males and females?

[scubastorey]

My 55 gal. aquarium has been running for 3 months and I think I'm ready to order my Seahorses. I plan on getting 4 Northern H. Erectus but I'm not sure about what sexes to get. I'm not interested in raising Fry but I've heard that Seahorses are happier if you have pairs. What do you think? Also,, do I need to enrich the frozen mysis that I'll feed them? If so, what do I enrich them with? Should I get some live food for them to eat at first?

 

[ann83]

If you are getting your N.Erectus from Draco Marine or NY Seahorse, they should be eating frozen mysis from the beginning, so you will not need to start them on live foods. It is a good idea to give them live foods occasionally (once a week) gutloaded with vitamin/veggie and immune stimulant enrichments like Spirulina and beta glucan. Don't enrich with fatty enrichments, since they get enough of the fats from the mysis.
I personally don't enrich the mysis, because it isn't absorbed into the food very well, and it just makes the tank messier as it gets washed off the mysis when you feed.

Seahorses are perfectly fine in same sex tanks. You are less likely to get to see the courting dances (although you may... seahorses have been known to court same-sex partners). But, they get along well with same sex tankmates. They are social creatures, and odd numbers sometimes don't work out well (there seems to be very much a "third wheel" dynamic in some systems), but even numbers of same sex work out fine. Right now, I am keeping a same sex tank and my girls love each other most of the time (although they are not courting eachother ).

 

[cmsargent]

Same sex tanks are fine. Many people that don't want fry set up same sex tanks.

I have male S. erectus. They court every morning and it to really neat to watch their courting displays.

You could also go ahead and get pair and just not raise the fry. Some people just let their other fish eat the fry or let them die in the system. Some people can't stand the idea of letting the fry die or be food so if you think you fall into that category then a same sex tank is the way to go.

Just a word of warning be careful when you buy the seahorse that they're mature. May places sell juveniles and it can be hit or miss if they're old enough to sex. Telling males is easier as if it has a pouch its a male. But if it doesn't have a pouch it can be hard to tell if its a female or just an immature male.