Seahorse tank

[avalanche1201]

My g/f's parents have a sea horse tank...after seeing the tanks on here its pretty low grade...just LR and LS. Its a new 29gal eclipse (couldnt find the light wattage) b/c there old tank got friend when flames shot out of the electrical outlets...dont know how it happened but the house is alright, just a little wall damage around the outlet.

 

Anyways, my g/f's mom is also looken to get a pipe fish, i quickly told her she should first turn into a proper habbit w/ plants and all that good stuff

 

 

now the question is, what kind of plants? Just different types of macro algae that feed of the light to provide plenty of hiding/shelter etc? as well as being a good area for pods to breed etc

 

ill be searchen for more sea horse tanks 2morro, but for now any help in the right direction is very appreciated, thanks alot

 

 

btw...theres no sump etc, might have to try to talk her into setting one up w/ a simple external overflow box and a return pump over the side plumbing it through the stock hood

 

thanks again

[Fishfreak218]

plants arent needed but i like them more in a seahorse tank, they work great as a hitch for the seahorse. I like Caulerpa prolifera but any type of caulerpa will work. Also codium and halmidea and any of the red or brown macroalgeas work great and add color.

let me know if you have any more questions.

[avalanche1201]

sounds good, Ill look into these more.

I had a feeling the plants arnt needed, but they look kinda lonely wrapped around the heater and stuff, and the tank looks kinda empty.

 

do the caulerpa feed of off light like the macro will? Or do you need a Co2 reactor?

[ENraged]

My g/f's parents have a sea horse tank...after seeing the tanks on here its pretty low grade...just LR and LS. Its a new 29gal eclipse (couldn't find the light wattage) b/c there old tank got friend when flames shot out of the electrical outlets...dont know how it happened but the house is alright, just a little wall damage around the outlet.

 

Anyways, my g/f's mom is also looken to get a pipe fish, i quickly told her she should first turn into a proper habbit w/ plants and all that good stuff

now the question is, what kind of plants? Just different types of macro algae that feed of the light to provide plenty of hiding/shelter etc? as well as being a good area for pods to breed etc

 

ill be searchen for more sea horse tanks 2morro, but for now any help in the right direction is very appreciated, thanks alot

btw...theres no sump etc, might have to try to talk her into setting one up w/ a simple external overflow box and a return pump over the side plumbing it through the stock hood

 

thanks again

Much of what i have been reading discourages mixing pipes with seahorses as each have there own batch of potential parasites.

But i am sure many have done it without problems.

[Fishfreak218]

sounds good, Ill look into these more.

I had a feeling the plants arnt needed, but they look kinda lonely wrapped around the heater and stuff, and the tank looks kinda empty.

 

do the caulerpa feed of off light like the macro will? Or do you need a Co2 reactor?

1.) the heater needs to somehow covered so the seahorses cant hitch on it... they will get burnt

2.) caulerpa needs light... not a ton but it does need light.

co2 reactor isnt really needed for any type of macroalgea or seagrass but seagrass does to better with it. All the things I suggested are macroalgeas so you dont need any kind of Co2 reactor

 

Much of what i have been reading discourages mixing pipes with seahorses as each have there own batch of potential parasites.

But i am sure many have done it without problems.

x2 !

[avalanche1201]

im rather suprised that they dont well together. Ive never read into either of them personally b/c I havnt wanted a sea horse or pipe fish tank...yet....

 

i thought ive seen people mix them up, and I think it would be a rather interesting tank to see

 

also, im glad all of the things you listed fishfreak are macro algae so co2 isnt needed. Ill have to run this by my g/f's mom...the tank is looken so bare! but its stil real sweet....reminds you of the awesomeness when u get a new tank

[Fishfreak218]

Well, its not the fact that they dont mix well because honestly they are the perfect couple. Its the problem where either the seahorses or the pipefish can carry a disease which may not affect them but could affect all the other syngnathids. It happened to me, I added more seahorses (had 6 total) and then 4 died except 2 [which were brother and sister] The last 2 living must be the carrier's of the disease and so far, seem unaffected by it.

Also, Gorgonians and fake SPS coral work well for hitching posts too!

[ZoaMania]

im rather suprised that they dont well together. Ive never read into either of them personally b/c I havnt wanted a sea horse or pipe fish tank...yet....

 

i thought ive seen people mix them up, and I think it would be a rather interesting tank to see

 

also, im glad all of the things you listed fishfreak are macro algae so co2 isnt needed. Ill have to run this by my g/f's mom...the tank is looken so bare! but its stil real sweet....reminds you of the awesomeness when u get a new tank

I would highly recommend plants. Not only they are great hitches for the seahorses, which they need to feel secure and use it to look down and hunt prey, it also lets pods, shrimps, etc... reproduce more easily.

 

I use a mix of caulerpa prolifera and taxifolia, as well as grape cualerpa and red grape caulerpa. Some chaeto as well. They have reproduced in my tank a few times. The searhorses, that is.

[althefishguy]

Live macros help the seahorses feel more at home !

Stress big time killer of horses,like ZoaMania said much better eco-system for pods and live foods to survive in. Its the environment the horses live in in the wild.

They will live longer and have a better chance of breeding with real macro !

 

Al

Here's 1 of my dwarf tanks tank is a little different now, but You'll get the point.

 

[avalanche1201]

thanks for the help guys, ill be sure to pass it on to my g/f's mom to help her out. Ill let her know about the seahorse/pipe fish risk, she might try it anyways b.c they would look sweet together.

 

Hopefully she can get some plants soon and start make this tank look really beautiful