Horses and Clams

[Unlikely_Hero]

I don't recall hearing anything against having them together, but the seahorse.org tank mates list has them listed as one of the "gamble" invertebrates.

I was wondering if anyone knew exactly why the two shouldn't be kept together?

 

[ReefNutPA]

Have you seen the various pics floating around RC showing fish caught/squashed when the clam closed on them? Imagine a slow moving seahorse dragging it's tail across a clam - and it closes. Not a pretty thought.

Tom

 

[Unlikely_Hero]

Ah, understood. I have to admit, I didn't think about that aspect at all.

 

[Fredfish]

Have you seen the various pics floating around RC showing fish caught/squashed when the clam closed on them?

Really? I have never seen a picture or heard of a first hand account of this happening.

Clams close as a defensive mechanism to avoid becoming prey. Seahorses don't generally move that quickly.

Fred

 

[pledosophy]

Clams will close if a seahorse drags it's tail across the mantle. there have been a few different keepers here in the past who have shared there experiences to that affect.

Since a seahorse is slow moving, they have no chance of escape.

On the other site mentioned there is a long thread in the tank mates forum to the safety of keeping the two species together with various pictures. It's worth the read.

 

[dustybuddy]

its pretty nasty when that happens. i dunremember who put someone lost an imperator angelfish to a derasa right after he bought it.

 

[Swanwillow]

why we say don't keep things with seahorses:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=189538&perpage=25&pagenumber=4
pics on page 4

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=796370

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=620267&perpage=25&pagenumber=2