Dragon Sea Moth (Sea Dragon) Tank

[Sushi Roll]

Please forgive me if my questions have been answered a million times but for some reason the forum search never works when I try to use it...

I am interested in owning a tank with a Dragon Sea Moth. It appears related to Sea Horses and the website I found it on states it is peaceful and its ideal tankmates include seahorses, pipefishes, gobies, and dragonets.

However, it also states the Dragon Sea Moth requires an aquarium with little to no rockwork. It is not clear why but it appears to be because it is fragile and may hurt itself by running into the rock possibly...

This is my dilemma! I am fairly new to aquariums and I only have a small one right now but what I have heard/read time and time again is that saltwater aquariums should be loaded up with live rock.

I figured this is especially true if I will have Sea Horses and Mandarin Fish in the tank (which I plan to do) since I've read they primarily eat amphipods and copods that are spawned from the live rock.

Seems like a catch 22!

I have two ideas in mind and would like to know if either or both ideas would work. The website that sells the Dragon Sea Moth recomends a 50 gal tank (again with little to no rock). What if I were to get a 100 to 120 gallon tank and only place live rock on half of it thus leaving a 50 gallon rock-less area for my dragon sea moth? Would this work or will the bottom dwelling Dragon Sea Moth still be harmed by having live rock on one half of the tank?

My other idea is to have a refugium below the main tank filled with live rock that will produce the amphipods/copepods essential to my Mandarin Fish (not to mention providing biological filtration). If I do this, will enough pods be filtered from the refugium to the main tank to feed my Sea Horses and Mandarinfish?

Will either of these ideas work? Will both ideas work together? Does anyone else have any suggestions that I did not mention or any additional Dragon Sea Moth information I should know?

As long as I'm on the subject, I've read it is good to have plants in a Sea Horse tank for the Sea Horses to cling to. Will this interfere with the space the Dragon Sea Moth needs? Or can the plants be placed all over?

I've been told a 120 gal tank should be big enough for ONE Green Mandarin Fish and ONE spotted Mandarin Fish without them fighting. Any suggestions on the best types of gobies for a tank like this?

I am very grateful for any feedback I recive :rollface:

Thank you!

 

[ReefNutPA]

I don't want to discourage you, however, I have yet to hear of anyone having long-term success with seamoths. That includes very experienced seahorse hobbyists/breeders. Due to that fact, there is little first-hand knowledge available on keeping a seamoth in an aquarium long-term. Most succumb to nutritional issues and/or disease.

Since you are admitedly rather new to aquariums, IMO I'd suggest setting up a tank specifically for one of the easy captive bred seahorses species available...such as Erectus. Captive bred horses will eat frozen mysis shrimp, so there is no need to worry about a sufficient pod population.

After gaining some experience/knowledge if you choose to obtain a seamoth, specific information will not be easy to find to help you with questions/problems. Do not rely on a website selling seamoths for your information. They sell them...they don't keep them as pets for months/years. As I mentioned before, those that I know who have tried keeping a seamoth have failed.

Tom

 

[Sushi Roll]

Thanks for the info

 

[CeaHorseMaShell]

also, be careful if you plan to try and keep a mandarin with seahorses. They both eat pods constantly. It is easy for them to wipe out the pod population, leaving the mandarin to starve. I think the website you were refering to above is liveaquaria. While I think they sell ok stock, I have read there that seahorses can be kept with gobies, clowns, and several other things. I disagree with this greatly. I know a lot of seahorse keepers keep them together but they are usually experianced and know what precautions to take when mixing species. IMO the risk is too great to mix a seahorse with anything. I would take Tom's advice and set up an easy starter seahorse tank and go from there. Best of Luck.

Michele

 

[Sushi Roll]

Can you please explain the problems of keeping very small peaceful fish with sea horses?

 

[chris.hampton]

Sea horses are slow deliberate feeders but most fish are pigs and will compete with the sea horses for food and will win leaving the sea horses to starve