Thinking about ponies!!

[jojo22]

Is there such a thing as a pony tank that is too big??? What turnover rate should the tank have? I know it needs to be slow but how slow should it be??

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

If it's your first pony tank, yes I think it can be too big. The turnover rate for the tank varies depending on how you divide up the flow. If your using spraybars, it can be alot higher than you might think because it is divided into different areas. If the flow is too high, your ponies will get blown around and they will tend to stay hitched tight to one spot. If it's too low, you will get algae outbreaks and the poop and wastes will build up. It's trial and error to find what works well in your tank.

Figure out what tank your going to get, then we can help with a starting point for flow. Good luck. Speaking from experience, ponies can be addictive. You have been warned.

Angie

[jojo22]

I was thinking about useing either my 72 bowfront or possibly my 150.

[JustDavidP]

a 72 Bowfront would be nice. The 150 could result in a constant search for your sygnathids

The only issue with "too big" is really cosmetic. Unless you are planning on keeping dwarves (Hippocampus zosterae), standard tank sizes are fine. Zosterae are so small that they will fall through the overflows etc.

The real deal is density of fish per gallon as it pertains to feeding etc. If the tank is a 72G and has just 2 fish, the foods will wash around (even if you use a feeding dish) and most likely go unnoticed by the ponies. Again, you'd also have that "where the heck are they" syndrome as they get lost in the big space and rockwork.

However, if you were to keep multiple pair in that system, you'd be fine. My new tank (under construction, acrylic already cut and ready for welding) is going to be 75 Gallons. The dimensions will be 30"X24"X24". I will hold many pair of H. Reidi and blue striped pipe fish.

Water movement should be in and around 5X-7X turnover. Yes, you do want to diffuse the flow that is UP higher in the water column. Personally, flow over the sand should be closer to the 7X to help keep detritus and other waste build up. you can build some pretty neat DIY manifolds to do this or simply use a smallish powerhead down low.

Keep in mind that sump/water turnover is NOT the same as flow in your tank. Turnover referrs to the amount of water that gets cycled through the system. That can be high as long as the return of said turnover doesn't result in too much FLOW in the system.

Also keep in mind that some species (Reidi for example) actually enjoy more flow than erectus, kelloggi etc. My herd often hitch to the powerhead and bob in and out letting the flow blow cyano etc. off of their backs. They do this swaying for a few minutes and then intentionally let go and "ride the wave" down into the tank.

Dave

[jojo22]

Thanks David!!