Caulerpa and Seahorses
Hello again! We are very impressed with your knowledge about marine plants.
If is isn't too troublesome, we would like to ask for your advice on an issue or two.
<I will try>
We are writing to you from the Ft. Worth Zoo in Texas. Our exhibit deals with native marine life in the Gulf coast of Texas. The specific exhibit we are referring too concerns Hippocampus zosterae, dwarf seahorses. We are trying to find a marine plant that is compatible with the seahorses, relatively low maintenance, hardy, and a native resident to the Gulf. We have looked at many species of Caulerpa, but is not our only option. If you could give us any suggestions or comments or point us in the right direction it would be much appreciated. S.L. Stokes, Blanca Zarate, Fort Worth Zoo
<Is the system large enough to support a Thalassia bed? This is the predominant plant that I have seen H. zosterae associated with... next perhaps Penicillus, Halimeda spp.... Please see: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/maralgae.htm
Bob Fenner>

5g for Seahorses, Shrimp and Hermit Crabs   7/18/06
Hi! <Hi there!>
I'm a newcomer to all of this aquarium stuff, but I'm doing all my research before I start buying things. <Very admirable>
I like cleaner shrimp, seahorses and hermit crabs. <Me too!>
Is there anyway I can get a 5 gallon tank to house them all??
<On my, I'm so sorry, absolutely not!>
If so, how many of each and what kinds do you think would be the best?
<You could perhaps keep a cleaner shrimp and a couple of hermit crabs but no fish. The only possibility for seahorses in a 5g would be Dwarf Seahorses and they require daily hatching of baby brine shrimp, which in my opinion is quite time consuming. Dwarf seahorses could not be kept with cleaner shrimp and only a few species of the smaller herbivorous hermit crabs would be appropriate. If you want to keep any of the larger species of seahorses you need minimum of 30 to 40 gallons depending on the species. Have a look at www.syngnathid.org and www.oceanrider.com for more information on seahorses and their appropriate care.>
Also, could I get other fish in there?
<Nope, unfortunately not a 5g>
What type? I basically like all kinds, so whatever works!
What would work would be a bigger tank. You will need at least a minimum of 20g to keep a couple to a few of the smallest marine fish. The bigger the better basically.>
Thanks!!! <Your welcome, Leslie>

Seahorses and Mandarins 3/20/06
I've been researching and planning a rather elaborate (if you ask my wife, she'd say "insane") system to sustain two show tanks (although the more I get into it the more interesting all the refugia I have in mind seem to be).
<<Lets leave your wife out of it and stick with elaborate, eh?  HA!>>
I currently have a 110 G reef with moderate flow from a refugium and moderate light sustaining a fairly diverse population of corals and a few fish including most notably a pair of mandarin dragonets whose continued sustenance is both one of the primary long-term goals and short-term worries in my mind.  They are not emaciated (the male was when I got him, and the female, whom I obtained much more recently, was also a little thin; it's hard to judge, but the male is clearly in much better shape 9 months after I got him than he was when I bought the tank from his previous owner) but I feel a need to constantly be monitoring the situation to ensure they never get that way.
<<Your tank, especially with a refugium should be large enough to sustain these fish, but tankmates are a major concern, especially other 'pod specialists like small wrasses and some gobies and blennies.>>
I have a 20-30 gallon refugium and a sump under that tank right now, but this is a temporary half-measure.  I have a 150 G tank that I've drilled in preparation for its going into service as the show tank for the mandarins and seahorses (I plan to have a nice stand of seagrass in there).  I plan to have the 110 Reef at the top of the system, overflowing into one or two refugia of 50-55 gallons each, and from there into the 150 G tank, to maximize the flow of food items into that area for the mandarins and seahorses that have such specialized diets (I will probably be buying captive bred seahorses-unless someone is getting rid of wild-caught just at the time I'm looking for my population-, so I know I can feed them mostly on prepared foods if need be, but I would prefer to give them an environment that feeds them naturally if I can). I think I will be able to supply them a good flow of amphipods and mysis and copepods that grow naturally in my refugium now (and I only hope to multiply the benefits by stuffing the larger volume of refugia full of rubble and sand), but I wonder if I can add diversity and benefits for the seahorses by also having a sustaining population of grass shrimp (Palaemonetes vulgaris) in the 150 G tank.  I know they will tend to prey on the amphipods and copepods, but would you anticipate they would outcompete the mandarins (or seahorses for that matter)?  My research suggests the fully-grown grass shrimp will be too large for the seahorses to eat, but will breed and thereby provide the seahorses with a ready diet of juvenile grass shrimp to augment the supply of amphipods and mysis.  Or will the amphipods and mysis be enough by themselves to sustain the seahorses comfortably and I'm just making things too complicated (perhaps I do like the idea of a diverse population in a sustainable relationship to other populations)?
<<I would consider methods that will provide more habitat for 'pods in the mandarin/seahorse display.  While refugia are great supplements, I would still suggest a fair amount of live rock in the display to provide foraging area for the mandarins.  I like the idea of the shrimp to provide supplemental food for the seahorses in the form of fry, however unless you maintain cultures of the fry using phytoplankton, they will only serve as an occasional treat.  Also, I do believe that the shrimp may do more harm than good as a result of their own predatory behavior.  If you want to pursue this avenue, I would consider dedicating the most upstream refugium to this purpose.>>
Will the mandarins also eat the shrimp fry or do they prey exclusively on copepods (some sources I've consulted seem to think they'll eat anything in the size range of a copepod, as I imagine a newly-hatched grass shrimp might be, or even somewhat larger prey such as flatworms-but I'm not sure I believe that, so perhaps you can fill me in on the real truth!)?
<<Mandarins will eat prey other than copepods, including flat worms in some cases.  They may eat the fry, but again this would only be an occasional treat.>>
Do you envision that I will be able to keep a large enough supply of copepods coming in that the shrimp population (which I imagine the seahorses will keep under control, but will hopefully not entirely exterminate) will not sweep them up before the mandarins can have their fill?  I'm tempted to believe that with 100 gallons of rock-stocked DSB refugia free of any predation other than amphipods I'll be able to generate a healthy enough supply of copepods to feed an army of mandarins (I'm exaggerating, but you take my meaning!) and the grass shrimp will not make much of a dent, since there'll be plenty of other things for them to eat as well.  But I'd hate to assume that would be the case and turn out to be wrong (probably it would be hard to get rid of the grass shrimp once they were
established!).
<<Again, I would not rely on input from the refugium and I would be concerned that the shrimp would be excessive competition for the mandarins. I would restrict the shrimp to the most upstream refugia.  I am also not aware of what kind of marine shrimp will reproduce as prolifically as you are describing.>>
I couldn't find any discussions along these lines in the FAQ's.  I wonder if that means this is a great idea that's too elaborate for most, or a nutty idea that needs to be killed right away! Thank you.  Brad
<<I think it is somewhere in between!!  I think you are on the right track to want to use large refugia to supplement the 'pod population for the mandarins.  On the other hand, it is very unlikely that even an optimally functioning system with some kind of prolific shrimp will be enough to sustain the seahorses.  In the long run, you (and your wife!) may be happier to try and keep the whole thing simple.  You are going to have to feed the seahorses anyway, so you may as well remove the troublesome task of monitoring and maintaining a feeder population.  With plenty of live rock and a refugium, the mandarins will take care of themselves.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>>

