[We are building a 1,000 gallon tank where 200 will be a refugium that is viewable. I am wanting to plant it with all the beneficial caulerpa and put seahorses in it, in like a year, when the copepod population gets established and out of control. New Tank Plans Section
My problem with seahorses has always been having to hand feed them, obviously in a 200 gallon tank that is going to be an issue, and hard to do. Do you think the seahorses could live off the copepod and amphipod population and maybe some frozen brine/mysid fed every day? Do ANY seahorses eat without you holding the food out in front of them? It seems like they always have problems. I have had seahorses in our reef before ( Seahorse Section) and they even bread (past tense of breed - misspelled prolly) in our reef. I was hoping to keep them in their natural state and hope they breed and reproduce naturally in the tank like they obviously do in the wild. What are the odds of that happening and what would you suggest I do when they expel the babies to hatch? Will the babies make it in the tank? Or will they go over the overflow? I could rig something up, maybe a net to go in front of the overflow to keep them from going down the drain when it is time?
Also would there be problems with them inter-breeding, you know mutant seahorses? I am also not sure what to put in there with them. I know I don't want fish that will eat the copepod and amphipods...
Well your thoughts and expertise are greatly appreciated, and I hope I didn't take up too much of your time with my questions. I want to know from someone who has kept and bread them successfully if what I plan is even feasible. I want to do the responsible thing, and scrap the idea if it isn't something that will work.]
My problem with seahorses has always been having to hand feed them, obviously in a 200 gallon tank that is going to be an issue, and hard to do. Do you think the seahorses could live off the copepod and amphipod population and maybe some frozen brine/mysid fed every day? Do ANY seahorses eat without you holding the food out in front of them? It seems like they always have problems. I have had seahorses in our reef before ( Seahorse Section) and they even bread (past tense of breed - misspelled prolly) in our reef. I was hoping to keep them in their natural state and hope they breed and reproduce naturally in the tank like they obviously do in the wild. What are the odds of that happening and what would you suggest I do when they expel the babies to hatch? Will the babies make it in the tank? Or will they go over the overflow? I could rig something up, maybe a net to go in front of the overflow to keep them from going down the drain when it is time?
Also would there be problems with them inter-breeding, you know mutant seahorses? I am also not sure what to put in there with them. I know I don't want fish that will eat the copepod and amphipods...
Well your thoughts and expertise are greatly appreciated, and I hope I didn't take up too much of your time with my questions. I want to know from someone who has kept and bread them successfully if what I plan is even feasible. I want to do the responsible thing, and scrap the idea if it isn't something that will work.]