Please critique my seahorse/softy setup plans

[Jacob]

Here's the specs:

Tank: 70g tall 36x15x30
Sump: atleast 30g
Skimmer: Red Sea Berlin Turbo rated for 150g
Return pump: Mag 5-RC says that will give me 205gph at 5 feet
Lighting: comes with 260W PC actinic, and I have a spare 175W MH and 2x96W PC. I will have to see what will fit in the canopy when I get it.
Sand substrate seeded by reef
Excess rock from refugium
Mixture of water from the reef and new water.

After letting cycle/stabilize for a while I will start with one erectus pony that my buddy st0ned0g has. I plan to not make the same mistakes of overstocking as I have with my reef creating a nitrate nightmare again. Therefore, stocking will be light with 1 or at most 2 pair of ponies, and posssibly the chromis, royal gramma, and/or Bangaii Cardinal from my reef. For atmosphere I will also have some leathers, zoos, gsp, shrooms, toadstool, devils hand, etc.

What do you think?

 

[st0ned0g]

&

I would say at lest 2 pair, cause the more you have in that big of a tank the easer feeding will be.

you will not be over stocking the beginners guide on www.seahorse.org says min size for 2 pair of erectus is 23 gal, each additional pair is 8 more gallons.

sounds fine, ponies don?t care about lighting it all depends on what else you put in it. flow should be about right, I don?t think it would be to much. I would use more new water, cause of the trates.

make sure they have plenty of places to grab on to.

Chromis is a real good choice, the royal gramma and the bangaii may be to much competition for the food, but as you know I have my bangaiis in my pony tank, and have not had a problem.

corals that sting or try to eat things whole are a no no. its because see horses are such poor swimmers and like to grab onto things.

 

[Nicki]

It sounds okay to me. I think it will be challenging to feed with the three other fish but it can be done.

I just bought the same size tank. I am waiting for it to come in.

 

[Jacob]

Ok, I will only add the seahorses at first to make sure I have aggresive eaters. After adding some fish, if they out compete the ponies for food I can always move the fish back to my reef tank.

 

[Jacob]

Slight change of plans... different tank.

How about a 105g 48 x 18 x 28? I know that is way too big for ponies as they will have difficulty catching food with that much room so here is the plan.

I will use a tank divider to separate it into two halves. The Ponies will be on the side that the overflow is not so there is no chance of them getting sucked over. The other side will be either a planted display refugium, softy area, or aggressive tank. I figure there shouldn't be a problem with feeding as they will only have to worry about manuvering through half of the tank and since I usually turn of the return pump to feed the food should stay on their side.

Any thoughts or comments?

 

[CarolynM]

The one thing I would worry about in doing a divided tank with other fish is diseases. They could bring something in to the tank that might hurt the seahorses. I would stick with a smaller tank, and if you want a tank for something else set up a dedicated tank.

I keep my horses with clown gobies and a firefish and don't have problems with feeding. The biggest pigs in my tank are the peppermint shrimp and a serpent star.

Carolyn

 

[Jacob]

Well I think I am for sure going with this tank because it is cheaper, larger, and reef ready so it will give me more options for future use.

You make a good point about fish diseases so I will limit the other side to either a planted refugium or soft corals.

 

[texasranchers]

@Jdaddy3boys wrote:

I wish I could remember where I read it, but the MH is bothering me. Something to do with the horses' eyes. They can move them in all directions. I think that is what makes them sensitive to strong light.

As for the clams, leathers, zoos, remember that horses hitch to anything . They have spikey tails. As they move off a hitch their tails do a swiping motion. This can cause stripping of the corals.

I know some members have a community tank and have a lot of success. Just wanted to throw in some thoughts. Good luck.

 

[bump1]

Jdaddy3boys
I was givin a H.Barb long ago that was on his deathbed. At that time i had know idea what i was doing & have never had a horse. It was givin to me to try & save as it was realy nothing but bones & they couldnt get it to eat. So i am not the best person to say what to do or what may or may not work.

This is just what i did & it hapend to work for me. I tought him to eat f.shrimp from a fish net. The only tank i had to put him in was a 75g frag tank. I myself had no trouble feeding him in the big tank. I kept the food in the net & when he was done i just took out the net. He stayed in the 75g for a long time. The only trouble i found with the big tank was that i needed more SH's so i got him a friend. They liked all the room & swam all over the tank. I thank in a tank that big you should have a few pairs though so that they can see each other & not feel like they are the only horse in the tank. Thay like to have other Sh's around & in a tank that big you could have a bunch of them & they would still have room for swimming around.

As far as food they will all learn where you feed them & at dinner time they will come for it. My horses come a running at dinner time & i now use a lg clam shell to put the food in. If you are going to have fish as well & are woried that the fish will bother your SH's at dinner time you could feed the fish a little bit before you feed the SH's so that they will be a bit full & wont be as hungry. That way your sh's might can eat in peace. Its just a thought I dont know.

The only reason i moved my SH's from the 75g into a sm tank was so i could have them next to my TV chair so i could see them more often. I now have three SH's and have once again bought them a new tank, it's a 40g so they will have more room to swim. I would go bigger but i just dont have the room. The other tank is to small now that i have 3 SH's. I find that my SH's like to swim all over the tank & if i could fit the 75g next to my TV chair i would move it there & get a bunch of SH's to go in it.

I wish you lots of luck with your new tank.
Sorry i went on & on.
Bump

 

[Jacob]

Thanks for the comments Carol.

Texasranchers, I posted this same question on Seahorse.org and no one said anything about the MH lights being an issue, but I will ask specifically and see what I find out.

 

[CarolynM]

One thing you might want to consider is the temperature issue with metal halides. Erectus are best kept at 76 max.

Carolyn

 

[Jacob]

@equinecpa wrote:

Yes I am taking that into consideration. I have the MH mounted about 8 inches from the water and it is only a 175W. I will have a 7 inch clip fan mounted blowing into the canopy and I think that should keep the temp right. If not, I have a spare 2 x 96W PC ballast I can use instead.

 

[melev]

What are f-shrimp?

 

[texasranchers]

Carol, don't you have yours in with a shrimp what breeds "continously"? They get a free banquet all the time. I can't remember the name of the shrimp that you had in there. Refresh my memory, please.

 

[Jacob]

@Marc wrote:

What are f-shrimp?"]

Not sure. I was thinking feeder shrimp which is usually ghost shrimp but I don't know if that is what she meant.

 

[texasranchers]

f for:
fresh
frozen
fry
feeder
free
Come on Carol tell us what it is.

 

[bump1]

I'm sorry it was 4:30 am & i was tired. I should of spelt it out as it could of been other stuff. It's Frozen shrimp & I use the PE M.Y.S.Y.S. some times the shrimp is big & like this bag they are smaller but my ponies eat both with no trouble.

TR, I keep 2 or 3 Peppermint shrimp in with them. They have babies every two weeks & the ponies will stay up all night eating them. If you are lucky one of the shrimp will have babies one week & the other will have it's babies the next week. It's free food for them & they love it. The p. shrimp are pigs so you have ta make sure you feed more but they help keep the tank up. It's a win win thang. Some times the shrimp will clean the SH's but they dont seem to mind.


Bump

 

[texasranchers]

Thanks for the clarification Carol, I have been thinking of some more F words.

Peppermint shrimp, hope I can remember this time.