Thinking about seahorses

I currently have a 55 gal that's been set up for about 1.5 years. Today I took some of my original stock back to the LFS who have outgrown the tank or began destroying the tank (i.e. Maroon Clown that began hosting zoas to DEATH). I have live rock and a 2 inch sandbed. Corals are all soft and include zoas, mushrooms, ricordias, toadstools, and zenias. The remaining fish are a scooter blenny, yellow watchman goby, and red blotched perchlet. Other livestock include a cleaner shrimp, 2 emerald crabs and various snails.

Water circulation comes from my sump return pump, a vortech MP 20, and a Koralia 2. I'm wondering if I could put some seahorses in this tank?

Thoughts from experienced seahorse keepers? What would I need to change or be aware of? I have been reading up on seahorse care and have found some conflicting information about water circulation. I know there has to be calmer spots and lots of hitching posts throughout the tank, but would the circulation required to keep my corals happy be too much?

Thanks for any feedback.

 

I personally have no seahorse experience but I know that they should be kept in a species only tank. Competition for food with other fish would be too great and they will starve to death. But like I said, I haven't had any so I could be wrong.

 

that is too much flow for horses they like very little flow. Make sure you got a really good skimmer because they are some of the most messiest eaters I have ever seen. They also prefer tall tanks not the original long. The temp has to be low around 72 the salt has to constantly be consistent so around 1.022-.024 but when you set it up make sure it is only that specific gravity all the time. The shrimp would be the only thing I am concerned of especially during feeding time. Horses are also very picky eaters as well. For the corals you got you don't really ahve to worry about the flow. Do watch out for the emerald crab I have heard of them nipping at a seahorse when it is time to sleep and the seahorse not making it. Also seahorses need to be fed like at least three times a day. You can't feed them all at once too make sure they eat all the food first that you put in then put in a little more. Until they are done eating just little bits at a time. Hope this helps

 

While this is true the fish you have should be pretty good companions for a sea horse. Here are a few things you should be aware of before jumping in to sea horses.

Be sure to by captive bred horses. Often wild caught do not take to tank life or frozen food well.

Be sure the company you get them from guarantees them to be eating frozen food.

Sea horses need hold fasts in the tank. Consider putting in some type and vegetation for them to hide in and hang on to. Mangroves are a great option because they also suck up nitrates.

Sea horses do not like random or pulsing flow. They need to hang on in the current as they are not the best swimmers. They prefer a predictable laminar current.

They are very prone to disease. Most species are best kept in water as cold as there species is able to be in. This keeps diseases at a minimum. Also consider getting a UV filter if you don't already have one.

Sea horses demand as much attention to water quality as some of the hardest corals to keep. They will not tolerate nitrates.

Sea horses cannot come in contact with any copper. They melt if its in the water so if you have ever medicated with copper in that tank be wary.


Hope some of this helps. I spent 6 months researching and getting my horse tank set-up only to decide I could not properly make a good home for them without the use of a chiller.

 

Thanks for the responses so far. In doing some more research and hearing about some of the challenges others have discovered my current tank would definitely not work. I really like the varied current my Vortech MP20 produces so unless I decide to set up a separate tank seahorses are not an option right now.

So I'll concentrate on finding some other peaceful but interesing fish species for my tank.

 

clownfish!!!!!