abigdog1976
New member
We are wanting to buy a pair of seahorses. Is there a local supplier who has captive raised?
Seahorses
- Thread starter abigdog1976
- Start date
Unfortunately, the 2 locals who used to raise them no longer are.
I currently have 1 baby that I've raised, but I'm keeping her, and Sooner Seahorse Farms aren't to the point of selling them yet. I don't know of any other individuals.
My suggestion would be to see either Sloan at Exotic Aquatics, Steve at Wet Pets, or Gary at ART. I recently purchased a CB from Sloan. It was a tiny black baby when I got it, now 2 months later she has about doubled her size and turned a bright yellow. The only problem is that the species is uncertain, tho I am fairly certain they are NOT what they are being sold to Sloan and Steve as. Gary was able to get some that are probably erectus, but I don't know if he'll be able to get any more of them.
Once you find some horses, have the owner feed them with frozen mysis. This needs to be their staple diet, so you want to make sure they are eating it before you purchase them. Live and frozen brine don't count.
If you don't mind buying sight unseen, go to www.seahorse.org. There are several who currently raise them there. DanU and Bruce would be two that I would talk to. That way, you will get healthy, guaranteed horses with an exact birthdate and species, and they really don't cost much more.
I currently have 1 baby that I've raised, but I'm keeping her, and Sooner Seahorse Farms aren't to the point of selling them yet. I don't know of any other individuals.
My suggestion would be to see either Sloan at Exotic Aquatics, Steve at Wet Pets, or Gary at ART. I recently purchased a CB from Sloan. It was a tiny black baby when I got it, now 2 months later she has about doubled her size and turned a bright yellow. The only problem is that the species is uncertain, tho I am fairly certain they are NOT what they are being sold to Sloan and Steve as. Gary was able to get some that are probably erectus, but I don't know if he'll be able to get any more of them.
Once you find some horses, have the owner feed them with frozen mysis. This needs to be their staple diet, so you want to make sure they are eating it before you purchase them. Live and frozen brine don't count.
If you don't mind buying sight unseen, go to www.seahorse.org. There are several who currently raise them there. DanU and Bruce would be two that I would talk to. That way, you will get healthy, guaranteed horses with an exact birthdate and species, and they really don't cost much more.
cek1313
Member
With the main difference (IMO only but probably shared somewhere 
) is that purchasing wild caught is a bad investment--not ecologically sound and a violation of the CITES act. There are so many tank raised options (like April!) who do such a great job at raising captive seahorses that I hate to see anyone purchasing them for resale. I do know that Leigh Ann had some nice yellow tank raised earlier this week but I think they were spoken for.....
) is that purchasing wild caught is a bad investment--not ecologically sound and a violation of the CITES act. There are so many tank raised options (like April!) who do such a great job at raising captive seahorses that I hate to see anyone purchasing them for resale. I do know that Leigh Ann had some nice yellow tank raised earlier this week but I think they were spoken for.....Yeah, and an even bigger difference in WC and CB. Some of the "tank raised" horses are literally net raised, which means still out in the ocean in a huge net, where they are exposed to all of the diseases and parasites that WC horses are. The only benefit of tank raised horses over WC horses is that they are usually eating frozen, usually because it's either eat it or starve.
True CB horses were birthed in an aquarium and have spent their entire lives there. They have been trained to eat frozen and have not been exposed to worms, parasites, or diseases. Most of the time, they have been wormed and fed vitamin and mineral enriched foods, and some of them are even tatooed. That's what makes up the price difference in WC and CB.
True CB horses were birthed in an aquarium and have spent their entire lives there. They have been trained to eat frozen and have not been exposed to worms, parasites, or diseases. Most of the time, they have been wormed and fed vitamin and mineral enriched foods, and some of them are even tatooed. That's what makes up the price difference in WC and CB.
herpchat
New member
What species are you looking for?
That is also an important question.
If you don't mind buying online check out Dan Underwoods site www.seahorsesource.com
I buy from him.
That is also an important question.
If you don't mind buying online check out Dan Underwoods site www.seahorsesource.com
I buy from him.
I just hopped over to www.seahorse.org and Bruce has his juvies up for sale. They are priced at 150.00 / pr or 250.00 for 2 pair. That includes shipping and all the goodies (cold pack, box, etc.)
You won't find any better than from DanU or Bruce.
You won't find any better than from DanU or Bruce.
