I got a seahorse a week ago!! It's still alive!

Hello 3reef. So yes I've heard that they are extremely difficult to take care of but I got a kellogi seahorse a week ago. I got some pics for you guys! And I recorded a 1 minute video (from my phone so it's a little blurry) of my seahorse eating. Hope you guys like it! YouTube - Seahorse eating 3rd attemp

 

Good luck with your seahorse.
While seahorses sometimes survive in reefing conditions, there are many many more that perish in the attempt to do so.
Seahorses are very prone to infections from bacteria in the aquarium that multiply exponentially with each rising degree above 74°F. While in their natural habitat they live in warmer waters, the water is constantly being refreshed and the bacterial levels don't get to the point they do in our tanks.
They are also prone to failure due to infestation from parasite exposure that they haven't grown up with, even those introduced by other seahorses from other sources.
Tankmates can be a problem also in that many seahorses are stressed by faster moving fish to the point that they don't eat or don't eat enough and starve.
Best foods for them are frozen mysis shrimp but occasional feeding of gut loaded live brine shrimp or mysids are excellent nutrient boosters.
They will decimate the natural pod population in a tank in very short time.
For the most complete and up to date information on seahorse keeping go to seahorse.org and check out the library and forums there.

 

I had a couple of those too, same genous. They were doing ok until one got sucked into the intake of my Aquaticlife 115 skimmer. He died, then the girl died not long after. She stopped eating after he went missing in the tank.
As rayjay stated, keep the tank *cold* I kept mine chilled at 68-70º. I always kept 3 bottles of pods on hand to keep them fed.

 

Thanks guys for the info. I did go on that website seahorse.org before I purchase it. It's doing fine right now eating well with the frozen mysis shrimp, live brine shrimp and the copepods. It's by itself until I buy another one. For now I have a fluval edge pre-filter sponge on my filter so it doesn't get trapped on the filter. I might buy another one. I currently don't have him in a reef condition tank. All I have him with is the live rock. I want to SLOWLY get a reef in the tank but not have done it yet.

 

Wow. I don't know if it's just me or maybe the seahorse but I thought 3reef would be happy about my success so far?? Maybe not?? But thank you SO much rayjay and tigermike74 for you input!! Karma!!

 

i like the seahorse as im a big fan of them and will set one up sometime in the distant future. i would really suggest giving the seahorse more macro algae to forge off and to cling to, and as far as a reef setup with a mixture of corals, iwould reconsider.

the best success with seahorse is to have an aquarium that is dedicated to them. no fish that will outcompete for food. low flow and steady temps. prestine water quality and LOTS of macro algae. various types so they can cling on to and hunt for pods.

 

I agree NU-2reef. My seahorese is the one and only fish in my tank. I still have everything from my previous reef in there but I did take all the coral out and just left the live rock. I wanted to slowly introduce some corals to my seahorse slowly. I am putting in there tonight some mushrooms and some xenia that has been growing like crazy in my other tank. I have to take my time and frag the xenia.

 

how about some macro? some nice caulerpa would look sweet. wont cost too much, see if any local reefers have some you can buy/trade or free maybe

 

Is that what you suggest??? Caulerpa?? I was gonna go to my lfs tomorrow morning and see what they say. BUT I LOVE a second opinion!!

 

i got this pic from a member here on 3reef. swagger87 . she no longer has this tank but i always said that if i were to house some seahorse this is what the tank should look like



i believe the macros are caulerpa prolifera. spelling could be off