JohnsonSBK
New member
since it seems like all of my local fish stores say that a seahorse tank should have very little flow would it make since to have an undergravel filter? pros and cons? id like to hear your opinions
seahorse tank flow?
- Thread starter JohnsonSBK
- Start date
First of all, for flow, I like to have areas of low, medium and high flow with hitches in each so the horses can choose which area they want at any given time.
Many horses like to sit in front of powerheads or perch in the air bubbles of an airline as it probably gives them some relief as in we scratch our backs on the edges of a wall.
Also, you want good flow at the surface because the surface agitation is conducive to proper gas exchange that will maintain the pH.
As for tank set up and filtration, it boils down to personal choice because any system can be made to work if handled correctly.
Because seahorses are so messy, my personal preference is bare bottom and using live rock in the sump for biological filtration.
When I first started in Jan 94, I used undergravel filters but with reverse flow.
I used a hagen powerhead with quickfilter attachment to prefilter the water and plumbed the output to go down the uplift tube, up through the substrate and out, keeping the detritus mainlly at the top and instead of the normal sucking down towards the plate.
Many horses like to sit in front of powerheads or perch in the air bubbles of an airline as it probably gives them some relief as in we scratch our backs on the edges of a wall.
Also, you want good flow at the surface because the surface agitation is conducive to proper gas exchange that will maintain the pH.
As for tank set up and filtration, it boils down to personal choice because any system can be made to work if handled correctly.
Because seahorses are so messy, my personal preference is bare bottom and using live rock in the sump for biological filtration.
When I first started in Jan 94, I used undergravel filters but with reverse flow.
I used a hagen powerhead with quickfilter attachment to prefilter the water and plumbed the output to go down the uplift tube, up through the substrate and out, keeping the detritus mainlly at the top and instead of the normal sucking down towards the plate.
JohnsonSBK
New member
got ya. maybe a good idea would be a tank with an overflow down to a sump with proteind skimmer and a oversized return pump going to a undergravel filter but with two tees off of the return line, one mid water and one at the top with vavles to adjust the flow and any extra could be disapated through the gravel. in my opinion it just seems like the undergravel filter makes the biological aspect of the sand work better. just my opinion of course
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
personally, i wouldn't use a UGF...since they pull/push oxygenated water (depending on how you set them up) thru the substrate, you end up with gunk in the substrate (worse with "regular flow UGF) and nitrate issues. SH are already hard on water quality, so you don't need any "help" in that department.
SH can handle a lot more flow than given credit for. i have 10x to 15x flow in my larger setup, and use a dual return plus (3) CL returns. the key is to do it creatively as to not plaster your SH to the tank panes. give the SH higher flow areas as well as calmer resting areas.
i actually have a friend who runs like 60x turnover in his SH tank, but he has spent a LOT of time and do-overs to get it "just right" and it is indeed perfect.
SH can handle a lot more flow than given credit for. i have 10x to 15x flow in my larger setup, and use a dual return plus (3) CL returns. the key is to do it creatively as to not plaster your SH to the tank panes. give the SH higher flow areas as well as calmer resting areas.
i actually have a friend who runs like 60x turnover in his SH tank, but he has spent a LOT of time and do-overs to get it "just right" and it is indeed perfect.
JohnsonSBK
New member
wow i never would have thought they would do well in a tnk with that much flow. i guess its just a matter of how much effort u want to put into it to make the flow u have work out for them
Octoshark
Marine Biology Student
I just wanted to revise this statement since I added more flow and it seems to be fine.
I went up to ~12x
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ChadTheSpike
Reef Engineer
Exactly, areas of low, medium and high velocity flow areas with a high overall turnover rate has worked well for me and others as well.
Turnover in my SH tank is around 20x or so, plus a nano wavebox... Seems like a lot, but 10x of it is through a 2" pipe that it is very low velocity flow (its pointed straight at the sandbed and doesnt disturb it). The other 10x comes from a maxijet directed 3/4 of the way up across the back of the tank to create counterclockwise flow (this is a high flow area), the wavebox doesnt add much to the total flow but makes things sway a bit (directly in front of the wavebox is a high flow area part of the time). Most of the tank is low velocity flow, a few areas are medium flow, and the two areas are high flow areas.
The SHs do really well in my setup, and swim wherever they want to and are not blown around (unless they want to, of course... but thats another story).
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
Just to add to this discussion, I just replace a broken powerhead on my 15 gallon tank, and now where talking about 30x turn over in the tank, maybe a little more. I did it because I wanted to overpower the skimmer. The seahorses are able to eat and move around okay, but they are certainly not as prone to come out into open water. Its been this way for about a week, but I think I'm going to change it to a smaller pump.
The point is that I suspect 20x is the upper limit (though perhaps in a larger tank it would be more spread out) as suggested in this thread, and this is an example that helps confirm that.
The point is that I suspect 20x is the upper limit (though perhaps in a larger tank it would be more spread out) as suggested in this thread, and this is an example that helps confirm that.
pledosophy
Active member
Tami, I would give your seahorses some time to buff up. Even with the ridiculous amounts of flow in my seahorse systems over the years, they all go out into open water.
IMO/IME I think planning the flow properly helps to save with other things down the way. If your tank is not building up detritus you will be less likely to encounter other problems, the least of which is nuissance algae.
If your going to do a lot through a closed loop I do advise protecting the intakes.
JMO
IMO/IME I think planning the flow properly helps to save with other things down the way. If your tank is not building up detritus you will be less likely to encounter other problems, the least of which is nuissance algae.
If your going to do a lot through a closed loop I do advise protecting the intakes.
JMO
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
I could, and I might just do that, but they're fuscus and they're hidey as is. Maybe I'll give it a couple more weeks and see if they adapt better. I don't have problems with detritus building up as the tank had pretty good flow before. Now its really rocketing through the tank though.
pledosophy
Active member
I didn't realize they were fuscus, I have never kept them myself so I have no real input on them.
I used to think that because of there small size they woudl need less flow then larger horses, but that might be a false assumption after viewing the video's of barbaganti in the wild.
Let us know how it goes.
I used to think that because of there small size they woudl need less flow then larger horses, but that might be a false assumption after viewing the video's of barbaganti in the wild.
Let us know how it goes.
The foam guard or even the diy acrylic plus mesh cover, I would use the diy acrylic plus mesh personally to make sure it doesn't have any chance of getting in the pump.
