Thinking of Sea Horse Need advice

[Duce]

I have a 40G breeder...current fish stock...Royal Gramma and Blue Accessor and a Pipe Fish (not sure the exact type..orange front and dark blue body) Plus a cleaner shrimp.
I saw a few light orange sea horse at the LFS and would really like to try a pair.
However the tank do have a few scolys, aussie acans and aussie lobos... A yellow finger corals.
It has a K2 and 3 MJ on a RS WaveMaster
My questions are...
This setup is not suitable for sea ponys?
Apparently these sea ponys are captive rasied and eat frozen mysis. But do they need to be fed everyday? I do take vacation and have biz trip that last couple of weeks at time so feeding them frozen everyday will be difficult...
Should I leave the ponys at the store?

[hydroid]

please leave them at the store ... you are not quite ready for them.

A 40G Breeder isn't a good tank for most available seahorses. It is low by design and seahorses require more height than width.

You should not mix syngnathid species (seahorse and pipefish). They are carriers of disease and can cross-infect each other.

You didn't say what size MJs but I suspect three of them creating turbulence it will probably be too much for seahorses. seahorses require a more gentle water movement.

The cleaner shrimp isn't a good choice, imo. They can stress a seahorse by trying to clean it.

Also, if the LFS can only say they are orange, they probably aren't truely captive bred ... if they were the LFS would know the species by scientific name.

BTW, Your pipefish sounds like a Janss pipe.

If you really want seahorses, do a little more research and set up an appropriate tank. Seahorses are an incredible animal but they don't do well without the proper setup.

Good Luck,

Todd

[Duce]

Thanks for the feedback
The LFS likely knows the species but I just didn't ask...

[ann83]

Duce,
Also, seahorses have to be fed daily; actually usually at least twice daily. They have no stomach and a very short digestive tract so they cannot go without food for more than 4 days without their entire digestive system shutting down; starving to death even if they are fed after that point. A fish sitter would definitely be needed, as it would be dangerous for them to go more than 24 hours without food. That aside, I agree with hydroid that they would need a dedicated setup, without pipefish and with more gentle flow.

[Duce]

Thanks ann83...
I've decided to leave them at the store....I just don't think I can provide the care they need.