- Seahorses
- H. reidi
- H. erectus
- H. comes
- Invertebrates
- Shrimp
- Snails
- Crabs
- Sea Stars
- Urchins
- Fan Worms
- Anemones
- Dry Goods
- MH Bulbs
- MH Ballasts
- T5 Bulbs
- Foods & Supplements
- Custom Fish Tanks
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- Seahorses: The Rules
- Seahorses can only be kept with peaceful tank mates. That means no anemones, no aggressive fish (even a lot of relatively peaceful fish are not suitable), no stinging coral, no clams. That pretty lionfish you see at the store... He thinks seahorses are lunch!
- Seahorses can not stand high temperatures for long - H. reidi and H. comes are okay at 76-78F, but no higher. H. erectus and a variety of other species need to be kept at 72-75F. Pretty much all tropical and sub-tropical seahorses can also be kept at temperatures as low as 70-72F. Some species, such as H. breviceps and H. abdominalis should be kept at even lower temperatures. In general a seahorse tank needs to have a fan or some sort of chiller to keep the temperature down in the summer.
- Seahorses need to be fed once or twice a day and should be fed frozen mysis shrimp. They can go for a couple days without eating (like if you go away for the weekend) but if they go for 3-5 days without eating, they may stop eating altogether and starve to death even if they are given food again. Their digestive system is very rudimentary and after 4-6 days or so without food it atrophies and stops working properly!
- Unless you're are an experienced seahorse keeper, do NOT mix species. This means one specie of seahorse per tank. Do not mix wild caught and captive bred seahorses of the same species. Do not mix seahorses with pipefish. The reason why is all seahorses are carriers of Vibrio. Most seahorses are immune to the strain of Vibrio that they carry. Other seahorses may not be immune to that strain of Vibrio. When you introduce two different species of seahorses, they may be susceptible to the other's strain of Vibrio.
- Seahorses need tall tanks. The shortest tank we recommend for any full-size (non-dwarf) seahorse is 18" tall and 24"+ is much better. However, a problem with tall tanks is their volume to surface area ratio is not as good as a shallow tank's. Therefore it is important to have sufficient water flow and surface agitation for the seahorses without having too much flow.
- Seahorses: Stocking Recommendations
- The smallest tank we recommend for non-Dwarf seahorses is a 15 gallon tall, but even that should only be considered a temporary abode for juvenile or young adult seahorses. Even for a temporary or quarantine tank, we recommend no more than 4 seahorses in a 15 gallon tall.
- 2-6 Large Specie (such as H. reidi) or 2-8 Medium Specie (such as H. comes) Adults would be suitable for either a 29 Gallon (30x12x18) or 30XH (24x12x24) with the 30XH being a better size.
- 6-10 Lg Specie or 6-14 Md Specie would be fine in a 40XH (36x12x20) or 45 (36x12x24).
- 8-15 Lg Specie or 8-20 Md Specie would be fine in a 65 (36x18x24)
- 10-20 Lg Specie or 10-30 Md Specie would be fine in a 90 (48x18x24)
- In general a tank that is 3 times as tall as the length of the seahorse is recommended. So, an 8" long seahorse should have a 24" tall tank.
- We do not generally recommend Bio cubes or all in one tanks for seahorses as they can be difficult to keep the temperatures low enough for seahorses (for tropical seahorses, we recommend a maximum temperature of 76-77F, with lower temperatures (72-74F) being suitable as well. Because many of the pathogens that infect seahorses are more virulent at higher temperatures, we do not recommend temperatures over 78F for extended periods for any seahorses.
- Seahorses: Mixing Species
- The second most common question, after, "How many seahorses can I have in my tank?" Is, "Can I mix different species of seahorses and/or pipefish?" The easy answer is, "No. Do not do this ever." The slightly longer and more complex answer is, yes, maybe, but it is not recommended.
