Keeping Seahorses
- Thread starter keith20
- Start date
No. They'll survive in normal aquarium temperature. The reason for the lower temps is a lot of the bacteria that will harm them also multiplies at around 75+. So the temp doesn't harm them but the results of the temp does. Depends on the species but most of them you want between 72-74 and that usually requires a chiller. Another issue is putting them in a refugium in the first place. They really want a tall tank, most refugiums aren't that tall or are large enough to hold them.
wdt2000
Member
It will also depend on what other fish you intend to keep.
Two links that show what's safe. Remember that you've got to check your corals too. I'd trust the first link a bit more.
http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/tankmates.shtml
http://www.fusedjaw.com/aquariumcare/seahorse-tankmates-whats-safe-whats-not/
http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/tankmates.shtml
http://www.fusedjaw.com/aquariumcare/seahorse-tankmates-whats-safe-whats-not/
Well, they live in areas with lots of macro algae and to be honest if you can get a tank to do that it looks great. Personally, I can't grow the stuff to save my life although corals grow just fine in my tank. The only thing out of the ordinary for their tanks is they prefer taller tanks so they have vertical space to swim.
jeff@zina.com
New member
Plastic plants do fine for seahorse hitches, choose ones that look similar to sea grasses. Seahorses do not like lots of flow, they need fairly quiet waters to swim. The issues with tank mates are twofold. First is that they can't swim away from a predator. Second is worse, they can't compete for food with most fish. The ideal tank mates are pipe fish.
Jeff
Jeff
This "LOW FLOW" requirement is an old condition.
Now it is accepted to have a tank with low, medium, and even high areas of flow for a seahorse tank.
As long as you have hitches in each of the low and medium flow areas so they can choose where they wish to be at any given time, you will be ok.
Many people keep seahorses in tanks with ten to fifteen times flow.
Pipefish are not always a good choice because they are almost all wild caught and many times pass on pathogens to the seahorses that they are unable to deal with.
However, this possibility exists with any fish that hasn't been bred and raised in the same facility that the seahorses have been in.
Now it is accepted to have a tank with low, medium, and even high areas of flow for a seahorse tank.
As long as you have hitches in each of the low and medium flow areas so they can choose where they wish to be at any given time, you will be ok.
Many people keep seahorses in tanks with ten to fifteen times flow.
Pipefish are not always a good choice because they are almost all wild caught and many times pass on pathogens to the seahorses that they are unable to deal with.
However, this possibility exists with any fish that hasn't been bred and raised in the same facility that the seahorses have been in.
cside
New member
I've never kept seahorses, but with pipefish food can be challenging. I began feeding my pipefish with live brine but gradually got them to eat frozen mysis. it is important to have a source of live brine nearby just in case. As far as compatability, slow moving blennies or gobies worked fine with me as well as a bangai cardinal. Mandarins should definitely be avoided. As for corals, mushrooms are fine and so are zoas and palythoas. I have noticed that pipefish definitely enjoyed macroalgae, and that low water flow is essential as i have lost a pipefish due to the water flow
Don't forget to seahorse proof the intake of anything you use in the tank itself.
I use Hagen 802's with quick filter attachments on the intake.
(I think now they are called Aquaclear's)
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