Ok, the following is copies of posts i've had on other forums. I just found the podcasts on iTunes the other day and i wanted to register here, i really liked the podcasts so i'm guessing the community will be great too.

I'v been planning on getting an erectus seahorse pair in the summer, and hopefully someday breed them if everything goes well. Here are my plans. And i'd like if someone could give me a book suggestion. I'm looking for any type of seahorse book that talks about them, caring for them, etc.

there will be the main 55g tank. there will be 30lbs of live rock, and the rest of the space will be sand bottom with tall plants.

i need plant suggestions and coral (branching prefered) suggestions also.

there will be a refugium, with live sand and chaeto. it's probably where i'll put the phytoplankton and brine shrimp at so there slowly put into the tank.

the tank will be coming with the filter, heater, and light+hood.

here is the equipment list:

2 erectus seahorses
medications (don't remember medication list i had, i lost it.)
salt (duh)
hydrometer
saltwater master water test kit
plants (seagrass)
soft corals? (suggestions?)
tube worms
scallops (NOT getting these after other discussions about them)
clam+ mussels (NOT getting these after other discussions about them)
clam (for refugium only)
snails
hermits (NOT getting these after other discussions about them)
live rock (30lbs already bought)
live sand (30lbs already bought) ( for refugium)
refugium
sump (somewhere around 15 gallons or more, just to help lower the amount of bio-load in an area, spread it out a bit and stuff)
chaeto (for refugium)
85-100 small white shrimp (to help start a colony)
phytoplankton
brine shrimp (already have TONS in like 5 different containers, lots and lots of young healthy brine shrimp. they will be enriched with phytoplankton)
copepods or rotifers?
emergency disease guide (already printed up) (for emergencies)
fry tank (just until they are a few inches, big enough to go into the 55g and not get lost, lol) (what size should this be? 20-25 or 35-40?)
protien skimmer (almost forgot to add this)
pepperment shrimp (later on)
cleaner shrimp (i know they can annoy seahorses but the podcasts i listened to here said that you could try it out and whatch it closely. if it doesn't work out then it will live in the refugium)
microstars? (i've seen 'microstars' online, there suposed to be real small brittle stars that don't get bigger then a quarter. i know the big ones can be slightly dangerous, but small ones will help the bio load a bunch)
goby (not sure what type, some type of sand siffter most likely)



There will be a phytoplankton culture, mainly to feed the BBS and rotifers. But it will also be used to feed tubeworms and polyps (zoos, whatever there called).

I'll have rotifers, like i mentioned above, but should i get copepods too?

There will be a tub to breed white shrimp. And yeah i know the babies will eat each other, thats why most of the babies will go to the tank to get eaten, then it don't matter how may of each other they eat =P

is there any live foods i'm forgetting?


there will also be frozen mysis shrimp of course.

i heard that if you get a horse that takes frozen foods, not to feed it live foods? is that true? i know to feed it mainly frozen, but isn't okay for them to have somethign to graze on when there not being fed? they are grazers, so i wanted to have little white shrimp, and rotifers for them to chase around during the day.

i think thats all... suggestions welcomed.

ive only had my erectus pair for about a month but i can safely say that they are way too big to bother eating rotifers maybe amphipods but definitly not rotifers. My pair eat hikari frozen mysis and are doing well on a diet as such. You shouldnt have to worry about live foods unless you plan on getting a WC pair which nobody on this site would reccommend to you. They are almost always diseased and it just adds to the problem of overcollection from the ocean. Seahorse Source, the ultimate place for captive bred seahorses. (http://www.seahorsesource.com) sells quality CB horses if your really interested.

Im sure others will be along shortly to help you out with your other questions.

good luck!