- All seahorses carry strains of Vibrio. In general, the carrier has some amount of resistance to the strain of Vibrio it is carrying. Other seahorses may not have any resistance to that strain of Vibrio. So, for example, to greatly simplify: Seahorse Specie A carries Vibrio A. Seahorse Specie B carries Vibrio B. Seahorse Specie A has no resistance to Vibrio B. Seahorse Specie B has no resistance to Vibrio A. When the two species are kept together, Specie A dies of Vibrio B and Specie B dies of Vibrio A.
- This may also be true of same species seahorses from different locations, or wild caught seahorses and captive bred seahorses. IE: A wild caught H. reidi will most likely have very different pathogens and immunities when compared to a captive bred H. reidi.
- Now, most forms of Vibrio multiply much more slowly at colder water temperatures. All of our customers that have had success combining species run their tanks at 70-72F. It is also possible that keeping multiple species at lower temperatures for a few months may enable the individual species to develop resistance to the other forms of Vibrio, which would allow the seahorses to then survive at higher (76-77F) temperatures without getting sick.
- Seahorses: Tank Mates
- In general, seahorses can be kept with most non-aggressive, non-territorial, not-super-active fish. In practice this is a fairly short list.. We recommend the following fish:
- Cardinal Fish (Pajama Cardinals, Banggai, Flame Cardinals..etc.)
Dart Fish/Firefish
Dragonets - Mandarins and Scooters
Various Gobies - Neon, Tiger, Diamond, Court Jester, Clown, Rainford - some large gobies may not be compatible!
Jawfish
Fairy Wrasses
Flasher Wrasses
Green Chromis
Tailspot Blenny
Anthias (smaller species)
Royal Gramma/Black Cap Basslet - with caution
True or False Percula - with caution, not recommended as they may become aggressive when older
- We do not recommend any tangs, although the Yellow Eye Kole Tang may be okay with large specie seahorses (Adult H. reidi) but may become aggressive as it gets larger.
- Some of the smaller blennies may be okay, but many of them become aggressive as they get larger.
- We have never had any trouble with any of the cleanup crew that we recommend, however seahorses really like to hitch to pencil urchins and juvenile seahorses can be trapped by their spines. We do not recommend pencil urchins with juvenile or young adult seahorses.
- Seahorses: Flow Requirements
- A common myth is that seahorses are extremely poor swimmers and need extremely low flow tanks. While seahorses do need non-turbulent tanks, high levels of even, laminar flow are very important in all marine tanks to keep low-oxygen areas (dead spots) from occuring. For seahorse tanks, we recommend a minimum of 20-30x tank volume in flow.
- For example, if you have a 45 gallon tank with a 300gph hour return pump from your sump, we recommend that you also add at least 2 MaxiJet 1200's (or equivalent) for a total flow of approximately 900 gallons per hour. Position the MJ1200's so that the provide circular flow rather than chaotic flow. Rather than aiming them at each other, have the two powerheads on the same side of the tank. Koralia 1's and 2's are also suitable powerheads for adult seahorses, but should be avoided with juveniles and young adults as they may hitch to them and injure their tails.
- Additionally, you should always have at least one pump/powerhead aimed at the surface of the tank - the surface of a marine tank should never be placid, it should always be at least somewhat turbulent as this will increase oxygen exchange which will help keep your pH up.
- Seahorses: Reef Compatibility
- Seahorses are compatible with virtually all SPS and soft corals. They are incompatible with virtually all LPS coral and should never be kept with Anemones or Clams.
- A soft coral reef is a great environment for a seahorse. SPS reefs are also suitable for seahorses as long as there are shaded areas where they can go to get out of the light - most seahorses are more comfortable with lower lighting levels than a typical SPS reef. Furthermore, it is important to plan carefully for flow - you'll need enough flow to keep the SPS happy, but you do not want to have very chaotic flow or the seahorses will be overwhelmed.
- Also, be aware that the seahorses may inadvertently kill smaller coral frags by hitching to them!
