Seahorse Macro Setup Question

[btreyes]

I'm setting up a new, mostly macroalgae 50 gallon that will house a few seahorses. My partner says "no" to a sump, so I was going to put an oversized HOB skimmer and some sort of mechanical filter, likely HOB. Does anyone have any suggestions for either filters? Also, what sort of media would work the best for a saltwater tank?

Thank you!

 

[Reefing102]

@vlangel might be able to help

 

[griss]

@vlangel might be able to help

Exactly who I was going to tag, great minds...something, something....

 

[btreyes]

Thanks guys!

 

[vlangel]

I'm setting up a new, mostly macroalgae 50 gallon that will house a few seahorses. My partner says "no" to a sump, so I was going to put an oversized HOB skimmer and some sort of mechanical filter, likely HOB. Does anyone have any suggestions for either filters? Also, what sort of media would work the best for a saltwater tank?

Thank you!

Hi byreyes! Congrats on your new tanks and ponies coming. I had a sump so can not help you on brand names of equipment. Definitely an oversized skimmer is a good idea as you want to limit DOC in a seahorse tank. It can especially have a negative effect on stallions and contribute to gas bubble disease. As far as mechanical filtration choose what is the easiest for you to maintain. So easy that you can easily clean 2Xs a week. What you don't want is a filter that has degrading mysis in it (that the ponies didn't eat) as that can fuel pathogenic bacteria like vibrio. Seahorses are very vulnerable to such infections.
I set up a bb tank so excess food did not get caught or buried in sand. Live rock is good. Macroalgae is great as long as excess food is not trapped in it. Peppermint shrimp are helpful in cleaning up excess food as long as they are big enough to not end up as dinner for the ponies, LOL.
I used carbon as media. Here is a pic of my tank. My ponies stayed very healthy in this tank as long as i did not add fish and kept it a specie specific tank for seahorses.