Dear gilraen:
Although I have yet had occasion to try one out, I have often thought that the Biorb aquarium system looks like it would work great for dwarf seahorses (Hippocampus zosterae)! The built-in filtration system functions primarily as an undergravel filter, supplemented with mechanical and chemical filtration cartridges, and I have often Dwarf seahorses successfully with undergravels.
My only concern about the Biorb is the light fixture. The halogen bulb may give off a significant amount of heat, and with the top of the tank capped off like that, it’s possible that the light might raise the aquarium temperature to undesirable levels after it’s been running all day. I’ve had no experience with the Biorb so I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but the possibility does concern me. However, the top includes air vents and a heat exchange system to help cool the tank, so that may effectively prevent overheating. And, of course, even the heat given off from the lamp should prove to be a problem, it could be easily solved by removing the light fixture/top and allowing the ambient room light or a nearby table lamp to provide the illumination.
At any rate, it certainly looks like it would work well and I wouldn’t hesitate to give it a try. A whole range of accessories are available for the tanks and they are the right size to accommodate the whole herd of dwarf seahorses. Yet they are not so large so large that it would be overly difficult to maintain an adequate feeding density of baby brine shrimp.
Best wishes with all your fishes, gilraen! Let us know how it works out if you decide to try a Biorb for dwarf seahorses.
Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
