Would a Sponge Filter Run by a Bubbler be Better?
Sponge filters are another possibility and work well under certain circumstances (e.g., nurseries, hospital tanks, quarantine setups).
Sponge filters are another possibility and work well under certain circumstances (e.g., nurseries, hospital tanks, quarantine setups).
Seahorses can certainly be kept very successfully in a simple reverse undergravel setup, as long as you are aware of the limitations of such systems.
Sand is very much okay. A thin layer of live sand, preferably black, is the ideal substrate for a SHOWLR (Seahorse Only With Live Rock) tank, which is type of seahorse setup I prefer.
Yes, please. Although seahorses can certainly be kept successfully without the use of a protein skimmer, I recommend including a good skimmer for best results.
The system I recommend is a SHOWLR tank, which I imagine is something similar to the system you are running on your reef tank.