New here, need advice on seahorse tank

[Amphiprion]

No offense, but if that is all you know so far you have a lot to learn about Seahorses. I would strongly recommend going with a reef before going with Seahorses. In reality, Seahorses don't feed on a lot of pods unless they are a small Seahorse like the H. zosterae. However, though it is rare, if you find a mandarin that is trained onto frozen food or you are willing to do this yourself which takes a lot of time and effort, you can have one as soon as you have stable water. If everything in the tank eats frozen food, fish competing for the same food source won't be much of a problem. Do more research and ask more questions as you continue with your tank plans.

Seahorses do indeed feed on assorted 'pods--even relatively large individuals. That is what they would almost exclusively eat to begin with in the wild--and those habits carry over. I would watch mine do it on a regular basis, especially on fasting days. I can't speak for your experiences, but mine were always actively hunting for food--as do all of the healthy individuals that I've had experience with.

The main conflict is still the mandarin and it isn't terribly often that they switch to frozen foods. In any case, you'd want little to no competition for food with these fish.

 

[Almondsaz]

In addition to the site I provided earlier, here is one that will help you with the types of SH's and their requirements. I contend that when you get the systems over 78, they will begin to become more susceptible to disease, that is why most SH's are between 72 and 78 degrees. And in AZ, I can't keep a tank that cool without the use of a chiller.

If you look at the site I mentioned, that is a more appropriate place to obtain species specific information from breed specific experts - and they are equally as helpful as AC, who are all really terrific and patient. Just seems when it comes to SH's that is all that the folks at seahorse.com focus on. There is a lot of info and hours of reading. Good luck.

 

[SunshinePuppies]

thanks! I'm really glad I found this site! While I'm researching Seahorses, I'm going to research other types of tanks, like reef, too.

 

[Amphiprion]

In addition to the site I provided earlier, here is one that will help you with the types of SH's and their requirements. I contend that when you get the systems over 78, they will begin to become more susceptible to disease, that is why most SH's are between 72 and 78 degrees. And in AZ, I can't keep a tank that cool without the use of a chiller.

If you look at the site I mentioned, that is a more appropriate place to obtain species specific information from breed specific experts - and they are equally as helpful as AC, who are all really terrific and patient. Just seems when it comes to SH's that is all that the folks at seahorse.com focus on. There is a lot of info and hours of reading. Good luck.

I think a lot of the ideas on disease susceptibility at those temperatures involve other factors. It doesn't make any sense that many species have a gigantic range (we're talking from Nova Scotia to Panama for H. erectus--go from exceptionally cold to exceptionally warm). if they preferred the oft-preached cooler temps. I think the only thing it affords is a slower metabolism to allow people to be a bit "lazier" about feeding them. But, if that is what allows some people to have success and rationalize it, then to each his/her own. I just don't think it's necessarily "correct," though.

 

[Blossom112]

Hi
I myself have just started 2 weeks ago plans for seahorse tank and it is not cycling nicely with amm 8. yehh.....
I dont plan on getting them for at least if not more then 6 months from now
Will not use a powerhead the flow from the bio cube is enough .
I have macro in it as we speak .
and i found a good site for info ...

http://seahorse.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index

My plan is to also get a mandrin but first things first learn to grow food .
My plan is to grow red volcanic shrimp (brackish)
and copepods
might take me months to perfect that lol

Good luck on your journey .
and i know your just as excited as i am
just going to take a long time to get there but will be worth it

 

[LCP136]

Seahorses do indeed feed on assorted 'pods--even relatively large individuals. That is what they would almost exclusively eat to begin with in the wild--and those habits carry over. I would watch mine do it on a regular basis, especially on fasting days. I can't speak for your experiences, but mine were always actively hunting for food--as do all of the healthy individuals that I've had experience with.

The main conflict is still the mandarin and it isn't terribly often that they switch to frozen foods. In any case, you'd want little to no competition for food with these fish.

Mine are not particularly interested in 'pods. I also currently have a mandarin on frozen mysids and cyclop-eeze in my reef tank. If you are patient, your LFS should eventually get one that is readily willing to eat frozen food. How big is your bio-cube Blossom112?

 

[Ace25]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone here have any first hand experience with a Mandarin that did eat frozen foods (and no Pods) and still live past 1 year? I have not found anyone who has had success and I have known quite a few people that have had mandarins that would eat frozen food, myself included. Mine ate cyclop-eeze, blood worms, and mysis shrimp but still only managed to live about 10 months. It was fat and "appeared" happy.. but I guess the same can be said for the 400lb person that eats 10 Big Macs a day. I just don't think frozen food has the right nutrients in them required for a mandarin.. they will survive a while, but their health still seems to decline even though they have fat bellies. That just my experience, and every experience I have heard from fellow members in my reef club as well as customers at the LFS I work at.

 

[1wizz]

Not wanting to hijack a thread but i have had my Mandarin for over two years and although i have large, healthy pods of all sizes he will eat all food presented, including flake, it just needs to fall near him as a lack of effort to eat seems to be this fishes main problem.
The cost of seahorses and their short life span is what has always held me back from a sh tank, nice thought though.
Planing and patience is the key good luck

 

[Ace25]

I thought I had a good supply of pods as well having a tank setup for 5 years with a well established fuge.. the tank was full of pods. Problem was, in a 29G tank with a 20G fuge the Mandarin was able to wipe out 5 years of pod population growth as well as 2 bottles of additional tiggerpods in under a month. I simply couldn't afford to buy 2 $30 bottles of tiggerpods a WEEK to sustain a $20 mandarin but I was hopeful it would make it on frozen foods alone since it seemed to eat frozen readily, but nope, didn't make it.

Still though, my question is, has anyone successfully kept a mandarin (that will eat frozen foods) alive solely on frozen foods without pods for more than a year?

 

[LCP136]

. I just don't think frozen food has the right nutrients in them required for a mandarin.. they will survive a while, but their health still seems to decline even though they have fat bellies.

Heres my opinion on this. If a mandarin eats frozen it certainly helps. You have to be careful that you feed them the right foods from marine sources too. However, if its eating frozen food, I think it is still necessary to have lots of live rock to supply some 'pods for it's nutrition. I think frozen food replaces some 'pods that the mandarin eats, but not all. A mandarin still can't survive on frozen alone.