Temperature question

[TheZ]

Is there a temperature "sweetspot" to aim for, or is any temp below 74 degrees acceptable?

[rayjay]

There is no set mark but lately the target suggested by many seahorse hobbyists is a range between 68° and 74°.
There are also others that feel there is nothing wrong with temperatures around 78°.
I guess if you can't make the temperature down to the lower range you can try at the higher range and see how you do.
My personal feeling is that the odds are better keeping them at the lower rates.
You can reed Dan Underwoods comment on temperatures and the reasoning behind it by clicking on the link at the bottom of "My Thoughts on Seahorse Keeping (http://www.angelfire.com/ab/rayjay/seahorsekeeping.html)".

[namxas]

IMHO/IME, the biggest key is STABILITY, esp. important if your setup is above 74*F. When temps spike or vacillate, the bacteria will bloom each time the temp rises, which is definitely no bueno with SH.

That being said, do yourself a favor and keep them cool (+74*F max)...why tempt fate?

[TheZ]

Thanks for the info. I plan on purchasing a 1/12 hp chiller from Teco. It has a digital thermostat and the ability to have a heater mounted inside of it to control temperature from both sides. 1/12 hp is a lot of pull down power for a 25 gal tank (but it was the best chiller I could find for the price), so I figured that if I could choose any temp to keep the tank stable at, I would check with everyone first to see if there was an "ideal" temp to keep bacteria at a minimum