Planning to start a seahorse/pipefish tank please help

[katsreef]

I have a reef tank but I am planning on starting a seahorse/pipefish tank. It is still in the early planning phases so I am looking for lots of advice and expertise!

For starters, I am trying to pick out a tank. It will be a waterbox tank 100% as I have a giftcard for 500 to their Canadian website. They have a 25g tank on sale currently for 350ish

https://waterboxaquariums.ca/products/aio-25-peninsula?_pos=1&_fid=6da4d3a71&_ss=c

I’ve seen seahorse tanks in a 20g but I know more is recommended. Would this be an okay tank for 2 seahorses and one pipefish? I would be getting two erectus and one yellow banded pipefish.

The next tank size up is a 35 gallon but it is over 500 dollars more at almost 900 dollars. I would prefer the smaller one if it is feasible so I can put that money towards extra equipment.

A few extra questions for now:

-Do you use a heater or chiller for your sea horse tanks?

-do you use a wavemaker or is the return nozzle enough flow for them?

-do you run a skimmer or is the aio chamber enough?

Thank you!

 

[blaxsun]

A 20-gallon is fine for what you propose. I'm actually in the process of possibly setting up a small 12-gallon AIO tank just for seahorses, so if it goes ahead I'll just be using a media caddy for filtration (no skimmer) and RFG nozzle for flow.

 

[katsreef]

A 20-gallon is fine for what you propose. I'm actually in the process of possibly setting up a small 12-gallon AIO tank just for seahorses, so if it goes ahead I'll just be using a media caddy for filtration (no skimmer) and RFG nozzle for flow.

That’s exactly what I was planning on doing. I don’t run a skimmer on my nano reef so I wanted to keep the seahorse tank simple as well. I would go bigger than 25 but I can’t justify the little extra gallons for over 500 more lol. I’m happy to hear the smaller one will workout! What kind of light will you be running?

If anyone else has any advice or suggestions, I’m all ears!

 

[blaxsun]

That’s exactly what I was planning on doing. I don’t run a skimmer on my nano reef so I wanted to keep the seahorse tank simple as well. I would go bigger than 25 but I can’t justify the little extra gallons for over 500 more lol. I’m happy to hear the smaller one will workout! What kind of light will you be running?

If anyone else has any advice or suggestions, I’m all ears!

The 12-gallon is a round acrylic IM Atoll that we've had packed up since upgrading to a larger Red Sea. We were thinking of placing it in the kitchen without a light and just some rock cycled from our larger tank. My LFS frequently stocks seahorses and pipefish, so we thought it could work well for 3-4 of them.

 

[Rmckoy]

Circulation should be kept to a min so they’re not being blasted with flow. .
And to give them a chance to catch food
But … strong enough to keep everything suspended to be removed with mechanical filtration . As they will require frequent feedings.

You sometimes see them in a nps system or even a species only system with ponies and pipefish

Heaters should be used in a sump as they will wrap their tails around objects to hold onto .

I’ve always wanted one and even when I was doing wholesale and they were more affordable at that time .

There is a member on here that has them and I believe even breeds them .
Can’t remember the username

 

[Rmckoy]

I have a reef tank but I am planning on starting a seahorse/pipefish tank. It is still in the early planning phases so I am looking for lots of advice and expertise!

For starters, I am trying to pick out a tank. It will be a waterbox tank 100% as I have a giftcard for 500 to their Canadian website. They have a 25g tank on sale currently for 350ish

https://waterboxaquariums.ca/products/aio-25-peninsula?_pos=1&_fid=6da4d3a71&_ss=c

I’ve seen seahorse tanks in a 20g but I know more is recommended. Would this be an okay tank for 2 seahorses and one pipefish? I would be getting two erectus and one yellow banded pipefish.

The next tank size up is a 35 gallon but it is over 500 dollars more at almost 900 dollars. I would prefer the smaller one if it is feasible so I can put that money towards extra equipment.

A few extra questions for now:

-Do you use a heater or chiller for your sea horse tanks?

-do you use a wavemaker or is the return nozzle enough flow for them?

-do you run a skimmer or is the aio chamber enough?

Thank https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/seahorse-feeding.980263/

 

[Rmckoy]

Oops …
I just found a link for another very helpful thread . But copy and pasted the wrong thing …

 

[Rmckoy]

Seahorse feeding

Hello. I have 2 adult eructus seahorses. Captive bred in 32 gallon I am feeding frozen mysis shrimp which they have been raised on. They are eating but they are such slow eaters I don’t think they are getting nearly enough before food falls into sand. I have a few questions 1. Wondering if I...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[katsreef]

Circulation should be kept to a min so they’re not being blasted with flow. .
And to give them a chance to catch food
But … strong enough to keep everything suspended to be removed with mechanical filtration . As they will require frequent feedings.

You sometimes see them in a nps system or even a species only system with ponies and pipefish

Heaters should be used in a sump as they will wrap their tails around objects to hold onto .

I’ve always wanted one and even when I was doing wholesale and they were more affordable at that time .

There is a member on here that has them and I believe even breeds them .
Can’t remember the username

I don’t mind frequent feedings! I’ll have the heater in the back if I need one. I know they need a cooler temp so I may need a chiller over a heater haha. Thanks for the info! I’m trying to gather as much as possible because I didn’t expect to win this giftcard lol

 

[katsreef]

Seahorse feeding

Hello. I have 2 adult eructus seahorses. Captive bred in 32 gallon I am feeding frozen mysis shrimp which they have been raised on. They are eating but they are such slow eaters I don’t think they are getting nearly enough before food falls into sand. I have a few questions 1. Wondering if I...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks for the links!

 

[katsreef]

The 12-gallon is a round acrylic IM Atoll that we've had packed up since upgrading to a larger Red Sea. We were thinking of placing it in the kitchen without a light and just some rock cycled from our larger tank. My LFS frequently stocks seahorses and pipefish, so we thought it could work well for 3-4 of them.

That works! I’m still trying to figure out where mine will go. I’ll need another sturdy table or make a stand because there is no option for one for this tank

 

[Rmckoy]

I don’t mind frequent feedings! I’ll have the heater in the back if I need one. I know they need a cooler temp so I may need a chiller over a heater haha. Thanks for the info! I’m trying to gather as much as possible because I didn’t expect to win this giftcard lol

I’m sure we would all love to win a decent gift card …

Congratulations .

 

[katsreef]

I'm just concerned that the tank is 15.7inch tall when the recommended is 18". I read somewhere that it matters more of the height if I am breeding them but I am not? If anyone could clarify if 15.7inch tall is enough that'd be great