Help me decide! Seahorses vs Angler

[d2mini]

I've got a 28g nano that I want to set up as a species tank and having trouble deciding between the two. A pair of erectus horses or one Angler.
Please give me any advantages or disadvantages to each. And I'm not only interested in the fish, but also whatever else can/can not/will have to be kept with them, ie. plant life, corals, other fish, etc.

I need a deciding factor to push me one way or the other.

I've found seahorse info out there, but I have not found much on Angler setups.

Thanks!

 

[eisaiasjr]

having had both seahorses and angler setups in the past, I would definitely recommend going with anglers. Seahorses are cute and feeding them EVERY DAY might sounds really cute at first, but after a couple of years it becomes a REAL CHORE.

just my 2 cents...

 

[Recty]

In the long run, anglers will be easier to keep. No special diet really, whereas seahorses can be hard to feed and sometimes wont ever wean off live food, so you've got to keep a continuous supply of copepods going in their tanks.

For an angler you can have low flow, low light and easy to maintain setups. The only thing you'll need is good filtration since they eat a lot of meaty foods. Also the nice thing is you only have to feed every 3-4 days, sometimes weekly, so if you leave for the weekend or what not, your angler will do just fine on his own.

 

[d2mini]

Ya, the Angler does seem easier.

What else can I have in the tank? I assume no other fish or inverts (except snails?).
What about coral? Sponges? Macro algae?

 

[uhuru]

You can have corals, sponges and macro for sure. I even have mine with rhizos which can consume smaller fish.

Be prepared for a stubborn angler that doesn't accept frozen foods though. You may have to feed it live for months to years or even the rest of its life. I'm going on 10 months now still trying to get mine to eat frozen. I finally got it to eat dead ghost shrimp so the next step is frozen ghost shrimp, then hopefully frozen krill or mysis.

 

[d2mini]

Any more thoughts on this?

I still can't decide!!! :wildone:

 

[snorvich]

As a diver, I would opt for the angler tank. And I would specifically get one that actively hunts rather than passively ambushes. Fascinating fish!! No offense to seahorse keepers, but I find them rather ordinary.

 

[namxas]

As a keeper of both SH and anglers, I say anglers as well. A nice A. maculatus (wartskin) would be perfect for that setup.

Besides needing food EVERY day, tropical SH need to be kept below 74*F, and I guarantee you a NC 28 will need a chiller.

I don't find SH ordinary, but they're a real PITA whenever you want to travel.

 

[HorsePower]

Angler! You will love feeding them! Always a joy when I go to feed mine!