Sometimes as fish keepers, we do have the urge or curiosity to try out different experiments such as keeping different aquatic animals together and expecting to see great results. In this article, we are going to discuss the possibility of keeping seahorses with Starfish. Both Starfish and Seahorses are saltwater dwellers and so, let’s see if they could be able to tolerate each other and live together in a tank or pond ( in captivity)
Can Seahorses live with Starfish? Yes, some species of seahorses and Starfish could tolerate each other and live peacefully in captivity.
Both Starfish and Seahorses are very complicated animals to care for in captivity, in fact, they are better left alone in their wild because they don’t survive very much in captivity unless with exceptional care.
So they could live together if the necessary care is in place because many species of Starfish could comfortably live in the same environment a seahorse could. After all, they have similar water parameters.
Starfish Water Parameters
- Temperature – 72-78°F
- Salinity -1.020-1.026
- Needs – powerful lightening and Filter
- Temperament- Non-aggressive
Seahorse Water Parameters
- Water type – Saltwater
- Temperature – 70-75°F
- pH – 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity – 8-12 Dkh
- Temperament – Non-aggressive
Do Starfish And Seahorses Get Along?
Judging by the water parameters above for the 2 water creatures, you could see that they are almost the same, which means they could tolerate and live comfortably in the same environment.
Starfish and Seahorses could get along by living together peacefully in the same tank or pond.
The only problem you might have while keeping them together is their need and feeding habits.
Seahorses are omnivores, which means they are open to eating anything, both smaller animals and plants, etc.
However, Starfish are mainly carnivores, meaning they only eat other creatures in the sea such as corals, etc.
If you check the feeding habits and the type of care they need, it’s somewhat complicated.
Seahorses are very slow and some species don’t eat by themselves unless they are fed carefully, so Starfish might use that opportunity to grab their foods and starve them.
Again Starfish needs big tank because they need big rocks in their tank or they will end up staying buried in the substrates which could lead to starvation.
So the point is, they could live together, but only if you could be able to take proper care of them by providing all they need to survive.
Do Seahorses Eat Starfish?
Seahorses don’t eat Starfish, but a predatory Starfish might nip at Seahorse’s tail if it stands in its way.
Both Starfish and Seahorses are peaceful and do not harm each other very greatly.
Although a Starfish might attempt to if the seahorse stands in its way by nipping at its tail and eating it.
This is why it is recommended to always put in place rocks and many other things which they need to make themselves feel at home and also stay out of each other’s way.
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