Pete Giwojna
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Re:HEELLPP!! - 2008/04/30 15:54
Dear hobbyist:
The Oceanic BioCubes are nice aquarium systems with a very efficient filtration system, but like all of the nanocubes, they are designed with reef keepers in mind and have strong pumps that produce vigorous water flow and high turnover rates. The output from the pump often needs to be toned down a bit so it doesn't overwhelm the limited swimming ability of Hippocampus, if you will be using a Biocube as a seahorse tank.
One good way to accomplish that is by adding a spray bar return positioned above the surface of the water to provide better surface agitation and oxygenation, which will effectively diffuse the discharge from the filter, allowing you to maintain a relatively high turnover rate without generating too much turbulence or water flow for seahorses. For example, this is how Estefano recommends modifying BioCubes and nano tanks to make them more suitable for seahorses with regard to the water flow:
<Open quote>
I recently bought a nanocube 24 (for a different reson other than a seahorse) but here are some of the recommended upgrades I would strongly consider if I were to house seahorses in this setup...
1) skimmer - Sapphire aquatic is comming out with a very high quality venturi skimmer that fits perfectly in on of the back compartments of the biocube. check www.nanotuners.com; then click on skimmers, you will see the biocube29 skimmer there. there are others available, however this is one of the top quality skimmers out there.
2) SPRAY BARS!!! very important, all these nanocubes have very powerful pumps that are designed to turn water over 10-15 times per hour, as you may have read from previous recommendations from Pete you will know that this is not suitable for seahorses, adding spraybars (from loc-line, 1/2 inch; available at marinedepot.com) is a very good upgrade. they also have a check-valve available which you can use to slow down the water flow.
3) UV sterilizer - CADLIGHTS has created an in chamber UV steralizer I would strongly consider adding to a setup like yours. go to www.cadlights.com and click on the UV steralizer from the list, its only $55 and a really nice upgrade for your new tank.
I hope this help,
Estefano
<close quote>
So if you can modify your 29-gallon Biocube as suggested in #2 above, the spray bar attachment will attenuate the output from the pump after it is adjusted to roil the surface of the aquarium, and subdue the water flow sufficiently to create more suitable conditions for your new seahorse.
Estefano's recommended upgrades may be the long term solution for controlling the circulation in the aquarium, but it may take you awhile to obtain the spray bar and check valve you will need. Here's another tip that you can use to reduce the water currents in the meantime:
Reef keepers that must accommodate both the needs of corals that prefer powerful currents and the seahorse's need for slack-water retreats will often create tall rock formations a foot or so down current from the strongest water flows to intercept and deflect or divert that strong flow of water, thereby creating eddies and slack-water zones where there is relatively little water movement downstream. Seahorses will hold in these low flow areas when they want to move away from the current, so it's a good idea to position convenient hitching posts in the lee or down-current side of such formations. Perhaps you can arrange the rockwork in your 29-gallon Biocube to accomplish the same thing and reduce the water flow down current so it's more suitable for your new female seahorse while you are locating a suitable spray bar attachment.
If it's not practical to create a taller rock formation to intercept and diffuse the output from your filter, you can accomplish the same thing using tall artificial plants instead. For example, Sea Garden synthetic aquarium plants make good hitching posts for seahorses and their synthetic Sargassum plants would work well to "soften" the output from your filter somewhat. The Sea Garden saltwater series of "Fancy Plants" are very realistic, completely safe for saltwater, and very easy to maintain. Just rinse them under warm running water before installation and periodically thereafter for cleaning. There's a very nice selection of them available and seahorses can't seem to tell the difference between them and the real thing.
For background decorations in a tall tank like yours, I especially like the SeaGarden synthetic Sargassum plants because Hippocampus erectus is often associated with Sargassum in the wild and is famous for its rafting ability on mats of these plants. So it's a natural biotype for erectus, and of course the Sargassum grows nice and tall, which is what we want for aquascaping tall tanks. I suggest ordering one or more Large, Tall, and Extra Large examples of both the Sargassum fluitans (reddish brown in color) and the Sargassum platycarpum (green in coloration). They range in size from 12 to 24 inches in height, so I think if you group the taller plants together in an attractive arrangements along the back of your tank directly in front of the output from the filter, they will help diffuse the current as they interrupt the water flow and wave in the water stream. In so doing, they should effectively conceal the filtration system and enhance the beauty of the aquarium, creating a colorful natural background with shades of green, brown, and red.. They sway in the current just like the real plants and are very easy to clean and maintain. Just rinse them well under warm water when they need cleaning.
The SeaGarden Fancy Plants I mentioned above are available online from Drs. Foster and Smith at the following URL:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9121&N=2004+113149
Best of luck diffusing the current in your Biocube to create optimum conditions for your seahorses!
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna
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I will be sure to let you guys know how everything works out