Thinking seahorses, sys.  3/20/06
Howdy again ladies and gentlemen,
   <Morning!>
        I am eagerly awaiting my new main tank but will not have it until June so in the mean time to help me with the craving I am setting up a 24 gallon Aquapod. I like to have different so I was thinking seahorses are different and would like to give them a shot. I have gone to Ocean Rider,
<Am out in HI, visiting periodically with Carol, Brian, their twin boys (now three years of age!) Cooper and Dylan...>
seahorse.org and of course this site as well to research these fascinating creatures. I know what I can keep with them and what I can't for the most part. I would like to keep a few of the corals that are listed as "okay" on the seahorse.org site and maybe a watchman goby for sand sifting. It's my setup that I am wondering about. I have read sooooo many different setups it sounds like mine would work but I want to be sure so as not to sentence my new guys to death. As I stated my tank is a -
  24 gallon Aquapod
  almost 50 pounds of live rock -
<I'd use about half this amount... leave room for all else>
slabs, Fiji and Tonga branches for variety and shelves for coral placement and horse hitching.
  10 pounds of live sand
  The return pump has a rotating nozzle on it in the top left rear corner for water movement.
  I currently have 1 mini dolphin pump moving water across the back of the tank since the rock is stacked up against the back but was thinking of adding another (not for flow because I know the seahorses don't need this) and putting some tubing with holes in it to create spray bars to put in behind the rock to keep dead spots from happening.
<Sounds good>
  Lighting is 1 70w 14000k metal halide light housed in a fan cooled canopy that is above the tank by about 3 inches. It also had blue and white led lunar lights.
  I also have removed the sponge filter and bio balls that came with the tank and added Fission Nano skimmer instead. My concern with this is that the skimmer is creating a lot of micro bubbles (according to the instructions this is normal for a new tank and will stop after the surface tension changes?)
<I hope...>
I have read that the micro bubbles can be bad for the horses.
<Yes, for all fishes>
Ammonia - 0; Nitrites - 0; Nitrates - less than 20. I have just added the first of the clean up crew. 2 Astrea snails and 3 small turbo snails. 1 scarlet hermit, 3 red hermits and 7 blue legged hermits. Please give me your opinions on my setup/ideas and what kind of home this sounds like it will make for the horses. I am considering purchasing the 2 mustang and 2 sunburst special from ocean rider. I look forward to your thoughts.
             Thanx for your time, experience and knowledge.                      
                                   Love the site! Butch
<Sounds like a very nice set-up. It is obvious you have kept marines before and have been preparing. Bob Fenner>

Big problem for a little seahorse   2/23/06
Hey Bob, First of all I love what you guys do and it has been a tremendous help over the last year that I've been keeping marine species.  
<Ah, good>
My problem is that I have two yellow seahorses in a 26 gallon tank.  they are relatively small. about four-five inches.
<... would be better in larger quarters. And I do wish some of the folks who know much more than I re tube-mouthed fishes husbandry would have picked up your note here... You are aware of the specialty bulletin boards re syngnathids? These are linked on WWM>
I have low water circulation coming from a very low-power power-head. (the smallest 'Big Al's' sells) Now this morning one seahorse was stuck in it.
<Bad...>
I know now I should have had a grill on it, but it's one with the intake tube that zigs and zags and to not grind any fish etc.  
<If this can't be masked better, remove it>
This obviously wasn't the case as the little seahorse zig then zagged into it.  Upon spotting her, I immediately turned it off and carefully got her out.
The side of her head is scrapped quite a bit and is a white colour.  She is breathing very heavy and is having problems swimming as she isn't using the fin on
the side that is scratched.  the fin itself isn't ripped but looks scraped pretty bad.  Her colour is still a very bright yellow which is a good sign and
she is still actively swimming around the tank.  My question is what do you recommend i do next, besides remove the power-head?  My main concern is infection.
The water quality is good (zero ammonia, nitrite. nitrate is around 10 ppm).   Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks! Luke.
<Please read through the Seahorse materials posted on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tube-mfi.htm
and the linked files above
And write the BB's listed re this situation. Bob Fenner>

