MY HUSBANDRY FOR SEAHORSE TANKS
Don't get me wrong on this but there are many many systems out there successfully run with sandbeds of various depths, live rock, planted tanks, and with a variety of tank companions.
However, because I PERSONALLY experienced problems long term, I looked for outs to give me a better chance of success.
Do I really need to go as far as I am at this point? I can't say.
However, I want to be sure to start off the best I can eliminating as many variables as possible and then we'll see how things go from there. It is a long term plan, with no schedule in site for modifications at this time.
I redid all my tanks, and each new tank brought online goes through the same regime.
Tank and equipment an artificial hitches were all sterilized and the live rock was boiled for one hour after coming to a boil. Systems are cycled using ammonium chloride.
I have a sump for every tank and have put almost all the rock in the sumps, originally because I was always teed off at trying to view my seahorses but they were always behind rockwork it seemed. Now, I'm glad I did it because it means less accumulation of detritus around the base of rocks and between rocks for better bacteria control.
I have a lot of seahorses with some that will eat out of a feeding dish, but others that will not, so I gave up on the dishes and feed the water column.
I like to have a Hagen 802 power head with quick filter attachment (using a fluval filter instead of the proper quickfilter for economy) and this picks out the hazy waterborne particles that don't get eaten and decay faster, providing fuel for nuisance algae. It also gives an area of higher flow than the return pump provides, giving the seahorses a better range of flow to choose from.
I also like to have a very small powerhead like the Aquarium Systems mini jet 404, that provides circulation when the feeding is being done, keeping the food in suspension better.
I have a timer to shut off the return pumps AND the Hagen 802's for 3/4 of an hour to feed three times a day, so that the filter isn't picking up the food while the seahorses are feeding, and the food isn't carried into the sump via the overflow.
When the timer comes on the return pumps and power heads start up and it filters out the micro particles.
I vacuum the bottom and clean the power head filters every two days to lessen the chance of decay to the point of adding nutrient to the water column using a spare power head to first blow off the rocks and decor for trapped crap.
Once every 7 or 8 days I shut off the return pump and clean down the sides and bottom of the inside of the tank and let the Hagen quickfilter remove the residue from the water column, cleaning the filter about 2 hours afterwards. I do a 15% to 25% water change at that time, amount depending on number of seahorses in the tank per given volume.
Every five or six weeks I do a major 75% water change when doing the clean down, and also remove the hitches one at a time for proper cleaning of any adherent scum that might accumulate.
I know it's a lot, but at this point all I'm concerned with is not loosing any more horses and if this helps it is worth it to me.
Since doing this, my algae problems have basically disappeared.
Email: ray.jay@sympatico.ca