are sea horses a good idea?

[RivenOil]

I've got a small moray, about 18 inches, and a small volitan lion in my 55 gallon tank. I've always been drawn to the exotic, and I'd love to add a pair of sea horses to complete the setup. I know I've read that they're not compatible with other fish, but my moray is super docile - or maybe just really laid-back - and my lion is still too small to see a medium-sized sea horse as a meal. They don't bother my small damsels or inverts, so I'm wondering if a sea horse would actually work out. I'd get rid of the damsels if I got a sea horse, no problem. Is this just a pipe dream, or could it actually work?

[fleeton]

Honestly, I don't think it's a good idea. You're underestimating the potential hunger of your volitan lion.

[floralix]

Not a good idea. You'd be surprised how hungry your fish can get when they see something as unique as a seahorse.

[RivenOil]

Guess that dream's dead in the water, appreciate the reality check though.

[flame9x]

I've got a small moray, about 18 inches, and a small volitan lion in my 55 gallon tank. I've always been drawn to the exotic, and I'd love to add a pair of sea horses to complete the setup. I know I've read that they're not compatible with other fish, but my moray is super docile - or maybe just really laid-back - and my lion is still too small to see a medium-sized sea horse as a meal. They don't bother my small damsels or inverts, so I'm wondering if a sea horse would actually work out. I'd get rid of the damsels if I got a sea horse, no problem. Is this just a pipe dream, or could it actually work?

Wait up, what if you created a refugium-type tank next to your main one, assuming you've got the space? It could run off the main tank's filtration and provide calmer waters for the seahorses. I'm actually considering this for my own setup, once everything's up and running smoothly. I asked about it and got a helpful response.

You can set up sumps or refugiums pretty much anywhere, even right next to the main tank. The key is figuring out how to get the water from the main tank to the refugium with the seahorses and then pumping it back into the main tank. If you have the seahorse tank at the same height as the main one, you can just use a pipe to connect them. As you pump water out of the seahorse tank into the main tank, the water level will drop, and new water from the main tank will flow in. Just make sure to use a sponge over the pipe ends to prevent blockages.

-edit-
By the way, looking forward to those pics you mentioned in your profile.

[RivenOil]

I was actually considering doing something similar, having a separate tank for feeder fish, that way my lion would have a constant food supply. I'm thinking of making my own sump tank, probably a 10-gallon one. I'll definitely look into this idea, thanks for the suggestion.

[Fluxcore]

I've got a small moray, about 18 inches, and a small volitan lion in my 55 gallon tank. I've always been drawn to the exotic, and I'd love to add a pair of sea horses to complete the setup. I know I've read that they're not compatible with other fish, but my moray is super docile - or maybe just really laid-back - and my lion is still too small to see a medium-sized sea horse as a meal. They don't bother my small damsels or inverts, so I'm wondering if a sea horse would actually work out. I'd get rid of the damsels if I got a sea horse, no problem. Is this just a pipe dream, or could it actually work?

I'd say that any lion or eel would be a gamble, and seahorses will pretty much latch onto anything that's not moving too fast - including slow-swimming fish with venomous spines. Not exactly what you want in a community tank.

Setting up a separate tank for seahorses, though, is a great idea - they're amazing creatures. I've got a pair of reidi, and I'm absolutely crazy about them. If you're thinking of getting seahorses, a 10-gallon tank might not be the best choice - most species need more space than that. Only the dwarf species can really thrive in smaller tanks, and even then, it's a bit of a stretch. I think erectus seahorses are supposed to do okay in 15-gallon tanks or bigger, so you might want to consider that.