Starting my seahorse tank

[zoomster]

After 17 years of reef tanks and 3 going right now, I'm taking the plunge into a smaller seahorse tank. I have a quick question though. I keep with the general rule of thumb of 4-6watts per gallon in my reefs depending on what I've got in there. I think I know this is too much for a seahorse tank. Can one of you experienced seahorse folks give me a general rule of thumb for how many watts per gallon using just 50/50 socket bulbs. I know there are variables for height, distance from tank, etc. I just want to know if there is a general rule for a standard size tank with plain old top hood with lighting sockets built in. This would be very minimal space between water line and light. Thanks for the input.

[ann83]

What do you want to keep that will require light? If not anything, then seahorses only need enough light to see, so light it to what is pleasing to the eye and won't raise the temperature of the tank.

[Ann Marie]

Has nothing to do with the lighting but what kind of seahorses are you looking at getting and from where?

[rayjay]

I have nothing but seahorses in my seahorse tanks so I need no light other than to see the seahorses.
All tanks have ambient, off to the side lighting, nothing directly above the tanks.
Helps keep them cooler for less bacteria problems.
MY THOUGHTS ON SEAHORSE KEEPING (http://www.angelfire.com/ab/rayjay/seahorsekeeping.html)

[zoomster]

Great info! Thanks a bunch. I knew they required little light. I just didn't know how little. My main concern was having way too much light. I'm so used to reefs I'm used to planning my tanks in this order:

1) What do I want in it.
2) What size tank to accommodate all inhabitants I want.
3) How much lighting it's going to take for them to thrive and can I afford it :)

Then I start getting the hardware, setting up, cycling, and slowly adding the fun stuff. I didn't plan my lighting first this time, because I wasn't positive I was going to do it as a seahorse tank. Now that I've been reading a lot about them, I'm going to take the plunge. I have the tank and started cycling under low wattage for a couple of weeks. I don't plan on adding any seahorses until I'm 100% sure the H20 quality is good, stable, and most importantly I'm more knowledgeable. I read a book on keeping them probably 15 years ago, but everything's changed in all aspects of the saltwater hobby as a whole. I can already see the difference in philosophy regarding seahorses just from the basic knowledge from reading on here and seahorse.org.

To answer Ann Marie's question, I want to make sure I know more before actually deciding which kind of seahorses I want to ensure I can be successful. I have the 3 reef tanks going right now and haven't lost anything in over 3 years (not counting my hermit eating a turbo snail). I don't want to start now and especially not a seahorse. I would be bummed, but my 6 year old daughter would never forgive me, so I have to get it right.

Finding out about the lighting was just one of the initial steps in my education. So if they don't require much/any additional lighting above ambient, would only 1 watt per gallon of a 50/50 bulb be too much? Or do you guys think that would be ok?

Thanks again for the info and help.

[rayjay]

To make a decision on lighting is not necessary until you make a decision on what you are going to have in the tank.
If you go to the TANKMATES GUIDE (http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/tankmates.shtml) you can decide if you want/what you might want with the seahorses, keeping in mind that adding other fish might make chances of success lower.
If you are going to keep grasses or macros, then that too will affect your final light decision.
Once you know what you want to keep when tank is done, choose lighting that is sufficient for the most light demanding thing in the tank, and provide areas of low light for the seahorses to hitch in as they choose.

[zoomster]

I was planning to have a SH only tank. In your experience can you have good long term success without live plants? I'm glad you brought that up as I didn't want or plan to do that, but if it is recommended I might need to change my plans. If ok to not do plants or other inhabitants, then is 1 watt per gallon ok? I could do more or less just with what I have without having to buy anything extra. Thanks again!!!

[rayjay]

I have no live plants in the tanks.
Forget about watts per gallon as too many lights produce different light intensity per watt.
Just have enough light to satisfy your viewing pleasure.

[Namyar]

I am down sizing my 90 and going to start a SH tank also. Good info and I will be reading a lot also.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[zoomster]

Thanks again for the help. It's funny. I feel nervous like I did the first time I set up a saltwater tank. I remember being so afraid I would kill something or everything. I made mistakes mainly because the info was different back then. So much has changed.

To the successful sea horse keepers out there who also have or have done successful reefs, is it really that much more fragile an environment? I've has some pretty fragile corals at one time or another. I've still got probably 3 more weeks before I add any and won't if I don't feel comfortable. I don't want to kill something I've wanted since I was a kid and don't want to see my daughter's 6 yr old face if I did.

So the big question is this. Is there a consensus on best beginner's sea horse? I would like a light colored one, preferably tropical, and captive bred of course. Any strong opinions on this?

[ChadTheSpike]

^Having done both reefs and seahorses, I have found seahorses to be easier if you are able to obtain a good true captive bred source, keep temperature <74 all the time, and are able feed 2x a day (none of these are terribly difficult to do, but they are VERY important). I am a fan of reidi or erectus as they are (IMO) among the easiest to obtain from a good captive bred source.

I had a major catastrophe a few years back when an ice storm hit upstate NY that crippled transportation and killed the power for 6 days... long story very short, temperature in my ~12 tanks got into the low 50's. The only thing that survived the mess was my reidi's (who went on to live to be ~7 years old).

[zoomster]

Thanks for the suggestions. After reading rayjay's "my thoughts on seahorse keeping". I've determined it's going to take a little longer than I hoped to start.

I had read that there were tropical seahorses that lived comfortably at 78 degrees. This is doable for me without chiller, but 74 degrees is going to require a one.

I live at the beach in California which means it's nice most of the time. However it also means I don't have air conditioning. There's probably 20-30 days throughout the summer where it's 90 degrees in my home. I know from experience that I can get fans to keep at 78 consistently, but virtually impossible to keep at 74 on those days. I will either have to wait or sell another small tank or other reef stuff to pay for a chiller.

I don't have it in the "tank" budget right now. I'm glad to know this now rather than experience what rayjay has. Thanks for putting that together. I trusted the info I got on temps, as it came from reliable source. Nothing replaces true experiences.

[rayjay]

While I don't want to imply acceptance of warmer water, it IS doable and is being done by hobbyists.
It is just that the cooler water makes chances of success much better than if you have warm water.
I choose to go with the better odds for my tanks now after the problems I've had in the past.

[photo10]

Hi all
new to Reef central.
I'm starting a SH tank I had one over 25 years ago but very simple.
I would like to add to the tank live rock a couple of coral but do not know
which is safe for them.
need help

Thanks

[rayjay]

See post #6 in this thread, Tankmates Guide.