Seahorse tankmates?

[jetajockey]

We decided to set up a 29g and make it into a seahorse tank. It's cycling now with a bit of live rock along with some macroalgae.

Any suggestions on good tankmates for a couple of seahorses? We are hoping to get pygmy seahorses but may end up with H.erectus instead, depending on what we find when we go hunting.

I really like mandarin gobies so that's one thing I had in mind, but haven't settled on anything yet.

Thanks! =]

 

[Beengirl]

I've read a few places that seahorses should be in a species-only tank or only kept with pipefish. They are too slow to compete for food and will starve. Pipefish are also very slow. That's all I know.

 

[bettaowner]

Gobies would be good too.

 

[jetajockey]

Thanks for the reply. I'm planning to spot feed them with BBS and hopefully train them to frozen mysis. They'll be wild caught so I'm already planning around them being picky eaters.

 

[bettaowner]

Corals or shrimps are the only other thing I can think of. Sticklebacks are an option I believe.

 

[Mrc8858]

I would stay away from any copepod hunters. You could get slow algae grazing gobies and clowns can work also. The only thing I think you may need to rethink is your live rock. I cycled mine with 100% dead acro skeletons because from what I understand an environment suitable for seahorses is ideal for hydroids also which are on almost every piece of LR and can do serious damage to the slow moving seahorse stressing them to death. (my GFs 20 gallon extra high)

 

[obscurereef]

Get a dragonet (the mandarin), pipefish, and jawfish! They are docile so they'll do well in a tank like that!

 

[jetajockey]

I would stay away from any copepod hunters. You could get slow algae grazing gobies and clowns can work also. The only thing I think you may need to rethink is your live rock. I cycled mine with 100% dead acro skeletons because from what I understand an environment suitable for seahorses is ideal for hydroids also which are on almost every piece of LR and can do serious damage to the slow moving seahorse stressing them to death. (my GFs 20 gallon extra high)

That's interesting, I had no idea, I'll have to start digging around.

 

[Mrc8858]

Get a dragonet (the mandarin), pipefish, and jawfish! They are docile so they'll do well in a tank like that!

A mandarin will decimate a pod population in that size tank in a week or two especially with fellow copepod hunters in the tank (seahorses which are the centerpiece of the tank)

 

[bettaowner]

That's what I was thinking. The stickle back would be the biggest fish I'd add.

 

[obscurereef]

Well yes the seahorse would be competing with the mandarin, but it would be best if it was trained to eat frozen food. Otherwise, I would probably not get one...Are you going to have corals &/or macroalgae in the aquarium? Or just rock & decoration?

 

[jetajockey]

Macroalgae only and decor. No corals whatsoever. Quite likely a thick bed of shoal grass.

I wouldn't add a mandarin unless I have the seahorses on live bbs/frozen mysis first and have maintained a well stocked refugium or alternate pod growing tank.

 

[obscurereef]

Sounds awesome. I'd love to see how this comes along