best starter seahorse

rays2k · 05/04/2012, 08:06 AM

Im setting up a tank for a pair of seahorses. I've read that H. Erectus is a good first seahorse, but i really like H. Kuda. Are the kudas much harder to keep?

rays2k · 05/04/2012, 08:08 AM

Also thinking about a pair of pipefish after having the seahorses for a while. Whats the best pipefish to keep?

rayjay · 05/04/2012, 09:40 AM

A lot of kudas have been problematic in recent times. If you get the ones from seahorsesource.com you at least know you are getting the best possible.
Erectus and reidi are probably more common for starter seahorses.
It has been problematic for most keepers to attempt to keep different species of syngnathids in the same system, but chances are much better if you buy different seahorses from the same breeder. (not just the same LFS)
Keeping pipe fish with seahorses almost always results in losses of either the seahorses or the pipefish or both.
The problem being that almost ALL pipe fish are wild caught and transfer pathogens to the seahorses that they haven't grown up with to acclimate to.
How large a tank are you planning?
Are you going to have a sump and/or refugium?

05/04/2012, 08:06 AM	#1
rays2k Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 57	best starter seahorse Im setting up a tank for a pair of seahorses. I've read that H. Erectus is a good first seahorse, but i really like H. Kuda. Are the kudas much harder to keep?

05/04/2012, 09:40 AM	#3
rayjay Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,981	A lot of kudas have been problematic in recent times. If you get the ones from seahorsesource.com you at least know you are getting the best possible. Erectus and reidi are probably more common for starter seahorses. It has been problematic for most keepers to attempt to keep different species of syngnathids in the same system, but chances are much better if you buy different seahorses from the same breeder. (not just the same LFS) Keeping pipe fish with seahorses almost always results in losses of either the seahorses or the pipefish or both. The problem being that almost ALL pipe fish are wild caught and transfer pathogens to the seahorses that they haven't grown up with to acclimate to. How large a tank are you planning? Are you going to have a sump and/or refugium? __________________ 490g soft lps clams tangs b'flies clean wrasses, seahorses. All tanks lit with N.O.fluor., most Berlin method. No clean up crews. See website for N.O. fluor. pics. Culture nanno, rotifers and brine shrimp. Current Tank Info: Seahorses, Reef, and Fish only

05/04/2012, 08:08 AM	#2
rays2k Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 57	Also thinking about a pair of pipefish after having the seahorses for a while. Whats the best pipefish to keep?