Sea Horse Starter Tank

[iwun1]

I have never had a seahorse before and i would like to change that. Recently i purchased an octopus tank but i decided i would get seahorses so the tank should have plenty of filtration and supplies because it is suited for an octopus (octopuses need 3x the normal tank).Right now my only questions are how many seahorses should i get in a 55 gallon tank (not the seahorses that need a tall tank because it ins't that tall)?What should i feed them?I think i would go with copepods but how many do i need and how fast will they breed because i thinking about buying a lot to start and letting them breed to feed the seahorses?
That's all for now-thank you for your help.

 

[bender77]

You need to start by reading these links, then asking questions from there
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/301907/sh-tank-basics
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/348070/seahorse-species-and-basic-needs

 

[iwun1]

i did read those thats why i asked those questions.

 

[teresaq]

in a 55 gal you could have up at least 3 pairs. Erectus or Reidi.
Do you plan on any fish?? (see compatibility chart)
as far as feeding, all horses are going to need to be fed frozen mysis twice a day. Copods are just not enough. They are just too small.
buy only captive bred horses that are eatting frozen.

 

[iwun1]

Do you know what kind of pipefish would go well with thos seahorses? And if i do get pipefish should i still only get 3 pairs of pipefish/seahorses or 3 seahorses and 3 pipefish.

 

[iwun1]

In addition, if i get fish with the seahorses will that effect how many seahorses i can get?

 

[novahobbies]

Hmm. Well first of all, I know you said you read the stickies, but I suggest you go back and read them again...your pipefish issue is addressed in them. Not razzin on you, just pointing out that you may have missed some info if you missed that.
To answer your questions:
First, it is generally recommended that you keep pipefish and seahorses separate. Seahorses that are captive bred are very suseptible to the parasites and pathogens that will come in on wild caught pipefish. Many of us have tried to keep them together, most often with sad results in the end. I myself had a dragonface pipe in with my horses, and he didn't last too long...he went off of his frozen food, then passed away. And to be bluntly honest, I had a massive vibrio infection sweep through the entire tank less than 6 months after the pipe died. No, I can't and won't say for sure that it was the pipefish that was a carrier, but I also won't rule out the possibility. I've changed my opinion about these guys, and unless I know for certain that the pipefish was captive bred, I wouldn't add it to a seahorse tank. If you really want pipes, you should consider a separate tank for them completely.
Second, yes of course the fish bioload will affect the number of seahorses you can keep! A seahorse is a fish, just a weird one. If it was MY 55 gallon tank, I would consider 4 seahorses and 2-3 small docile fish. If you're set on 3 pairs of seahorse, I don't know if you should add much in the way of teleost fishes to the mix....maybe a firefish or two. 6 horses are going to create a heavy bioload as it is. Hope this helps!!

 

[iwun1]

Would it be a good idea to buy a couple thousand copepods now and add them to the tank? I wont be adding the seahorses to my tank for awhile so i thought this may be a way to have alot of them.
Also, i just wanted you to know for any suggestions that my tank has ALOT of filtration because i was planning on getting an octopus (3 times the filtration of a normal tank). Will this effect how much i can add to the tank?
Lastly, Would the plants sold here be good for the seahorses?

 

[teresaq]

seahorse cant be fed just copods. They need frozen mysis a couple times a day.
Do not mix wild caught pipes with captive bred horses. They can pass on pathogen that will kill them.
as far as what can go in tank. I have two pairs of erectus, a pearly jawfish and a scooter blenny. I would not add another pair of horses.. mine is a 58 gal but only 3 ft long. They use every bit of space. These 4 move around a lot. I would like to add a pair of bangii though.
as far as filteration, just be sure you dont have too strong of flow. they need a well dispursed gentle flow. I always suggest spray bars with lrg holes.
T

 

[reefnutpa]

I'm not familiar with the octopus tank you have, however I did have an octopus for a little over a year
With that said, 3x the filtration means nothing except your water will be exceptionally clear. It will not remove the excess phosphates and nitrates caused by the food/juice/huuuuge poops of the seahorses. So no, it will not allow you to keep a higher number of inhabitants.
As far as feeding.... you need to understand. Many of my Erectus are 6" or so. A copepod is the size of a pinhead. They don't even give them a second look - they are not food to them.
Do a lot more reading/research. Captive Bred seahorses are trained to eat frozen mysis shrimp, which is what the majority feed. An occassional treat of live gut-loaded AQUACULTURED small ghost shrimp, etc is a great treat. Note that I said AQUACULTURED. NEVER EVER feed wild shrimp to your seahorses which can be bought on that big auction site and from some online vendors.
Additionally, as already mentioned, you take a huge risk mixing pipefish and captive bred seahorses. If you're willing to lose your entire investment, then by all means continue with your plans. Otherwise, nix the pipefish.
Remember to keep the tank temp no higher than 74F max. Depending on where you're located, a chiller may be needed. Then again, since octopus also need cool water, maybe your tank already has a chiller built in.
Whatever you decide, seahorses are a fun hobby. Best of luck!
Tom

 

[iwun1]

Currently i have a protien skimmer on the tank is this necessary for seahorses because it didnt list it in the equipment list for seahorses. Will it atleast help or is it total overkill?

 

[reefnutpa]

IMO, skimmers on seahorse tanks are a must.
Tom