melissatennant84 - Its challenging to try to give enough information that a brand new keeper would be successful, while also being brief enough to keep a seasoned keeper entertained enough to keep watching the videos! We're considering more sections to help with this, but you've made me feel much better! :). If I help even 1 seahorse, it was worthwhile, so your comment means so much to me! Thank you!

melissatennant84 preach queeen¡!

ReefDudes this one’s a little more clear, but I’ve got a much shorter one coming ;). kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h7t0iqicqtW5p2Q.html Thx though!

Short answer, yes. Would need salinity at 1.023, but all of your equipment and etc would be fine for Seahorse display. I prefer sumps, but have many tanks with hob or canister filtration. Long answer: join me in a live stream and we can discuss in depth! :)

On wave makers in an adult seahorse tank, I typically use plastic mesh (that you can find at any fabric store or even a walmart), with zip ties to keep it in place. I bought lower micron mesh online for fry tank standpipes or intakes. There are also many sponge options, like the fluval pre-filters, or even the sponge within some of the smaller internal filters at most pet stores. I've seen nylons used, but those need to be cleaned more often, and remember that the smaller the holes in the cover, the more flow is restricted, which can hurt the powerhead. On an intake especially, it's important to make sure the cover still allows floating particles to get through and into the filter, or if using a sponge, clean it CONSTANTLY. The idea is just to make sure the seahorses' tails cannot be sucked into the powerhead or intake. So, any saltwater material that protects them, without restricting flow too greatly, is fine :)

Xbox Headshotbady48 no problem! Sorry for the late response. The best “starter” seahorses depend on your location, and what species are available near you. In the US, I personally feel that hippocampus erectus are the easiest to keep. (I wrote an article about this, that will soon be on the website). A pair will do well in a 30-40g aquarium!

I always get the smaller powerheads from local stores. But here's one on amazon: www.amazon.com/wavemaker-200-gph/s?k=wavemaker+200+gph Just remember to cover them with plastic mesh to keep the seahorses safe. Now, I always buy wavemakers that can be turned down - www.amazon.com/Jebao-Propeller-Water-Controller-Magnet/dp/B01MS7XCT7/ref=asc_df_B01MS7XCT7/

You do not need a UV in a seahorse tank. I personally like them, but they are definitely not required. A much more important piece of equipment would be a skimmer. A skimmer is something I would HEAVILY recommend for anyone setting up a seahorse tank. Reducing organics is crucial and will lead to success

I want to answer this clearly, so....are you asking if someone could use macros instead of biological or mechanical filtration? (no, this won't work). Or are you asking for a clearer explanation of what each filtration method is for and what they do and which a beginner should use? I hope I'm answering your actual question in saying: A beginner needs to worry first about making sure the tank is completely cycled and that you have enough biological filtration (good bacteria) to keep ammonia and nitrite at 0 always. Second, they should add mechanical filtration such as skimmer and floss or socks to remove waste and organics that can cause bad bacteria or nuisance algae to grow. Finally, macroalgae can be used as a helper to both types of filtration by taking up ammonia, nitrite, phosphate, and more, which is removed when a person harvests the algae. My daughter is almost finished with a nitrogen cycle video that hopefully explains some of this in easy terms, in which she actually sets up a tank step by step. But, let me know if I'm misreading your question. lol, it happens!

Sorry that my question was not clear I didn’t word it properly. but It was about which filtration system is better to start out with biological or Mechanical for beginners ? i understand that you still need other equipment for biological .

@@emelymarievillalongo2251 biological and mechanical. You need both. Mechanical gets the big stuff out - like into a filter sock which you change every 3 days. The biological filtration converts poop (which turns into ammonia) into NO3 then eats that too. You just need both. A good biological filtration is liverock. You can but dryrock, which is cheaper, then put some beneficial bacteria in and it will turn to liverock. The process takes a while though.

cheap rides auto sales - 28 - 36ppt (1.021 - 1.027). I personally run my tanks @ 30ppt/1.023. Great question! Thank you! Can’t believe I didn’t mention it!

If you're going to put seahorses in the 180g.....the goal is to keep the temp under 74 degrees. If you need a heater still, make sure it's covered so seahorses don't hitch to it and burn themselves. I don't use heaters, so I can't really recommend one. But in a large tank like yours, people usually get 2 heaters so that if one goes out, the tank doesn't have a drastic temp change. If the tank has a sump, put the heaters in the sump!

Stacey Gianoplos - Hi! Most of my seahorses are hippocampus erectus purchased from Seahorse Source. I’ve also made videos showing my h. barbouri, h. Reidi, h. Kuda and h. Erectus-reidi hybrids. All have been captive bred and purchased from either Seahorse Source or Seahorse Savvy!

But I just double checked, and yep....The display behind me has only erectus and the hybrids :)

Mathias's pets no

I've gotten many from frag shows and friends in facebook groups. "Macroalgaes in the reef tank" is a great group :). Also live-plants.com is where I buy online. I have to mention again.....QT is a marvelous thing. I'm working on a video about the aptasia outbreak that nearly killed a seahorse and resulted in my having to bleach and recycle 1/2 of my rock. The point is that it entered on a macro. It happens. QT can stop it. Prevention beats cure any day. I still love and use macros, because the benefits outweigh the risks. And......they're gorgeous.

