Here's a "problem" you don't see often.... the tank I have planned for my newly acquired erectus (3) is too big! Background: I've had seahorses before, have even bred them, and lately got the bug again to have them again. Finally got my hands on 3 captive-bred erectus but they came in much smaller than I thought they'd be. They're about 2-3" inches with tail stretched out. Unfortunately they're not eating frozen yet so it was a mad rush for me to set up a hatchery because I was told they were eating great - didn't realize he meant "live" food.
Anyway, the tank I set up for them is a 72 gallon bowfront, drilled with sump, been established for over 5 years. Moving out the fish (into one of my other tanks), removing the sand, scrubbing it down, and filling it with clean RO/DI salted water and keeping the existing live rock. But after "meeting" these guys, the tank is much too large (in my opinion). I'll hardly ever see them with all the live rock and decorations, I'll struggle to get the flow correct and safe, and it will be VERY difficult to train them to eat frozen in such a large tank.
Instead I threw together an 8 gallon AIO and I have them in there, bare-bottom, with live rock from another tank. The size is good and I'll be doing once or twice a day water changes. I'm working on getting them to eat frozen but, as you know, it's a process and they are not interested at this point - they want their adult brine shrimp (which everyone local is out of right now. I hatched a quick batch of artemia but they don't seem to know what to do with something so small so I'm frustrated. Tank is too small, live food is too small, seahorse tank I set up is too big.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas? Do I section off a portion of the large tank to keep them more confined while I train them to eat frozen? I love this hobby / I hate this hobby.
Sue
Anyway, the tank I set up for them is a 72 gallon bowfront, drilled with sump, been established for over 5 years. Moving out the fish (into one of my other tanks), removing the sand, scrubbing it down, and filling it with clean RO/DI salted water and keeping the existing live rock. But after "meeting" these guys, the tank is much too large (in my opinion). I'll hardly ever see them with all the live rock and decorations, I'll struggle to get the flow correct and safe, and it will be VERY difficult to train them to eat frozen in such a large tank.
Instead I threw together an 8 gallon AIO and I have them in there, bare-bottom, with live rock from another tank. The size is good and I'll be doing once or twice a day water changes. I'm working on getting them to eat frozen but, as you know, it's a process and they are not interested at this point - they want their adult brine shrimp (which everyone local is out of right now. I hatched a quick batch of artemia but they don't seem to know what to do with something so small so I'm frustrated. Tank is too small, live food is too small, seahorse tank I set up is too big.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas? Do I section off a portion of the large tank to keep them more confined while I train them to eat frozen? I love this hobby / I hate this hobby.
Sue