rykna
Active Member
If you are buying from a local fish store (LFS), observe the seahorses carefully before you purchase. If you are buying from an e-tailer, be sure they have a reputation for supplying quality animals and a guarantee of live arrival and survival for 5-7 days. Even the smallest sign of disease or injury can result in a mortality, as seahorses are extremely sensitive and often succumb to pathogens not common to other marine ornamental fish.It is NOT recommened to purchase wild caught (WC) seahorses
Check List before purchasing:
Is the seahorse eating? What food is it eating and how often is it being fed? Is the body well - rounded with no signs of abdominal concavity?
DO NOT BUY A SEAHORSE THAT IS NOT EATING. Even stressed, new arrivals should eat within 24 hours if it they are otherwise healthy and kept in a clean, well-aerated tank. Often they have only been offered brine shrimp, which is not a normal food source in their native habitats. Although this is not a healthy diet, if the seahorse will take it readily, it is the first sign of good overall health. However, if the seahorses have been in the pet store for any length of time, fed exclusively on un-enriched brine shrimp, there is a good chance these specimens will be malnourished. Seahorses only have a rudimentary stomach and must continuously absorb nutrients. Offering a non-nutritional diet for more than several days will quickly deplete the seahorse of necessary nutrients, making it more susceptible to pathogens. Most malnourished seahorses do not survive in the long term.
Check List before purchasing:
Is the seahorse eating? What food is it eating and how often is it being fed? Is the body well - rounded with no signs of abdominal concavity?
DO NOT BUY A SEAHORSE THAT IS NOT EATING. Even stressed, new arrivals should eat within 24 hours if it they are otherwise healthy and kept in a clean, well-aerated tank. Often they have only been offered brine shrimp, which is not a normal food source in their native habitats. Although this is not a healthy diet, if the seahorse will take it readily, it is the first sign of good overall health. However, if the seahorses have been in the pet store for any length of time, fed exclusively on un-enriched brine shrimp, there is a good chance these specimens will be malnourished. Seahorses only have a rudimentary stomach and must continuously absorb nutrients. Offering a non-nutritional diet for more than several days will quickly deplete the seahorse of necessary nutrients, making it more susceptible to pathogens. Most malnourished seahorses do not survive in the long term.