Who is raising seahorses?

[2008pollyanna]

Hi, I have been perking a 29 oceanic biocube for a couple of months with live sand and live rock. Am eventually this fall planning on adding seahorses. Does anyone have advice on this issue and what corals work well for them, seahorses. I will be adding sand sifters and probably snails. Advice on good ones there. The sand is a very fine fiji sand deep bed. Ordered the sand on ebay, and in my opionion it may be too fine as it really shifts and dunes on the bottom of my cube. It also likes to sift onto different levels of the rock. Which means I guess lots of basting each evening. Do you think?

I also just purchased a protien skimmer designed for this oceanic biocube. It appears that where my filter is, is where they intend to have this skimmer installed. Does that sound normal? No carbon filter, or manual filter..just the protien skimmer? Need the pros....
B&S

[dustin_P74]

seahorse are animals you keep in a species only tank and the reason your sand wont stay on the ground is because you have too much flow in your tank

[2008pollyanna]

I agree on the flow needing to be set down...but, had my hb look at it a month earlier, and he says it cant be set down or lowered. Go figure. So, you dont feel seahorses can survive with a few coral species? I imagine species of the long tentacle like frogspawn wouldnt be a good choice, but some of the ricordeas shouldnt harm really. Or some of the button polpys?

[Bifferwine]

Zoanthids and mushrooms/ricordeas would be okay with seahorses. Avoid corals with tentacles, as seahorses will tend to grasp on to them and they could get stung. Most people that keep seahorses consider macro algae a necessity because they wrap their tails around the macro algae for stability. Seahorses also do not like high flow, so you will have to figure out some way to turn it down. If you have a pump or powerhead running the water through the tank, you will probably have to buy a smaller pump.

Check out www.liveaquaria.com for your options regarding which species to keep. Some are hardier than others, and I would advise to ONLY buy tank bred and raised seahorses. Captive bred seahorses have much higher survival rates and are much hardier/less susceptible to disease than wild caught ones, which have abysmal survival rates.

[2008pollyanna]

Thankyou Biff!!! and Dustin!!!

[Bifferwine]

Oh, and seahorses do much better at lower temps than we keep most reef tanks. They get sick much easier at normal reef tank temps, so the corals you pick should be able to withstand temps in the low 70s.

[cgoodman381]

I thought about making a seahorse tank. From what I read you want the right balance of flow in the tank. Good enouph to keep it filtered, but not to much for them not to be able to feed. They are really slow feeders, which is why they need to be species only.

edit*
I also want to add that you should aim for tank raised ones. That way they may take fozen food. If they are finicky eaters then try live brine or mysis. Iv only seen live brine around here though.

[dustin_P74]

you can soak the food in garlic to get them to eat too, i have had success doing that

[daugherty]

i use to have some kellog tankrasied ones they were great they ate mysis and lived for about three months until they got sucked into my overflow they would hang on to it and one day down they went.

[OurFishies]

I am also interested in setting up a seahorse biocube. I think the final thing that kicked it in is looking at all of the beautiful seahorse tanks that several people had filmed and put up on YouTube (that and I know I can't place seahorses in our current tank).

Thanks for all of the info everyone!