High pH in seahorse tanks?!   2/9/06
Hello WWM crew:)  I have a concern that I would like to run by you.  Though I have never really had a problem of this nature in the past, it seems as
though my luck has run out.  I recently tested the pH of my three dwarf seahorse tanks, and the results were completely different for each of the three tanks-
8.2, 8.4 and 8.7.  I know the first two values are acceptable, but the 8.7 is concerning me, especially since it is a juvenile tank.  I have not seen any ill
effects as of yet, but I know that value is well beyond the normal range these animals are accustomed to.  Any ideas as to what I can look into?
<... what is different about this last system? Substrate, use of ozone, UV?... water treatments?>
I tested the KH for all three, and all of the tanks tested between 9-10 dKH, so I know this is not being caused by excessive alkalinity.  I have not added any calcium
or other mineral supplements at all as well...so I am a bit baffled.  I would not say there is an excess of photosynthetic activity either, and I am not
overly aerating the tanks.  Any ideas?
Thanks again,
  D Conners
<Mmm, I would not be overly concerned here... there is a good deal of physiological adaptation (esp. over time) re pH and most marine fish groups... Bob Fenner>

Seahorse Tank/Live Rock Critters - 01/03/06
Hi,
<<Hello>>
This is probably a silly question.
<<Only if you don't ask it.>>
I have a 55 gallon tank that is freshly cycled with only about 8lbs of LR, 4 Blue Legged Hermits and a Camel Shrimp.  I'm setting it up to house seahorses, pipefish and other peaceful fish.
<<I hope you have other supplemental filtration aside from the small amount of live rock.  And do have a read here, and among the indices in blue at the top of the page.  The more research you do the better your chances for success with these delicate creatures: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tube-mfi.htm >>
My question is, lately I've noticed all sorts of living "stuff" from the LR, small reddish worms in the sand, feather dusters, etc.
<<Yes>>
Are any of these things likely to harm the horses?
<<Probably not...though problem hitchhikers are always a possibility.  I think those Camel Shrimp may pose a hazard though...depending on the size of the shrimp/seahorses.>>
Thanks
<<Regards, EricR>>

Re: Seahorse Tank/Live Rock Critters 01/03/06
Thanks for the info.  I have the tank set-up with a slightly over sized wet/dry, a ETSS Reef Devil skimmer and a 15w UV.
<<Very good>>
The live rock was added just to make the tank a bit more interesting.
<<Understood...do also look in to some type of "anchor point" for the seahorses/pipefish.  Perhaps some artificial sea fans or gorgonians.>>
I certainly agree with gaining more knowledge.  Too much is never enough.
<<Comforting to hear, good luck with your research.>>
Thanks,
Scott
<<You're welcome Scott.  Regards, EricR>>

Sea Horse Stocking, Beginner Tank Size, on resolving conflicting advice  9/9/05
Hello, Thanks in advance for your time and advice, and the library of info
on your website.
<Welcome>
I'm a beginner (not counting the freshwater tanks I had as a kid).  I've
always wanted a marine tank but was afraid of the amount of time and care,
in particular having to break the tank down and cleaning it every 6-12
months, as I was told back then.  Recently, I've discovered the
advancement in technology has addressed such concerns drastically in the
last decade or so, and now I think the amount of work is within my ability
(knock on wood).
So I've been reading up on SeaHorse care, and about beginner's tank
setup guides.  I've read up all over WWM, seahorse.org, OceanRider, and others.
<Good>
My problem now is the resulting confusion from what seems to me to be
conflicting advice...  Any help is much appreciated.
<Okay>
I was thinking about a Nano (24G) Cube, initially, but saw that you think
they aren't so good for the beginner.  Unfortunate, because I like the
look, but I was wondering about the flexibility in design, so I'm getting
ready to shelve that idea.
<Can be made to work...>
Books and websites (including WWM) recommend 40+ (55-75) for beginner's
tanks for easier maintenance and control.  That's cool.  But reading up
on SH care guides, it seems a 55g tank would require stocking of 6 or 7 pairs (!?).
<Mmm, not "require"... but "allow" perhaps>
  I don't know if I can shell out that much all at once,
financially, but more importantly, it seems to compound the risk of
failure to have so many to take care of, when just getting used to caring
for them.  And I kind of dread ordering 12 horses in one go from
Oceanrider... seems like there's no way all of them would arrive at once alive...
<Mmm, actually...>
  maybe I'm wrong.  Is doing all at once easier?  If I do it in
stages, won't it be too empty/sparsely populated for the first-comers?
<I would start with just a pair or two... no problem>
On the other hand, I read your advice on people who have 20-30g sizes with
a more manageable number or Seahorses.
<Yes>
So, here come the questions.  Which rule comes first?  Bigger Tank?
Smaller and manageable stock-size?
<Bigger tanks are better for maintenance, any "practical" number of seahorses (mainly dependent on size/species) per tank size (allowance) is fine... You could keep "a pair" in a forty or larger...>
If I got a 65g going, and stocked 2 pair (4 horses) and other compatible fish would that be ok?
<Sure>
I don't think that would address the feeding concerns that the SH may not be able
to find the food easily enough, but stocking other fish does lower the
number of horses to be housed in the tank (the \"maximum\" or
\"recommended\" numbers per gallon), right?
<Yes... for clean-up and interest...>
And another question that has been concerning me.  As a responsible owner,
how do most owners deal with the mating/fry issue, realistically?  I
don't mean the technicality of rearing the fry, but rather the practical
implications.  You can't expect them NOT to mate, right?
<OR's seahorses usually don't...>
And when they hatch you have to try to take care of them.  Sure.  It's difficult, and
you may not succeed, even if you were trying hard.  Ok.  But if you DO
succeed, and you have more horses than you can handle, what do you do?  I
don't want to (at least right now, I don\'t intend to) become a breeder.
So, if a few grow up, that's cool.  I might even succumb to getting
bigger tanks and more tanks, as space permit.  But there are limits,
right?  You can't give them away to people who can't take care of them,
so what do most people do?!  Is this a realistic concern?
<Mmm, no... not really>
or do so few survive, that I shouldn't worry about it?
<One view, possibility... most likely yours won't reproduce. If you should get/acquire some wild stock, avoid "pregnant males"... Should you end up with these, the young will likely perish for wont of food...>
Thanks so much, Looking forward to hearing from you.
Hiro in NYC
<A pleasure to share. Bob Fenner>

