New seahorse

[MombasaLionfish]

My sister is going to get a seahorse soon she has never owned one before. She is ordering it online. How does she QT it she knows how to feed it. She is getting it at the same time I am getting my lionfish. What should she know before she gets it. Oh and she is also probably getting a pipefish as well.

 

[rayjay]

First thing to do is STOP HER FROM ORDERING THE SEAHORSE, until she has learned more about their needs, like seahorses need to be with other seahorses, are EXTREMELY susceptible to bacteria diseases and should be kept in specific temperature range, very limited tank mate selection and a host of other conditions. Hopefully it's an appropriately sized tank for seahorse needs also and has been fully cycled before introduction.
I'd advise against mixing seahorses with pipe fish unless you can source a captive bred pipe fish which are hard to come by. Sometimes you loose one or both species.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

First thing to do is STOP HER FROM ORDERING THE SEAHORSE, until she has learned more about their needs, like seahorses need to be with other seahorses, are EXTREMELY susceptible to bacteria diseases and should be kept in specific temperature range, very limited tank mate selection and a host of other conditions. Hopefully it's an appropriately sized tank for seahorse needs also and has been fully cycled before introduction.
I'd advise against mixing seahorses with pipe fish unless you can source a captive bred pipe fish which are hard to come by. Sometimes you loose one or both species.

It is a 75gl tank that she set up specifically for seahorses and pipefish. She will not order until I give her the OK. The tank already has 2 cardinalfish a royal gramma and a black female ocellaris clown she had a diffrent female but it died for no reason one day.

 

[Thomashtom]

Hi they should be in a species only tank! Fish will out compete them for food and possibly harass them. Tank water needs to be in low 70s no higher than 74. Thanks

 

[rayjay]

It is a 75gl tank that she set up specifically for seahorses and pipefish. She will not order until I give her the OK. The tank already has 2 cardinalfish a royal gramma and a black female ocellaris clown she had a diffrent female but it died for no reason one day.

I'm sorry, but the seahorse didn't die for NO reason. First, it could have died from the induced stress of tankmates not suitable to it, especially the gramma and the ocellaris. While occasionally it works, most times it doesn't, especially once those fish mature.
It also may have died from parasitic infections that passed from those fish, and the seahorse, not having grown up with exposure to those particular parasites, succumbed to their invasion.
Tank conditions most likely are not suitable for the best chance of success for seahorses. Their immune systems are severely lacking when compared to other marine fish. Like people, some seahorses may have a strong immunity for their species (still nowhere near other marine fish though) and others have virtually none, with the rest falling in between.
Worst case scenario would be the poorest immune system coupled with tank water that enables nasty bacteria to expand, with temperatures that enable it at a faster rate (exponential scale not linear, especially above 74°F) and perhaps a small wound due to tankmate, and further reduced immunity due to stress from faster moving fish.
In any case, at the top of this forum there are a lot of stickies that she can read and glean necessary information from, and if she has any questions then, post a new thread to get answers.
Also, Facebook has seahorse forums like Seahorse Sources Group and Seahorse Solutions Group and on the main page both have a "Files" listing under the headings and contain a lot of great up to date information.
A last point for now, best chances of success come from buying captive bred stock direct from a reputable breeding source like Seahorse Source or Seahorse Savvy.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I'm sorry, but the seahorse didn't die for NO reason. First, it could have died from the induced stress of tankmates not suitable to it, especially the gramma and the ocellaris. While occasionally it works, most times it doesn't, especially once those fish mature.
It also may have died from parasitic infections that passed from those fish, and the seahorse, not having grown up with exposure to those particular parasites, succumbed to their invasion.
Tank conditions most likely are not suitable for the best chance of success for seahorses. Their immune systems are severely lacking when compared to other marine fish. Like people, some seahorses may have a strong immunity for their species (still nowhere near other marine fish though) and others have virtually none, with the rest falling in between.
Worst case scenario would be the poorest immune system coupled with tank water that enables nasty bacteria to expand, with temperatures that enable it at a faster rate (exponential scale not linear, especially above 74°F) and perhaps a small wound due to tankmate, and further reduced immunity due to stress from faster moving fish.
In any case, at the top of this forum there are a lot of stickies that she can read and glean necessary information from, and if she has any questions then, post a new thread to get answers.
Also, Facebook has seahorse forums like Seahorse Sources Group and Seahorse Solutions Group and on the main page both have a "Files" listing under the headings and contain a lot of great up to date information.
A last point for now, best chances of success come from buying captive bred stock direct from a reputable breeding source like Seahorse Source or Seahorse Savvy.

