As soon as possible
Sorry...been busy with things...
TriggerDiver... great questions! Let me start my traditional ramblings
First of all, what kind of ponies do you want to keep? You really need to know what their specific requirements are before you set up a system. Some are very tall, and therefore need taller tanks. Others require cold water systems. Once you tell us what you plan to keep, we can give more specific details about foods, water conditions etc.
There are some "constants" that you want to keep in mind. For instance, you speak of introduction of corals. That is a "hit or miss" issue that you need to keep in mind. First and foremost, most, if not all, LPS are out. They sting, and sting, and sting, and in the end...could actually ingest a seahorse when presented the opportunity. My open brain coral could eat an entire, large, coctail shrimp if it wanted to! You would also want to keep clear of the more harmful SPS species like
acropora. Personally, I'd not keep any corals but some softies, zoanthids, mushrooms, gorgonians etc. There are some who keep montipora digitata in their pony tanks, and swear that the seahorses are not affected when touching them. I'm not sure if I'd want to take that chance.
I'd not put a clam in there either. Clams are very "reactionary" and if a pony tail were to get in between the shells, the clam's adductor muscle would quickly close and trap the pony. ANY cut or injury to a seahorse is a pain in the butt! It would require medical care that is both hard, and expensive.
You do NOT need seagrasses for a seahorse tank. They will hitch to tonga branch
live rock, coral skeletons, fake plants and corals etc. As a matter of fact, it takes both a DEEP DEEP sand bed, and a lot of practical experience to keep sea grasses happy.
Again, let me know what species you want to keep...and I'll jump back in.
Dave
