SeaHorse

[SJLord]

Ok, the subject says it all. I am trying to do what I ask everyone else to do, research! Ok, I want to know what experiences everyone has had with Seahorse's, I was thinking about getting a pair of them and putting them into my established Reef, but would like to know if this would work. I currently have a Carpet in the tank that eats just about everything I put into the tank, so if there is even a remote chance that they will get caught in the carpet, forget it! Im not going to have a death sentance for new members of my tank. Thanks for the input. ...


S

[dbman]

Are there other fish in the established tank? Everything I've heard suggests that seahorses simply cannot compete for food with any faster fish in the tank, and they end up becoming nervous and uncomfortable. They also can't handle high current which is usually required for a good reef tank. Fast moving water makes it very difficult for them to become comfy.

[eaglelox]

hey steven, dont know any thing about sea horses but wanted to say that everything made it alive including the toad stool. thank you again and your magnet will be coming. i think jennm is real heavy into seahorses, she would probably have a plethera of knowledge.

[Doug1]

Gotta concur with DB , Horses need a species tank and lots of patience Jenn is always waking me up in the wee hours ratting the brine tanks feeding her colts

[Drew]

I have been reading everything I can about seahorses in the last few weeks, and I decided that I am going to get them for the 45 gal. In fact, I ordered a pair of OR Mustangs and OR Sunbursts and they will be here next week. From what I have read they like a high tank, and they do better in groups. Tank bred seem much hardier than wild caught, and they are easier to feed also. Good luck.

Drew

[reefguy]

well, ocean rider seahorses are NOT purebred wild seahorses..in fact, these people have taken several of the most hardy seahorses and created a breed of seahorses that most of us can not only keep alive, but also encourage to flourish. these seahorses can live in almost ANY captive environment, but also, given the proper nutrition, can live long, prolific lives...HTH..

[Eric2OO2]

I browse this site every now and than and have decided that I should start posting here I've kept Ocean Rider seahorses in the past as well as other species. Currently I am keeping Dwarf Seahorses (H. Zoestrae) - Seahorses will not do well at all in your typical "Reef" enviroment. I also disagree with the fact that Ocean Riders can live in any captive enviroment. They need the same needs as other seahorses. Just beacause they are captive bred does not mean they could sustain a healthy life in the wrong habitat. Seahorses need very slow water movement in which most reef aquariums have high currents. They also prefer "tall" aquariums, mainly for breeding reasons. When Seahorses court and mate they rise up and down the water coloum several times, which makes the need for a tall swimming area. If you do decide to get seahorses it would be smart to setup a species aquarium for them. This would include filtration of live rock, live sand bed, and some other type of "low-flow" water output. I would not suggest putting seahorses in your current reef aquarium - It's not advisable to house ANY anemone's with seahorses. HTH and maybe I'll come back and add more later.

PS- www.seahorse.org is a great informative site for seahorses.

[SJLord]

Thank you all for your replies, I have decided that if I ever keep any seahorse's they will be in a separate setup. I would not intentionally add anything to my tank that would not make it. I unfortunately did not do this kind of research before purchasing my carpet, (who is the hardiest thing I have ever seen, contrary to most of the books)

Anyway, thank you all for your input.

Steven

[JennM]

Sorry I didn't see this thread before...I was busy rattling around with the brine pots

I concur with much of what's said except a few things. You'd be surprised at how much current they do like. As long as they have quiet places to rest and hitch....I've got loads of current at the top of my tank, and less movement at the bottom.

Anemones and horses definitely do NOT mix. Horses will use anything as a hitch, including an anemone, and we know what happens next

Ocean Riders are selectively bred H. erectus. They are not a new species/breed, they are just selectively bred. I started with ORs, lost them to a bacterial infection within 4 weeks. I've had my WC pair now for 7 1/2 months and they are breeding like mad. I'm finally figuring out how to care for and rear the young, I 've got 5 that are 3 weeks old today

Horses are best in a species tank, whether they be wild caught or captive propagated. They are vulnerable to more diseases than most fishes, and require diligent care and quality foods. ORs are weaned onto dead food, but I've trained my WCs onto frozen Mysis, and feed them a combination of PE Mysis, grass shrimp, ghost shrimp (FW) and Hawaiian red shrimps are a rare treat. Some species will eat live brine. My babies eat live baby brine, but the adults won't touch live brine. If I can rear my babies, I'll train them to frozen food too.

Hope this helps, even if it's a bit late....

Jenn

[Doug1]

Hey Eric, Welcome and thanks for the input
If there is enough interest I may ask Brooke to create a sea horse archive to save the threads relating to them and their cousins.
tag for archive

[JennM]

Count my vote for a Syngnathid archive!!!

Jenn