60 gallon sea horse tank

[kylemidland21]

im setting up a 60g tank that i am looking to put seahorses in. i was woundering about the best setup i could have for the seahorses. would it be better to use a canister filter or set up a refugum. and i was planning on maybe some coral and live rock in the tank. lighting i was going to go with a t5 light or maybe a mh light. any comments are greatly appreciated.

 

[Woodstock]

A refugium would be best and would help grow pods for the ponies.
Keep in mind the water temp should be cooler for them and the MH might cause issues with that unless you use a chiller.

 

[SeahorseBT]

All good advice Doni...

 

[kylemidland21]

the refugum is what i wanted to get for them. and at what temps should the water be for them? they eat pods like the green mandarin? i havent done too much searching for info on the ponies. i am actually setting up the tank for my mom... she only wants seahorses so i told her i would try to set a tank up for her so she can have what she wants.

what type of current is best for them? i know they are really sensitive to everything including emotional stress. i have a lot of questions. should i set the tank up for a long period like a year, or dont i have to wait that long? what are the best type of coral to put in that would allow them to cling without getting hurt? these are just some of what i need to know.

 

[panmanmatt]

They most likely won't eat the pods, or at least they shouldn't have to. If you are getting true captive bred specimens from a very reputable source they will be eating frozen mysis shrimp as a staple diet. There will be no need for live foods.

As for set up, you want a moderate flow that is dispersed throughout the tank. Multiple returns with flare nozzles and/or spray bars are ideal. Temperatures need to be in the 72-74F range any higher and you will run into health issues. Set the tank up and cycle it just like you would any saltwater tank. As for things to hitch onto, they will use anything in the tank. Including power cords, thermometers and filter intakes/returns.

As far as what to keep with them, have a look at this link. It should answer most of your compatibility questions. seahorse.org - Tankmates

 

[kylemidland21]

thanks i really appreciate ur replies. i have the tank started cycling with just live sand in it with a powerhead moving the water. the website u provided was really helpfull too.
what is the adverage life on the horses? ive heard most dont live past a year? or is that just because they are so sensitive to the water conditions?ill put some pics up of the tank after it settles a little more. i plan on getting carribean live rock for the tank within the next week or so.

 

[panmanmatt]

Average life span is 4-6 years that we know of. Some have been reported up to as much as 7-8 years.

Captive bred seahorse have only really become available in the last 4-5 years so up until then there was no way of knowing the true age of a seahorse when you bought it. With the breeders keeping birth records we can trace the horses back and see what there true age is.

I have one pair now that is going on 4 years old and they still breed for me every 2 weeks.