pair of seahorses

SalteeDogg · 03-16-2008, 01:07 PM

I have 1 kellogii seahorse and wanted to add another so he/she would have a mate. What are the chances they will be a mated pair? I just have 1 right now in a 75 but want to add several more since no fish will be in the tank. I love how they stay together once they mate. Also I have him in a coral tank is their any particular coral that can harm them? I have digitata sps, leathers, sponges, chalice, frogspawn, xenias, gsp, birdsnest, alevopora, and a a galaxea frag. Am I safe or do I need to remove something?

SalteeDogg · 03-16-2008, 02:07 PM

Also was wondering how to tell a male from a female? Thanks

lcstorc · 03-16-2008, 02:48 PM

Welcome to our little seahorse world.
I wouldn't see any problem with adding another but I wouldn't count on them pairing. They very well might, but just like with any animal it is not a guarantee. I wouldn't see them fighting so at least you wouldn't have to worry about that.
As far as the corals go, anything that stings should be avoided since it may sting the seahorses if they try to hitch on it. I am not familiar with all the corals on your list but the frogspawn definitely has a potent sting. Get rid of it and research the others. It is pretty hard to keep corals with seahorses due to the large about of uneaten food generally left by the seahorses. You will have to work hard to keep the nitrates low enough for corals. Also usually seahorse tanks don't have the light needed for most corals. I am really not sure if that is because they like the lower light or if it is just because of the temp..
The most important thing is to keep the tank cool. Seahorses need to be kept at 72-76 degrees. At higher temps they get infections that can easily kill them. High intensity lights usually mean higher temps so I wouldn't attempt it without a chiller. (Well I did and it didn't work. Now I have learned my lesson.)
As far as how to tell a male from a female is to look for the pouch. Seahorse.org has quite a few pictures for you to look at to be sure which you have. Either that or post a pic and we should be able to tell you. The profile is the best angle to tell the males from the females.

panmanmatt · 03-16-2008, 06:14 PM

First off, Welcome to RS.

As Lynn said you will need to know which sex you have in order to be able to get a mate. Chances are that if you have 1 of each sex they will mate. You can alleviate this by getting another of the same sex.

Also, seahorses are not reef animals and do not do well long term in a reef tank. Temperatures, flow rates and tank mates are not conducive to keeping seahorses in a reef.

Temps need to be kept in the 72-74F range, flow needs to be in the 5-7x turn over rate.
As for tank mates, take a look here:
seahorse.org - Tankmates

That is the brand new version of the tank mates guide.
Also, if you are able to find another kelloggi, be sure to QT it for at least 6 weeks to make sure it is eating and healthy before mixing it with your other one.

Please post pics of your seahorse and set up so we can see what you've got going.

lcstorc · 03-16-2008, 06:19 PM

Very cool page. Now I won't have to bug you everytime I am thinking of adding something to the seahorse tank.

panmanmatt · 03-16-2008, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcstorc

Very cool page. Now I won't have to bug you everytime I am thinking of adding something to the seahorse tank.

Thanks Lynn. We have been working on that for the last few months and just got it done last week. It is not an "all inclusive" list nor is it set in stone. If you still have any questions feel free to ask.

We are working on a few more things so stay tuned. I should ask the powers that be if I can pin it at the top of this forum.

SalteeDogg · 03-16-2008, 06:36 PM

Can you tell from this pic if its a male or female? There is no dent on the stomach, its real smooth and round. Thanks for all the response!

panmanmatt · 03-16-2008, 06:41 PM

Hard to tell from that picture. If you can get a picture of it in the water column and not hitched it would be helpful. Also i am not sure that is a kelloggi, can you get me a picture of the whole tail also? A full body shot would be best though, and as close and clear as you can get it.

