, how does a 24 gallon sound for either a single or a pair?

When I go to my LFS to work today, I'll ask what's the most common Seahorse that they carry, as you say FishGrrl mostly likely H. erectus

Thanks you for the tips, FishGrrl & Molehs.

 

[mtc1966]

more importantly ask the source of the seahorses are they captive bred or wild caught or pen raised . you want captive bred. you could probably get away with 24 with excellent husbandry and a very good skimmer. . but why 24 over a 29g tank ? are you looking at a bio cube type tank ? as stated they get to hot .

 

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

Alright, just got back, my LFS commonly carries H. Kuda Captive Bred and the H. Ingens. They also do special orders of course, would there be something better than H. Kuda? I know no H. Ingens of course.

I would prefer no bigger than my own reef, which is a 29 Gallon Oceanic Biocube.

Yes, I am not going to do a Biocube, I'll try to get a used tank at my LFS or wait for those "Dollar a Gallon" sales at Petco.

 

[TamiW]

Don't bother with used at the LFS, most still mark up a bunch. I'd either stalk craigslist, or find the closest reef club and keep an eye on the classifieds. These days, you can pick up a complete setup for relatively cheap if you have a bit of patience.

 

[Liexicof15]

i agree, I think a little more research is warranted here. Previous posters keep mentioning pairs because that's the way seahorses should be kept, IMO. Are you planning to get a chiller for this biocube type tank that runs hotter? Higher temps just bring about infectious conditions, which seahorses are very susceptible. I would hate for you to go through all the trouble of setting this up and your seahorses dying on you. Good luck.

 

[TamiW]

He says he's not going to run a biocube. . .

 

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

Correct, thanks for the advice, I'm going to try to "stalk" a tank.

 

[Mr.6LineWrasse]

No luck so far, I'll keep looking for a good aquarium. My funds are low currently, and I need to replace my bulbs so It's going to be some time before I start.