The other female clown died she has not had a seahorse yet. She had a pipefish for a while but them her tank got infected with ich. This was the type of pipe fish she had.

Hi they should be in a species only tank! Fish will out compete them for food and possibly harass them. Tank water needs to be in low 70s no higher than 74. Thanks

Yes we have been studying articles on tankmates http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/tankmates.shtml We figure I would take the royal gramma if it turned out to be a problem.
Thanks for the info on the temperature I'll ask her what she has it at an slowly change it if she has to. What about QT and acclimating.

 

[rayjay]

I'd take out the clown also
As for QT, different people have different views on that. I think too it would depend on who the breeder is. If not coming direct from a breeder and coming from an online store that is NOT seahorse specific then it would be more critical as there is the likelihood that the seahorse would pick up parasites from other fish in the same system.
If the seahorse has been shipped then it needs quick acclimation because once you open the bag then the pH will go higher and ammonia becomes toxic. First float the bag to equalize temperature, then make several tank water additions to the bag a few minutes apart, followed by removal of the seahorse and place directly into the tank. (I personally like to add a step so that I remove the seahorse, dip in a bowl of tank water and then remove and place in the tank. Dispose of the bag water AND the bowl of tank water for rinse)
If however you have ClorAm-X available you can open the bag, add some ClorAm-X solution to bind the ammonia and then proceed at a slower acclimation if preferred.
I have seen multiple views on this so hopefully others will chime in with their views on it for you.

 

[Paulie069]

I'm sorry, but the seahorse didn't die for NO reason. First, it could have died from the induced stress of tankmates not suitable to it, especially the gramma and the ocellaris. While occasionally it works, most times it doesn't, especially once those fish mature.
It also may have died from parasitic infections that passed from those fish, and the seahorse, not having grown up with exposure to those particular parasites, succumbed to their invasion.
Tank conditions most likely are not suitable for the best chance of success for seahorses. Their immune systems are severely lacking when compared to other marine fish. Like people, some seahorses may have a strong immunity for their species (still nowhere near other marine fish though) and others have virtually none, with the rest falling in between.
Worst case scenario would be the poorest immune system coupled with tank water that enables nasty bacteria to expand, with temperatures that enable it at a faster rate (exponential scale not linear, especially above 74°F) and perhaps a small wound due to tankmate, and further reduced immunity due to stress from faster moving fish.
In any case, at the top of this forum there are a lot of stickies that she can read and glean necessary information from, and if she has any questions then, post a new thread to get answers.
Also, Facebook has seahorse forums like Seahorse Sources Group and Seahorse Solutions Group and on the main page both have a "Files" listing under the headings and contain a lot of great up to date information.
A last point for now, best chances of success come from buying captive bred stock direct from a reputable breeding source like Seahorse Source or Seahorse Savvy.

I always learn a little more from post like this. What a wonderful website r2r is,, and I wish ur sister much luck when she finally gets her seahorses when she’s ready

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I'd take out the clown also
As for QT, different people have different views on that. I think too it would depend on who the breeder is. If not coming direct from a breeder and coming from an online store that is NOT seahorse specific then it would be more critical as there is the likelihood that the seahorse would pick up parasites from other fish in the same system.
If the seahorse has been shipped then it needs quick acclimation because once you open the bag then the pH will go higher and ammonia becomes toxic. First float the bag to equalize temperature, then make several tank water additions to the bag a few minutes apart, followed by removal of the seahorse and place directly into the tank. (I personally like to add a step so that I remove the seahorse, dip in a bowl of tank water and then remove and place in the tank. Dispose of the bag water AND the bowl of tank water for rinse)
If however you have ClorAm-X available you can open the bag, add some ClorAm-X solution to bind the ammonia and then proceed at a slower acclimation if preferred.
I have seen multiple views on this so hopefully others will chime in with their views on it for you.

Thank you for the very useful information. We will start preparing for a seahorse and my lionfish. We will also get ClorAm-X.