AP12 for seahorses

[gobytron]

I was wondering if I could convert my aquapod 12 into a seahorse tank...

Anyinput on whether this would be a cruelly small habitat or would itbe okay for a couple of the dwarf species?

This is just a start, so I haven't put any thought or research into it yet...

[zenafish]

Aquapod 12 will be plenty for THE dwarf species :) H.zosterae, the dwarf seahorse, only grows to 1.5-2". You can keep 1 per gallon and still barely see them because they're so small.

The Aquapod 12 can hold 1 pair of small H.kuda, which generally are available to market at ~3". When they grow to about 6", then you should consider moving them to a min. 29gal. Their full size is typically 6-8", but we've seen monsters!

The Toronto zoo keeps their kuda breeder pairs in 15gal talls.

You should avoid large species such as H.erectus in this size tank.

[rayjay]

This is a point we disagree on as I believe a 12 is not large enough even for H. fuscus pair let alone any other kind of normal sized horses, only the dwarf H. zosterae as zena mentions.
Up to 3" yes but no larger. Being that they come in around 2 to 3", that doesn't make it worth while bothering.
As far as I've been told, that 12g Aquapod doesn't hold much more than 10g US of water.
29g is the minimum for one pair of non dwarf seahorses, with another 15g for each extra pair.
If you were extremely diligent, you might squeeze a pair of fuscus in a 20g but that would be pushing it IMO.
The reason for the larger volume per pair is due to water quality issues that prevail in seahorse set ups, especially for new seahorse keepers as it takes some time to learn all the ins and outs.
It's not worth the lives of the seahorses to chance them in a smaller volume and then, not totally knowing husbandry required, you can loose your seahorses to diseases like vibriosis.
As for the zoo, I would bet they have a better filtration system, biological and otherwise, than normal hobbyist tanks, with reasonably experienced people overseeing their upkeep.
It's not that they can't live in a more confined space, it's the probability that negative things will happen that require you to have the larger, more forgiving volumes.

[gobytron]

I'm not worried about maintenance and water quality....
I've been reefing for almost 6 years and in aquariums my whole life so it's not my husbandry skills I'm curious about.

Mainly if the habitat would be sufficent for a pair to feel secure.

From what I'm reading, dwarf species it is....

[rayjay]

I applaud the decision to go with dwarfs.
Hopefully BWA will have some in soon.
For what it's worth, I had twelve years of reefing experience with ten tanks on the go when I started my first seahorse tank.
All it did was to make me think I could succeed in doing things that many failed at doing with seahorses.
Seahorses are a completely new experience.
There probably are not too many fish (and I never encountered any) than can succumb so fast to so many different pathogens that seahorses can.
Seahorses require more husbandry than a reef to try and prevent bacterial infections like vibriosis that they are soooo prone to.
In fact, many hobbyists on seahorse.org have reported reef problems after adding seahorses to their tanks due to the messy eating habits of seahorses. (well, hobbyists with seahorses that manages to survive reefing conditions that is)
As for feeling secure, I don't know anyone that can tell you whether or not seahorse feel secure in a given set up, they can only presume to know.
In fact, many seahorse live within a very small range in their natural habitat. I have seen documentation by Amanda Vincent where some stay within a few cubic feet of water their whole lives.
Of course that is not all seahorses as seahorses are known to live in a very wide range of water situations from shallow estuaries and waterways to much deeper water, from low flow areas to high flow areas.

[gobytron]

Couldn't you tell by their behaviour if they were feeling secure?

would therereally be no behavioural indicators if the habitat was to small and causing stress?

And right now, I only have 3 tanks on te go, so maybe that will allow me a little more energy, time and willingness to ensure the health of my specemins..

:razz:

In any case, if the experts here agree that a 12ap would suffice for a pair of dwarfs, then I can go ahead to the planning/research stage.

Thank you for your advice and support.

[rayjay]

One thing to keep in mind, I've seen posts on the "org" where people with aquapods have trouble keeping the temperatures down to aquarium seahorse range of 68° to 74°F.

[gobytron]

Yeah, I've got that covered.
even with a 70w halide on it, my ap doesn't get above 78.

and I will be replacing the halide with a 2Xt5 and would go open top vs my current glass covered set up.

[rayjay]

Check with zenafish but on the org I believe they still recommend the same temp range as normal seahorses and that is not over 74° for best chances of success longterm.

[gobytron]

:wink:

Gotcha.

[Diana]

When you say "dwarfs" do you mean H. zosterae? If so, a 12 is way too big! For a 10 gallon tank you would need to pack at least 5 pairs of dwarfs in there, if not more. This is because you would need to load up the tank with BBS in order to get the concentration up high enough, but then you would need lots of ponies to eat it all so it doesn't fowl the water.

Most dwarf keepers suggest 2-3 pairs in a 5 gallon, or even a 2.5 gallon, to start with.

H. angustus are a smaller seahorse species that *might* be ok in a 12 gallon, provided it had ample foilage to hide in. Its a tough one, I would recommend at least a 15, but it probably could be done in a 12. Height is important too, how tall is the AP12?

-Diana