Re: Sea Horse Stocking, Beginner Tank Size, on resolving conflicting advice  9/10/05
Wow! Thanks so much for your quick response.  I can't tell you how
encouraging it is to get feedback about questions like that!
<Good>
I just had two points I'd like to clarify about your response, if I can
trouble you just a bit more.
<Sure, no trouble>
So as I understand your response, the concern I have read in some places,
that seahorses being slow are less able to swim too long looking for food
if stocked too few per gallon, isn't too much of a concern for 55-75 sizes.
<Correct>
When you say the nanocube can be made to work, do you mean swap filtration
equipment built in to the cube with some thing better? Or simply add to it
to complement its existing equipment?
<Either one... just needs "more" filtration, circulation... a skimmer you can turn off temporarily during feeding...>
Thank you again so much.
Hiro in NYC
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Re: Beginner Seahorse Tank, on resolving conflicting advice on Canisters  10/5/05
Bob, Leslie, thank you both for your time and advice on my previous  
email.  I've taken your advice, did more research, and have taken the plunge!
<Welcome>
I set up a 37G, foregoing the Nanocube.  I have about 1/3 volume in  
Live Rock, Remora Pro skimmer with Mag3 pump.  I got the live rock  
from the LFS, "mostly cured" in their words.  I have a small  
AquaClear 20 powerhead to supplement flow, at about half capacity.
According to my research and belief, the Remora should be returning  
about 100 gph to the tank, and my powerhead approx 60-70 gph, I  
think.  Was aiming for about 170-180. (37x5=185).  For the seahorses to come....
I hope you can help me with the following.
(1)  My guy at the LFS has been pushing me to get a Canister.  I want  
some mechanical filter to hold carbon, and to filter particles.  But  
it seems some people on WWM say LR and skimmer is enough and  
canisters are more negative (nitrate?) than positive.  I'm worried  
about inconvenience of cleaning.  On the other hand, the added water  
volume and carbon would be desirable, I think.  Which way should I  
go?  Canister? Powerfilter?
<I would use the latter myself... easier, cheaper to run, acquire... and does all the two can/will do>
Is Eheim 2215 too much flow for the  
seahorses?  I have read bigger is better, here on WWM on canisters.   
<Could, would work... has a discharge spray bar....>
But I'm worried about too much flow.  The LFS guy says point the  
water return down and I can limit influence on the flow.  Or should I  
just ditch the entire idea and leave it with LR and skimmer?
<Up to you. Can be added later if you want>
(2)  It's been about a week since I set it up, and the water is doing  
great (ph.8.1, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10mg/l, spg 1.024, Ca  
430).  but today, I noticed a lot of the LR is starting to turn/grown  
rusty/orange/brown on the edges.  It does not look like the pictures  
of BGalgae or Cyano I see on the FAQ here.  No wispy hairs, just  
looks like... rusty fuzz.  Is this natural?
<Yes>
or should I be concerned?
<Re? Read on WWM re... cycling, LR curing... Cyano... this latter is what this mainly is>
  Even the rock that has great purple coralline when I got  
it, is starting to turn "rusty" on the edges.  On the other hand, I  
think there is at least a little pimple of orange sponge growing on  
another piece of rock that wasn't there a few days ago.
(3)  My Remora Pro is foaming, but not enough to reach the container.   
Do you think this is because I have nothing in the tank and there is  
genuinely little to skim, or because I have to tweak and skim more?  
<Maybe a bit of both>
The skimmer has been running for 3 days now.  I have the prefilter  
foam on the Mag.  Should I not have this attached?
<Time for the requisite "stop obsessing" stmt. here>
(4)  So far all I have in my tank is the LR, live sand, and water.  I  
thought cycling would take longer, but last three days, I have not  
had any ammonia or nitrite.  Am I missing something?  Did I miss the  
cycling somehow?  I can't decide what to add first - snails, etc., or  
some macro algae for seahorses to hitch onto (looking ahead).   
Caulerpa seems to be the most available around here, and looks like  
something seahorses would enjoy hitching onto.  But the advice on  
them also seem to be both extremes - easy, not easy.  risk or crash.   
not in the main tank (I don't have a refugium).  Should I get  
something else?  or is it ok to get Caulerpa?  Should I stick with  
fake plants and synthetic corals for hitching posts?
<I would for now>
I am getting a bit nervous and excited to have it all set up.  Thanks  
for your help in advance!
Hiro
<Bob Fenner>