- Cleanup Crew: Detritus/Scavenging
- Nassarius vibex snails - 4-8/square foot of tank bottom. So, 24-48 in a standard size 75 or 90 gallon tank If you go with the larger breed (maximum size) Tongan Nassarius distortus, you can reduce this to 3-6/square foot, or 18-36 in a standard 75. The nassarius snails are excellent scavengers and will keep your sandbed aerated and cleaned. If you have a bare bottom tank, you can reduce the amount by about half.
- Cerith Snails, Cerithium sp. - 2-4/square foot of tank bottom, or 12-24 in a standard size 75 or 90 gallon tank. Cerith Snails will eat detritus and various waste from the bottom of the tank. They will also eat algae, although they're not very effective for algae control. They also burrow in the substrate and help to aerate and clean the sandbed.
- Peppermint Shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni - these are excellent scavengers and will eat most meaty foods.Peppermint shrimp, as are all shrimp, are very cannibalistic - the size of a viable population is in direct proportion to the level of feeding. If you feed the same amount regularly, the population will quickly become whatever your feeding level will support. Which is another way of saying that, if you do not feed sufficient amounts for the quantity of peppermints, the peppermint shrimp will eat each other until there is sufficient food. The amount of rockwork will also determine how many peppermints are viable. More rockwork will allow more pepprmints. In a standard reef type tank, We recommend 1-3/square foot of tank bottom. Or, 6-18 in a standard 75/90 gallon tank.
- Fighting conchs, Strombus sp. - these will eat algae and diatoms in the sandbeds as well as some detritus. If there is insufficient natural algae available, they will also eat algae pellets. We do not recommend them for bare bottom tanks. In a tank with at least a 1" deep sandbed, We recommend .5-1 per square foot of tank bottom, or 2-4 in a standard 75/90 gallon tank. Like the Nassarius snails, they also stir and aerate the sandbed.
- Sea cucumbers, Holothuria sp. - there are many types of sea cucumbers - some of them should never be in a reef tank! In general, the dull colored, black or tan ones are very safe. Sea cucumbers eat algae, diatoms, meaty foods, detritus - pretty much anything and everything in the sandbed! They require at least a 2-3", or deeper sandbed and I would only recommend 1 for every 2-3' of tank bottom. So, 1-2 for a standard 75/90 gallon tank. In general, avoid all brightly colored sea cucumbers.
- Serpent starfish, Ophioderma sp. & Ophiolepsis sp. - while serpent stars will scavenge, we find that their diets need to be supplemented with targeted feeding with silver sides, or similar larger food. We keep them in my tanks because we think they're cool, but they're not the best for keeping the environment clean. Although they will quickly dispose of dead fish!
- Cleaner Shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis & Fire Shrimp, Lysmata debelius - while not strictly cleanup crew, both cleaner shrimp and fire shrimp will scavenge for meaty foods and will provide cleaning services for fish. We keep a couple of each in almost all of my reef tanks. Be careful to keep ones that are relatively close in size as larger shrimp will happily eat smaller shrimp.
- Urchins - most urchins are omnivores, however in my experience, Pencil Urchins, Eucidaris tribuloides, are the best scavengers and will eat various meaty foods, including most dead animals - a single pencil urchin will make quick work of a dead peppermint shrimp. Although they do eat algae, they seem to prefer detritus and scavenging. Pincushion Urchins, Lytechinus vaniegatus, will eat primarily algae, although they will also eat some detritus and scavenging. Blue Tuxedo Urchins Mespilia globulus, and Longspine Urchins, Diadema setosum, are primarily herbivores and will rarely, if ever, eat detritus or meaty foods.
- All urchins can be a disaster in a tank with loose frags and small things. Pencil urchins and longspine urchins will knock stuff over. Pincushion and tuxedo urchins will pick stuff up and carry it around.
- Additionally, all urchins will eat coralline algae and macro algae. So they're not recommended if you really like purple rocks and planted tanks.
