Seahorses
- Thread starter Wyley
- Start date
commonstranger
New member
This is very difficult to keep. They a very timid. If you have anything else in the tank at all that is aggreesive they will probably starve to death. Watch when you put in food and see if it eats. If it goes and hides when food is introduced and everything else is eating away I suggest that you either sale or trade the seahorse or you go to a seahorse only tank. Just my thoughts. Wish you the best with it.
ai-reefer
New member
As far as i know seahorses are for expert level hobbyists and are kept in a tanks exclusively designed for them.
In most cases, they only eat live food such as copepods or amphipods.
You can populate you tank with live copepods/amphipods. You can buy them on ebay.
This is a good time to order them because the temperatures are low and there is less of a chance that they will survive standard shipping.
You should be able to find some good deals... 2,000 live pods for $29 and 5,000 for $39.
Acclimate them to your tank temperature and specific gravity. They are usually raised in 1.027.
Once you put them in your tank, leave the light off for a few days and let them settle. I hope this helps.
Good Luck.
In most cases, they only eat live food such as copepods or amphipods.
You can populate you tank with live copepods/amphipods. You can buy them on ebay.
This is a good time to order them because the temperatures are low and there is less of a chance that they will survive standard shipping.
You should be able to find some good deals... 2,000 live pods for $29 and 5,000 for $39.
Acclimate them to your tank temperature and specific gravity. They are usually raised in 1.027.
Once you put them in your tank, leave the light off for a few days and let them settle. I hope this helps.
Good Luck.
Last edited:
rcmike
Active member
I have kept them and actually bred them several times. What species did you get? If they are captive bred they should eat frozen mysis. They do require a tank dedicated to them and won't live very long in a reef tank. Their tankmates need to be picked very carefully. They are not a fish to be bought on a whim. Even with careful planning they are difficult at best.
Thanks for the tips. I do have it in a tank by itself with the exception of a cleanup crew and some xenia and about 5 zoas. It has eaten frozen brine shrimp soaked in Selcon a couple of times and has been exploring the tank. It has plenty of places to anchor to and some places it could hide if it choses to. I'm not sure of the species it's black with grey bands about a centimeter apart. I think it is either a dwarf species or it is a young one because it isn't very big.
NeveSSL
Got tubes?
If it was a dwarf, you would know... they're about the size of your thumbnail fully grown. 
That's good that its eating, though.
I don't know many specifics about seahorses (yet... my current tank will one day be a seahorse tank, but not till I get into a house and get my 300g setup ), but I do know they require no competition for food and low-flow.
I would suggest going to seahorse.org and asking on their forum. I think its at least one of, if not the largest online seahorse forums. I think there's also a seahorse forum here that may be of assistance if you would prefer.
Good luck!
Brandon
That's good that its eating, though.
I don't know many specifics about seahorses (yet... my current tank will one day be a seahorse tank, but not till I get into a house and get my 300g setup
), but I do know they require no competition for food and low-flow. I would suggest going to seahorse.org and asking on their forum. I think its at least one of, if not the largest online seahorse forums. I think there's also a seahorse forum here that may be of assistance if you would prefer.
Good luck!
Brandon
rcmike
Active member
They did have tigertails at one time and it may be one of those. If you posted a picture I might could ID it.
Frozen brine isn't very good nutrition for them so I would get some mysis. It is very good food for seahorses.
I have had dwarfs and they are tiny. I haven't seen any for sale around here, I had to order them. I had very good luck with them until a heater mishap while I was gone for the weekend. In a 12 gal. tank it doesn't take much of a heater to raise it into the high 90s.
Frozen brine isn't very good nutrition for them so I would get some mysis. It is very good food for seahorses.
I have had dwarfs and they are tiny. I haven't seen any for sale around here, I had to order them. I had very good luck with them until a heater mishap while I was gone for the weekend. In a 12 gal. tank it doesn't take much of a heater to raise it into the high 90s.
Thanks again for the info. I have been soaking the frozen (thawed) brine shrimp in Selcon to get her some nutrition. I will get some Mysis shrimp asap though. I'll try to get a picture posted on Monday. After hearing of the size of mature dwarf seahorses I definately don't have one, mine is just small, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length with the tail unfurled.
I'll check out Seahorses.org and also look for a forum about them on here.
I'll check out Seahorses.org and also look for a forum about them on here.
