seahorses in a 10 gallon tank

[Johnny]

I was wondering what would be involved in setting up a nano tank for 2 or 3 seahorses, and could it be done without alot of daily maintenance?

[matrixnyc]

I have tried 3 times to add seahorses to my tank, all 3 times they dies on me. I have been told that they are hard to maintain, and are suseptible to infections. Not sure if it is true, but if you have other fish in your tank, I would keep a close eye on them, and if they seem to be sick, I would remove them and put them into a Q-Tank.

What type of seahorse are you thinking of adding?

You can find some different ones here: SeaHorse (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=40)

I think all of the say Expert Only for the care level :)

Good luck

[phistio]

the hardest thing about seahorse tanks is flow and filtration...

you have to basically have a "flowless" tank, and it's near impossible to have good filtration with near-no flow.

[Johnny]

I was thinking of a 10 gallon for seahorses and live rock only (SHWLR :lol: :lol: :wink: ) I would need to do frequent water changes to keep water guality up without much water flow?

[matrixnyc]

If you are going to try to add the seahorses to the 10 gallon tank, I would try with one first and see how it goes for a couple of weeks, If you put 2 or 3 in the tank, and one gets sick, you can kill them all :(


Some copy from another site:

Choosing a Seahorse
Saltwater Species by: PetPlace Staff
Related Articles





Seahorses are difficult to raise in an aquarium. Photo courtesy of Sea World

Softly, with a nearly imperceptible rocking motion, seahorses ride the gentle reef currents, drifting from one coral head to another, or attaching themselves to sea fans waving in the liquid breeze. Appropriately named, seahorses are actually nothing more than upright swimming fish, classified among the bony fishes (teleosts), which includes most of the living fish species today. Their unique appearance and graceful style attract aquarists and under the best circumstances they can thrive in a well-established reef tank.

Seahorses are classified in the same family as pipefishes, sea dragons and pipe horses (Syngnathidae), the only family of vertebrates known in which the males – not the females – become pregnant. And if that isn’t odd enough, almost all species of seahorses are strictly monogamous, with a courtship and mating ritual that could be described as tender or even loving. A seahorse couple mates repeatedly and exclusively within and between the reproductive seasons. Throughout their life together, the pair reinforce their bond with elaborate greeting dances performed daily soon after dawn. The female swims to the male and both change color, promenading and pirouetting for several minutes. They then separate for the rest of the day.

When her eggs have developed, the female lays them at the entry of special brood pouches found on the male’s belly. The pouch seals shut and the pregnant male then fertilizes the eggs. He keeps them in his pouch until they’ve reached a relatively advanced stage of development. When the male is ready to give birth, contractions and jack-knife contortions eject the live young from the safety of their father’s pouch. The fry are miniature replicas of their parents, ranging in size from only 7 to 11 millimeters in length, but yet are fully independent from the moment of birth.

The morning after the male gives birth, the usual female greeting is intensified, becoming a full courtship that can last up to nine hours in which the couple mates again. Throughout their partnership, the couple ignore all other seahorses. Should their mate disappear, they are slow to seek a new partner.

Thirty Species of Seahorses

Only thirty species of seahorses are known, all classified into a single genus, Hippocampus, a Greek word meaning “bent horse.” They are found mainly in temperate and tropical waters (usually between 45 degrees N and S latitude), favoring coral reef, mangrove, sea grass and estuarine habitats. Their size can range anywhere from 20 millimeters (less than an inch), as in the newly discovered Australian species, Hippocampus minotaur, to 30 centimeters (over a foot) as in the large Pacific seahorse, Hippocampus ingens. The lifespan of these fish, of which little is known, is thought to range from about one year for smaller species to about four years for medium-sized and larger species.

Seahorses have eyes that move independently of each other, making it easier to spot their prey of small crustaceans (brine shrimp) and plankton, which they suck into their tube-like mouth with a rapid snap of their head. Having no stomachs, these creatures have voracious appetites to satisfy their inefficient digestive system. In the aquarium it is hard to get them to eat anything but live food.

Seahorses don’t have scales like other fish, but rather skin stretched over a series of bony plates, giving the belly and trunk its ringed appearance. Although most seahorses have a natural brownish, beige or even black color to match their surroundings, they change color during greetings and courtship, and also to hide from predators. Depending on the species, some seahorses can make themselves fluorescent orange to deep purple.

Seahorses Are Difficult to Raise in Aquarium

Before acquiring seahorses for your aquarium, consider that they are delicate and their numbers have been severely depleted by over-harvesting for traditional medical use in Asia, by being what fishermen call by-catch. These “extra” fish are caught in nets but have no economic value, and are finally taken by the aquarium trade. They are classified as “vulnerable,” on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Animals.

