new saltwater tank questions

Is the person helping you set-up experienced with marine tanks? I'd do a bit more research before setting up either way. I'd not put 2 Ocellaris in a 5g tank. The dwarf seahorses would be a better choice but they are not a beginner species due to some of the specialized care they require.

My recommendation is that before getting the tank set-up you read, read, read. I highly recommend The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner as well as reading sites like this one. Once you have a clear idea of how to cycle a tank and you know a general idea of what you'd like to stock in it then you can start the cycle and read some more, before getting your first fish or invert.

Well I'm a bit confused...has he explained to you about seahorses and that they are typicaklly kept in species only tanks? They need a different water temp, different flow, etc.

and a 5.5 gallon tank is no enviroment for 2 clowns. That is wayyyyyyyy too small. I want 2 clowns in my 10 gallon and I know that will be pushing it.

Hey Darryl,

I'm going through the same "Dark-side" temptations and researching. There are ALOT of differences between FW & SW and I'm personally planning on doing a 55G FOWLR once I'm comfortable (probably in a few months). I'd definitely recommend that you read through Grins' Newbie blogs. They were a great jumpimng off point for me and provide a very good idea of what you're getting into. If you go a FW route with the 5.5 your only real fish choices are DPs or a Betta.

Back to reading... I'm done posting in this confusing salty world for now.

I understand your frustration, but everyone is just trying to put in their 2 cents. Of course, no one can physically force you to do anything.
Hopefully, my 2 cent can help you.

If you have mind set on the dwarf seahorses, then first would be trying to find a tank-BRED seahorse if possible.
tank-bred and tank-raised are two different things. If not tank-bred, then tank-raise will still be much better than wild-caught seahorses.

The most important thing is their diet. Most seahorses will eat nothing but live food, and with the limited choices within the hobby, live brine shrimp will simply not cut it.
Copepods are the best choice, however you need a dedicated refugium to keep a steady supply, which I'm not sure if you're willing to set one up. If not, then make sure the dwarf seahorse you get takes prepared food @ the petstore, and by prepared food, I mean a range of them to ensure balanced nutrition. If they don't eat @ the petstore, then don't purchase it.

Another important, can't-miss thing would be water current/water condition.
Seahorses needs a calm current with perfect water condition, while not always easy, it is possible to achieve it. Overstocking your tank with liverock, and powerheads placed strategically (and probably an adjustable valve to lower the output) are two of the things that can lead to that goal.

You will need to provide something for the seahorse to hold onto, whether it be macro-algae or simply plastic plants.

There is a lot more details, but hopefully this will give you a general idea of what it takes to keep a seahorse in an aquarium.