Seahorses?
- Thread starter doahh
- Start date
al mc
Active Member
Amen to the feeding requirements. Doah..There is a group of board participants that all have seahorses. You might try searching the posts for seahorses. If you can't get enough info, then hopefully a member know as 'Ponigirl' will see your post....As her name implies, she knows alot about seahorses.........
dawman
Active Member
Originally Posted by Doahh
If seahorses can't be kept in anything less than a 50 than why are they commonly held in 20 and 29 gallon tanks?
They are not commonly kept in 20 and 29 gallon tanks . Maybe at pet shops , but that`s temporary . Also maybe for youngsters . Seahorses need a lot of room , vertical and horizontal .
If seahorses can't be kept in anything less than a 50 than why are they commonly held in 20 and 29 gallon tanks?
They are not commonly kept in 20 and 29 gallon tanks . Maybe at pet shops , but that`s temporary . Also maybe for youngsters . Seahorses need a lot of room , vertical and horizontal .
poniegirl
Active Member
The first thing to know about seahorses is that in general they all have specific diet and tank requirements, depending on the species. The difficult part in answering broad questions like the above is that one answer does not fit all.
One of the most commonly kept seahorses is h. (hippocampus) Kuda. This species can grow to a height of 10 inches, and so a 20 gallon would not be a good longterm home for this species. Certainly not 2 to 4 of them. And particulary not if they are pairs that might breed. They may be slow-moving animals most of the time, but they do require room, just as any other fish would that has the potential to grow to that size.
A 29 gallon would be a good home for 2.
Seahorse diet requirements are tough for a lot of folks to fit into their schedules. They need a MINIMUM of two feedings a day, with ideally, A good naturally occurring food source like copepods so they can supplement. And, remember, the animal should live 4 to 6 years. It's a commitment.
Seahorses have no stomach, digestion is relatively quick and nutrients are not stored in a way that allows meals to be missed. They need a regular flow of nutrients. If they are not fed enough, they starve and it is not a simple thing (often impossible) to nurse an undernourished seahorse back to health. If they are fed too much, the food can pass through undigested and it is wasted (literally) which is not good for the seahorse or your water quality.
That is brief and very basic info.
Dwarf seahorses make the above look like a cake-walk. These little guys require live food. Bronco here keeps dwarf seahorses and I know you can use the search to find some of his posts.
One of the most commonly kept seahorses is h. (hippocampus) Kuda. This species can grow to a height of 10 inches, and so a 20 gallon would not be a good longterm home for this species. Certainly not 2 to 4 of them. And particulary not if they are pairs that might breed. They may be slow-moving animals most of the time, but they do require room, just as any other fish would that has the potential to grow to that size.
A 29 gallon would be a good home for 2.
Seahorse diet requirements are tough for a lot of folks to fit into their schedules. They need a MINIMUM of two feedings a day, with ideally, A good naturally occurring food source like copepods so they can supplement. And, remember, the animal should live 4 to 6 years. It's a commitment.
Seahorses have no stomach, digestion is relatively quick and nutrients are not stored in a way that allows meals to be missed. They need a regular flow of nutrients. If they are not fed enough, they starve and it is not a simple thing (often impossible) to nurse an undernourished seahorse back to health. If they are fed too much, the food can pass through undigested and it is wasted (literally) which is not good for the seahorse or your water quality.
That is brief and very basic info.
Dwarf seahorses make the above look like a cake-walk. These little guys require live food. Bronco here keeps dwarf seahorses and I know you can use the search to find some of his posts.
fulcrum
Member
Please proceed with caution. Make sure you can manage the temp and stability of the tank for a while before you add the horses. I believe that H. Zosterae (dwarves) require a decent resident pod population to augment live feedings.
As Poniegirl said, these are a challenging species compared to other common seahorses in this hobby.
I currently keep H. Erectus, which are EASY seahorses and they are far more challenging than any fish I have attempted.
As Poniegirl said, these are a challenging species compared to other common seahorses in this hobby.
I currently keep H. Erectus, which are EASY seahorses and they are far more challenging than any fish I have attempted.
