65 Gallon Seahorse Tank

want2bsleepy · Apr 25, 2017

After years of telling my husband that we should have seahorses, he has finally agreed to help me set up a seahorse tank! We currently have a 125 gallon reef tank, a 29 gallon biocube, and a 15 gallon frag tank. Back in the fall we purchased a 65 gallon tank with stand, and have slowly been accumulating the necessities for the tank.

My husband ordered some Tonga rock, and we finally aquascaped just a couple weeks ago. Once we got all of the plumbing sealed we added water. We've got a nice bacteria bloom starting, so the cycling is underway!

I was wanting to have black sand for this tank, but after doing a lot of research and reading (a lot here on r2r), it seams that a light color would be best for seahorse coloring. We'll have a shallow sand bed with lots of sifters. Although I read a bare bottom might be a better choice, I just can't do it. We also might add a colored backdrop.

I plan on putting in lots of soft corals and macro algae, I'd like to avoid using any artificial décor. And we'll add a few tank mates, but we will be super picky as to who will make the cut.

Below is a pic from when we aquascaped, though we did take out the left most rock. So we'll have a nice open sand bed.

I'll post more pics as the process continues!

vlangel · Apr 25, 2017

I could not see the scape in my email that had your post and I really like your rock. I think your ponies will love it too.

I will be following as your tank progresses.

bobman · Apr 25, 2017

looks like the start of an awesome ponie tank. I will be following along

want2bsleepy · Jun 8, 2017

We've had some delays getting everything to get the tank up and running, major car repair, lots of $$$! So...still waiting on a few big ticket items for the tank. In the mean time, I've been taking the Ocean Riders Seahorse Training Course. It has been a good refresher for general tank stuff, and lots of great info for our future ponies!

I've compiled a list of critters I want for the clean up crew to be added to the tank in 3 phases. I want to have a wide variety to make sure we have critters to help with any type of algae and/or detritus.

Phase 1 (when cycling is complete):
3 Astrea Snails
3 Trochus Snails
3 Red Foot Moon Snails
3 Nerite Snails
3 Cerith Snails
2 Turbo Snails
2 Nassarius Snails
4 Scarlet Reef Hermits
4 Left Handed Hermits
4 Peppermint Shrimp

Phase 2 (when the tank has matured a bit)
3 Astrea Snails
3 Nerite Snails
3 Cerith Snails
2 Nassarius Snails
4 Dwarf Blue Legged Hermits
4 Red Legged Hermits

Phase 3 (fully matured tank)
1 Conch
2 Sea Hares
1 Sand Sifting Starfish (if additional sand cleaning is needed)

Any yays or nays to my list? Would love some first hand good/bad experiences with these critters.

JHuneke · Jun 8, 2017

Love the scape! If it was me, I would remove any crabs , I know that they are considered low risk, but I have seen them really pick at ponies and can cause some injury . Opening the door for bacterial infection. I am a stickler about tankmates , with ponies being sensitive .
I would also consider only one seahare ( IF you need one to clear nuisance algae) They eat ravenously , and if your algae can't support both they will perish and seriously foul your water. I've kept one in a 40g DT with no issue for 1.5 yrs, he was well fed and a big help with algae

want2bsleepy · Jun 8, 2017

JHuneke said:
Love the scape! If it was me, I would remove any crabs , I know that they are considered low risk, but I have seen them really pick at ponies and can cause some injury . Opening the door for bacterial infection. I am a stickler about tankmates , with ponies being sensitive .
I would also consider only one seahare ( IF you need one to clear nuisance algae) They eat ravenously , and if your algae can't support both they will perish and seriously foul your water. I've kept one in a 40g DT with no issue for 1.5 yrs, he was well fed and a big help with algae

Thanks! I think we'll give the crabs a try, and if we see any issues remove them then. I might start with one seahare since you say they eat a lot, and add another if we think the tank needs it.

vlangel · Jun 8, 2017

Every tank is different but my cuc are 5 or 6 trocus snails and 2 feeder shrimp that the ponies decided were too big to eat. That keeps my algae in check pretty well. You may not need as big a cuc as you think, especially once your macro algae is established. Nassarius snails are terrific with a sandbed so definitely keep all of them.

want2bsleepy · Jun 11, 2017

Picked up some paint for the back of the aquarium today. I'm really liking the color! I hope the seahorses like it as well.

I noticed a small turbo snail in the tank, chompin' away at the algae. He must have come over with a piece of live rock we moved over from our 125. First critter in tank was an accident! Lol

vlangel · Jun 12, 2017

Looking good, I like the color too. Even if the first critter was an accident, its a good one to have.

want2bsleepy · Jun 16, 2017

We got the filtration/pump running this week. Even without a light the algae is starting to grow, so we might have to give the loan turbo snail a few buddies. Ugh, I so wish we have money to get this tank together!

want2bsleepy · Jun 24, 2017

While we are waiting for our funds to replenish, we threw on a spare light we have to keep the cycling going. The live rock from our other tank brought over some copepods and anthropoids, so any algae that had started they have taken care of. Let's hope they make lots of babies before we start adding the fishes!

vlangel · Jul 6, 2017

Any updates or projected timeline for the seahorses' arrival?

want2bsleepy · Jul 6, 2017

vlangel said:
Any updates or projected timeline for the seahorses' arrival?

sigh, no. I need to win the lottery first! lol. It is taking forever to get our finances back on track, but at least in the meantime our tank is getting the time it needs to fully cycle. We tested all of the parameters a couple days ago and it is cycled, so we could throw some critters in there now if we were ready. Our lone turbo snail got too close to the pump sitting in the tank (no power heads yet) and got sucked in, so now it is just the thousands (they are all over the place!) of little critters keeping the algae at bay. I am, though, collecting some awesome zoas and mushrooms to go in the tank once it is ready!