Seahorse stupidity follow up/High Nitrates (8/3/05)
Dear Bob/Leslie, <Leslie here with you this morning.>
Just thought I would run this by you. <Sure, no problem!>
In my now infamous public seahorse tank I have noticed, over the last few days, a worrying increase in Nitrate, up to 100 today.  However, this hasn’t followed any increases in Ammonia or Nitrite which have been completely normal since the beginning.  I have been doing small water changes every day after advice from another aquarium.
<Good advice. Frequent partial water changes of 10 to 20% of the total volume should dilute the nitrates.>
The only other increase has been 1.026 to 1.028 over three weeks.
<Evaporation will cause the specific gravity to creep up and can easily be remedied by the addition of some pH adjusted, de-chlorinated freshwater. >
I’ve been doing a hoovering type siphon of the substrate but to be honest there isn’t much debris to hoover up so I am lost as to what to do.
<If you are vacuuming the sand during the small frequent water changes, this is not necessary and you may actually be adding to your problem. Excessive vacuuming of the substrate can cause the loss of some of the beneficial bacteria living in the substrate, which are responsible for nitrification and denitrification.
The four H. reidi show no ill effects at all, any thoughts?
<Please forgive me I cannot remember the details of your tank set up.  The addition of a protein skimmer and macro algae will help with nutrient export and the addition of live rock will augment the process of denitrification.  So if you have not incorporated these into your tank set up this would be a good place to start. These articles should help. Start with this one on Nitrates in Marine Aquarium Systems
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm
and follow with these on Frequent Partial Water Changes
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water.htm
and Nutrient Control and Export
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm
You also may want to consider the addition of some seahorse safe marine scavengers to help with the clean up of carrion and uneaten food. These links should help: Clean up crew
http://www.syngnathid.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Plunge&Number=820&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1 and Scavengers for Marine Systems
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marscavart.htm
Many thanks, Alex
<You’re most welcome! Hope this helps, Leslie>

Seahorse Expecting ... Tank Set Up 7/4/05
Hello,
<Hi there!>
My Brazilian seahorse is pregnant can you please advise me what kind of hospital tank to set up or can I leave the horse in my regular tank? I'm not sure if they will eat baby seahorses?
<Congratulations!!! You will need to move the horse into what I call a paternity ward or delivery tank, unless you can somehow separate him from the tangs, they do pose a threat to the fry. BTW, for the record tangs are not a typically recommended seahorse tankmate. They may be fine now because they are small. These are active fish, which get to be a good size. You may want to consider permanently relocating the seahorses to their own tank. I would move him along with his mate.  Use live rock from your main tank. You will need to protect the fry from any intakes. This can be done by either using a tank divider and placing the pump or filter on one side of the divider and the seahorses on the other or by covering all intakes with a sponge.>
If I have to set up a separate tank besides saltwater do I add vitamins or any thing?
<I am not really sure what you mean by this. You will not need a tank other than saltwater. You do not need to add any vitamins or supplements to the delivery tank or the nursery tank. You will however need to enrich the baby brine shrimp you will be hatching to feed the fry. You will need a nursery tank as well as a brine shrimp hatchery set up. I don’t mean to put a damper on your excitement over the prospect of baby seahorses but you need to know that raising seahorse fry is very difficult at best. It is a huge time investment,  a lot of work and most folks have little to no success raising the fry. You are working with a species that is particularly challenging to raise, because the fry are very small and pelagic. This presents 2 problems, feeding and losses due to intake of air at the surface. These fry do not hitch at birth. They float near the surface for weeks, where they take in air, which leads to their eventual demise. They must be kept off the surface with the creative use of current. Most folks do this with Kriesel or modified Kriesel nursery set ups AKA fish bowl nurseries. I would recommend you go and have a look at the Paternity Ward Forum on  www.syngnathid.org. In particular have a look at these 2 threads  “Easiest Nursery Ever” here…
http://www.syngnathid.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Paternity&Number=13213&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
and  “Easiest Nursery Photos” here…
http://www.syngnathid.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Paternity&Number=13217&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
Since this species has such small fry you will need to get hold of the small variety of baby brine shrimp called…. San Francisco Bay Brand.
You can find information on decapsulation, hatching and enriching brine shrimp here…..http://www.saseahorse.com/seahorse.htm
Click on the brine shrimp link on the left.
Best of luck with your pregnant papa seahorse. I hope this helps Leslie>

SW circulation, seahorses...
Hello, I have a 2 month old 65 gallon tank with skimmer, wet/dry, chiller, Coralife  lighting  HQI  metal halide lighting,  a lot of live rock inside my tank I use 1 Rio aqua pump/power head 2500 it does not seem to be enough movement for top layer of water and to move about corals towards the center I was thinking of adding a Seio super flow pump m620 my question is do you think this is too much current?
<Not too much>
I have 2 Brazilian seahorses to take in consideration?
<Oh... perhaps too much for these... I would arrange all flow to course along the edges of the inside of the tank>
Also my tank measures L36" H 19" 1/2 W 18" has rounded corners. thank you R.G.
<Bob Fenner>

Seahorses and Eel Grass
Hello,
<Howdy>
In a few months I will be acquiring a pair of Ocean Rider Mustang seahorses. I just got a 24 gallon nanocube for them. I have been researching about Hippocampus erectus and have discovered that eel grass can be used for them to hitch onto. Do you know any places on the internet where I can purchase eel grass, or any sea grass for that matter?
<A tough one... sometimes offered by folks in the trade, but I'd be searching, buying "direct" from a collector here. Likely someone in the tropical West Atlantic. You can locate these folks through the Net, the back/classifieds in the hobby 'zines>
If I cannot find any eel grass for the seahorses, I will need other hitching posts. I suspect a tree sponge will suffice will it
not?
<Mmm, depends on species... do read over what we have posted on Gorgonian Selection, Systems, Feeding... I would go with other non-living material>
Also, can corals like Acropora sp. work? Anyway, could you recommend any other seahorse safe species of coral, not necessarily for hitching on? Thank you for your time.
Joe Marano
<I don't encourage the co-use of Hippocampines and live scleractinians, alcyonaceans... Not generally compatible... the last requiring living conditions that make keeping both together tenuous. Please study a bit more here. You've read over OR's site I take it. Bob Fenner> 
<<Marina's note: The folks who breed seahorses at the LBAOP typically use plastic freshwater Vallisneria to substitute for the eel grass.  The animals adapt quite readily/happily to this.>><<Excellent. RMF>>