Triggerjay · 03-16-2008, 07:15 PM

This is one of my old males. His pouch is real pronounced in this pic. I was One of the lucky ones concerning seahorses,. I had four, in a tank that should have killed them, with no chiller. They all paired up, (2 males, 2 females), and had lots, and I mean lots of babies. I kept them for over a year, and returned them to the LFS for store credit, with no fatalities. Not to say anyone should try this, I was just VERY lucky. By all rights, they should have died. Anyhow, the pic:

Jason

SalteeDogg · 03-16-2008, 08:48 PM

Heres another pic. Im trying to get a pic of him unhitched but its kinda hard when all he wants to do is perk up on something lol.

SalteeDogg · 03-16-2008, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triggerjay

This is one of my old males. His pouch is real pronounced in this pic. I was One of the lucky ones concerning seahorses,. I had four, in a tank that should have killed them, with no chiller. They all paired up, (2 males, 2 females), and had lots, and I mean lots of babies. I kept them for over a year, and returned them to the LFS for store credit, with no fatalities. Not to say anyone should try this, I was just VERY lucky. By all rights, they should have died. Anyhow, the pic:

Jason

What was your temp at? I try to keep mine around 75 thats without a chiller. Thats with a window unit in the room keeping it cold all day.

lcstorc · 03-16-2008, 08:56 PM

My guess is male but wait for Matt to respond with a real answer.

kathywithbirds · 03-16-2008, 09:08 PM

That is one gorgeous horsey. Following along.

panmanmatt · 03-16-2008, 09:09 PM

Male Hippocampus comes. I didn't think it was kelloggii.

A temp of 75 is ok but don't let it get any higher. The biggest problem with the higher temps is that bacteria grows faster at the higher temps and in an aquarium the bacteria can reach levels that can be harmful to the seahorses if they get stressed. At high temps it's not a problem of "if" you'll have trouble but more likely "when".

Do you know if your seahorses is wild caught or captive bred? What is it eating?

SalteeDogg · 03-16-2008, 09:16 PM

They been at the LFS for awhile, he told me they were captive bred, he was feeding them mysis right infront of me but since I got him home he has been eating my copods and amphipods and shows no interests in my mysis. I tried live brine and mysis but I see him eating my copods instead? Can he live off this? I just got him 2 days ago so he could still be getting use to the tank. What do you think I should do?

03-16-2008, 01:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
SalteeDogg Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 18 View Gallery Karma Komment	pair of seahorses I have 1 kellogii seahorse and wanted to add another so he/she would have a mate. What are the chances they will be a mated pair? I just have 1 right now in a 75 but want to add several more since no fish will be in the tank. I love how they stay together once they mate. Also I have him in a coral tank is their any particular coral that can harm them? I have digitata sps, leathers, sponges, chalice, frogspawn, xenias, gsp, birdsnest, alevopora, and a a galaxea frag. Am I safe or do I need to remove something?

03-16-2008, 02:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
SalteeDogg Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 18 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses Also was wondering how to tell a male from a female? Thanks

03-16-2008, 02:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: pair of seahorses Welcome to our little seahorse world. I wouldn't see any problem with adding another but I wouldn't count on them pairing. They very well might, but just like with any animal it is not a guarantee. I wouldn't see them fighting so at least you wouldn't have to worry about that. As far as the corals go, anything that stings should be avoided since it may sting the seahorses if they try to hitch on it. I am not familiar with all the corals on your list but the frogspawn definitely has a potent sting. Get rid of it and research the others. It is pretty hard to keep corals with seahorses due to the large about of uneaten food generally left by the seahorses. You will have to work hard to keep the nitrates low enough for corals. Also usually seahorse tanks don't have the light needed for most corals. I am really not sure if that is because they like the lower light or if it is just because of the temp.. The most important thing is to keep the tank cool. Seahorses need to be kept at 72-76 degrees. At higher temps they get infections that can easily kill them. High intensity lights usually mean higher temps so I wouldn't attempt it without a chiller. (Well I did and it didn't work. Now I have learned my lesson.) As far as how to tell a male from a female is to look for the pouch. Seahorse.org has quite a few pictures for you to look at to be sure which you have. Either that or post a pic and we should be able to tell you. The profile is the best angle to tell the males from the females. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

