Sump home ?

[shellsea]

I have a well established 120 mixed reef and understand that it would not be a good home for seahorses. About 25 years ago I actually had a pair of ponies in a 35 hex tank in my daughters room and she witnessed the male give birth to a "tankful of stuff" as my daughter reported to it. Anyhow I would like to make a home for seahorse/pipefish again and am wondering if the center section of my sump could be a home for them? Water level in that section is only about 12 13 inch deep and I think it is 12 X12. I have some sand and rock rubble in the bottom of it and was planning on adding some cheato or other algea I could easily set up some hitching posts and perhaps an extended screen on the baffle to prevent the ponies from going into return section. Anyone ever try it? Maybe as a temporary home until a second tank is set up?
Any experienced keeper's thoughts?

 

[vlangel]

That is really too small and shallow for the greater seahorses. Another problem will probably be temperature and potential bacterial infections. Seahorses in order to have long term success with them need cooler water, at least 74 degrees or less to help inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Most reef tanks are warmer than that.

 

[rayjay]

The odds of success in doing so would be very slim.
First, the temperature is probably much higher than recommended for captive seahorses.
The water may not be of sufficient quality to keep them from being negatively affected by nasty bacteria.
The may succumb to pathogens introduced to them by other fish in the system that they haven't grown up with, another big killer of seahorses after the bacteria problems.
Insufficient water quality can also lead to things like internal/external gas bubble disease, and can also cause chemical imbalances that affect internal organs.
Seahorses have the best chance of survival when kept in a species only tank with conditions specifically suited to their needs.
Even keeping pipefish with seahorses is often problematic unless the pipefish are captive bred from the same source the seahorses come from.
There are however pipefish that are suitable for reef tanks but I can't advise on those as I've personally not done so.

 

[shellsea]

Thank you both for your thoughts. It is as I suspected. I will wait and see if I can set up a tank just for them some day again.