New here, need advice on seahorse tank

SunshinePuppies

SunshinePuppies

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Dec 23, 2008
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I'm new and have numerous freshwater tanks, but my first marine tank I am planning a seahorse tank. I'm not sure how to go about it, Like I don't know what kind of equipment I need. I also want a refugium with copepods and shrimp set up so the water flows automatically from the refugium to the tank and back again. I'm also wanting to keep a mandarin Goby in tje tank. I was told you could safely do that. I'm open to all suggestions-even tank size since I don't have a suitable tank yet.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Well seahorses need alot of care. They need to be fed multiple times daily because they do not have a well developed stomach. Also a refugium is a good idea. Just ask ut lfs about that. If you are gonna get mandarins, i would buy a tank that is at least 50 gallons with alot of live rock. But i do not reccomend keeping the two because they both prey on copepods, and im guessing that the mandarin is not going to get enough food. I c tht u have multiple freshwater tanks already. Are you sure you can take the time and responsibility of seahorses? This is my opinion, but i would recomend either selling sum of your existing tanks so that it would allow you to focus more on the seahorses. Frankly, i wouldnt even recomend keeping seahorses and mandarins as your first marine fish. U should start with clowns, damsels, dartfish, gobies, and other beginner friendly fishes. But its up to you. :D
 
I wouldn't get mandarin untill you have large pod population. always get tank raised sea horses. you have to feed them 3 times a day. for refugium you need overflow that will do what you are looking for, either built in or hang on. sea horses don't like too much flow. as far as tank size goes it depends on how many and what size horses you are going to keep. if it's Kuda it gets to be a foot long, tall i should say.
 
Seahorses and mandarins can go together.. they both like similar types of tanks, but as others said, that is a very hard leap into the SW area. Not one I myself would have done in the beginning.. heck, 14 years later and I am still up in the air if I want to do a seahorse tank. The sounds of having one seems nice, but the work and care involved makes me shy away because my reef tank already takes so much of my time.

If you do decide to still do it, your going to need a BIG refugium (equal to the size of the tank), seeded with pods and live rock rubble, and let it go for about 6 months before you put anything in the tank that eats pods. You could do a clown or something easy for the first 6 months while your pods multiply, then remove the clown for the seahorses when your ready. That way you have something to look at and enjoy for 5 months after your first month of cycling is done, plus get familiar with saltwater parameters and all that fun stuff.
 
A seahorse tank is very specific. Depending on the seahorses your are going to keep they need to be a specific height - seahorses like height in lieu of width in a tank. Also, they need a specific temp range (depends on the seahorse) and that probably will mean a chiller. THey are prone to diseases and you need to have a basic medicine cabinet at the startup. I have kept Hippocampus erectus (the lined seahorse, and one of the largest) and the food was not a problem becuase I got him from a local breeder and he was already eating frozen enriched mysis. The most common companion that is kept in a seahorse tank is pipefish, as they are members of the syganthid family. Slow eaters and not agressive.

In addition to temp, the seahorses need low flow and if the tank includes any corals - they can't be stinging corals at all - pretty limiting.

So that you can do more research before jumping in here is a great website full of info: http://www.syngnathid.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php If you have any specific questions ask away and I will try to help.
 
Seahorses indeed do prefer taller tanks. Ideally at least 3x the max height of an adult of the species you intend to keep. Mandarins and seahorses get along just fine--the issue there is that the seahorses will directly compete with the mandarin for the same food source. It is going to make it more difficult to successfully keep an already relatively difficult fish.

I recommend Piscine Energetics frozen mysis (no comparison to other brands) and Ocean Rider's (aka Seahorse.com) Vibrance dry enrichment mix. The most common seahorse species will not need a chiller and do fine in a range of temperatures, which includes H. erectus, H. kuda (which is tropical to begin with), and H. zosterae. The main idea is to just avoid extremes. A range of salinities tends to be fine, as well, contrary to what is often cited. These animals often live in lagoons and estuaries, where salinities can vary quite a bit. Just be sure to keep it within recommended ranges--1.021-1.026 is usually adequate, though they tolerate extremes outside of this range (not recommended, though). Also, be sure to read carefully on diseases and have the appopriate medications available BEFORE you ever get your seahorses. Prompt action is absolutely necessary.
 
I knew the mandarins eat the same thing as the seahorses and need a steady supply of food. So I wasn't going to add one for a couple years after the tank's running. I have three freshwater aquariums right now. I guess that's not really alot is it. I realize my first post seemed a bit misleading-sorry about that!

About all I know about seahorses is what they eat and a few of the pieces of equipment I need, but not much and NO idea how to hook it all together. I will be working on it over the next couple of years so I'm not in any hurry to get it set up. I want to do it right.
 
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.
 
I will probably go ahead and do something a little easier and then do the seahorses so I'd still take advice on the seahorse tank for future. I like to be busy. I used to work in our local zoo. (there was no aquarium unfortunately) And I have mutliple other animals as well as my 3 tanks. I'm not happy unless I'm super busy. So what kind of tank would you recommend? I've always liked reef tanks. I don't think I want to try a small tank to start with! I heard those were REALLY hard!
 
I always research what I want to do. I've always thought it is careless and irresponsible to jump without looking first. I know people who've done that and ended up with something they found out was harder than they were willing to mess with. I have no problem with admitting how little I know.
 
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