Hi Rachel,
I have kept seahorses and I have a few pieces of advice for you too….
Get the DEEPEST tank you can afford. 30 to 36 inches is best if you can. The deeper the better. This is because in shallower tanks seahorses are more at risk of developing Gas Bubble Syndrome (GBS). My seahorses died from GBS many years ago and my next tank will be a deep one!!
In your first message, you mentioned putting damsels in your tank. Be careful of this choice as damsels may be too aggressive for your horses. I have never kept them but I suspect that they may nip at your horses.
I have seen horses make a very tasty snack of sexy shrimp. They would have loved them! I have also kept cleaner shrimp with horses. They were fine until the shrimp became too big and harassed the hell out of my horses. My horses were about 8 or 9 inches but the adult cleaner shrimp were too big and aggressive once they reached adulthood at about 4 inches body length. The shrimp species I am talking about were the ones with the double red stripe down the middle of their back known as "cleaner shrimp." So pick shrimp which are not too small that they could be eaten but not too big either!! Mine would have cleaned my horses until there were no horses left if allowed!!!
Also, if there was a mantis in your live rock then please read the previous posting I listed titled "live rock." Hitch hiking crabs became a problem in my tank and many beasties that could be a problem may not be noticed until months or even years down the track! It is better to be safe than sorry. Pete listed some great ways to clean out your live rock.
As for reproduction, at first, I wanted to raise the young as well. However, my horses bred a LOT. They were constantly at it and produced what seemed to be an endless stream of babies. Raising the young tends to be a bit of a challenge and be aware that they may breed babies in numbers that you are unable to keep up with!
It seems that you are doing really well. Have fun with it.
All the best,
karen
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
