Thinking about starting a sygnathid tank...

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Well after much time debating and lurking I've decided to at least get some feedback here about my curiosity.

I'm in college, got a decent-sized room with a constant, or at least near-constant temperature, at all times so I figured why not think about putting a little sygnathid tank in? I'm thinking about getting a 20 gallon (the limit is actually 10 gallons but my RA says it doesn't matter) with my old 15-gallon set up as a sump complete with fuge and skimmer. Do you guys think this will be ok for a pair of pipes or ponies? I'm going to have some other tankmates in there with them, but nothing aggressive. If anything, I'll put in my scooter or mandarin (both of which are ga-ga for frozen food), and my shrimp gobies. I'll probably also be putting-in some seagrasses to create a more natural feel for the ponies.

So anyways, does this sound ok? I know it's very broad and vague, but then again this is only a musing, a pondering if you will. I've done a fair bit of research on sygnathids so I'm somewhat informed on their care. Should I do it, or just forego the sygnathids and just create a non-sygnathid tank?

Any comments/suggestions/feedback are quite welcome, hope to see some responses soon!!! :-D

 

[namxas]

a 20 is a bit tight for SH, esp if you're planning on piscine tankmates. SH are really hard on water quality, so a sump is a good idea.

a std 29 gal is perfect for a pair of larger species SH, but if you have to have a 20 gal, i suggest a 20T (has the same footprint of a 10 gal, but is taller, and holds about 18 gals). a pair of H. fuscus, which are a bit smaller than erectus or reidi.

you mentioned that your room has a stable temp, but also realize that even tropical species SH should be kept at 74*F max to reduce the chances of bacterial infections.

also, SH lack a true stomach, and since they can't hold food for digestion, require daily feedings. this is important if you plan on leaving them over winter/spring/summer breaks. they'll need to be fed, so consider that.

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Thanks namxas!!!
-I know a 29 would be ideal, but I'm already stretching it a bit with a 20. I was planning on a 20 high to begin with (seemed to make sense to go for a tall tank rather than a long one).
-74 deg. is perfectly obtainable considering my room never gets above 70 even during the summer months
-Feeding won't be a problem, I have a mini-freezer to keep all sorts of mysis and goodies.

Thanks for the feedback! :-D

 

[arcprolife]

I have my fuscus and barbouri in a 20 gallon extra tall. Its an odd size because its tall but not real wide(its the same as 2 ten gallons stacked on each other) If you keep a pair of fuscus they are small enough for a 20 esp. if you have a sump. IMO

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Hmmm, I was hoping to get a bit more than a pair in there. Looks like I won't be doing this after all. Oh well, perhaps later on down the line (probably after I upgrade my reef) I'll use my 90 for some ponies. Thanks for answering my questions though, you helped me not make a possibly bad decision (for both me and the ponies) ! I really appreciate the feedback