Sea horses in my 135g

I have to agree... my recommendation, you don't have to respond to every post in this thread

 

While I've never said anything about cruelty, I did say that what you are doing, while it can work sometimes, it fails most of the time. I didn't say it couldn't be done.
I merely stated facts determined by results posted by over 60,000 members of a site devoted to seahorse keeping. I've been keeping seahorses for four years, and, if you read my post above you would note that I tried it your way, also with tank raised seahorses from Seahorse Sanctuary, and, I lost horses. This from a long time veteran of many multiple reef tanks where ALL my tanks are lit with NO fluorescent lighting that I'm told can't keep the things I keep, namely softies, LPS anemone and clams.
In the case of seahorses, I pushed the envelope because I read of others doing it, and I became one of the majority in the statistics. To make matters worse, I was stupid enough to do it a second time and lost the horses again.
TRUE tank raised as you have, don't make successes, they only increase the odds of success over horses wild caught or raised in ocean water as the Vietnam horses are.
While you talk of 4 others that keep the seahorses in similar conditions, again, I haven't said it CAN'T be done.
I CAN however, steer you to thousands of posts where people failed in doing it, but probably not more than a hundred or so that speak of success.
In my city, where many thousands of seahorses have been sold, its hard to find anyone with those horses still alive.
I'm hoping to improve things by only selling my seahorse fry I raise, to those willing to give them the best chances for survival.

 

I would bet that the majority of failures were impulse buys by folks that did not research or monitor a horse at the LFS for a span of time before buying...

or from folks that did do research but just picked whatever horse that happened to be at the LFS bc of a lack of patience.

not invalidating that most fail or anything, just making the point.


OP mentions that he monitored the horses in a similar environment for several weeks before purchasing... I think this increases his odds (though far far from guarantees success).


I agree OP has gotten a bit heavy in his responses, but at the same time, people are repeating each other over and over... so let's not act like he's getting agitated out of thin air. There's some fault on both sides there.

I think OP is well aware that the majority failed and I bet he feels his odds aren't awesome but is making a go for it.

nobody is doing anyone any good by harping on the stats... what's done is done and at this point, just sit back and wait for updates...

 

Rayjay no sweat. I didn't take offense to any of your advice. It's obvious you have dedicated alot of time into these creatures. Kudo's to you.

Ped thanks for making a few points clear. Im a pretty intense person so my post's may come off a little ruff to others, but in my mind they seem ok

I said it before and will say it again. Im sure the majority of failures have come from impulse buys and shady LFS telling people they can house these delicate specimans.

Just read the thread on this forum about LFS employee's. If you read through that thread you would have no choice but to think 95% of people in this hobby shouldn't be.

Ped I will try to get some pics up tonight. I will be working late though.

I log in everyday and I seem the same threads over and over and over. Why are my nitrates high. Can I get an anenome (tank is 1mo old)
Do I really need to do water changes. What should my SG be. What is a good tank temp?

Trust me I was there too learning the ins and outs of this hobby. What kills me is when people are asking these questions with crazy stocked tanks!!!

I will be going on my third week here and let's really address some issues.

1. Everyone said I will need to feed at least 3 times a day.
So far like I stated in a previous post, I only feed once a day

2. You must have a lower SG like .022 well mine is steady at .025

3. You must lower your water temp. Mine holds good at about 80 and No bacterial infections.

4. They can't defend themselves. Well who is picking on them? Why would they? I have no issues with this yet.

 

I hope this goes over well...

I have kept seahorses before in a community tank. The horses (a large female and a smaller male), were kept with only nano sized fish, (none over 2 inches). Firefish, damsel assortment, blennies, gobies etc... Stayed away from the corals that will sting and injure the horses, (just gorgs and some small zoa frags - mostly macros), and kept flow okay, but velocity low. (4 different powerheads that were pretty weak for the 72, and 2 HOBs). Too much velocity, and they get caught up in something or pinned to the glass, but nothing about total turnover (flow) I think is a problem if velocity is low. I found my greatest challenge was feeding them. Pods they would eat, but to have enough pods to feed 2 erectus wasn't going to happen in a 72. They liked frozen mysis in the QT tanks, but were far to slow to catch them in the 72, the other fish mauled them while they were still thinking it over, the way seahorses do. Luckily for me I have no problem catching their natural food, the common shore shrimp. I filled a 110 stock tank with them, and always kept the 72 filled with shore shrimp. The other fish didn't have what it takes to kill the live shrimp, but the horses had no problem taking them out, and feeding them became fairly easy. Every couple of hours or so I would just hear a "pop" and I knew I had just fed the horses. I had worried at first that after the horses made the kill the other fish would try to eat up the shrimp as they munched, but they stayed clear of the horses after witnessing what they could do, and I never really saw any of them go near the horses afterward, (well there was a humbug damsel that would follow them around, but it seemed to be out of curiosity more than anything else, and when the horses turned to look towards him he swam off as if in panic). I was able to keep them that way for about 5-6 months until a breeder friend of mine managed to talk me out of them...eh...that was probably a mistake. I have regretted it since then, but I had no plans to breed them so maybe it was better in the end. The male and female never did pair up, I guess the female, (approx 7.5 inches uncurled!! was too big for the 5 inch male, and didn't like younger guys - ) Tim from PBMAS is breeding them now, although that "pair" never did match up.

Anyway I posted this not to disagree with anyone, or agree with anyone, just wanted to point out some of the things I learned. Keep seahorse safe coral, keep them well fed multiple times a day with their natural food, assuming the other fish can't hunt them as well.

I would think before anyone tried to add seahorses to their community tanks, (has nothing to do with you brownout, this is for future reference to those people reading that want to do the same), I think you have to be willing to put in some serious effort, -for me it meant catching their food, for others it might mean shelling out $25 a week to purchase the food - limiting the corals in the tank, redesigning their flow, dimming the lights, and running an expensive chiller, (oddly enough though you find more seahorses in the wild in warmer waters. We don't see many of them in the shallows until the water hits the upper 70s or above, and then they are commonplace. Lots of people who don't dive disagree with that, but divers and the people who collect seahorses don't. Although bacteria levels in a closed system like an aquarium are probably far different than the ocean...anyway that is not a disagreement, more of a curiosity statement... my tank stayed around 72-74). A seahorse only tank when I had one of those was probably a better idea. In any event, I would not recommend anyone keeping seahorses until they have at least 2-3 years of hobby experience, and know they can handle the care burden. (None of this is directed at the OP, the repliers etc...Just my thoughts on the subject).

 

Nice post. Thanks for sharing the info with us. Lucky for me I own my own business work 9-5 monday through friday and get to come home for lunch every day. Im also married with no children. My fish tank is my hobby and I tend to her every day.

 

If the seahorse is healthy and doing well then its a good thing. Just keep a close watch and don't listen to clowns

 

how would these shore shrimp be obtained?

 

How are your horses?

 

these have proven to be good for the sea horses in the LONG RUN not in a week or two. it takes time for bad stuff like this to happen. it wont happen the second you put them in you tank, maybe not even a month after but you will be able to keep them longer if you follow these rules.
good luck!
i wouldnt do it but, good luck.