is this compatible tank for a seahorse?

[VinceS]

Hello all,

the tank is 75 gallons
under double smartlite pc, two vho powerglo, marineglo flourscent
70 lbs of live rock
3 inchs of live sand
few hard corals; sun polyps, bubble coral
soft corals and few mushrooms
fish: (2)firefish, (2)mated pair of yellow stripped anemonefish, (1)bangaii cardinal, (1)mandarin, (1)flame dwarf angel

would this be compatible for a seahorse? - Vince

[Airel]

Hi Vince,
With just a few changes, your tank will be just fine for horses. No stinging corals. You would have to remove any corals that may sting the horses.

Your firefish, Bangaii Cardinal and mandarin will all be great tankmates. The clowns and angel may prove to be problems. I am not at all saying they wouldn't work out. Just be leary. Only you know the personality of your fish. I have a pair of Percs in my reef that I wouldn't dream of putting with my horses. They are very aggressive. Others keep percs successfully with horses. If your clowns and angel are not aggressive, then they may work out just fine.

You may could try the old trick of rearranging all of your LR to create a new home for everyone. That way their are no claimed grounds and the horses wouldn't be the "new kids on the block". Just a suggestion.

HTH,
DeAnne :D

[VinceS]

No stinging corals, that is a great disappointment. I guess seahorses just wander into the stinging corals?

About the agressiveness of other fish toward the seahorse, I was thinking of putting the seahorses in first before any other introduction of fish. So the seahorses can get their "territories" settled out before any new fish comes in. Would this work? This have worked for me in cichild keeping so I'm wondering if the concept would work with seahorses as well.

Thank you so much for replying to my post. I was scared that no one would actually answer. - Vince

[Airel]

Hi Vince,
LOL...I will answer. It may take me a few days to get to it...but I WILL answer!!!!

Yes, horses will wander into stining corals. They live in a world ALL of their own not paying much attention to what's around them. They will hitch onto anything and everything. IME, they know no fear. This is not to say that you can't try stinging corals and have excellent success. I just don't think it's worth the risk. That's why most of us reefers/seahorse keepers have 2 or more tanks!!!

You can also try your idea of adding the horses first and then fish. Remember to add calm fish!! The more aggressive, fast swimming fish you add the less you will see your horses. IME, activity slows with the addition of fast fish.

HTH,
DeAnne :D

[SeaNemesis]

My stand is a bit different on the stinging corals. I feel that in a 75 gal tank you can keep a couple stinging corals on the other end of the tank. Although seahorses will swim about they seem to have a favorite side of the tank and that is usually where the heater is. Put some really good hitching posts on one end of the tank.

[VinceS]

Hmm... I think I like you.

No offense to Ariel;

I don't have a heater running right now but my water temp still stays around 78. Hot around here at this time.

[Airel]

Hi Vince,

No offense taken. I'm afraid Alisa and I will have to agree to disagree on this one!! We had a case at Seahorse.org of a horse that was paralyzed by a stinging coral. I've had a reef tank for going on 3 years and a seahorse tank for going on 2 years. I've seen what agressive corals can do. There is a thread that I will find and provide you the l ink for you to read when I have time to search for it.

I will also have to disagree on the horses staying basically in one section of the tank. Horses are EVERYWHERE in the tank. This is of course my experience. I have a 45 gal. and they are all over it. I have a friend with a 110 gal and they are all over his tank also.

Just my experience,
DeAnne :D

[Leslie]

Hi Vince,

I know I don't have much credibility here as you all do not know me and I rarely post. I am a moderator on Seahorse.org and have been successfully keeping seahorses for quite a while now. I have to respectfully disagree SeaNemesis whom I am sure you all love and trust and agree with De here.

I lost a seahorse to a stinging coral before I knew better. She was paralyzed and could only get around by scooting and sort of wiggling across the substrate. It was quite painful to watch her struggle. She hung in for a long time but eventually became to weak and had a more and more difficult time eating, despite all the special care to get the food to what ever nook and cranny she had secured her self into. For me its sad to lose any fish, but there is something even worse about the loss of a seahorse especially when it could have been preventable.

Seahorses are indiscriminate in their choices of hitching posts and can stay put for incredibly long periods of time. In addition when threatened they tend to hold tighter and curl into themselves rather than moving away. Plenty of time and opportunity to be victimized and injured by either nematocysts or chemical toxins from corals. Not worth the risk IMO.

I have 2 horse tanks and have several friends with horse tanks. IME they cruse ALL over the tank with no regard to what is where, no matter what size the tank is.

IMO the risk is far to great to keep any corals that either contain namatocysts or put out chemical toxins in a horse tank. That's why I have horse tanks and a reef. I would suggest if you really want horses and have to have the corals you mentioned you get a small tank and set that up with an appropriate environment for the horses that excludes all potential dangers. You can have a really nice horse coral in a 20 to 30gT or XT.

Here are a few threads you may find helpful from seahorse.org with posts from some far more reputable seahorse keepers than myself.


http://www.seahorse.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000356

http://www.seahorse.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000356

http://www.seahorse.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000476

http://www.seahorse.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=19&t=000045


I would skip the clowns and flame angel with the horses, unless you don't mind doing what ever it takes to seperate them if there is a problem. I have had to rip my tank down one to many times to get out a fish that I thought might be OK with my horses and turned out to be the not so perfect tankmate from hell!!

Hopefully I didn't step on any toes here, just tryin to save you and a horse from a potentially unpleasant experience. Good luck with your horses however you decide to proceed :)

Leslie

[VinceS]

Hello SassySeahorse55,

credibility doesn't really matter to me. I'm glad you and Airel stepped on my toe. Sounds like I might have made a big mistake. Not disagreeing with SeaNemesis; but after hearing what might happen, I will not put any hard corals in. Thanks again - Vince

[Leslie]

Hey Vince,

Your welcome. I hope I didn't step to hard. I started out with one horse tank and when I realized how big the marine world was out there and how restricted I was with my one small horse tank, I started filling up my living/dining room with tanks. I have 4 now.....2 for ponys, 1 FO and a naked reef. They are all on the small side. That way I can have the diversity I seem to crave. I just started the reef, so far its just a bunch of LR and a few fish.

Leslie