03-16-2008, 06:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
panmanmatt Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 2,255 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses First off, Welcome to RS. As Lynn said you will need to know which sex you have in order to be able to get a mate. Chances are that if you have 1 of each sex they will mate. You can alleviate this by getting another of the same sex. Also, seahorses are not reef animals and do not do well long term in a reef tank. Temperatures, flow rates and tank mates are not conducive to keeping seahorses in a reef. Temps need to be kept in the 72-74F range, flow needs to be in the 5-7x turn over rate. As for tank mates, take a look here: seahorse.org - Tankmates That is the brand new version of the tank mates guide. Also, if you are able to find another kelloggi, be sure to QT it for at least 6 weeks to make sure it is eating and healthy before mixing it with your other one. Please post pics of your seahorse and set up so we can see what you've got going. __________________ The mind is like a parachute, it only works when opened. (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(")

03-16-2008, 06:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: pair of seahorses Very cool page. Now I won't have to bug you everytime I am thinking of adding something to the seahorse tank. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

03-16-2008, 06:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
SalteeDogg Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 18 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses Can you tell from this pic if its a male or female? There is no dent on the stomach, its real smooth and round. Thanks for all the response!

03-16-2008, 06:41 PM	#8 (permalink)
panmanmatt Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 2,255 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses Hard to tell from that picture. If you can get a picture of it in the water column and not hitched it would be helpful. Also i am not sure that is a kelloggi, can you get me a picture of the whole tail also? A full body shot would be best though, and as close and clear as you can get it. __________________ The mind is like a parachute, it only works when opened. (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(")

03-16-2008, 07:15 PM	#9 (permalink)
Triggerjay Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Springfield MO Posts: 2,071 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: pair of seahorses This is one of my old males. His pouch is real pronounced in this pic. I was One of the lucky ones concerning seahorses,. I had four, in a tank that should have killed them, with no chiller. They all paired up, (2 males, 2 females), and had lots, and I mean lots of babies. I kept them for over a year, and returned them to the LFS for store credit, with no fatalities. Not to say anyone should try this, I was just VERY lucky. By all rights, they should have died. Anyhow, the pic: Jason __________________ The start of my journey: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...xperience.html My current journey: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ld-thread.html My clownfish breeding log: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ne-fishes.html

03-16-2008, 08:48 PM	#10 (permalink)
SalteeDogg Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 18 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses Heres another pic. Im trying to get a pic of him unhitched but its kinda hard when all he wants to do is perk up on something lol.

03-16-2008, 08:56 PM	#12 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: pair of seahorses My guess is male but wait for Matt to respond with a real answer. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

03-16-2008, 09:08 PM	#13 (permalink)
kathywithbirds Social Darwinism victim Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Hood, NJ Posts: 5,937 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses That is one gorgeous horsey. Following along. __________________ (\_/) (\__/) ( . .) (^.^) (")(") (> <) Bunny and Bunnina have worked things out. Bunny was mistaken after all, Bunnina was not having an affair. "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." ~Lin Yutang

03-16-2008, 09:09 PM	#14 (permalink)
panmanmatt Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 2,255 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses Male Hippocampus comes. I didn't think it was kelloggii. A temp of 75 is ok but don't let it get any higher. The biggest problem with the higher temps is that bacteria grows faster at the higher temps and in an aquarium the bacteria can reach levels that can be harmful to the seahorses if they get stressed. At high temps it's not a problem of "if" you'll have trouble but more likely "when". Do you know if your seahorses is wild caught or captive bred? What is it eating? __________________ The mind is like a parachute, it only works when opened. (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(")

03-16-2008, 09:16 PM	#15 (permalink)
SalteeDogg Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 18 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: pair of seahorses They been at the LFS for awhile, he told me they were captive bred, he was feeding them mysis right infront of me but since I got him home he has been eating my copods and amphipods and shows no interests in my mysis. I tried live brine and mysis but I see him eating my copods instead? Can he live off this? I just got him 2 days ago so he could still be getting use to the tank. What do you think I should do?

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