Any members with Seahorses?

[ghbrewer]

Just curious if there are many members that have Seahorse tanks? I have a 27g drilled cube, new stand, and a chiller (for the warmer months) that I am thinking will work well. I am looking at the Tom Rapids Pro 3 wet dry for filtration:
http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Rapids-Filter-700gph-pump/dp/B002V3GW9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422644948&sr=8-1&keywords=tom+rapids+pro&pebp=1422644877762&peasin=B002V3GW9C">Amazon.com : TOM Aquarium RP3 (Rapids Pro Filter with 700gph pump) : Fish Tank Filter : Pet Supplies@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41TrCkgg1jL.@@AMEPARAM@@41TrCkgg1jL</a>
Won't need the overflow box, and will replace the bioballs and bio media with matrix & purigen. Any thoughts? Not much room in the stand for a standard sized sump, but I could always make one if it might be a better choice.

 

[bcrueter]

I am currently running a IM 30 as a seahorse tank. I think they are amazing creatures.

 

[declanisadog]

I plan on turning the 30g cube i have into a seahorse tank once i move.

 

[bcrueter]

I think you have a great plan there I feel the cubes are perfect for them they are tall tanks normally. plus chiller is a great idea they need cooler water. and the sump with matrix an puregen is always a good idea. Just dont skip the skimmer i have to over feed the heck out of my pony tank. I know you are aways away from getting any, but i cant say enough captive rasied and try to get them eating frozen. Chek out seahorse.org they are a farm out of hawaii, they have great info and some beautiful seahorses.

 

[bckc2002]

Grant, Brandon Mason has a nice Seahorse setup.

 

[brandonmason]

Thanks Brandon. I have a 60 cube with seahorses. I run a diy 30 sump with reef Octo 150. I feed 2-3 times a day and do have soft corals with them. I tried doing digitata but they started killing it with hitching. Seahorses are delicate and as you know require lots of attention. In fact my hybrid had to be burped from time to time due to a disease he had once I received him. They are short lived (1-5 years) my water stays hovering at 74.5 without the use of chiller

 

[brandonmason]

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

 

[ghbrewer]

So you all think that the Tom Rapids Pro 3 Setup will be sufficient? I am just nervous about the built in skimmer. It gets mixed reviews on Amazon, but a lot of the negative reviews are for the overflow box that I will not be using.

Also, should I Tina spray bar instead of loc-line? The tank I am using was drilled by the previous owner. It is drilled for 2-1" bulkheads. If I do a spray bar it is not really an issue. I will just come out with an elbow, 8-12" piece of drilled pipe, with a cap on the end.

 

[ghbrewer]

Brandon, love the horses. Tank looks nice. Thx for the info.

 

[brandonmason]

I tried spray bar but didn't like the design because of over time algae clogged the holes. I ran two separate lock line and only have those going across the surface

 

[brandonmason]

They can deal with more flow than you think

 

[bcrueter]

what Brandon said. Mine will play in the flow from the return. I just picked up a beautiful pair from Nemo's.

 

[ghbrewer]

I have been reading up on the care and time involved in being successful with Seahorses, and I am thinking that I am going to wait until next year (after I finish my classes) to give this a go. I will have more time on my hands then. I already have my hands full with my 100g build, and I am sure that it will take every bit of extra free time that I might have. Thx for all the info. guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[jennm]

I kept seahorses for ages. Brandon is right in that they can take more flow than you might think - I had mine in a 37 RR and my big male H. reidi used to swim up to the return and play in the current.

They do live longer than 18 months though (dwarf seahorses might be shorter lived, I don't remember) but I had my pair for about 3 years - they bred regularly - and they were adults when I got them (they were wild caught, since that was mostly what was available in those days). My male reidi measured about 9" from nose to tail when he died, and since fishes grow for their whole lives, that leads me to believe he was pretty old - that's pretty big for that specie of seahorse.

The male gave birth every other Sunday, and by Monday afternoon, he was smoking a cigarette They were very busy!

I did a lot of trial and error rearing the fry - in those days I was active in some breeder groups and some of my observations were published (by another author, crediting me for my contributions). I didn't manage to get many to adulthood, but there were a lot of lessons learned in getting there.

Nowadays a lot of people are successful breeders of seahorses, and captive raised ones are much more easily acquired.

Jenn

 

[dapperjman]

What kind of classes are you taking?

 

[ghbrewer]

Management at Kennesaw