Good starter Horse

[JM68]

i have a small tank (15g) in my room that currently has no residents. i am really interested in getting a pair of seahorses and maybe a couple small pipefish. i've read a lot about horses over the past few days and some sources say that i can keep a pair in a 15g and others say you should have a tall tank. this would mean i need to get a 15g or 20g tall. since this is the horse and pipe forum i figured there r some experts here with lots of experience. from your experiences and knowledge are there any small to medium sized horses that aren't too difficult to care for and can be kept in a standard 15g tank?? If not i have no problem going out and getting a 20g tall. i think these guys r really cool and i'm looking for a new challenge in the hobby.

 

[ann83]

I wouldn't keep any of the commonly available species in anything less than a 30 gallon tank.

There is one tropical species (70-74 degrees), H. fuscus, that is occasionally available that you could keep in a 20 gallon tall. H. fuscus is available through ORA (your LFS needs to order from them). H. fuscus are not one of the more hardy seahorse species, though, and can be prone to infection and difficulty feeding.

There are a couple temperate species that you might be able to keep in a 20 tall, but they are less available, more expensive, and require a good chiller ($$$).

If you are buying a tank anyway, I'd get one that is 30 gallons or more (and 20"+ tall), buy used through reef club or craigslist if money is an issue, and go with captive bred H. erectus or H. reidi (both very hardy) from www.seahorsesource.com

There are a lot of disease problems associated with mixing pipefish and seahorses (and mixing different species of seahorses), so I would recommend picking one species to start. Also, in the small volume tanks that you are talking about, you'll be pretty fully stocked with just a pair of seahorses.

 

[JM68]

wut about a 20g hex tank. the dimensions r something like 18 x 16 x 20. its more about the height than the length right? I did some reading and i think a pair of H. reidi will be a good choice for me. from what i've read they stay a little smaller than H. erectus.

 

[JennyL]

H reidi are a large species and one pair will need at least a 30G tank.
All seahorses need horizontal as well as vertical swimming space. The vertical is more for breeding purposes.

A 20G is just too small for the large species.

 

[JM68]

thanx for the info guys, i guess i'll have to find something else to put in the tank. i really don't have room for anything bigger than a 20g in my room.

 

[JM68]

sorry i made a typo in a previous post and didn't realize till i was reading over thr thread. i ment erectus is smaller than the reidi i had them backwards. are they considered a large species also at 5-6" with the same requirements??

 

[ann83]

Yes, erectus is a large species, and they can get much larger than 5"-6", they also require a 30 gallon tank.

 

[JM68]

thanx

 

[Aquaboiznc]

seahorses

seahorses

Hello,

I have a 120 gallon tank that has been setup since April/May 2008. I have upgraded my aquarium to a 180 gallon tank that I will be moving everything from my 120 gallon after it cycles in about a month or so. This will be leaving my 120 gallon with sand and live rock only and I was wondering if it was ok to put sea horses in? Of course I would want to get some macroalgaes and safe corals, but wanted to know if this much room would be ok? Also I was wanting to do either H. Redi or H. Erectus, can these species be mixed or should I just make it a one species only tank? Also, what other fish can sea horses be mixed with?

Thanks for your help
Craig
Raleigh, North Carolina

 

[Bluespot22]

You can't mix species. 120 gallons is plenty. You can keep quite a few in there. What is the temp on that tank?