Wife wants 2 seahorses....6 gallon Fluval Edge..ugh

JosephV81 · 07/05/2011, 09:01 AM

BACKGROUND: Ok, I read through this forum and several links to other sites that were posted in a sticky about seahorses...So, I may have answered my question myself already by researching, but I'd like some input from experienced individuals with seahorses... My wife wants two seahorses... She bought a 6 gallon Fluval edge (small I know). I told her to get a 29 gallon bio cube, but she didnt like the look of them. I know these creatures are delicate and not very forgiving, I understand this, so......

QUESTION: Is keeping two seahorses (assuming dwarfs) in a 6 gallon aquarium feasible? If so, what species would be the most appropriate if I do undertake this task and responsibility?

I have a very well established 55 gallon mixed reef with a 20 gallon sump so I consider myself "fairly knowledgable" about this hobby/obsession. I'm assuming I'd be conducting frequent and precise water changes, need to monitor temperatures and other aquarium variables and keep them stable as possible, correct diet (I have a very nice Pod population in my sump) etc. especially in such a small tank. I know anything is possible, especially with this hobby, but I'd like to solicit others on their input/successes with this type of endeavor... Thanks

CCall · 07/05/2011, 10:18 AM

you could keep several dwarves in a 6 gallon. They need newly hatched baby brineshrimp several times a day for food. You do need to be careful of hydroids from rocks, etc.

rayjay · 07/05/2011, 11:25 AM

I have 18 dwarfs in a 5g tank and will eventually have more as they propagate.
As for salt water experience, it can help a bit but seahorse keeping is nowhere near the same.
I had 13 yrs experience with a total of near 500g of tanks and I still had many problems when I started into seahorse keeping.
I think it was the "I know what I'm doing" syndrome, until I found out I didn't know what I was doing. (see My Thoughts on Seahorsekeeping
I only feed the enriched bbs to newborn dwarfs. The older dwarfs get ongrown enriched bbs as most will eat up to at least 1/3 size brine shrimp.
If you always decap your cysts before hatching you should never have a problem with hydroids.

JosephV81 · 07/05/2011, 11:56 AM

Thanks for the info and link...I figured it would be a complete venture altogether and one we're not going to jump into immediately. I'm cycling the new tank with water from my 55 and floss I had in my sump. Not sure about how I'm going to aquascape, with concern about detritus build up, although LR will be kept to a minimum with small porous pieces. Also not sure if we're going to use fake plants or some macroalgae...Copy all on the feeding. Not in a hurry to add livestock at all. But any advice is very much appreciated

namxas · 07/05/2011, 02:00 PM

You've already "contaminated" the tank with water from your other tank, so even if you go totally "sterile" for the zots, you will still likely have a hydroid issue.

FWIW, adding "used" water from another tank does absolutely NOTHING to further your cycle in a new setup. The bacteria you're trying to culture is demersal and is not found within the water column.

Two zots won't even be easy to see in a 6 gal tank (we're talking 1.5" SH here), but the "feeding density" in the tank has to be the same for two as it would be for 10 zots, as these little SH pretty much just sit and wait for food to swim by.

Before you jump into zot-keeping, I suggest you try hatching BBS out a few times and see if this is something you're prepared to do on a daily basis.

JosephV81 · 07/05/2011, 02:26 PM

Understood all... Makes sense... I understand that the bacteria I'm trying to add to the tank is not in the water column but in the LR, media and sand. I did read sometime back that small amounts are in the column. I guess my adding this to the tank is one of those "Oh, that sounds like a good idea" situations where I thought it might help to cycle the tank faster, although, if I'm not in a hurry to add livestock, why would I want to facilitate the cycle? Didn't think that through. This is the reason I added the filter floss from my sump.... Guess all that's irrelevant now. This tank will remain fallow for sometime as we're researching into keeping these critters. I will do as you suggest though. Thank's for the input.

namxas · 07/05/2011, 03:59 PM

I know sometimes it sounds like many folks are "SH nazis" sometimes, but what most are trying to do is save peeps from a bad experience in SH keeping, so i'm glad you took the offered info in the manner in which it was intended.

