Seahorse Setup

Hi all--My name is Christine, from NY, USA. I've been lurking for a bit ( :) ).

Seahorse.org is surely the best resource for seahorse keeping info, and a great gang of people to boot. While you can keep seahorses successfully in a tank with other critters, sand, rock etc, it can become difficult: seahorses are much much more prone to illness than other fish. If you keep seahorses, you'll learn a lot about medications! Most of the "hardcore" seahorse keepers keep their critters in tanks that are barebottom and full of decorations that can be cleaned easily.

Fake corals are good, and there are plenty of plastic plants that look pretty nice once they're under water. I ended up going the other way with my guys--if I wasn't going to make the tank "natural", I made it as artificial as I could. So... my horses have a big hitch made from a single piece of rock with plastic silly straws sticking out as hitches. The straws look awesome under actinics :)

Do you all actually have a source for H. capensis? We had some here in the states, captive bred, but I haven't seen any in a long while.
 
Hi Spracklcat,

Thanks for the info. The Seahorse Whisperer around here is Calvin. PM him for more info on Capensis etc.

Cheers
 
I agree www.seahorse.org is a great resource. So is www.seahorse.com (Ocean Rider). They have some GREAT videos and pictures! ...as well as a lot of free info (www.seahorse.com/Seahorse_Life_-_An_Introduction). Bob took me out to their breeding facility in Kona, HI while I was there. I didn't take the tour (we had just missed the "touring hours"), but I got to have dinner a few times with the owners (and their two adorable twin boys!). Dana, their employee, is also a hoot... very smart and knowledgeable as well. If anyone is ever out in Kona and likes seahorses, I'd suggest looking them up and seeing their seahorse farm. (Which reminds me, I do have pictures!)
 
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Try Calvin and Moolis, I would explain what set up you will have for the seahorses and what you will be feeding, as they may not sell to you if you are not set up adequately.
 
Hi Galibore

I've had my seahorse setup running now for just over a month, boy are they awesome... but HARD WORK!

You'll have a whole lot more problems to resolve than your std marine setup. They need a very low water turnover rate in the system, only about 4-6 time, this means algae and cayno problems. Don't require strong lighting but like a 3 hrs "fade in", 8 hrs lights on and 3 hrs "fade out". Like LR with nice holdfasts (about 10 -15mm thick)

Diet is another story, If you can, like someone stated, try get tank raised seahorses as they should take frozen Mysis shrimp - which is the best for them, if not you'll have to bread river shrimp and feed them the young, but these lack nutrious value and need to be treated with vitamins. If you can and have a source of live Mysis shrimp they are the best. I'm fortunaly enough to have a LIMITED source and have tried to breed them to maintain my supply, but with no luck.

I've got a pair of H. comes and 2 pairs of H. Kuda.

If you need any help Private Message me and I will try with the limited knowlage I have.

Lighty
 
Some seahorses (not all) will take guppy and mollie fry, mollies can be bred in seawater, I have converted guppies before but they did not breed. It might be easier to breed amphipods and copepods than mysis. Are your Kuda breeding?
 
Not yet, Just added them, but the 2 H. Comes for some reason they don't seam to be too affectionate towards each other. Maybe they need some Vodka as a social lubricant:peroni:
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Hi,

Still setting up (have to replace some stuff that wasn't to spec and couldn't get around to it yet). But I've contacted Moolis, and I'll do so again when I'm good and ready - want everything to run in first.

Thanks a lot for the offer lIghty. I'll probably take you up on it. However, I do know about their special needs, so I'm not going into this blindly. Thanks for the concern!
 
Check if they are male and female, most pairs of seahorse usually have a good morning ritual but may separate during the day.
 
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