- Cleanup Crew: Algae Eaters:
- For algae eating, the best all around denizen that we've found is the Emerald Crab, Mithrax sculptus. However, because they are somewhat territorial and don't always travel very far (unless they're very hungry), they need to be kept at fairly high stocking levels to be very useful - adding 1 or 2 to a 75 gallon tank is not going to make any visible difference. Emerald crabs will eat pretty much all non-film algae, including macro algae. If you have a planted type tank, they're not a good idea at all! We generally recommend about 1 crab per 5-10 gallons of water. So, 8-16 in a typical 75 gallon tank. If you do not have sufficient algae, you can supplement their diet by target feeding dried seaweed (Nori). Smaller emerald crabs will eat almost nothing but algae. As they become larger, they will start eating various meaty foods that they can scavenge. If their shells start turning white, it means they're not getting enough algae in their diets.
- The following snails all eat very similar foods - in general, we recommend adding no more than 10-12 at a time of all species combined! So, you might add 2 Mexican Turbos, 6 Astrea and 4 Margaritas. Although their diet can be supplemented with Nori, you pretty much have to put the snails on top of the Nori as they're not able to find it by themselves. This, obvious, is a bit tedious, especially since they like to hide in the rockwork.
- Mexican Turbo Snails, Turbo fluctuosa, these are some of the largest snails you'll see in home aquaria, often reaching 2-3" in size. They are excellent algae eaters and will eat film algae as well as various nuisance algae, such as hair algae and cotton candy algae. Because they can grow quite large, they will knock things over and may not be suitable for a tank where things are carefully placed. We recommend adding Mexican Turbos as needed for algae control - unless you have a super large tank or a serious algae problem you should add no more than 2-3 at a time.
- Margarita Snail, Margarites pupillus - their diet is very similar to the Mexican Turbo snails, and they're about half the size, so may not be as destructive in crowded environments. Once again, you should not add more than 5-6 at a time.
- Astraea Snail, Astraea tecta - these may be a better choice in smaller tanks than the larger Mexican Turbos. Typical size for the Astraea snail is 1/2-1" in diameter and they will eat most tank algae and are especially good at cleaning film algae. We generally recommend that people start with 6 of these.
- Chestnut Turbo Snails, Turbo castanea - these are available in brown/tan and in orange. The orange form is very popular. While these are excellent algae eaters, they're not well suited for typical reef temperatures of 78-80F. They're best in colder water tanks and will do well at typical colder water seahorse tank temperatures (65-72F). Start with 3-6 of these.
- Nerite Snails, Nerita sp. - these are relatively small snails that will eat diatoms, cyanobacteria and various film algaes. Because they can survive on diatoms and cyanobacteria, they're good candidates for newly setup tanks that may not have much film or nuisance algae available. Once again, start with 5-6.
- Cleanup Crew: Miscellaneous
- We do not recommend Bumble Bee snails, although they are popular, they have a tendency to eat other snails. Likewise we do not generally recommend hermit crabs. The only really peaceful hermits are the scarlet hermits and even they will kill snails. If you do add hermit crabs - add a small number (1-2 per square foot of tank bottom of all species combined) and only add them because you like watching them.
- There are various other crabs - decorator crabs, arrow crabs, sally lightfoot and so on. All of them can become very aggressive as they get older/larger and may prey on other tank denizens. Once again, keep them because you like them, but don't buy them as cleanup crew.
- Sea slugs - Lettuce nudibranchs and sea hares. Both are excellent algae eaters. Both generally have short lifespans in home aquaria. We do not recommend them except for long established aquariums.
- Star fish - the only star fish that we recommend are the serpent star fish. We do not recommend sand sifting stars for any tank as they will eat everything in the sand bed including things that you might want! Most of the decorative starfish, such as the Linkia, Marble Stars, Chocolate Chip Stars and so on have short life spans in home aquaria. We do not recommend them unless you have a well established aquarium.
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