Originally Posted by
lRadlbeck
seahorse.org is by far the best one that I have found - maybe Jen will respond - she seems to know alot about them!
Good Luck!
Liz
here i am!!! (triumphant music in the background)
Sorry it's so late. I didn't get a chance to read everyone's posts, so forgive me if i re-post some stuff!!! I read that someone said seahorses are impossible to keep alive for very long in an aquarium, and i would like to say that is incorrect. However, it is fairly difficult. you have to have a lot of time and patience. seahorse.org is a great website. Here's a few pointers i like to tell everyone interested in seahorses:
* the tank needs to be at least 2-2.5x's the height of the fully stretched seahorse. seahorses need the height for their mating rituals.
*seahorses should be kept in at least pairs, if not groups. They can become very depressed if they're the only seahorse in a tank.
* they should be fed at least 2x's a day, 3 if you can.
*water parameters have to be perfect and constant all of the time. It's not like a normal tank where you can have 20-40ppm of nitrates... seahorses become stressed very very easily.
*having a "feeding station" is the best way to feed them. You can read up on feeding stations at seahorse.org
*they need a lot of hitching posts, so a lot of fake corals/plants
*there are only a few good tankmates for seahorses... i would suggest no starfish, because they have been known to prey on slow moving fish.. that would be a $60 mistake... as far as tank mates, cardinal fish are good, because they also move slowly.
*having real corals in the tank with them is probably not a good idea (although some have done it successfully, i wouldn't suggest it for a first-time seahorser...). Almost every coral has stinging cells in them, and even though we may not be able to feel it, it can stress the seahorse out. Also, because seahorses latch onto anything, it's possible they can smother the corals.
*having a well stocked "medicine cabinet" is a must
that's all i will bore you with now, but remember to do a LOT of research before anything. As far as then length of time you should wait before adding seahorses, i would suggest you make sure your water parameters are perfect, and add a 'tester fish' after the cycle to see if it's ready. This tester fish should be something you may want to keep with the seahorse, or something from another tank... etc. Hope this helps, and i hope i didn't repeat too much...
