Sea Horse and Clown Fish

[BellaCoop]

I am considering starting a 50 Gallon Sea Horse Tank and was wandering if i would be able to add a Pair of Clowns as well. I am going to have 2 Sea Horses and 2 Pipe fish. Would a Pair of clown work with that?

 

[James M]

I wouldn’t do a clowns they tend to get territorial and will hurt the horses

 

[rayjay]

While occasionally it works, the great majority of times it does not, even though the initial time period appears to be OK. Eventually as the clowns mature, their natural aggression usually comes through and stresses the seahorses AT THE LEAST.

 

[vlangel]

I also advise against it. Clowns just do not have the right temperament and seahorses can be stressed by their presence.

Even pipefish are a risk because of the possible pathogens they may bring with them. These days most seahorses are CB but Ocean Rider is the only fish supplier that I know of that has CB pipefish. Their pipefish would be safer than WC but even with them since they may be a different source than the seahorses neither species might not have immunity against the other's pathogens.

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I don't recommend either. I will state that I have one ocellaris with my seahorses though. He was in my 90 reef and the others decided to out him and almost killed him. I sumped him for a while to recover then moved him to my seahorse tank. Mind you, I had this fish for two years and knew his temperment. He has been in my seahorse tank for a year now and I do not have issues with food competition (I feed him first) and he is not stressing the horses. I believe because he is not paired and does not host anything he has remained a good resident.

I will state that when he lives out his life I will NOT add another to the tank. I most certainly would NEVER add a pair. My female in my 90 was so agressive she would jump the water surface to bite me anytime I got near the tank. She actually drew blood on me several times.