seahorses: my first sw setup
- Thread starter jbradt
- Start date
I keep going back and forth on the corals thing. At this point I'm thinking of putting most of the LR in the sump, and having more of a planted look in the display tank. Good thought with the fake corals though... so many decisions!
Something that you must remember with seahorses,is that they are not a competitive species by any means,this is important when choosing tankmates they must be slow,and docile. Another Important consideration is that seahorses like to live in groups so I strongly recommend getting more than one.
Should be an interesting experiment, one I would not be willing to try with that size tank. I feel that is waaaay to short of a tank for seahorses, they need tall tanks to be happy. Seahorses swim up and down, not side to side like fish. Also, if I ever were to setup a tank like a 75G Hex tank just for seahorses, there is no way I would ever think of putting a fish in that tank, and definately would not put any corals in that tank. I know your excited and not trying to burst your bubble at all, simply stating my opinion.
Heck, I can't get any pipefish to live for more than a month at the LFS I work at and that is in a well established tank suited perfect for them (175G bowfront with super low flow and a Solaris G series 6' LED fixture). After losing over $300 in pipefish over the last few months the owner finally said we had to call it quits on trying to keep them. None of us have ever considered trying a seahorse due to the fragile nature of them, nor have we even bought one because we have never had a request. After we show and explain to people what it takes to make a happy seahorse environment everyone says forget it.
Heck, I can't get any pipefish to live for more than a month at the LFS I work at and that is in a well established tank suited perfect for them (175G bowfront with super low flow and a Solaris G series 6' LED fixture). After losing over $300 in pipefish over the last few months the owner finally said we had to call it quits on trying to keep them. None of us have ever considered trying a seahorse due to the fragile nature of them, nor have we even bought one because we have never had a request. After we show and explain to people what it takes to make a happy seahorse environment everyone says forget it.
Last edited:
The first point is definitely in the front of my mind. I'm not set on adding any other fish, but have been looking at the possibilities. seahorse.org has an interesting list of companions listed from less to most threatening. When you say groups, do you mean large groups? I was planning on getting a pair, will this be enough for them to thrive and be happy?
Hehe, it's not about my bubble, I'm trying to figure out realistically if this is an experiment I want to get into... all opinions are greatly appreciated.
I've read that 2.5 to 3 times the seahorse's uncurled length is a good minimum tank height. From what I've read, the average length for this species is 5-7 inches, with the biggest ones being around 8. This is one of the things that is making me hesitate the decision, but I've also had a lot of people say it should be fine.
Their fragile nature is something that I've also been thinking about. Especially with this being my first marine tank and all. In the end, The sump gives it a bit of extra volume, and can provide good filtration to help keep the water stable, and I have more than just my own experience and patience as resources. Also, from what I've read, captive bred animals are more hardy than wild caught, and have a much better success rate in home aquaria.
I think I've pretty well made up my mind to keep the corals out of it.
Yes,A pair would be great,but if finances allow you might consider adding more to your collection later on.
Do you have any thoughts on the issue of tank size? How many could go in the 29g tall if there were no other fish?
I would say up to 3(assuming 4-6" specimens) in the 29g tall,Seahorses are vertical swimmers,and do not need much horizontal space to swim around in,as stated before,and spend the mainstay of their time hitched up.
