Dwarf Seahorse Tank Beginner

[saltwaterbeginner48]

Hello!

I have a 5 gallon fresh water tank that currently just has some plants and sand in it that I am considering turning into a saltwater dwarf seahorse tank (of course I would take everything in there out). I want to start off saying that I have done some research and know about dwarf seahorses and their nutritional needs but I was not sure if this could be done? The tank is from Top Fin and the filter on it is as an Aqua Clear 20 that hangs off the back. From my research it sounds like that filter would be too strong though and I have seen that many recommend a sponge filter. I have no experience with using though though and would appreciate any recommendations on how to maintain them and on ones to purchase. But if I can use the filter I already have that would be nice but I just am not sure ( I would put a tank sock over it so they don't get sucked up of course). I am thinking of no substrate and putting macro algae in. Any help is appreciated!

 

[rayjay]

In my own experience, the feeding needs dominate to be successful and are the cause of maybe the majority of those dropping the dwarf experience.
As such, I'd recommend you start learning the procedure BEFORE getting further into the hobby so you can decide if the work needed to succeed would be tolerable in the LONG TERM for you.
Hatching, enriching, feeding, removal of nutrient depleted food, can become extremely frustrating down the road.
I also advise that starting with a smaller tank can be advantageous in that you will need to provide less food amounts.
Dwarfs for the most part prefer to sit perched and wait for food to come by so they can snick it up without leaving their hitch. Food density therefore is an important factor. If you only have 5-10 or so dwarfs, the density will need to be pretty close to the same as having 50 dwarfs in a 5g.
For me, I used sterilized live rock and hitching so that it minimizes getting pest like hydroids in the tank. Even protective covers over intakes of filters is not totally safe as the dwarfs still can be drawn against that covering if intake flow is sufficient. Also, the filter needs to be turned off long enough to feed as it will uptake the live food you add.
Problem IMO with sponge filters is that it also traps the nauplii.
No substrate definitely makes maintenance MUCH easier.
Problem I have with macro is that it needs sufficient lighting to keep alive and in a small tank that lighting MAY increase the temperature of the water sufficiently to promote nasty bacterial growth, depending on surrounding conditions.
My advice is to start with everything sterile, add ammonia and cycle, use open ended airlines for water movement, live rock for biological filtration and plastic decor for hitching.
Once you have your feeding protocols mastered, and have success in the survival of your dwarfs for a decent period of time, THEN you can decide about adding things like macro or whatever else you have in mind, doing maybe one change at a time to see what develops afterwards if anything.
For me, I used a MINI-filter with protection on the intake that still allowed nauplii to be sucked up, hooked to a timer that would turn it on after the dwarfs have had time to feed sufficiently. This allowed for the nutrient depleted nauplii to be mostly removed before I added the next enriched batch of nauplii and reset the mini-filter to go on again later.
You can use your aquaclear 20 if you really want, but will have to manufacture a BARRIER that will extend the area around the intake such that the water flow at any point isn't going to draw the dwarfs against it. You CAN craft such a thing using a glue gun and using plastic canvas from craft stores. Then use a timer to turn it on after feeding period is done.