Skimmer or no Skimmer??

[0sprey]

No sump?
If you need a HOT skimmer, I recommend the deltec. I've got the MCE600. Amazing skimmer. Super quiet, pulls a ton of crud out of the water, and needs very little maintenance. Comes with a compartment for chemical filtration media, too. The catch is that it's really quite expensive, as HOB skimmers go.
Never kept seahorses, so I'll leave any specific recommendations about them to those who have.