seahorse/refugium
- Thread starter karenj
- Start date
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Technically, it wouldn't be a refugium any more. A refugium's purpose is to shelter and allow more delicate animals to breed and populate your main display. So, when you introduce a predator such as a seahorse, you no longer have a refugium, but just another display. The benefits of a refugium are that it can feed your main tank along with the growing creatures help take care of excess detritus and you can also add plants and macro algae, deep sand beds, remote deep sand beds, live rock rubble, etc to your refugium to help aid in denitrification.
Personally, leave your refugium as just that. If you want seahorses, set up a seperate species tank. :thumbsup:
Personally, leave your refugium as just that. If you want seahorses, set up a seperate species tank. :thumbsup:
sequential
New member
karenj, if your refugium is large enough to host seahorses and a mangrove I don't see what should stop you from hosting them in your refugium. Pod production is a benefit of a refugium, but your refugium does not suddenly become ineffective if something in it eats all the pods.
Think of your refugium as just part of a habitrail in your tank.
I say go for it.
Think of your refugium as just part of a habitrail in your tank.
I say go for it.
Swanwillow
goby girl
seahorses will eat all pods in the refugium, and a refugium is not a suitable place for horses: they need much lower flow than most refs would provide!!!! plus, they are HUGE eaters... think one horses daily output equal to about 3 damsels. they eat frozen mysis, and the pods will be almost non-existant in the ref. yes, a refugium can be used just for macro algaes, but its still not suitable for horses...
please don't answer questions on fish if ya don't know thier requirements
please don't answer questions on fish if ya don't know thier requirements
Pandora
Premium Member
I agree with Swan & Travis. If you want to keep seahorses in the sump, that is one matter, and that is "doable". However, it will defeat the purpose of it being used for a refugium, because SH's are HUGE eaters, as swan mentioned (I've had them also)... you will completely dessimate your pod population within days, and need another source. If you have two bodies of water circulating with the main tank, you could in theory use one for a refugium and one for SH's. Again as SW said, they need daily feedings (in most cases, more than once a day), with special requirements of their own... check seahorse.org , which is a great reference.
sequential
New member
Instead of making assumptions about what other posters know and don't know, let's stick to answering the question at hand, something none of us have addressed.
It is recommended that your mangroves be exposed to moderate flow, so I don't see an incompatibility in the sense of flow. In fact, on the surface, it seems like the two compliment each other.
Honestly, I think we're all on the same page here. The fact is if you add a predator to your refugium, the pod population will quickly become nonexistant. If you depend on pod production in your fuge, don't do it. If you don't, then I say go for it.
You may need to ask this in the Seahorse & Pipefish Forum considering no one has specifically answered this. I've seen it done, but that doesn't mean it is healthy, ethical, or sustainable.
This is a fair assumption to make, something I allude to, but do not clearly spell out in my post. To be clear, it is important if you are going to depend on feeding your seahorses frozen food to be certain your seahorses will eat frozen foods. Some won't. Before purchasing a seahorse, presuming you purchase it from an LFS, be certain to watch them feed it frozen food, like mysis. Though seahorses are slower moving, they should quickly respond to food in the tank when healthy and hungry.
That's great advice, when worded differently. karenj, if you can provide the appropriate amount of flow in your refugium, you can put seahorses in it. Just beware that seahorses are slow moving and will require less flow than you might expect.
More great advice. Your refugium will be emptied of pods quickly once you introduce a predator.
If karenj feeds the seahorses, limits the flow, and her tank does not depend on pod production, why are you telling her that she can not use a refugium for seahorses?
It is recommended that your mangroves be exposed to moderate flow, so I don't see an incompatibility in the sense of flow. In fact, on the surface, it seems like the two compliment each other.
In the same vein, please don't force your opinion on other postsers as if it were fact. The facts here are that she can do it, but there are certain concerns that she needs to address. Forgive me if I presume that karenj is a responsible reefkeeper and can provide proper care for her seahorses.
Honestly, I think we're all on the same page here. The fact is if you add a predator to your refugium, the pod population will quickly become nonexistant. If you depend on pod production in your fuge, don't do it. If you don't, then I say go for it.
Swanwillow
goby girl
okokok, so I said something I shouldn't-because us horsie keepers are a bit passionate about our horses sorry
I like the whole, seting it up to an existing system. I do, its just not going to be a refugium after your done. I know diddly squat bout mangroves!!! how low of flow can you go with them? most seahorse keepers only recommend about 5x flow turnover for the horses... my horse tank runs off of the skimmer powered by a maxi 1200, and a maxi 600 aimed behind the rockwork. If I could get a mangrove or three in there.....
anywhos, you can do it, but I'd have the three tank setup like someone graciously gave the answer for. one refugium, one display tank, and one seahorse tank. it'll add to the overall stability of the tanks, and just be pretty neat. But, if you want little critters to reach the main tank, the seahorses shouldn't be in line with the refugium, err, should I say down stream...
sorryI like the whole, seting it up to an existing system. I do, its just not going to be a refugium after your done. I know diddly squat bout mangroves!!! how low of flow can you go with them? most seahorse keepers only recommend about 5x flow turnover for the horses... my horse tank runs off of the skimmer powered by a maxi 1200, and a maxi 600 aimed behind the rockwork. If I could get a mangrove or three in there.....
anywhos, you can do it, but I'd have the three tank setup like someone graciously gave the answer for. one refugium, one display tank, and one seahorse tank. it'll add to the overall stability of the tanks, and just be pretty neat. But, if you want little critters to reach the main tank, the seahorses shouldn't be in line with the refugium, err, should I say down stream...
sequential
New member
No offense taken. I'm glad seahorse keeepers like yourself are passionate. It makes this board a better place.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6916402#post6916402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Swanwillow
okokok, so I said something I shouldn't-because us horsie keepers are a bit passionate about our horses
I tend to agree this is a better set up as well, but the trade off on pod production may be attractive to karenj for reasons we don't know about, like space considerations. I just didn't want her to think that it's unpossible.
this is a great discussion. I think I have figured out an option from what you are saying. I have a 25 gallon that I was going to use as the refugium which I could put at the end of the line as a mangrove/seahorse area-- and use the 125 gallon proclear as the true refugium--it won't be as large as I wanted but might be enough for a 75 gallon tank. Of course this means I need more lights but what the heck. Let me know if you think that would work. Karen