Seahorse tank.
I'm very new to aquariums and marine life in general. 
<Youch. You've picked a hard beginning but a very satisfying one.> 
I told a friend of mine how much I admired and loved seahorses and he talked me into setting up a tank and then pretty much left me high and dry so to speak. I've learned some from reading but since I have never had a tank before much seems over my head! Your help in layman's terms would be great appreciated. 
<Will do my best. Oh and MacL here with you today.>
I have a 36 gallon tank with 3 female seahorses and a few snails. The bottom is sand. All the levels seems to be within acceptable levels (at least according to the chart on the testing kit). 
<I'm assuming that means zero? Seahorses are very demanding for water quality.> 
I've had one of the seahorses about 4 months, the other two only a couple of weeks and all seem to be doing fine. My first problem is with algae. I've read several pieces of mail on your site with people with the same problem (I thought I was the only one!). 
<Not at all, algae is a big seahorse problem because they require feeding so frequently.> 
I think I might be overfeeding my seahorses and what is left seems like it would be feeding the algae. I feed the 3 of them 1/2 cube of frozen Mysis twice a day ... is that too much? 
<I usually feed mine three times a day and about that amount but you have to be diligent about cleaning up what they don't eat.> 
Should I cut that to 1/4 a cube? I've been doing a 25% water change once a week but the algae comes back within a couple of days along the sand and grows on the rock and decorations. When I do the change I take out the decorations and clean them but does not seem to help much. Do I need a protein skimmer as some of the mail suggests? 
<I don't use a protein skimmer on mine, I am too worried about bubbles bothering the seahorses but I am told it is very helpful in getting the tank cleaner. I have recently gone to adding Purigen by SeaChem in my overflow and have found it amazingly helpful in keeping my tank clean.> 
I guess I'm just looking for a bit of advice to help move me in the right direction. 
<I think its great that you are looking for help and wonderful that you are doing water changes so frequently. Obviously you are taking good care of your seahorse.> 
Thanks for all your help. 
<Leif you might also look on our forum there are good discussions of seahorses there. Good luck, MacL>

To Anthony, if possible: dwarf sea-horses in the refugium?
Hi Anthony,
<Antoine is out>
I got this idea to take advantage of the fuge to have a single pair of dwarf sea-horses (zosterae) there when the system will be mature enough. To recap a bit here, the aim of my fuge will be to produce plankton, export nutrients through macro algae (Gracilaria and Chaeto), produce fresh "green" food (Gracilaria), and NNR through the sugar-fine DSB. Top priority in my mind is clearly plankton production for the display. So I will try not to exceed 6x vol. of fuge per hour as a water flow. Display should be about 70 gal net and fuge a bit over 20 gal net. Will be a DSB in display as well and 100lbs of LR (plus 10-20lbs LR in fuge). Also worth noting is that I will want to keep a mandarin when the system is mature and thriving with critters such as mysids, amphipods, and copepods (hopefully). 
Ok, under these circumstances, what do you think of the idea of having a single pair of zosterae in the fuge?
<Should work out... do keep the exiting pump intake screened over carefully>
-These dwarf sea-horses are really tiny. Don't know if they are voracious eaters for their size though. A refugium isn't a fuge anymore if there is a predator there... Would only two of them have a noticeable impact on the population of pods/mysids?
<Not discernible>
-Would I still need to target fed them with baby Artemia or they could possibly get what they need from the system?
<Only time, experience can tell>
-Otherwise it could at least allow me to feed them so only once a week?
<Maybe>
Another option yet would be to place a "Hatching Feeder" in the fuge. Would be convenient and part of the Artemia that would bypass the dwarf sea-horses would get to the display and still benefit the animals there. -If I have enough water movement in the display (from a wave2k), is it ok to have a very slow flow of about 1x volume of the tank per hour to the sump (where the skimmer, heater... are) ?
<Mmm, better to increase this flow rate to five, ten times per hour. Bob Fenner>
Thank you very much again!
Dominique 

Filtration for a 45g Hexagon Pony Paddock 4/10/05
Thanks so much for your speedy reply. I know you get this allot, 1 more question.
<Sure no problem!>
I have a 45-gallon hex, which I plan on housing seahorses
(only) in. I've read they prefer a taller tank and not an extremely
large tank,  with low currents.
<This is a common misnomer. Yes,  height is recommended but vertical space is just as important. They will use both. They use the height during courting and breeding rituals. They ascend up the water column during their mating ritual and particularly during the egg transfer.  Anyone who has kept seahorses and moved them from a tall  narrow tank to a tall long tank will tell you that they actually do utilize all the space…… vertical as well as horizontal.>
With the limited cabinet space on this size tank, I'm having a problem deciding what type of filtration to use.
< Yes, hex tanks do present a challenge. If you are not 100% committed to the 45g hex you might want to consider a tall rectangular tank perhaps a 50 or 60g.>
Could/would you recommend a filtration set-up for this tank ? Specific brands if possible.
If you go with the 45g .......I would recommend the Marineland Emperor 250 or 400, which,  ever one fits. The action of bio wheel will help to degas the water, which is helpful in the prevention of Gas Bubble Syndrome.>
Thanks again>Chris
You’re most welcome. Best of luck with your pony paddock!
Happy Trails, Leslie>

Temperate Tankmates for H. abdominalis 4/10/05
Dear Mr. Fenner
<Good evening, Leslie standing, well actually sitting,  in for Mr. Fenner this evening>
I am trying to find suitable tankmates for some Hippocampus abdominalis.  I would like to find a few small fish and some inverts that won't out-compete them for food, and can tolerate lower temps.  I have not been able to find much info on the web for coldwater saltwater animals.  The tank will be
about 150 gal, and have excellent filtration and lighting.  Any tips on tankmates or sources for info would be greatly appreciated.
< What an awesome tank you have planned there. 150 g is a great size for abdominalis. I am green with envy ☺. The reason you can’t find much info, is because there are not many temperate fish and inverts available to us here in the US.  There is one very pretty and interesting  little fish I know of that you can find now and again….. Catalina Gobies Lythrypnus dalli
Have a look here for a photo….. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gobies.htm .
In addition www.syngnathid.org is an excellent source for information and support. There are several members keeping abdominalis and Tracy Warland who breeds these amazing creatures just happens to be  one of the moderators there.>
Thanks,  Timothy Loyd
<Your most welcome!! Best of luck with your new corral>

