I have a 55g communtiy fish only aquarium with lots of good live rock and sand. Currently there are 2 heniouchus butterflys, coral beauty, six-line, some chromis and various tiny gobies. It is not a reef btw. My question is if I could put in a couple a seahorses with them. I have kept and succefully mated seahorses before, so i do know what i am doing. The only seahorses i would purchase would be ones trained to frozen or live blackworms. So let me know if you think this would work. I think it would make the tank very cool and unique. Also I have already purchased some live culepera just to fill the tank up a little bit. sry for the long post. Thanks
s/h with community fowlr
- Thread starter serty
- Start date
ReefNutPA
New member
Unfortunately, the angel is not a safe tankmate. The others would not harm the seahorses IMO, but are fast swimming fish which could stress the horses.
Honestly, while a varied diet is good, in all the years I've kept seahorses I've never heard of live blackworms as an accepted seahorse food as it's not close to any natural foodsource for them. But since you're experienced, I won't question your knowledge.
Personally, I'm much more comfortable setting up a tank specifically for seahorses. Perhaps adding a tankmate or two. I'm not a fan of introducing seahorses into a tank that was not set up for seahorses. Each person has their own preferences though.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Seahorses are awesome creatures.
Tom
Honestly, while a varied diet is good, in all the years I've kept seahorses I've never heard of live blackworms as an accepted seahorse food as it's not close to any natural foodsource for them. But since you're experienced, I won't question your knowledge.
Personally, I'm much more comfortable setting up a tank specifically for seahorses. Perhaps adding a tankmate or two. I'm not a fan of introducing seahorses into a tank that was not set up for seahorses. Each person has their own preferences though.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Seahorses are awesome creatures.
Tom
The fact that you do not know that your tank is unsafe for seahorses and you think that they can be fed live black worms leads me to the conclusion that you are not very knowledgable about seahorses.
Sorry but this is really not a good idea to add seahorses to your current tank. If you want to keep seahorses you should do some more research and set up a tank designed for their well being.
Bruce
Sorry but this is really not a good idea to add seahorses to your current tank. If you want to keep seahorses you should do some more research and set up a tank designed for their well being.
Bruce
Brock Fluharty
New member
I agree with Bruce. I don't think you know what you're doing if you think that those tank mates are acceptable, and that you can feed blackworms. I'm curious to hear how long your previous seahorses lasted...?
ok guys no need to get so mad. It was a question...and thats why I have not done it already. I kept a pair of brazilians for over a year until I tore the tank down. I also raised their babies for some up to a month. I was mistaken on the blackworms, that is what I feed my other fish. Plus you never know... And I was pretty sure that those tank mates were not gonna work but I have seen it done before. Also I work at a fish store and we carry seahorses, next time Ill try blackworms and see what they do.
It's a very touchy subject, the keeping of seahorses with tankmates that are not on the "approved" list.
My experience is that it can be done, with the EXTREMELY urgent caution that one should keep seahorses in a species only tank for at least six months before attempting any tank mate that does not have a known result.
Seahorses require some specific care and anyone who would like to keep them alive should concentrate on learning their needs and habits in a tank that is calm and focused on the horses, first.
Obviously, there are some fish that would be impossible for seahorses to live with; I would add your BFF to that list as well as the angel.
But there are also some nice fish that it would be possible to keep with horses.
OME.
My experience is that it can be done, with the EXTREMELY urgent caution that one should keep seahorses in a species only tank for at least six months before attempting any tank mate that does not have a known result.
Seahorses require some specific care and anyone who would like to keep them alive should concentrate on learning their needs and habits in a tank that is calm and focused on the horses, first.
Obviously, there are some fish that would be impossible for seahorses to live with; I would add your BFF to that list as well as the angel.
But there are also some nice fish that it would be possible to keep with horses.
OME.
Brock Fluharty
New member
I don't think anyone got mad. It's just that you seem over confident in yourself, which can be a bad thing. When I got my first tank, I was way too over confident, so I bought a TON of livestock for my 75 gallon, all at once. Another thing, we try to use the scientific names of seahorses, rather than common names. Too many common names out there 
Your "Brazilians" are H. reidi, which are pelagic fry, and do not hitch at birth. These are believe to be the hardest species to rear (as far as common species go anyway) so 1 month is really not bad, but it's not good. They need good flow to keep them from the surface of the water, or they could snick air and die. Set up a nice 30 gallon, and get a pir of erectus. They are nice, and they are easy to raise.
Your "Brazilians" are H. reidi, which are pelagic fry, and do not hitch at birth. These are believe to be the hardest species to rear (as far as common species go anyway) so 1 month is really not bad, but it's not good. They need good flow to keep them from the surface of the water, or they could snick air and die. Set up a nice 30 gallon, and get a pir of erectus. They are nice, and they are easy to raise.
pledosophy
Active member
Pelagic means they do not hitch from birth. It means they are free floating in the water column.
All seahorses are hard to raise, there is not an easy one.
Poniegirl, where in OR are you. We just moved to Beaverton
All seahorses are hard to raise, there is not an easy one.
Poniegirl, where in OR are you. We just moved to Beaverton
Brock Fluharty
New member
IMO, he did seem overconfident in saying that he had successfully raised fry to such and such a date, and had successfully kept his horses for a year or whatever. It has been said many, many times, and i'll sya it again. I can keep an erectus in a 10 gallon for a year. Does not mean that I am successful. I was being very polite to this member, and I do NOT believe that I called him arrogant. I'll reread my post and make sure I didn't though...
...
...
...
Nope, I didn't. I was letting him know that common names can often lead to misidentification, so we try to use the scientific names, such as erectus, reidi, kuda, ingens, etc. One exception is dwarfs. I have H. capensis, but i'm sure if I started calling them my Knysna seahorses, i'm sure people would think I was high or something. Once again, I was being very polite to him/her, and trying to help out. No need to bite my head off because you think something different.
...
...
...
Nope, I didn't. I was letting him know that common names can often lead to misidentification, so we try to use the scientific names, such as erectus, reidi, kuda, ingens, etc. One exception is dwarfs. I have H. capensis, but i'm sure if I started calling them my Knysna seahorses, i'm sure people would think I was high or something. Once again, I was being very polite to him/her, and trying to help out. No need to bite my head off because you think something different.
pledosophy
Active member
I grew up in Anaheim but spent much time in H.B, it was the hang out.
We moved here from Anaheim in August for work. Funny ka winky dink, my cousin moved from Huntington Beach to Medford a couple years ago. He goes to school in Ashland. What a small world.
Anyway if I can ever help you out with the horses give a holler.
