90 Seahorse/Pipefish

[wdt2000]

This tank has been setup for a few months with no real direction. I have decided I want to house seahorses along with some other fish.

Basic Tank info;
90 gallon
4 x 54 watt T5's
Aquaclear 110 powerfilter
Octopus BH-300F HOB Skimmer
2 x Koralia 4's ( I plan to remove at least one of these)

I plan to remove all the live rock from the right side of the tank and add seagrass. I also plan to add some seahorse approved corals. To help keep the pod population up I plan to add Cheato every week

Current Fish:

4 x Firefish
2 x Matted Filefish
1 x Algea Blenny (not sure)
1 x Zebrasoma scopas (Removing)

Going to add:
2-4 x Dragonface Pipefish
4 x Seahorses (undecied tropical)

Possible addition:
2 Banggai Caridnal Fish
2 Mandarins
2 Yasha gobies w/shrimp

Suggestions please

 

[sphelps]

I'd probably remove the two matted filefish, I have one with my horses and sometimes it's a bit too competitive. It also picks on various types of coral so not a great fish for such a tank all around. I plan on removing mine. I'd also skip on the Banggai's as they could also be too competitive.

I'd also work on building up your rock work a little, looks like mostly base rock so it'll take longer to establish the pod population you'll require to sustain your livestock.

 

[namxas]

i'd either change out the Korallia's or put a mesh guard over them. there have been at least 3 instances of them amputating SH tails that i know of.

 

[wdt2000]

I'd probably remove the two matted filefish, I have one with my horses and sometimes it's a bit too competitive. It also picks on various types of coral so not a great fish for such a tank all around. I plan on removing mine. I'd also skip on the Banggai's as they could also be too competitive.

I'd also work on building up your rock work a little, looks like mostly base rock so it'll take longer to establish the pod population you'll require to sustain your livestock.

The live rock was left over dry rock from my reef tank. I plan to add fresh cheato each week from one of my large refuges attached to my 420 gallon reef system. I am hoping this provides extra food.

Are your filefish bold? mine are very shy always sticking to the back of the rock work searching for food. They only only out in the open when there is food and I am away from the tank.

 

[wdt2000]

i'd either change out the Korallia's or put a mesh guard over them. there have been at least 3 instances of them amputating SH tails that i know of.

Thanks for the heads up, I have covers for them!

Do you think two would be too much flow?

 

[sphelps]

Are your filefish bold? mine are very shy always sticking to the back of the rock work searching for food. They only only out in the open when there is food and I am away from the tank.

At first it was small and shy but after about 6 months it had gotten fairly large and much more aggressive with feeding. Just a heads up, I thought it would be a tank mate as well but as it turns out not so much IME.

 

[wdt2000]

At first it was small and shy but after about 6 months it had gotten fairly large and much more aggressive with feeding. Just a heads up, I thought it would be a tank mate as well but as it turns out not so much IME.

Good to know, mine are a pair so I could image they may become aggressive if they do decided to breed. I add a brood stock tank to my reef system for the filefish before I add the seahorses.

What do you guys think about the algae blenny? Anyone know if they will eat sea grass?

 

[rayjay]

I would skip the mandarins unless they are trained to eat frozen before you put them in the tank.
Anything they normally eat will have the populations decimated by the seahorses.

 

[wdt2000]

I would skip the mandarins unless they are trained to eat frozen before you put them in the tank.

I plan on training the mandarins to eat frozen brine/mysis in a breeders net before I release into the display. I am hoping they will use a feeding station and maybe one day take pellets :eek2:

As a back up if they and refuse frozen food I can move them to my 300 display which has plenty of pods.

 

[Elysia]

Several people have had problems w/ algae blennies and their seahorses -- w/ the blennies biting the seahorses. The blenny could wash and wax my car and it still wouldn't get to live w/ any seahorse of mine -- i.e. no job it could do would out weigh its risk.

 

[wdt2000]

Several people have had problems w/ algae blennies and their seahorses -- w/ the blennies biting the seahorses. The blenny could wash and wax my car and it still wouldn't get to live w/ any seahorse of mine -- i.e. no job it could do would out weigh its risk.

Mine is a nut job, I will move him to a 40 breeder attached to my reef and out of the SH tank!

 

[wdt2000]

I am going to keep it simple. I plan to add some seagrass very soon!!

3 pairs of erectus
1 pair of mandarins
4 firefish
1 pair filefish

Whats the word on ORA Seahorses? RC search function is not working and I am not approved at seahorse.org yet


The sand bed is what I had around.

silica sand base
oolith layer
Seaflor select top layer

 

[namxas]

do let us know how the filefish do w/the SH...i keep A. tomentosus as well, altho not in a SH setup. it's in a 60 gal small scorpionfish/dwarf lion setup and is easily the most timid fish in the tank.

 

[wdt2000]

Are most erectus available the southern type? Are lined and southern the same?

 

[Peka]

Are most erectus available the southern type? Are lined and southern the same?

Yes most that are available are southern because the fry are benthic (hitch from birth)... common name is lined seahorse..

 

[wdt2000]

The filefish had to be removed. But all is well in the tank and we have learned a good bit in the last few months. Here are some babies from our first batch. I think we are hooked. We have erectus, reidi, and kuda tanks and want more.

 

[marcin11379]

Seahorses look nice . but how hard is to keep them a life.

 

[barbianj]

Wow. That's a great follow up. From no seahorses to three different kinds, and babies. :thumbsup:

 

[Peka]

Very nice.. are they eating frozen yet?

 

[wdt2000]

Wow. That's a great follow up. From no seahorses to three different kinds, and babies. :thumbsup:

lol No time, these guys keep having babies and I keep hatching brine, rots, and pods :lmao: