SeaHorse ?

[reefin geek]

I just picked up a 10 gallon nano. Great deal

- Live rock , light, filter, corals, coral banded shrimp, blood shrimp, and a large red leg hermit...$50.00

:eek1:

.

Just had to convince the wife that we need another tank

Question is...Can I keep a seahorse with the shrimps?

I plan on doing more research, and not just jumping into this. I am familiar with reef keeping and also the difficulty of keeping a seahorse so please no flames. I just need the advice. I also plan on purchseing a tank raised horse.

Thanks in advance.

 

[davelin315]

I don't think it's a good idea. The banded coral shrimp and the fire shrimp are both cleaners (although the banded coral shrimp can also be more aggressive) and will annoy your sea horse to the point where it does not eat in such a small environment, IMO. Also, they may just decide to eat him, although I find that highly unlikely.

 

[JennM]

Short answer: yes you can.

Longer answer: Should you? Maybe.

I've kept peppermint shrimps with my horses, but if you get bigger horses (H. kuda, H. reidi etc), if the shrimps are small enough, they WILL become dinner. If the shrimps are big enough, they should be fine, and actually a pair of cleaners (I would skip the coral banded...too mean) would probably produce some seahorse snacks.

10 gallon is doable for seahorses but they prefer a tank with more height than length, and you might want to give that some thought too. Also, depending on where you get your horses, they can be challenging (but rewarding) at best. I've got mine in a 37 and I started with them in a 25. If you buy wild caughts, they can cost a small fortune to feed at first...ghost shrimps can get expensive! I got mine trained now to eat frozen food, PE MYSIS, but it took 3 months to coax my female H. reidi to accept it. The others took to it relatively quickly. I also have lots of live food in my tank, copepods and amphipods proliferate in the refugium, so my horses can snack all day.

EDIT: Just noticed on your list, LARGE RED HERMIT....that would have to go, as it will pinch the horse's tail (or worse) for sure.

Also horses do better in pairs or groups. If you don't want babies, or the possibility of pouch bloat, get a couple of females. The do better with more of their kind.

HTH

Jenn

[ September 20, 2001: Message edited by: JennM ]

 

[Chucker]

One of the best places on seahorse husbandry out there right now- http://www.seahorse.org/