Quote:
Originally Posted by rayjay
Jeff, it's great that you are researching before buying.
While there are a few people that succeed with keeping seahorses in various set ups with other tank mates and in coral tanks and indeed at temperatures not recommended, but they are in the minority and unfortunately for every one that exists there are probably hundreds if not thousands that fail that way.
When I first started I picked recommendations that I wanted to adhere to and ignored some others because I thought that my 12 yrs of reefing (at that time) would ensure my success.
Well, my seahorses paid the price.
Seahorse keeping can be fraught with so many problems even when you do everything to minimize chances of losses, but ignoring them definitely makes success much more fleeting.
I would suggest you start off keeping seahorses under the most stringent conditions aiding their success, and if you get past a year that way then you might consider doing some of the other things you would like to do with the tank.
Buy TRUE captive bred, keep a species only tank, start with a sterile system and cycle tank completely, maintain tank temperatures between 68° and 74°, and set up a very frequent, relentless housekeeping regime.
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see i respect that completely.i know some ppl look at this as just a hobby but its not these are living creatures. i dont want to torture harm any of my tank friends as i call them. i hope to give them a great home for not only my enjoyment but thiers as well. this is why im asking for input and plan on reading your info as well.
again im not sure if i will ever go the route of the horse.. i may never do it. i am only a year old reefer after all. and reading can oly get me so far. if i cant get comfortable with myself keeping them then i will leave it until i am. i had a few loses on a few fish. and it upset me (im a baby
) recently i had two baby clowns in my qt tank commit suicide by power head. i knew i shoulda shut it down but didnt soi know it was my faut and i still beat myself up over it.
there is so much to learn in this obsession. so much a person can desire..but not everyone should aquire. i agree on the true captive bred. not only for pony's but for most fish. even if i dont take the plunge i hope this helps other curious minds as well.