I think I answered this on the other video? But, I apologize if I was confusing. Anything that moves water within a tank will have an "intake" (pulls the water from the tank into a filter or sump) and "return" (returns the water from the sump or filter back to the tank). The problem is that seahorses will hitch on ANYTHING, and can only move their heads up and down, but not side to side (their really cool eyes can turn in all directions, even at different times making them look kind of silly with one eye looking forward and one looking up, but they cannot actually turn to see what their big tails are wrapping around). Therefore, we need to cover anything that might suck in their tail if they hitch on it. Powerheads and wavemakers pull water in and push it out in different directions, so they need to be covered also. My seahorses literally hitch on my wavemaker covers and sleep bopping around in the flow, haha. If the wavemaker wasn't covered, they would have hurt themselves for certain. If a protein skimmer does not have a sponge already around the intake, or isn't being kept in the sump (where a pony will never hitch on it) then it too would need to be covered. I like to use pre-filter sponges and or mesh to cover intakes. My wavemakers are covered with a sheet of plastic mesh that I bought at a fabric store, cut to size, and wrapped around the device, using zip ties to hold it in place. But, I've also seen people use nylons and all sorts of different items to cover intakes. Just be sure to use saltwater safe materials that still allow the water through, and clean the covers often.

Seahorse Whisperer Thanks for the help but do you know where the intake on a protein skimmer is lol I have no idea do you think I could use mesh to cover the filter intake or protein skimmer intake?

If you are using a skimmer in a sump, you have no worries, as the seahorses will never be near it. If you're using a hang on back skimmer, there should be one "tube' that pulls water into the skimmer, and another that pushes it back out. There are many skimmer designs, and some will just have open spaces near the bottom to pull water in. In that case, I'd probably try mesh or cut a really big sponge to fit over the bottom openings. When you turn the skimmer on, just watch where the water enters the machine. That's what you need to cover, so a seahorse tail is not sucked in and hurt by the impeller.

Seahorse Whisperer thanks so much! 👌🏻🙃

I'm actually uploading the first in a series "Breeding Seahorses" tomorrow, which will cover everything from getting seahorses to start breeding - to weaning and grow out. I will actually show how I remove the fry, and also give examples from others. But the series will be posted over a 2-3 week period, so to answer you now: my tanks all have sumps, so when I know my males are close to delivering, I use fine micron mesh to cover the overflows. I use DC pumps, so I can turn the flow down considerably. If the tank is run on a HOB or canister filter, covering the intake with sponge and/or nylon works :). Unfortunately, you have to remove and clean the "covers" daily, and if the intakes or overflows are covered for a long time, the other things that are being stopped by the covers (poop, extra food, etc) will start to build up and cause a lot of problems. The lowered return and wavemakers will also lead to problems if left turned down to long. So, learning WHEN to cover and lower flow is important. One thing I will go over in the series is that you will typically see a "warning fry". One single fry is typically delivered 24 hours before the others. For someone new to seahorse breeding, this would be the time to lower flow, cover overflows, and start hatching bbs. After a few batches, you'll know YOUR males' gestation periods, and can plan accordingly. Now that I've rambled (lol) the ACTUAL answer is: the fry are attracted to light. Even if your fry are born at night, the moment you turn the overhead tank light on, the fry will make their way to the surface (provided the flow permits them to do so). You do not ever want to use a net on ANY seahorse, as their bony structure and spikes tend to get stuck. You also never want to take the fry out of water. So, I literally take a cup and skim the surface of the tank, collecting as many fry as I can. I place them in a larger container while I collect the rest. I then use an airline to remove as much of the water as possible from the container containing the fry, leaving them in approximately an inch of water. The fry will be at the top of the container (swimming towards the light), so I merely put the airline below them and start a siphon. The reason is that I do not want the parent tank's water in the fry tank. What an adult can handle (like hydroids), a fry cannot. The fry are then moved to the clean, sterilized newborn tubs or tanks. Some people use an airline to pull fry in water to another container, or use collection units (that can be purchased) within the tank. A lot depends on your individual set up. Feel free to message me if you'd like help with your specific set up :)

tanks :)

Seahorse Whisperer *knee slap*

Skylark Lee Not even a little bit weird! My boyfriend swears that I’m a mermaid 🧜‍♀️ 😜. And I love that someone thinks of me this way! Biggest compliment I’ve ever gotten! Thank you!

me too!

kimberlie anastasia Smith, Seahorse Source is still in business, but the owner (Dan) took a second job. You can still order through the website, or get more info on the seahorsesource mewe page, but he can’t take calls like he used to (because he’s at work most of the time). If you have questions, you can catch up with Dan on the Wine Wednesday livestream, or through the Facebook group (Seahorse Sources Group).