Garden eels and horses?
- Thread starter knap_123
- Start date
Sorry, but garden eels are considered a threat level 4 on a scale of zero to four.
http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/eels.shtml
http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/eels.shtml
hecticreefer
In Memoriam
Threat level 4 out of 4? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. Garden eels eat prey items that are about the size of a mysid shrimp or smaller. They are ZERO threat to seahorses.
I second this. That's just stupid- they're HARMLESS. Long, skinny, shy things- basically pipefish in holes, really.
Garden eels are not suited for a typical reef tank, as they need deep sand beds and food several times a day. I think they'd actually be a good match for seahorses... The worst they could do would be maybe nip at one's tail, maybe, but they can't do anything other than annoy a seahorse. They're too shy to probably do that, either. They aren't even real eels....
In short, yes, I think your idea would be just fine. Might want to make the sandbed just a bit deeper, but yes, you should be fine. The only problem I can think of is a seahorse maybe trying to hitch onto one. You may want to keep three garden eels... I've heard that they prefer to be in groups of at least three.
Edit:
I checked their page. Garden eels are rated 4 because they're very difficult to keep and often don't thrive, not because they're dangerous. Just take good care of them and they'll be fine... Plenty of food and a deep sand bed.
andrewkw
Active member
As someone who's kept garden eels for several years I can safely say that are 0 threat to seahorses. These guys are afraid of their own shadow. Sometimes they don't eat the food that passes over them because they are scared. I wonder how they even survive in the wild.
I see no reason why you couldn't keep them together, maybe the lower temp seahorses require, but I don't think it would be too cold for the garden eels.
Also after they are acclimated one feeding a day is probably enough with maybe a couple of days of 2 feedings a week. It's not so much they need to eat so many times it's that they don't always eat food since they only eat what passes over them and they're scared of the food half the time. Mine now eat PE mysis but despite the fact they've been eating it for more then a year they are occasionally still spooked by it especially the bigger pieces.
I see no reason why you couldn't keep them together, maybe the lower temp seahorses require, but I don't think it would be too cold for the garden eels.
Also after they are acclimated one feeding a day is probably enough with maybe a couple of days of 2 feedings a week. It's not so much they need to eat so many times it's that they don't always eat food since they only eat what passes over them and they're scared of the food half the time. Mine now eat PE mysis but despite the fact they've been eating it for more then a year they are occasionally still spooked by it especially the bigger pieces.
Electus unus
New member
Mispost
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
Yeah, seahorse.org's threat level is based on a number of things, including appropriateness for captivity. A number of fish have a "threat level 4" not because they're bad with seahorses, but because they are hard to keep.
I'm working on a new guide for my site. If anyone is interested in helping out, I could use it. I'm working on it in google docs. You can see it here, but it's in it's earliest stages: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsRshRBluOHudGNheUhmMTF4bHk0Y3d5ZkxFYVhVWnc&usp=sharing
If any one is interested in participating, sending me your email address via a pm and I will add you.
I'm working on a new guide for my site. If anyone is interested in helping out, I could use it. I'm working on it in google docs. You can see it here, but it's in it's earliest stages: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsRshRBluOHudGNheUhmMTF4bHk0Y3d5ZkxFYVhVWnc&usp=sharing
If any one is interested in participating, sending me your email address via a pm and I will add you.
Justin1386
New member
Anyone know why a cleaner wrasse could be a threat level 4???
Justin1386
New member
Awesome thanks for the info
Reefmaster1996
New member
Look up LA fish guys on YouTube, they have a tank setup exactly as what you want to do.
IMO, a 35 hex and 5" sand bed arent that great for the eels but I don't know for sure. They are pretty harmless to the horses. If anything, the eels might be afraid of the horses and become finicky. Greg (saxman) and Renee I think have kept them together. They are a 4 on tank mate appropriateness on the org because of difficulty to maintain on their own in conjunction with the seahorses' needs. I know there is a YouTube channel(the LA fish mentioned above) with a seahorse and eel tank setup, but it's not a 100% experience-based/trustable for a healthy long-term tank.
pledosophy
Active member
Greg and Renee were a big part of them being rated a level 4!
I don't have my notes for that species on why we rated it at that level. To get the ratings for different species we went through hundreds of tanks for information. Some species were not widely kept (garden eels perhaps), so ample information was not available. The guide is fairly conservative so lack of information often equated to a higher threat level or exclusion from the article.
-Kevin
(co author of the article in question)