Seahorse System Cycled
Hello.
<Hi there, Leslie, resident seahorse lover at your service.>
I have cycled my 30 gallon aquarium a few weeks ago (will be used for seahorses in a month)
<Seahorses my favorite sea creatures!!! I hope you are planning on purchasing captive-bred seahorses.>
I have a clean up crew of 4 scarlet hermits, 1 zebra legged hermit, 16 Nassarius snails (ob. not vibex ) and 3 Astrea snails.
<I like to use 1 to 1.5 Nass snails per gallon in my seahorse corrals.>
I have 40 lbs live sand (CaribSea Aragonite) and 32 lbs of live rock (a mix but most is Tonga branch). I have some exposed sandbed, but not too much, and the rock has formed some interesting caves. I am getting ready for seahorses in about a month. I have an Emperor 280 filter and a CPR BakPak protein skimmer. Lights are PCs.
<Sounds like a nice set up, your horses should be very happy!>
I was wondering if it is necessary to vacuum the sand?
<That would depend on the depth of your sand bed. My guess is you have about a 2” sand bed. Shallow sand beds of 1 to 2 inches need to be vacuumed.>
I looked and looked on your site and others but can't find too much information.
<Have a look at www.syngnathid.org. There is quite a bit of info there and many wonderful patient folks sharing experiences and knowledge with fellow seahorse keepers.>
The rock is getting cleaned very well by the crew. Lots of coralline algae but otherwise cleaned to almost white on most pieces and I have some copepods in the tank.
<That sounds great ☺>
Some people say they vacuum part of the sand. Do I need to do this or would I be able to remove any hair algae that would grow on the sand with a turkey baster and get by?
<IME hair algae is usually more of a problem on rock. If your tank should be plagued by a Cyanobacteria outbreak which usually manifests as a thin layer over the rock and substrate and can be removed by, sort of peeling it off in sheets. It can be siphoned or turkey basted out, but the sand bed still needs to be vacuumed to remove detritus and other waste that accumulates in and on top of the substrate.>
I wanted a professional opinion. I am afraid if I ask someone at a LFS they might just say yes to try to get me to buy the vacuum. So to vacuum or not to vacuum is the question?
<Vacuum as long as are not using a true deep sand bed.>
I have read from a few posts that some aquarists do not like to disturb the sandbed as long as they have critters that stir it.
< I believe these are aquarists using deep sand beds and they utilize sand stirring critters to stir the very top layer but deeper layers need to remain undisturbed. What should I do?
< Vacuum as mentioned above.>
Thanks, Michelle
<You're most welcome, Leslie> 

Seahorse System Cycled....continued 4/9/05
<You’re most welcome!>
Yes I will be purchasing cb seahorses and the sandbed is about 3 and half inches deep. LFS suggested a little too much sand as I was originally trying for 2 inches but I went with it since I had it. So since the bed is deeper I don't vacuum right?
<Avoid deep vacuuming. You can lightly vacuum any debris off the surface of the substrate.>
I will eventually stock more tank janitors but I am leaving on a dive trip for 7 days and getting my seahorses after. I am fearful if I stock with too much clean up crew they will die or start to kill each other.
<That sounds like a very good plan. Best of luck with your seahorse paddock! Happy Trails, Leslie>

Seahorse Corral Set Up 4/9/05
Hi
<Good evening, Leslie here representing the crew this tonight.>
I'm in the process of setting up a tank for seahorses.
<Ah, that’s great. They are my all time favorite. I hope you are planning on obtaining CB seahorses. We are very fortunate there are quite a few sources these days.>
I have a tall tank and I do not plan on adding any substrate so the horses can see the food easier.
I have a few pounds of live rock in there but the main filtration is a nice hang on the back wet/dry and skimmer.  My question is about running a wet/dry along with live rock, does having both inhibit either one from functioning to the fullest power?
<Nope. I believe they will enhance each other.>
The reason I’m setting up my tank this way,  is that I had a seahorse tank in the past set up Berlin style and the horses got the disease where they fill up like balloons.
<Ah yes, how unfortunate and sad. I’m so sorry. That would be a form of Gas Bubble Disease or Syndrome as it is becoming known.>
I wanted to make sure I have a high oxygen level in my water at all times and thus decided on the trickle filter.
<Sounds like a very good plan. www.syngnathid.org is another excellent resource if you would like to do some additional reading.>
Thanks for your help!
<You’re most welcome. Best of luck with your new seahorse paddock! Happy Trails, Leslie>

Seahorse questions 1/25/05
Hi!  I have had seahorses in the past and always kept them in a 10-gallon tank, however I am now interested in keeping dwarf seahorses and have done various research and found differing opinions. Some sites say that a 10-gallon aquarium should be the minimum and yet others such as seahorse.org says that 2-5 gallon aquariums are more suitable. I would ideally like to have 4 dwarfs
in all. <As you probably already know, seahorses feeding behaviour forces the aquarist to compromise between a large tank with lots of space and keeping food density high enough to ensure that the horses get enough and as little as possible escapes.>
Also, I have found sites saying that frozen brine is ok for seahorse that have not been caught from the wild while other say that frozen food is not acceptable (and particularly brine shrimp).  What do you suggest?  I would appreciate any expert help!  Thanks so much! <Brine shrimp is generally considered to be a poor food choice, however HUFA enriched frozen brine is available from some sources.  Mysis is a suitable choice (particularly Piscine Energetics brand).  For dwarves, you may not have a choice but newly hatched brine shrimp nauplii (which are very nutritious for about 12 hours after hatching, but have to be enriched after that time.  I would strongly suggest researching these topics at seahorse.org, since that is where the hard-core jockeys hang out <g>.  Best Regards.  AdamC>
Amanda