Youngsilver
C'est un touche-รย -tout
abigdog1976
I sent you a PM
I sent you a PM
VCoo71
Active member
i have seen the horses at CCA eating frozen foods.....and theres even one that was captive raised at the store.....born from the original ones they got from the local breeder.....
you might also look in to mail order from
http://www.dracomarine.org/index.html
i was impressed from his talk at nextwave (in dallas) last year!
what on okie went out of his way????
charlie
you might also look in to mail order from
http://www.dracomarine.org/index.html
i was impressed from his talk at nextwave (in dallas) last year!
what on okie went out of his way????
charlie
Russ Braaten
New member
I freaked too Paul. 20 years ago I bought a seahorse from a LFS in Tulsa for $15. I also paid about that for a clown. 20 years later the clown is still about $15 and the horses are 10 times the price.
Gwalker
In Memoriam
Seahorse restrictions and increased scarcity is a direct result of over fishing from Asian countries. They are widely caught and used for (bogus) herbal rememdies and sold crushed up as virility enchacers or touted as some other nonsensical sexual performace enhancer. They are also sold in great numbers over there as dried up souvenirs. The fact that most of all seahorses are much easier to breed and raise than clownfish should give you an idea of the pressures they face with over collection. The international community (CITES) has recently put a ban on collecting any wild caught seahorses due to these practices. You have to have a educational or research permit to qualify for leagal collection.
Last edited:
As with everything, you get what you pay for. I can find seahorses here locally for 30.00 ea. Even had an offer of 4 for $100.00 accepted.
The downside is that I don't know exactly what species this horse is, tho I'm pretty sure it's not what it's being sold as. That is no fault of the store owner. Even most seahorse fanatics have to examine a horse very closely to properly identify it. Also, I don't know where these cheap horses are coming from, what they've been exposed to or how they've been kept or handled from one wholesaler to the next. Feeding is another issue. A horse that has not eaten in 3 days may very well starve to death, even when presented with copious amounts of food on the 4th day. It is because they have no stomach and their digestive systems begins to shut down, especially if they are in a weakened state to begin with. And, there is no guarantee how old these cheap horses are. If you get one as an adult, it could be anywhere from 9 months to 7 years old. They really don't grow or change much once they reach adulthood.
The horses that are available from DanU at SeahorseSource and Bruce on Seahorse.org are expensive, but you have to remember that you are not comparing apples to apples, and that shipping is included in the price. Horses from either of these breeders are guaranteed to be healthy, and have never been exposed to worms or disease. Dan's horses have never even seen a bristleworm, as they are kept and raised in bare bottom tanks. They will be shipped to the end owner directly from the farm, with no wholesaler(s) involved, thus they will never be exposed to open systems containing any WC fish. The species will be certain, which greatly helps in raising babies, and the age will be known. You won't shell out 50.00 for a horse that is near the end of it's life. In the rare case that your horse doesn't make it, both Dan and Bruce have return policies. I am not going to name names, but I have had more than one LFS tell me, sorry, it's your loss.
I'm not promoting either Dan or Bruce, I'm just trying to clarify why their horses seem more expensive than those you may find locally. Again, at 150.00 per pair with shipping included, that's still only about 50.00 per horse, which is about the going rate at most LFS.
The downside is that I don't know exactly what species this horse is, tho I'm pretty sure it's not what it's being sold as. That is no fault of the store owner. Even most seahorse fanatics have to examine a horse very closely to properly identify it. Also, I don't know where these cheap horses are coming from, what they've been exposed to or how they've been kept or handled from one wholesaler to the next. Feeding is another issue. A horse that has not eaten in 3 days may very well starve to death, even when presented with copious amounts of food on the 4th day. It is because they have no stomach and their digestive systems begins to shut down, especially if they are in a weakened state to begin with. And, there is no guarantee how old these cheap horses are. If you get one as an adult, it could be anywhere from 9 months to 7 years old. They really don't grow or change much once they reach adulthood.
The horses that are available from DanU at SeahorseSource and Bruce on Seahorse.org are expensive, but you have to remember that you are not comparing apples to apples, and that shipping is included in the price. Horses from either of these breeders are guaranteed to be healthy, and have never been exposed to worms or disease. Dan's horses have never even seen a bristleworm, as they are kept and raised in bare bottom tanks. They will be shipped to the end owner directly from the farm, with no wholesaler(s) involved, thus they will never be exposed to open systems containing any WC fish. The species will be certain, which greatly helps in raising babies, and the age will be known. You won't shell out 50.00 for a horse that is near the end of it's life. In the rare case that your horse doesn't make it, both Dan and Bruce have return policies. I am not going to name names, but I have had more than one LFS tell me, sorry, it's your loss.
I'm not promoting either Dan or Bruce, I'm just trying to clarify why their horses seem more expensive than those you may find locally. Again, at 150.00 per pair with shipping included, that's still only about 50.00 per horse, which is about the going rate at most LFS.
Similar threads
