Seahorse in refugium with heater?

[GeoHawk]

I was thinking of getting a couple seahorses to put in my refugium. Is this an ok idea?

Second, I know seahorses and heaters don't get along, but are there any that do?
My heater is in my refugium, because the water isn't high enough in my sump to put it there. So I was wondering what the possibility would be.

I already feed my tank live rotifers, brineshirmp, and copepods every week so I have plenty of live food.

What do you guys think CRAZY or GOOD IDEA?

 

[Fragtastic Reef]

How tall is your refugium? Also I would be worried about high flow problems. You could make a protection thing to go around your heater. Not the best idea though, but could work.

 

[GeoHawk]

How tall is your refugium? Also I would be worried about high flow problems. You could make a protection thing to go around your heater. Not the best idea though, but could work.

The tank the refugium is sectioned off in is a 20 gallon tall, but I am not exactly sure how tall it is right now (I could measure it when I am home) I didn't think about flow, that is a good point I do have a lot of flow through there. I have it valved off though so I could run less flow through the fuge and more through the sump.

So far I am thinking this wasn't such a good idea.

 

[Reefhabit]

I have a heater in my sump with seahorses but the heater is laying on the ground so that they can't tail wrap on the heating tube.
Just make sure the water in the sump doesn't get too warm.

 

[GeoHawk]

How warm is too warm for seahorses? My tank usually goes from 76-80 everyday. I don't think I can lay my heater down its an ebo-jager and the top can't go under the water.

 

[caudill187]

I have two erectus seahorses in my 37 gallon refugium and they are doing very well, eating frozen mysis like champs. To me, this seems like a great habitat for them with a tall tank, subdued lighting (in comparison to my display), gentle flow, and tons of microfauna and macroalgae. I keep my tank temp at 77 and they are thriving, but I hear this species is more temperature tolerant than others. I don't have a heater in the fuge but they love to hitch on the cord to the koralia 3 I run in there only occasionally.

Could you cover the heater in PVC with slits for water movement?

 

[GeoHawk]

I like the PVC idea, has anyone tried it?

 

[Electrobes]

Hmm I would worry about the heat not dispersing well, and over heating the refugium. Maybe if the PVC pipe covering was big enough to allow some flow through it, it could work well.

 

[CJO]

I don't think that I would try the PVC covering. It seems like things could easily go wrong. What about Reefhabit's thoughts on laying the heater on the ground?

CJ

 

[GeoHawk]

I don't think that I would try the PVC covering. It seems like things could easily go wrong. What about Reefhabit's thoughts on laying the heater on the ground?

CJ

My heater can't be submerged

 

[Tabasco1]

I don't think I would try the heater either, maybe some other way of protecting it though? Building a little egg crate cage for the heater?

If you really wanted to try it, upgrade heaters, I am pretty sure you can get a submersible one for between $30 & $40. That could be worth it. I am gussing you don't have a sump in addition to the fuge? If so you could have the heater in that section.

 

[GeoHawk]

I have a sump, but the water level in the sump is much more shallow that the fuge. I have had 2 submersible heaters both stealths, and they both failed on me I like my ebo jager, because so far it hasn't failed.

The egg crate might work well.

 

[Tabasco1]

I have not really heard great things about stealths in general so there could be other subermisbles that would be very reliable. Not failing is a great quality to have in a heater.

 

[Dasani]

20g is not a lot for 2 seahorses.
I have heard of most seahorse tank owners keeping their tanks at about 73*.

 

[GeoHawk]

Its starting to sound like it was a bad idea. Thanks guys

 

[CJO]

That egg crate would be a good idea as it provides plenty of flow but still keeps them separated.

CJ

 

[Tabasco1]

yeah, egg crate is good. I forgot what Dasani mentioned that generally sea horses do better at slightl cooler water. So probably not optimal, HOWEVER I know it can be done. Does that mean it should??

 

[GeoHawk]

Has anyone ever put there heater in the over flow box? I thought of this today, and if I am able to do that I wouldn't have to worry about sea horses being burned in the refugium.

 

[returnofsid]

Typically, most species of Seahorses, and "reef temperatures," do not go well together. Very few species of seahorses are actually tropical, with most of them being subtropical and needing cooler temperatures. Also, Seahorses are more susceptible to bacterial infections, which are more apt to be brought on, in temperatures higher than natural.

That being said, there are some species that do come from tropical climates. Unfortunately, these include a lot of the dwarf seahorses, which are more difficult to keep. It does also include a couple species of larger seahorses, though, so it's not "undoable." You will definitely need to consider heater placement and flow. Remember, Seahorses don't chase food. It's gotta gently pass right by their noses, or they won't eat it.

 

[caudill187]

return of sid is right. If you get seahorses I would look into Hippocampus erectus, as I hear they are more temp tolerant. Mine are doing well in my fuge at 77F. I just recently added a yoshi gobi and a pistol shrimp to catch the food they miss (which caused a cyano outbreak in the fuge). The goby is passive enough to allow them to eat. I use a plastic pipette to place thawed mysis right in front of them, a couple at a time. This seems to be working well so far.

You could place a submersible heater into an old HOB filter and it should work fine.