dwarf vs regular sea horses

[JReefaddict]

I just set up a jbj 3 gallon cubey and i wanted to put a sea horse in it once it cycles, is the care for a dwarf sea horse the same as the care for a regular sea horse?

 

[rayjay]

No, definitely not for most things.
Water conditions need to be extra ideal for both, and temperatures are basically the same recommendations at 68° to 74°F.
Dwarfs need enriched live brine nauplii but standard seahorses do just fine with frozen mysis shrimp.
The live food not eaten by next feeding time will need to be removed as it would no longer have much nutrition left, and, without sufficient food and enrichment they will die off anyway, causing degrading water conditions.
Dwarf food density needs to be extreme because for the most part, dwarfs don't hunt down their food, preferring most times to sit perched and wait for the food to come close enough to them to be snicked up without them leaving their perch.

 

[JReefaddict]

ahh i see, now its a bit clearer, i would like a regular seahorse, but the tank i have for them is a 3 gallon cube. would one normal one do fine or is that too small of a tank? i dont think they are very active swimmers

 

[rayjay]

Unfortunately they need a lot of water and standard seahorses should have a 29/30g tank just for one pair, and an additional 15g for each additional pair.

 

[JReefaddict]

ahh i see. not sure i want to go the dwarf route, and im not going to put a standard sea horse in too small of a tank