Seahorse questions

[kouriki]

Do sea horses have to be kept by themselves or is it ok to put one in a tank with a few small fish? I have a 10 gallon tank with 2 damsel fish, a purple pseudochromis, a dragonette, 3 different anenomes, and a very small horseshoe crab. I really want a small seahorse but I don't have the equipment to set up another tank just for one seahorse. If it is ok, what would be the best kind of seahorse to get?

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by Kouriki
Do sea horses have to be kept by themselves or is it ok to put one in a tank with a few small fish? I have a 10 gallon tank with 2 damsel fish, a purple pseudochromis, a dragonette, 3 different anenomes, and a very small horseshoe crab. I really want a small seahorse but I don't have the equipment to set up another tank just for one seahorse. If it is ok, what would be the best kind of seahorse to get?
Seahorses are a Tank Only Species. They are slow eaters are tank mates most often eat everything leaving no food for the seahorses. Also seahorses stress out very easily. All the animals you name above are huge negatives for tank mates with seahorses, especially the anemones. I really like the way Monalisa(Lisa) stocks her seahorse tank.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/273444/pics-of-my-girls

 

[kouriki]

What would be the minimum tank size for a small seahorse? I only want one. I have a smaller tank, maybe 5 gallons. Would that be ok? If so, how would I go about setting it up? Is it like a regular tank or is there something special needed?

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by Kouriki
What would be the minimum tank size for a small seahorse? I only want one. I have a smaller tank, maybe 5 gallons. Would that be ok? If so, how would I go about setting it up? Is it like a regular tank or is there something special needed?
The only type of seahorses you can keep in small tanks are dwarf seahorses(ponies). Any seahorse(I call horses) needs a tank that is twice as high as it is long when it is full grown.
Kuda: 8 inches snout to tail tip when full grown
so tank needs to be at least 20 inches tall.
Seahorses are also community fish...they do not do well at all alone. Seahorses do much better in groups. When my biggest male pony's mate died...Titan sat on the sand bed in the corner for over a week. He was miserable. He was in a 15 gallon with 5 of his kids. When the new pony order came in, and I released the new ponies, Titan made a "B" line for the first new horse he saw!
Just, curious, how long have you kept salt water fish? What size tanks to you have available?

 

[teresaq]

I agree. a 15 tall would be bare min for one horse, but they are social creatures and should be kept with at least one other. I suggest a 29 gal. You can keep small gobies such as clown gobies, and neons. one of the freshwater 29 gal kits are fine for horses. A tank, filter, power head, sand and rock, hitches all that is really needed, as long as you can keep the water stable.
My set up is tank, two small power heads, and a canister filter.

 

[zeke92]

i have a watchman goby with my kellogi and they do great. any small gobies especialy sand sifters and borrowers are fine. and SOME blennies.
read The Archive thread i made and it shows TeresaQ's post on compadable fish and invertebrates.
pipefish are great fish to go with horses btw.

 

[kouriki]

I have a lot of unused tanks actually. I kinda collected them over the years lol. Let's see....2 one gallon tanks (one has brine shrimp in it), 3 ten gallon tanks (one freshwater and one salt water), a 5 gallon tank, and one 55 gallon tank. I've only had my saltwater tank running for about 4 months now. I don't plan on getting a seahorse any time soon. I was just a thought.

 

[teresaq]

Your 55 gal would make a wonderful seahorse tank. you could keep horses, and small gobies.

 

[zeke92]

i got a yellow watchman goby, 2 kellogis, and a janss' pipefish in my 55g. lots of possibilities.