Because of the declining seahorse population and because these fish are so difficult to rear and care for in captivity, only experienced aquarists should undertake keeping them. Virtually all seahorses in pet stores have been caught in the wild. While efforts are underway to create seahorse farming and aquaculture in Southeast Asia, these are only small operations and not yet producing large numbers of the animals.

If you decide you are ready to keep seahorses, make certain you determine which species you will be getting in order to match its habitat needs. The tank needs to be large, at least 25 gallons. You must also be able to provide live food – artemia and ghost shrimp – a least twice a day. If you keep them well, you’ll be rewarded with a truly unique aquarium experience, a chance to see them breed, and the extraordinary sight of the birth of their young.

[Blodlizrd]

I was thinking about the possibility of having some Sea Horses in my 10 refugium once I get it set up. They would be seperate from the inhabitants in the main tank and could cling to the macroalgea that I am going to put in the fuge. I can't claim credit for the idea though... I got it from Salt Creep. He has a web site at http://kensreef.tripod.com/reef2.htm. Unfortunatly some Aptasia Anemones got to his horses while he was out of town... :(

[Zack]

hmmmmm, sounds like a good idea, I mean it has food ( but most seahores are meat eaters), low water movment!

[HoopsGuru]

Dwarf Seahorses (Hippo. zostrae) are really the only horses in danger from water flow because they are so tiny. And adjustable HOB filter works well to reduce the flow for the larger species. Refugiums are becoming popular places to have a small collection of horses.

IMO, a 10g tank is not a good tank for seahorses. They can grow quite tall and thus they need higher tanks. I would say that the 16g with the same footprint as the 10g should be the minimum tank to start with.

They are not impossible to keep but do require attention, just like any other successful saltwater setup. It is best to buy captive raised horses from reputable online companies like Ocean Rider because they have been raised completely on frozen PE Mysis shrimp.

Dwarf seahorses are easier to keep but have drawbacks due to their small size. A 10g tank is actually far too big for them. They require very low flow because of their small size, but this doesn't mean that your water quality has to suffer. A sponge filter would do nicely. The major drawback with dwarfs is that they need to be fed live baby brine shrimp, so a hatchery must be maintained and new food added constantly.

I have been researching seahorses exclusively for 6 months in preparation for getting some dwarfs so the info is fresh in my mind. I would be glad to answer any more direct questions you may have.

[phistio]

a little off topic, but...

i'm sure zack will agree that seattle aquarium has an awesome seahorse tanks...

i think one's a 300g cylinder tank with all dragons!!! wow!!! :shock: if memory serves me some of those dragons were some 24"-28" long!!!

now that's a seahorse tank...

[Zack]

Phisto
yes it is a really cool seahorse tank!! If you ever out here go and take a look. Yes the biggest dragon seahorse is like 23"!!!!!! IT IS SO COOL!

[areefer]

If your going with larger seahorses I would go with a 20gal tank. I have a mated pair of Pixies from Ocean Rider in a 10gal tank no live rock plastic saltwater plants decorative coral 50 watt heater w/ protective cover, under gravel filter,crushed coral. Doing fine gonna get a few more. Ocean Rider sends out instruction guides with your horses plus you can email them with any question you have they are very helpful.


Good Luck!

[BigFish]

It is not recomended to have seahorses in a tank smaller than 30g also if you do pt them in a 10g make sure you have great water qual. They will also need alot of little branchy things to hold onto. If you do still buy them no fish should be put into the tank seahorses eat slower than fish so usually in a fish tank they sarve. Also buy captive bread this will help to make sure they dont get infected.

[Zack]

make sure they eat frozen 8)

[HoopsGuru]

The minimum requirement for seahorses is 20g, however, bigger is better indeed. I would also recommend anyone have them in a dedicated tank only....most people are not willing to put out the long term commitment to feed the tank in different locations to ensure they get their share. I would not recommend "trying 1". They are social animals not solitary ones. Also remember that seahorses do not have stomachs so they will have to be fed a lot...frequently. Factor this in to how active your lifestyle is, as these animals can not hang out for a vacation waiting for you to return to feed them and keep their water quality high. If you can't provide their needs, please pass on them, there are many other fish just as cool.

[matrixnyc]

I have also heard that seahorses are very prone to infection and can contaminate a tank and kill all you other live stock. Another reason to keep them in a dedicated tank.

Never heard about the no stomachs in the seahorse, you learn something new everyday :)

[HoopsGuru]

Yep, this is why if you would see seahorse poop, it looks much like it did going in. It passes through the digestive system very rapidly.

I don't know if I would label them "prone" to infection as much as just sensitive indicators of poor water quality. They are just not an fish that you can decide not to do a water change for a few months with.