Question tank ?

[Chris Spaulding]

I am wanting to do a seahorse tank. I keep reading that 30 Gallon min. Question I have would a 25 Gallon Cube with a 15 gallon sump be ok . Also there would be a AWC system set up changing out a 1 plus gallon a day if needed. The tank would also be a Marco Algae with a few Gorgonian corals. Reason for this size is my space is limited and will sit next to my Redsea reefer 250 SPS dominate.

 

[Old Fritz]

Yes that would be fine. I've seen them in tanks as small as 15 gallons which isn't ideal but the biggest issue with seahorses is maintaining good water quality. So the larger the water volume the better

 

[Chris Spaulding]

Thank You I thought this may be the case and I keep my SPS tank in great shape.

 

[Lucie]

Imo, no. At the beginning it will be fine, as you have young snall ones, but as they grow, they will lack proper space and the water quality will be more challenging. 30 gallons is the really bare minimum. I used to have a pair in 37g and it was too small for them to explore.
I d like to see the ones mentionned above in that 15 gallons living 10 years old+ but i feel they won t last that long...

 

[rayjay]

While it CAN be done, it's best done by someone with experience in keeping seahorses.
A gallon a day may seem like a lot to you but in many cases it won't be enough, and, would be much better done with larger, frequent changes coupled with extreme cleaning of the uneaten food and detritus in the tank, especially pieces that are out of sight for normal viewing.
Nasty bacteria like the vibrio species are probably the biggest killer of seahorses and that fact is aggravated by the eating habits of the seahorses. They only eat the pieces that appear fine in their mind leaving the rest in the tank, and, when snicking the food they masticate it, expelling the particulate matter through the gills and into the water. All of this contributes to food and bedding for the nasty bacteria.
It's a bad enough problem that IMO, any mechanical filtration should be cleaned frequently to remove decaying matter the provides the food and bedding, not more than 7 days, but more frequently is better.
Water change frequency and volume, as well as tank cleaning frequency will ALL vary depending upon tank size, feeding protocol and numbers of inhabitants.
Further aid will be to maintain temperatures between 68-75°F to limit bacterial expansion. (unless you have something like abdominalis in which case 68° would be the maximum.

 

[Chris Spaulding]

I understand what you are saying about the AWC . Doing a larger regular WC would be better that way easier to clean up left over food and and such. I have an extra chiller I can use to keep temps lower if need be. So that would not be an issue. I also would utilize a filter roller as I have one on my SPS tank and love it. Just because someone does not have a lot of experience in keeping Seahorses does not mean it can not be done. I have over 18 years in this hobby and have an understanding of what it takes.
I came here looking for advice so I make the right decision for this next step. Not to be told not to do it because I am not experienced.

 

[rayjay]

Chris, in your first post you ASKED if that set up would be OK. Now, it sounds like you didn't WANT to be told that it wasn't a good way to do it so I have to assume you really wanted people to tell you it was OK to do what you wanted anyway.
To be honest, that was probably me back seventeen years ago. If you reread my post you will see that I never said it couldn't be done, or, for you NOT do it, I merely said it would be BEST to not start off that way. The general salt water hobby is NOT experience that counts a lot when it comes to keeping seahorses. If fact, Dan Underwood of seahorse source feels that he has a much easier time helping out hobbyists with little to no experience with salt water prior to getting into seahorses.
FWIW, I had MORE years of aquatic experience than you prior to getting into seahorses back in 2002, and I was one that thought I'd be successful due to all the tanks I had at the time as reef tanks and fish only tanks for so many years. When it came down to it, I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A HANDLE ON IT, and the seahorses were the ones to pay the price while I DID gain the experience needed. It was a whole new ball game from looking after reef tanks and fish only.
When you are researching the needs of seahorse keeping, hopefully you can accept the advice of the many LONG TERM keepers in the hobby MORE than some of the shorter term people that espouse different principals.
Some have succeeded in being successful because they have had the luck to obtain more resistant seahorses that survive in spite of a lack of ideal conditions. They aren't to be faulted because they have no way really to know it unless something starts going wrong. Basically, you stand a much better chance of succeeding if you start in a manner that the majority would espouse over a manner few would recommend. Eventually you would find for yourself what you could succeed doing and make adjustments at that time if you still wanted to try something.
Seahorses, like people, have varying degrees of resistance to illness as some seem to be always in trouble, others never have problems, and a whole range of them falling somewhere in between those points, more to the bad side than good in the case of seahorses. Unfortunately, we never know what the seahorses we buy are going to be like, all good, all bad or a mix of in betweens. I have NEVER encountered ANY other marine fish that could be as susceptible to problems that seahorses have.
There are a lot of different systems being used in the hobby, but some basic principals exist, they just are handled in different ways but in the end accomplish the same things.

