sea horse information

[Elyssie]

I'm interested in getting a seahorse tank and was just wondering about some of the specifications for their tank. Is a 150 watt metal halide to harsh for them? Also would an anemone not be recommended for a seahorse tank or would it be ok?

Thanks!

Elysse

[mbender04]

I'm not too sure about the lights but I've always been told that anemones are a big no no with seahorses. Pretty much you don't want anything in your tank that the seahorse can aimlessly land on that would be dangerous to them. They are poor swimmers and "hitch" to just about anything. You also want low flow and to make sure that whatever intakes you have are covered so that the seahorse won't be in danger of getting stuck.

[August]

Mama is a wonderful person to talk to as she has sea horses... she can also guide you in the right direction of good forums and sites about sea horses....

[Elyssie]

Thank you for your help! I just read a while ago that I can't keep them with anemones.. Mama is actually a good friend of my boyfriend and mine so I will definitely talk to her about it, she has a really nice seahorse set up.

[Viet-tin]

Mama is the one to talk to. I got a pair of males from her awhile back and they're doing great under mh. Lighting shouldnt be an issue with them but flow can be. They are capable of handling lots of flow but not jetstream flow from powerheads like maxijets.

[JamesL]

The funny thing about talking to Mama is that her seahorse seem to thrive in a "don't do this" type of tank. When I last stopped by, she had seahorse living with dendros, anemones, and lots of other corals. But I definitely plan on utilizing her knowledge when I get to the point of setting up my seahorse tank.

[Toxiq Reef]

Temperatures are important, mh's get hot.

[Derry]

You'll find more info than you can digest at one time over on the forums at seahorse.org. There's also a core group of really knowledgeable folks who are cool with beginners asking lots of questions. I got my two erectus in January, and seahorse.org was invaluable in helping me get things set up.

Edited April 19, 2010 by Derry

[Laura]

James hit the nail on the head...today I added a nice carpet nem to my seahorse tank....I am such a rule breaker...let's see how this goes...my RBTA flourished in this tank before dapettit snagged it from me....

[Christian]

Is a pipe fish sorta like a seahorse?

I have one pipe fish with two anemones.

[Laura]

Here ya go Christian...this should explain a little bit.....

A pipefish is small and look quite similar to the more famous seahorse, but its body is straight (the body of a seahorse ends in a curve). The body is long and thin, and this makes the pipefish somewhat snakelike. A pipefish is typically shorter than 20 centimetres. The pipefish derives its name from its specialised snout. The snout is pipe-like and the long tube ends in a very small and narrow opening that form the mouth of the pipefish. The mouth has no teeth and opens upwards.

[Christian]

Thanks mama.

So seahorse have teeth?

[soggydrysuit]

Hi there,

Seahorse.org is very good source of reliable sh info. I've got a contribution here http://www.simplyseahorses.co.uk/, not sure if I'm allowed to post the link because it's a shop but it's in the Uk and has a good section of condensed info on sh keeping. Seahorse sanctuary is also very good. There's also a forum that addresses most problems although it's not used much at the moment.

I just thought I'd add my 2p because I used to keep H. barbouri. I lost them due to internal parasites that I think they got because I mixed tank bred horse with wild pipefish and wasn't quick enough with treatment.

I do want to have another try when finances permit. Tanks still there, just running empty with feeding to keep the rock/filters going.