Dear Nova:
It’s great to hear that your Brazilian seahorses (Hippocampus reidi) are still going strong and that your new rescue pony is doing so well! I’m sure the new H. erectus really appreciates being liberated from the small Eclipse tank and allowed to join the rest of your herd in your more spacious accommodations. Well done!
I have never purchased any of the Koralia powerheads or seen them in action, so all I know about them is what I can gather from the advertisements I have come across. I understand that they are available in a number of models ranging from 400 gph up to 1200 gph, so the amount of suction at the in tank probably depends on the size of the powerhead in question. And I know that there are also controllable Koralia powerheads with variable output, so that may make a difference as well.
In general, whenever the intake for a powerhead is large enough to allow a curious seahorse to get its tail inside, it’s a good idea to shield or otherwise screen off the intake, regardless of how strong the suction may be, just to be on the safe side. I know it would be difficult to shield the entire "egg" for the Koralia-style powerheads, but that may not be necessary if you can position it amidst the rockwork and anchor it in place with the suction cup where there’s no possibility for a seahorse to perch on the Koralia or wrap its tail around the inflow/intake for the unit.
Best wishes with all your fishes, Nova! Your friend is lucky to have someone that’s willing to mentor and help her set up a new seahorse tank so that it’s optimized for 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.