 

[Chris Spaulding]

Thank you for the input I do appreciate it and it has made me think deeper in this endeavor. I will still be moving forward but also understand what lies ahead. I will be going larger in the tank for more volume. I today had my LFS order me another Redsea reefer 250. So this will be even bigger than what I was thinking originally. I do want to do this right and have ordered a complete set of meds in case I need them. Let’s hope not but will be prepared. It will be quite a long time before I even order my first and possibly only pair , got to get the tank right first . The reason I asked about the 30 plus gallon that is what the posts in this section were talking about . The 6 steps and also on many other Seahorse sites.
I have read your post over several times and yes I took some of it the wrong way.
I am sorry if I offended you.

 

[matchmakersmagic]

You've gotten some great advise so far. I think of the minimum volume for SH's much like quarantining advise for reef fish...or not, especially the tangs.

While they are two totally different things and both sides have successes and failures you'll always have folks on both sides saying their way is best. Can you just dump every SW fish in a tank and never have an issue with parasites or bacteria? Sure, you sure can. Are there always horror stories of people learning the hard way? Absolutely. I think of minimum water volume in the same way.

Like RayJay and Lucie said, more water volume is ideal. Shape even can be important depending on specie. Can people ride the razors edge and get away with less? Sure they can and do. Long term though your odds are better keeping above the minimums.

I'm excited to see the build you've planned! Hopefully you'll make a build thread. I'll have my own here soon of my 65 gallon barbouri tank.

 

[rayjay]

Chris, you haven't offended me. I'm an old man now and my posts are VERY often taken with the same kind of response, most likely because of my writing style. Might even be a bit of that "cranky old man syndrome" thrown in as well.
Anyway, that tank volume will be suitable for 4 seahorses of standard size so that's a great improvement. I think it also has a sump that will make it even better. (I don't know the tank as I've never bought a "system" tank, only plain janes that I hook up myself)
I'm also glad you are able to get the meds where you are. Here in Canada we no longer have access to them without a prescription. Paying $80 for a vet visit and then paying for the med on top makes it expensive to obtain now.
As for the 30g recommendation for a pair, that wasn't even recommended back in 2002 when I first got involved. It went on to the 30g recommendation plus 15g for each additional pair, to now 30g for the first and 25-30g for each additional pair that some like Dan Underwood suggest. All of the changes I've gone through over the years have only made things better, and with more access to information now, success in seahorse keeping has improved tremendously.
You mention "the six steps" but I don't recall hearing that phrase before so I don't know what these steps actually are.
The most important thing about your post is that it most definitely appears to have stimulated discussion and perhaps more research on your part, and that in itself is going to give you a much better chance of success as you proceed.

MatchMM, Barbs are one of my favourite seahorses and are one of the two species I have been keeping for the last few years now. I also have a large tank with Abdominalis and while they are NOT my favourite, they sure are the easiest seahorse to keep of the seven species I've had over the years. Most likely due to the cooler water that really limits the bacteria influences that are so damaging to our seahorses.

 

[Lucie]

You've gotten some great advise so far. I think of the minimum volume for SH's much like quarantining advise for reef fish...or not, especially the tangs.

While they are two totally different things and both sides have successes and failures you'll always have folks on both sides saying their way is best. Can you just dump every SW fish in a tank and never have an issue with parasites or bacteria? Sure, you sure can. Are there always horror stories of people learning the hard way? Absolutely. I think of minimum water volume in the same way.

Like RayJay and Lucie said, more water volume is ideal. Shape even can be important depending on specie. Can people ride the razors edge and get away with less? Sure they can and do. Long term though your odds are better keeping above the minimums.

I'm excited to see the build you've planned! Hopefully you'll make a build thread. I'll have my own here soon of my 65 gallon barbouri tank.

Oh you are in PSL? We used to be neighbors 3 months ago!

 

[matchmakersmagic]

Yep! Been here the last 8 years or so.

(ps. I'm Kinue on FB, made an account for my build thread )

 

[Lucie]

Oh Gosh, didn t knew it was you

 

[Devaji]

Thank you for the input I do appreciate it and it has made me think deeper in this endeavor. I will still be moving forward but also understand what lies ahead. I will be going larger in the tank for more volume. I today had my LFS order me another Redsea reefer 250. So this will be even bigger than what I was thinking originally. I do want to do this right and have ordered a complete set of meds in case I need them. Let’s hope not but will be prepared. It will be quite a long time before I even order my first and possibly only pair , got to get the tank right first . The reason I asked about the 30 plus gallon that is what the posts in this section were talking about . The 6 steps and also on many other Seahorse sites.
I have read your post over several times and yes I took some of it the wrong way.
I am sorry if I offended you.

good choice! I almost set up my new RS 750 for a SH tank. but did not. been thinking of a 250 or 350 for some time but now I am leaning toward the 500P when we move in 3-4 months.

your tanks are going to look amazing together . please do a build thread when you get it so we all can drool and fallow along.