seahorse, could someone help

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the6goat6man6

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I was looking at a couple seahorse. Came home to research, read that they need low flow, live food, and i also read no air bubbles. something about a disease they get in their skin? could someone help me decide if it's worth the trouble.

i have a 40tall, lots of grabholds, i can lower my flow no prob., lots of pods, just worried about air bubbles. sometimes their are a few micro bubble floating around.

need the advice of someone who has experience, please
 
LOT^ of effort to keep them happy.
Yes, low flow is important. Most will be content eating frozen Mysis and can be trained to eat gut loaded frozen Brine Shrimp. They eat what drifts by their head in front of mouth. Relatively short lifespan. DFon't sweat the air bubbles. Your tank would be great for them and they are fun to watch. Unless you have ability to hand feed a few times a day, best to pass on them.
 
they have to be hand feed? I read they eat almost in the way manderins do, pods and such?

They eat what drifts by their head in front of mouth

I am assuming this is why Mike is suggesting hand feeding. Doesn't seem like they go after much of their food, so it would have to be brought to them?? Mike will have to confirm that, but to me, it sounds like they think they are some sort of royalty :lol:
 
In the wild they sit in floating kelp munching on little shrimp that swim by their heads. Lots of available food. In a tank, there are never enough pods to feed a fish of it's size and calorie demands. Personally, I feel the same way about mandarins, but those require less food due to being much less active. If you do not keep Seahorses well fed, they will die soon. Thus, putting food in front of them a few times a day is required.

If you have a herd of Horses, you can train them to come to a feeder cup or basket filled with mysis.

seahorse01.jpg
 
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Are the seahorses you're looking at dwarf seahorses or not? Dwarf Seahorses almost always require live food. Other seahorses can usually be trained to eat frozen foods. It's also important to consider what corals and other tank mates, you have in the tank, with them. Lots of corals and Lots of fish will NOT make good tankmates. Another consideration, worth researching, is temperature. Many Seahorses are not from tropical climates and need reduced temperatures.
 
The link in my signature has links at the bottom of my page that provide you with the basics you need to know for seahorse keeping.
Basically, for BEST chances of success, a species only tank that has temperature controlled to the lower 70's with excellent tank husbandry.
Seahorses number one killer is bacterial like vibriosis, and the next biggest killer is acquired pathogens from other tank mates that have been or are in the tank presently, that the seahorse hasn't been reared with to acquire some immunity for their effects.
By keeping the water cooler than seahorses may normally be found, you limit greatly the chances of deadly bacterial plagues.
MOST seahorses are very selective in the food they eat, with some eating almost everything but most picking and choosing which pieces they eat. The remainder is a major cause of water quality issues that aid bacterial infestations. Some can be trained to eat from a feeding dish, while others may only pick out of the water column.
There are claims that seahorses don't like much flow but in fact are comfortable as long as they don't get blown against objects by a blast of water, and having areas with hitching in low, and medium flow so they can choose their place at any given time. Sometimes some seahorses actually "play" in a high water flow.
Another major thing to succeed in the hobby is to buy only TRUE captive bred seahorses. While many places claim to sell captive bred, most are actually tank raised or net pen raised, with a few wild caught ones showing up from time to time. These are all grown in water that is insufficiently treated and filtered to remove the pathogens from the ocean water used and as such, need to be put through a 9 week protocol with 3 separate drugs to give a better chance of survival.
The best recommended source in the US for seahorses is seahorsesource.com where you not only can get seahorses and related supplies and medicines, but the best advice on seahorse keeping available from any breeder.
 
thanks to all, i think you have talked me out of it. I am new to the hobby and would like a little time in the hobby before I get seahorses. I do one day want to have seahrse sp. tank. I have a really cool idea. When it happens i will be sure to show.

THANK YOU AGAIN, you all have helped!
 
Here is a fairly recent shot of my corner 54g mixed sea horse/pipefish tank. Also has sand-sifter gobies and a few other super docile fish. There is good flow toward the back and near dead flow up front where the horses stay most of the time and where they get fed.

33790_192324437450980_100000202758299_768017_285705_n.jpg
 
That is nice, I thimk iwill leave the seahorses to the pros for now. till i get a little experience and less kids.LOL
Here is a fairly recent shot of my corner 54g mixed sea horse/pipefish tank. Also has sand-sifter gobies and a few other super docile fish. There is good flow toward the back and near dead flow up front where the horses stay most of the time and where they get fed.

33790_192324437450980_100000202758299_768017_285705_n.jpg
 
Seahorses are probably the coolest animal I've had in my tank but they require attention EVERYDAY. They must be fed everyday (mine ate frozen mysis with no problem). I had two in a 29 Long with some favia, and leather corals, a clownfish, and hectors goby. Had to make sure the clownfish didn't steal all the mysis from the seahorses. They are so cool and have great personalities (I called mine rover and spot because they are like dogs). Forget about vacations or weekend getaways unless you have someone to take care of them. I had a medium flow (MAG 5 pump, 3 feet head pressure) and ran a skimmer (some say you shouldn't) and also had micro bubbles. They were great until i started to travel a lot and the wife didn't keep up with the feedings.

AWESOME creatures that require far more care than anything else I've encountered with fresh or saltwater aquariums. They also decimated my copepod population in the main tank.
 
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