Question about Sand bed in a Seahorse Aquarium 10/05/04
Hello,
<Hi there, Leslie here this evening>
I am getting ready to put my live rock (32 pounds) and live sand in my 29 gallon seahorse tank (OceanRider tank raised seahorses) to start the cycling process.
< Ahhhhh a man after my own heart. I adore seahorses. Great choice and great horses!!!! >   
My question is, how deep of a sand bed do I need?  
< I have used everything from a bare bottom to a deep sand bed and everything in between in seahorse tanks and my preference is for no more than an inch or so. I find the deep sand beds just to difficult to maintain in a seahorse tank and have gone back to a minimal sand bed and use of  the good old sand vacs. Seahorses have what could be considered an abbreviated, short or rudimentary digestive system so as a result food moves through their system fairly quickly and they produce quite a bit of waste. >
I want to have a full complement of sand critters and sand sifters, so I need the bed to be right.
I use Nass snails and small hermit crabs and that is about it.>
However, this is my first use of live sand instead of crushed coral and I do not wish to mess it up for the seahorses or "critters".  I go Thursday to get my last bag of sand, and I need to know if I should get more or stop with what I have.  I figure with a 29 gallon tank that two or three 20 pound bags of Carob-Sea Wet Packed Aragalive would do it.  I currently have two bags of Fiji Pink Aragalive.
<I think that is fine>
Would you suggest another bag or stop with two?  
<I would see how one looks and stop at an inch or 2 at the most.>
After all, the seahorses comfort and well being is my main goal.
< Great main goal.....the seahorses will be comfortable with a shallow or deep sand bed. Most species have no particular needs related to the sand bed. My preference is for something soft, especially for any of the bottom dwelling species like capensis that tend to drag their tails in the substrate. >
Any help or suggestions you can give me would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your help with this.  I know you are extremely busy, and I appreciate your time. Jerry Cranford  
<You are most welcome and thank you :) >

Live Sand Starter
Hello,
I was wondering if you think it would be ok to add 1 quart of "live sand booster" to a new setup for a seahorse only fish tank?  I will get my seahorses from Oceanrider, they are all tank raised and eating fortified frozen Mysis.  This kick start quart comes from CULTUREDAQUARIA.COM.  It is supposed to be full of "critters" like copepods, small sand stars, bi-valves, and sand worms and stuff.  I was just wondering if it might help with getting my tank ready for my new seahorses.  I want to make it as perfect as possible for them.  It is a 29 gallon aquarium, and it will have 30 pounds of live rock, Carib sea Indo-Pacific black live sand, protein skimmer rated for a 75 gallon tank, with a hang on the back filter (170 gal hr) with bio wheels for good bacteria to grow on.  My clean up crew will be the first thing in after cycling though.  The sand already has lots of good bacteria, I thought this other stuff would give everything else a head start.  What do you think?  Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.  By the way, I was referred to you by Oceanrider.  The person I talked to was not familiar with the stuff in question.  Thank you.
                                                                    Jerry Cranford  
***Hello Jerry,
The live rock and sand make the BioWheel in your filter superfluous at best.
As far as the sand booster goes, if you have the money to burn, go for it. I've never heard of this, but there are similar kits offered from other vendors. Myself, I've never bothered as I've found them over priced for what you get. WAY over priced. I just go to my LFS and grab a few handfuls of the gunk from the bottom of the live rock bin. I've found I get plenty of critters that way. It certainly will enhance the variety of life in your tank, but you have other avenues available to you, including sand from other reef keepers. Bottom line, if the $$$ aspect doesn't hurt, give it a try.
Jim***

Diatoms in a Seahorse Tank (8/17/04)
Hi my name is Scott from New Zealand.
<Hi Scott from New Zealand. Leslie here from sunny Southern CA in the USA standing in for Bob tonight>
I have a salt water aquarium with two sea horses in it.
<Ah one of my all time favorite sea creatures other than Puffers :)!
The tank is 120L and I have a problem with the water getting a rusty look on all the ornaments and glass I would like to know weather its something I'm  doing or not doing?
Sounds like a diatom bloom. There are several contributing factors.....
Please read through the following links on Diatoms and let me know if you have further questions....these should help quite a bit....
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeconMar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/avoidingalgaeproblesm.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diatomfaqs.htm >
The tank has a corner charcoal filter and another filter that moves the water around the tank. I feed the horses mainly frozen brine shrimp and a few blood worms.
If you have any suggestions I would be very grateful.
<I know you did not ask about filtration or nutrition but since you mentioned what you are using I do have a few suggestions related to those topics.....
Protein Skimming is highly recommended for a seahorse tank and will help quite a bit with your nuisance algae problems.
Brine Shrimp is acceptable for an occasional feeding, perhaps once a week but nutritionally very inadequate. Your seahorses will not do well long term on a staple diet of brine shrimp. I am assuming your seahorses are wild caught. You have conquered one of the biggest challenges wild seahorse keepers face.......getting them to accept frozen foods. Your best bet for long term health and wellbeing would be to feed frozen Mysis with varying enrichment products. Seahorses require marine protein so if you want to give them live treats, instead of blood worms I would suggest live gut loaded ghost shrimp or any other small marine shrimp you have access to in your part of the world. www.syngnathid.org is an excellent resource for information on seahorses and other tube mouthed fish. Best of luck with those amazing creatures! Leslie>