Dividing a seahorse tank

[bluekoi]

Hi again all!
I have a lead on a 90 gallon on craigslist and I was thinking of getting it, and dividing it into two species tanks. I've checked out some threads here on dividing tanks but I didn't see one specifically about seahorses.
My question is - Would I need to run them as two separate independent systems - 2 sumps, 2 skimmers, 2 chillers - to keep them completely separate?
I know that many of you have success keeping different species together, but I have yet to get that to happen.
What are your thoughts?
thx!

 

[flsvedlund]

Are you talking about dividing it between two species of seahorses? Or do you mean that one side would be seahorses and one side would be something else, maybe a reef?

If you mean two different species of seahorses, you can keep them together without a divider if you get two species that have the same temperature requirements (both tropical, both sub-tropical, or both temperate). I know a lot of people keep H. Erectus and H. Reidi together.

If you mean keeping seahorses on one side and something else on the other side then I would say you could do it as either one shared system or two separate ones depending on what else you are keeping besides seahorses. Seahorses need cooler temperatures than a reef tank for long term health and to prevent bacterial infections, so water temperature is a consideration here. Also, you wouldn't want to expose seahorses to pathogens from fish since they are more susceptible to a lot of diseases. I would recommend quarantining all fish if you are going to put them in a system with seahorses. I have seen people have successful seahorse tanks that are plumbed into a separate mixed reef tank, but most of the time its easier to just keep the seahorse system separate since they have different requirements.

 

[rayjay]

While "occasionally" hobbyists have succeeded long term with different species in the same system, most times is is NOT successful.
It has nothing at all to do with temperature requirements, and ALL to do with the fact that seahorses often fall victim to pathogens that they haven't grown up with. Exposure from other seahorses, or other fish, or even same species seahorse from different breeding source, have all been known to cause the problem.
Best chances of success will come with different species from the same breeder.
Like the majority of seahorse keepers, I personally haven't had much luck in mixing seahorse species in my eleven years plus in the hobby.