07/05/2011, 09:01 AM	#1
JosephV81 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 15	Wife wants 2 seahorses....6 gallon Fluval Edge..ugh BACKGROUND: Ok, I read through this forum and several links to other sites that were posted in a sticky about seahorses...So, I may have answered my question myself already by researching, but I'd like some input from experienced individuals with seahorses... My wife wants two seahorses... She bought a 6 gallon Fluval edge (small I know). I told her to get a 29 gallon bio cube, but she didnt like the look of them. I know these creatures are delicate and not very forgiving, I understand this, so...... QUESTION: Is keeping two seahorses (assuming dwarfs) in a 6 gallon aquarium feasible? If so, what species would be the most appropriate if I do undertake this task and responsibility? I have a very well established 55 gallon mixed reef with a 20 gallon sump so I consider myself "fairly knowledgable" about this hobby/obsession. I'm assuming I'd be conducting frequent and precise water changes, need to monitor temperatures and other aquarium variables and keep them stable as possible, correct diet (I have a very nice Pod population in my sump) etc. especially in such a small tank. I know anything is possible, especially with this hobby, but I'd like to solicit others on their input/successes with this type of endeavor... Thanks

07/05/2011, 11:25 AM	#3
rayjay Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,969	I have 18 dwarfs in a 5g tank and will eventually have more as they propagate. As for salt water experience, it can help a bit but seahorse keeping is nowhere near the same. I had 13 yrs experience with a total of near 500g of tanks and I still had many problems when I started into seahorse keeping. I think it was the "I know what I'm doing" syndrome, until I found out I didn't know what I was doing. (see My Thoughts on Seahorsekeeping I only feed the enriched bbs to newborn dwarfs. The older dwarfs get ongrown enriched bbs as most will eat up to at least 1/3 size brine shrimp. If you always decap your cysts before hatching you should never have a problem with hydroids. __________________ Seahorses. Culture nanno, rotifers and brine shrimp. Current Tank Info: Seahorses

07/05/2011, 02:00 PM	#5
namxas Things With Stings R Us! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Carson, CA Posts: 5,087	You've already "contaminated" the tank with water from your other tank, so even if you go totally "sterile" for the zots, you will still likely have a hydroid issue. FWIW, adding "used" water from another tank does absolutely NOTHING to further your cycle in a new setup. The bacteria you're trying to culture is demersal and is not found within the water column. Two zots won't even be easy to see in a 6 gal tank (we're talking 1.5" SH here), but the "feeding density" in the tank has to be the same for two as it would be for 10 zots, as these little SH pretty much just sit and wait for food to swim by. Before you jump into zot-keeping, I suggest you try hatching BBS out a few times and see if this is something you're prepared to do on a daily basis. __________________ Greg Current Tank Info: too many to describe, but i think the count is up to "lucky 13"!

07/05/2011, 03:59 PM	#7
namxas Things With Stings R Us! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Carson, CA Posts: 5,087	I know sometimes it sounds like many folks are "SH nazis" sometimes, but what most are trying to do is save peeps from a bad experience in SH keeping, so i'm glad you took the offered info in the manner in which it was intended. __________________ Greg Current Tank Info: too many to describe, but i think the count is up to "lucky 13"!

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07/05/2011, 10:18 AM	#2
CCall Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 1,004	you could keep several dwarves in a 6 gallon. They need newly hatched baby brineshrimp several times a day for food. You do need to be careful of hydroids from rocks, etc.

07/05/2011, 11:56 AM	#4
JosephV81 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 15	Thanks for the info and link...I figured it would be a complete venture altogether and one we're not going to jump into immediately. I'm cycling the new tank with water from my 55 and floss I had in my sump. Not sure about how I'm going to aquascape, with concern about detritus build up, although LR will be kept to a minimum with small porous pieces. Also not sure if we're going to use fake plants or some macroalgae...Copy all on the feeding. Not in a hurry to add livestock at all. But any advice is very much appreciated

07/05/2011, 02:26 PM	#6
JosephV81 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 15	Understood all... Makes sense... I understand that the bacteria I'm trying to add to the tank is not in the water column but in the LR, media and sand. I did read sometime back that small amounts are in the column. I guess my adding this to the tank is one of those "Oh, that sounds like a good idea" situations where I thought it might help to cycle the tank faster, although, if I'm not in a hurry to add livestock, why would I want to facilitate the cycle? Didn't think that through. This is the reason I added the filter floss from my sump.... Guess all that's irrelevant now. This tank will remain fallow for sometime as we're researching into keeping these critters. I will do as you suggest though. Thank's for the input.