Connecting a System

WerezMiePie · 02/26/2015, 01:46 PM

I have a 30 gallon that I would like to transfer my two seahorses to from my 55 gallon in wall. I would like to connect my 30 gallon to my existing 55 gallon which is going to hold primary softies. The filtration is a 20 gallon sump with 10 gallon refugium and protein skimmer. The return pump is a 480gph external. The 55 gallon will be holding a snowflake eel, coral bueaty, very large blenny, pistol/gobie pair. Eventually as the tank matures I will slowly wean it off the larger system but, for now I do not have the money to start a completely new project. It would be a huge weight of my shoulders if this worked it is a pain keeping a 55 gallon clean with the flow restrictions of seahorses.

rayjay · 02/26/2015, 02:49 PM

First off, flow rates for seahorse tanks (other than dwarfs) should be AT LEAST 10X.
Many have flow rates in the 20 to 30 X rates.
All that is required is to have areas of low, medium and high, with hitching available in each area, and no blast that can blow them against something to do damage to them.
Problems with hooking to systems with other livestock is that sometimes exposure to other fish exposes the seahorses to pathogens they haven't been raised with and often leads to their deaths.
You could also have a problem as most coral tanks run warmer than the recommended 68° to 74°F recommended for best chances of success with seahorses.
All my tanks are bare bottom so that cleaning is MUCH easier, and I keep most live rock in the sumps so viewing of seahorses is much easier as they can't hide as much.

WerezMiePie · 02/26/2015, 10:06 PM

So do you think it is possible? Like I said I plan on weaning it off the connected system. My thoughts on it would be to over load my reef tank with LR as well as the sump and have a small skimmer. I'm not to sure about the temperature I understand the 68-74 F and that is part of the reason it would be a softy tank when I first had the seahorses they were in with softies at 72-75 F. And TBH I am never going to try dealing with real gorgonians until the tank is extremely established and WHEN THEY ARE IN FREAKING STOCK!!! :P.

rayjay · 02/26/2015, 10:56 PM

Sure it's possible. It's been done before.
IME though, it's more likely that you will encounter problems as many others have experienced.
I don't understand why you can't set the 30g tank up now on it's own.
I've set up a tanks with sterilized rock and artificial hitches, bare bottom, open ended air line, protected power heads and a pair of seahorses in it from day one when I've unexpectedly come across another species I don't have and wasn't ready for.
I monitor the TOTAL ammonia and as soon as a trace shows I start adding ClorAm-X so that there is no free ammonia to cause problems.
I test daily (actually a couple times daily to start) and add the ClorAm-X daily as well until after a month or two, the system takes care of the ammonia on it's own.
You mention "small skimmer" but a small one isn't really much better than no skimmer at all.
Seahorse tanks should have a large skimmer, especially with their habbit of passing particulate matter through the gills when they snick up food and masticate it to pass it to their digestive tract.
However, you don't absolutly need a skimmer as you can compensate by better husbandry and doing larger and more frequent water changes.

WerezMiePie · 02/26/2015, 11:24 PM

Before I was doing 20 gallon each week. So that shouldn't be an issue. I'll set it all up and post a video if it looks sufficient I will go for it if it is not. I'll figure somthing out.

vlangel · 02/27/2015, 07:12 AM

I totally agree with rayjay that you will encounter less problems with a stand alone system. I however had to connect my system since I only have 1 chiller and no AC in our home. I knew my fish were all in my reef tank for years and hadn't manifested any disease plus I have a UV between the tanks. My LPS are doing fine at low temperatures, (71-74) and even growing. Its working however, I still would have preferred to have my systems separated. I wouldn't dare add a new fish to my LPS afraid of introducing disease.

02/26/2015, 01:46 PM	#1
WerezMiePie Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Redmond OR Posts: 202	Connecting a System I have a 30 gallon that I would like to transfer my two seahorses to from my 55 gallon in wall. I would like to connect my 30 gallon to my existing 55 gallon which is going to hold primary softies. The filtration is a 20 gallon sump with 10 gallon refugium and protein skimmer. The return pump is a 480gph external. The 55 gallon will be holding a snowflake eel, coral bueaty, very large blenny, pistol/gobie pair. Eventually as the tank matures I will slowly wean it off the larger system but, for now I do not have the money to start a completely new project. It would be a huge weight of my shoulders if this worked it is a pain keeping a 55 gallon clean with the flow restrictions of seahorses.

02/26/2015, 02:49 PM	#2
rayjay Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,969	First off, flow rates for seahorse tanks (other than dwarfs) should be AT LEAST 10X. Many have flow rates in the 20 to 30 X rates. All that is required is to have areas of low, medium and high, with hitching available in each area, and no blast that can blow them against something to do damage to them. Problems with hooking to systems with other livestock is that sometimes exposure to other fish exposes the seahorses to pathogens they haven't been raised with and often leads to their deaths. You could also have a problem as most coral tanks run warmer than the recommended 68° to 74°F recommended for best chances of success with seahorses. All my tanks are bare bottom so that cleaning is MUCH easier, and I keep most live rock in the sumps so viewing of seahorses is much easier as they can't hide as much. __________________ Seahorses. Culture nanno, rotifers and brine shrimp. Current Tank Info: Seahorses

02/26/2015, 10:56 PM	#4
rayjay Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,969	Sure it's possible. It's been done before. IME though, it's more likely that you will encounter problems as many others have experienced. I don't understand why you can't set the 30g tank up now on it's own. I've set up a tanks with sterilized rock and artificial hitches, bare bottom, open ended air line, protected power heads and a pair of seahorses in it from day one when I've unexpectedly come across another species I don't have and wasn't ready for. I monitor the TOTAL ammonia and as soon as a trace shows I start adding ClorAm-X so that there is no free ammonia to cause problems. I test daily (actually a couple times daily to start) and add the ClorAm-X daily as well until after a month or two, the system takes care of the ammonia on it's own. You mention "small skimmer" but a small one isn't really much better than no skimmer at all. Seahorse tanks should have a large skimmer, especially with their habbit of passing particulate matter through the gills when they snick up food and masticate it to pass it to their digestive tract. However, you don't absolutly need a skimmer as you can compensate by better husbandry and doing larger and more frequent water changes. __________________ Seahorses. Culture nanno, rotifers and brine shrimp. Current Tank Info: Seahorses

02/26/2015, 10:06 PM	#3
WerezMiePie Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Redmond OR Posts: 202	So do you think it is possible? Like I said I plan on weaning it off the connected system. My thoughts on it would be to over load my reef tank with LR as well as the sump and have a small skimmer. I'm not to sure about the temperature I understand the 68-74 F and that is part of the reason it would be a softy tank when I first had the seahorses they were in with softies at 72-75 F. And TBH I am never going to try dealing with real gorgonians until the tank is extremely established and WHEN THEY ARE IN FREAKING STOCK!!! :P.

02/26/2015, 11:24 PM	#5
WerezMiePie Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Redmond OR Posts: 202	Before I was doing 20 gallon each week. So that shouldn't be an issue. I'll set it all up and post a video if it looks sufficient I will go for it if it is not. I'll figure somthing out.

02/27/2015, 07:12 AM	#6
vlangel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,409	I totally agree with rayjay that you will encounter less problems with a stand alone system. I however had to connect my system since I only have 1 chiller and no AC in our home. I knew my fish were all in my reef tank for years and hadn't manifested any disease plus I have a UV between the tanks. My LPS are doing fine at low temperatures, (71-74) and even growing. Its working however, I still would have preferred to have my systems separated. I wouldn't dare add a new fish to my LPS afraid of introducing disease.