question about a tank set up

[pepino]

what kind of equipment do you need to keep seahorses and what kind of tank and plants my wife wants to get some horsis and jjust wanted to know what do we need

[hydroid]

You really don't need a lot of elaborate equipment.

Tank: Think tall, rather than long. Also consider 25-30 gallons for a pair of the more common species (e.g., erectus, reidi). Increase that by 10-15 gallons for each additional pair.

Light: Seahorses only need enough light to see. Normal flouresent lights would work. I like a bit more, so I can see them better.

Filtration: Good water quality. Some use sumps, skimmers, refugiums, live rock, etc to keep water quality high. Some use a simple hang on mechanical filter and do frequent water changes. If you are dilegent with tank maintenace, you can get by with less.

Air: Seahorses require higher oxygen levels than most fish. Make sure there is some turbulence at the waters surface. I also recommend at least one airline. I also use a battery operated air pump that starts up when the electricity goes out, as a backup. Yes, its that critical, imo.

Substrate: Seahorses really don't care. It can be bare bottomed to a deep sand bed.

Plants: Unless you are already familiar with saltwater plants, I suggest you concentrate on learning and tending to the horses needs first. Trying to tackle the two at the same time could get tricky.

Hitches: Seahorses need rest areas where they can sit still, usually anchored by wrapping their tail around something. Real or fake plants, corals, rocks, etc would be enough.

Temp control: There are cold water species. If you get these, you will definetly need a chiller. Even the tropical species need cooler temps to reduce risk of bacterial issues. For erectus and reidi, shoot for 73-74F range. Depending on your lights, equipment, house temperature, etc., you may or may not need artificial cooling. Simple economical clip-on fans can drop the water temp a few degrees. That may be enough. Just make sure you can keep the temps consistently in the low/mid 70s.

HTH

[pepino]

thanks alot for all the info hybroid

[Mr James]

GREAT information!! Now I have a decent starting point. Thanks!!

[seacraze]

Awesome information - also please make sure the tank is very cycled seahorses create a heavy bio load and most are sensitive to poor water quality!