slickace17
New member
I currently have a 75 gallon tank that has a maroon clownfish flame hawkfish two damsels I was wanting to know can I put a pair of seahorses in there
what fish can coexist with seahorses
- Thread starter slickace17
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MondoBongo
Obligate Feeder Obsessed
seahorse do not mix well with fish for several reasons.
one is pathogen introduction. captive bred, i do hope you're getting captive bred, can pick up nasties from fish.
additionally, aggressive fish like maroon clowns and damsels can beat up on seahorses. i would also be very concerned about that hawkfish potentially trying to eat them.
also, seahorses are easily injured and need relatively low flow. no open grate pumps.
they also do much better in taller tanks, as opposed to wide tanks. they like room to rise.
the temperature is another concern. seahorses should generally be kept at lower temps than reef/fish tanks to help inhibit the growth of bacteria that can cause infections.
all this means that if you're going to do seahorses, you need a species only tank that is its own enclosed system.
one is pathogen introduction. captive bred, i do hope you're getting captive bred, can pick up nasties from fish.
additionally, aggressive fish like maroon clowns and damsels can beat up on seahorses. i would also be very concerned about that hawkfish potentially trying to eat them.
also, seahorses are easily injured and need relatively low flow. no open grate pumps.
they also do much better in taller tanks, as opposed to wide tanks. they like room to rise.
the temperature is another concern. seahorses should generally be kept at lower temps than reef/fish tanks to help inhibit the growth of bacteria that can cause infections.
all this means that if you're going to do seahorses, you need a species only tank that is its own enclosed system.
slickace17
New member
Thanks... I just want to do a really exotic tank
slickace17
New member
My clownfish is mostly docile tho but I'll rake the damsels back
MondoBongo
Obligate Feeder Obsessed
tank mates are only one concern. seahorses need to be kept in their own dedicated setups to live successfully.
there are plenty of other possibilities with corals and fish if you don't want a dedicated seahorse only setup, but please, if you're going to do seahorses, do them right.
there are plenty of other possibilities with corals and fish if you don't want a dedicated seahorse only setup, but please, if you're going to do seahorses, do them right.
FinzAquatics
New member
I think you can mix quite a bit in with seahorse contrary to typical belief. The biggest thing is making sure they have an opportunity to feed every day without being bullied by the other fish..
In my seahorse tank I have 2 dottyback, 2 clownfish, and 2 gobies... All of which are fish that are not typically recommendedas tank mates.... Oh well... They are doing perfect... My seahorses eat everyday without any problems, and half my males our carrying eggs..
So in my opinion, don't worry about sticking to the rules exactly to the book. People like to make seahorses seem overly needy with their environment. Just make sure they can hunt food successfully and that they are not getting bullied by the other tank mates..
I once saw someone keep seahorses with a dwarf lion??? Against normal belief... YES. But it works for that person!
In my seahorse tank I have 2 dottyback, 2 clownfish, and 2 gobies... All of which are fish that are not typically recommendedas tank mates.... Oh well... They are doing perfect... My seahorses eat everyday without any problems, and half my males our carrying eggs..
So in my opinion, don't worry about sticking to the rules exactly to the book. People like to make seahorses seem overly needy with their environment. Just make sure they can hunt food successfully and that they are not getting bullied by the other tank mates..
I once saw someone keep seahorses with a dwarf lion??? Against normal belief... YES. But it works for that person!
vlangel
Premium Member
I agree that there are set ups for seahorses that are working contrary to the recommendations however there are also folks who tried to do things that are contrary to the recommendation and it ended badly for their seahorses. I know because 10 years ago I was one of those people. If you want the best chance of success for your seahorses to thrive I would stay within the boundaries of what is recommended for them regarding tankmates, temperature, ect...
On the subject of which fish are typically suitable for seahorse tanks, cardinalfish (notably, bangaii cardinals), gobies, pipefish, blennies, basslets, dartfish, and other small/very peaceful fish are generally fine.
Since the introduction of any other fish increases the likelihood that your seahorse will be infected by some foreign pathogen (and in turn, the likelihood that it will die), you should be very careful the source of your fish. Don't mix wild-caught tankmates with captive-bred seahorses (and vice versa), if at all possible. Ideally, you should try to get your seahorses and their tankmates from the same breeder. To that end, I recommend getting both tankmates and seahorses from either Ocean Rider or ORA. ORA has a variety of suitable, peaceful tankmates to choose from, and they seem to have a lot of H. Kuda in stock, right now. Ocean Rider offers several different species of seahorses and for tankmates, they offer captive bred banded pipefish and bangaii cardinalfish.
If you do decide to go through with it, good luck!
Since the introduction of any other fish increases the likelihood that your seahorse will be infected by some foreign pathogen (and in turn, the likelihood that it will die), you should be very careful the source of your fish. Don't mix wild-caught tankmates with captive-bred seahorses (and vice versa), if at all possible. Ideally, you should try to get your seahorses and their tankmates from the same breeder. To that end, I recommend getting both tankmates and seahorses from either Ocean Rider or ORA. ORA has a variety of suitable, peaceful tankmates to choose from, and they seem to have a lot of H. Kuda in stock, right now. Ocean Rider offers several different species of seahorses and for tankmates, they offer captive bred banded pipefish and bangaii cardinalfish.
If you do decide to go through with it, good luck!
