How about this for a solution...

[Picasso]

I set up my 20 long. Stuck it right next to my overstocked 10 so they look nice and big together. See:

The spot on the end, where the fern is, is exactly the size to hold a 15 gallon. I'll add that next month. The 10 gallon stuff will spread out into the other tanks. My 26 gallon bow front is doing awesome. My maroon clownfish is growing so I think I'll move him to the 20 when it's ready for a fish. I've always had in mind that the 26 gallon is going to be a species only seahorse tank. I know they need a well-established tank. What does that mean? I've got snails and pods growing like crazy, my sand is stirred and mixed constantly with 2 cukes and 2 narcissus snails, I started with cured live rock and live sand and then added both garf grunge and a micro-algae mix from ipsf. I went through a nice diatome bloom but never had hair or slime. Here's a pic:

I'm looking at moving my clown and my cool white goby type fish that I don't know what it's called to either the 20 long or the new 15 gallon over the next few months. That would leave just one firefish a 3 shrimp and an emerald crab in the 26 gallon. I'm thinking about getting a few of these in maybe March or April:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+40+2179&pcatid=2179

Does anyone have any experience with seahorses OR know of any awesome books that I can read up on before I decide to do this? Also, if you have any suggestions or advice about the set of long tanks I would appreciate any feedback. I just set them up yesterday and can still move things around a bit if necessary.

Thanks,
Catherine

 

[stagofdoom]

Seahorses need mature tanks because they are very sensitive.

Everything is looking great!!

Im thinking about converting my 10 gal to a small mantis tank when I dont need it for a QT tank anymore.

 

[yote]

That 26 looks awesome.And I like how you got the 20 and 10 set up.That'll loog great.

If you can find tank raised ponies,then there not hardly as sensitive.They still need fairly stable tanks,but are more forgiving.Plus they tend to except frozn foods better,so their not wiping out the pods in the tank.

 

[JAG107]

ORA raises some good seahorses from what I've heard.
Tank setups look great picasso!

 

[Picasso]

Thanks guys! I'll revisit the seahorse idea in a few months. ORA makes it look easy.

 

[Piggy]

If your planning on doing seahorses you'll have to get the crab out also. The firefish will be okay. My sister has some. They are very time consuming need to be feed several times a day. I also like the way you have the two tanks set up. Looks great.

 

[Teixeira29]

Your tanks look great! Now for seahorses are very hard to take care of. Very sensitive to everything. You really have to be an expert to take care of them!

 

[messiah023]

WOW Picasso,

Talk about a DSB!!!! What do you have there, like 10"?
Everything looks great.

Keep it up.

 

[Bifferwine]

Seahorses do better in cooler temps -- like low 70s, so that's one reason why they do better kept in their own tank (reef fish don't like it that cold). They also have different flow requirements. If you can meet their needs, they are awesome to keep. ONLY buy tank-bred. Wild caught seahorses are sickly and usually don't survive. Luckily, it's really easy to find tank-bred seahorses. There is no reason whatsoever to buy wild caught of these animals.

 

[Picasso]

WOW Picasso,

Talk about a DSB!!!! What do you have there, like 10"?
Everything looks great.

Keep it up.

The sand bed in the 10 gallon ranges from 3-5 inches. I just saw a video on youtube that says all sandbeds should be an inch or less. This is making me re-think the dsb in that middle tank. There is a rather large bio-load and my nitrates and nitrites are on 0 so maybe it's helping. Can't wait to move a couple fish out of the 10 and into the 20!

Thanks,
Catherine

 

[Picasso]

Seahorses do better in cooler temps -- like low 70s, so that's one reason why they do better kept in their own tank (reef fish don't like it that cold). They also have different flow requirements. If you can meet their needs, they are awesome to keep. ONLY buy tank-bred. Wild caught seahorses are sickly and usually don't survive. Luckily, it's really easy to find tank-bred seahorses. There is no reason whatsoever to buy wild caught of these animals.

If you read the info on the ORA site, they are claiming that importing live or dead seahorses is outlawed. Good! It also makes me think that the trouble people are having with seahorses is that they are getting wild caughts. The tank breds are used to eating frozen foods and basically tank life in general so that would make them easier to manage? I'm still going to do a LOT more research before I try this. Thanks, Biff.

Catherine

 

[dustin_P74]

also tank raised are generally alot hardier animals

 

[daugherty]

i had a couple kellog seahorses that live for over 3 months on one feeding a day but they both ended getting sucked through my overflow they always hooked themself to it and one day they go sucked into it but their head got stuck in the notches. they died about a month apart the same way.

 

[messiah023]

Would be really cool if you could put a connecting cylinder between the tanks, like a hamster cage!

 

[Picasso]

Would be really cool if you could put a connecting cylinder between the tanks, like a hamster cage!

OOOhhhhhhh, what a great idea! I've got to look into that one! Thanks.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes! Like the tanks at the Rainforest Cafe!! They are connected by clear cylinders and the fish cruise from tank to tank.

 

[dustin_P74]

awesome idea, itll be alot of work but if you can do it, itll look sweet and original