Pygmy/dwarf seahorses.

tyler1503

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I'm wanting to set up a dwarf seahorse tank in a 7gal cube. I've read before (I don't have the source handy sorry) that you can stock according to a basic rule of 1 per gallon. This seems like a big bioload on a small tank, so does anyone have any stocking suggestions about these guys?
I was thinking just a pair, but they're so tiny I think they would go unseen even in such a small tank.
 

vlangel

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I'm wanting to set up a dwarf seahorse tank in a 7gal cube. I've read before (I don't have the source handy sorry) that you can stock according to a basic rule of 1 per gallon. This seems like a big bioload on a small tank, so does anyone have any stocking suggestions about these guys?
I was thinking just a pair, but they're so tiny I think they would go unseen even in such a small tank.

7 gallons is actually a large tank for dwarf seahorses. From the threads I have read it is more common to do 2.5 - 5 gallons and folks have from 4 - 10 seahorses in those. If I were using a 7g cube I would add a back wall with an overflow and turn it into an AIO tank with filtration, maybe a nano skimmer and place for media basket to aid in filtration of the heavy bioload put on dwarf seahorse tanks.
 
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tyler1503

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7 gallons is actually a large tank for dwarf seahorses. From the threads I have read it is more common to do 2.5 - 5 gallons and folks have from 4 - 10 seahorses in those. If I were using a 7g cube I would add a back wall with an overflow and turn it into an AIO tank with filtration, maybe a nano skimmer and place for media basket to aid in filtration of the heavy bioload put on dwarf seahorse tanks.

Sorry, I didn't see your reply.
Maybe a small group of about 5 or 6 would be good for me. I wouldn't want too many. That conversion to an AIO idea is a good one :)
Have you had any personal experience with them?
 

vlangel

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Sorry, I didn't see your reply.
Maybe a small group of about 5 or 6 would be good for me. I wouldn't want too many. That conversion to an AIO idea is a good one :)
Have you had any personal experience with them?

No, I set up a large seahorse tank for H erectus seahorses. I had strongly considered the dwarf seahorses though so I did a lot of reading about them and I still read every thread related to them. Hatching live bb daily is what keeps me from getting them. Very few of them will take frozen food from what I read.
 
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tyler1503

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No, I set up a large seahorse tank for H erectus seahorses. I had strongly considered the dwarf seahorses though so I did a lot of reading about them and I still read every thread related to them. Hatching live bb daily is what keeps me from getting them. Very few of them will take frozen food from what I read.

I was under the impression copepods would suffice? Atleast as a staple meal anyway. And assuming I have a refugium for them to breed in.
I've looked after H. Kudas before, so I have some experience with seahorses, but they always took frozen mysis shrimp. I haven't had much experience with fish who need live foods outside of eels and scorpions, but that's a whole different story lol.
Haha hopefully they wont breed out of control. Who knows, I may become the first person to experience pest seahorses :p First off I have to find somewhere to get them from.
 

vlangel

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Hatching live bb is fairly easy but I think one must do it daily so the newly hatch bb still have their egg sacs, that way they are more nutritious. Copepods are a suitable food but they need a tremendous amount. Most fuges do not produce enough pods to sustain the seahorses. I don't know any sources of captive bred dwarf seahorses but I have read that KP Aquatics sell wild caught dwarfs. I would think you might have better luck training CB to eat frozen. I doubt WC ever would.
 

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I was under the impression copepods would suffice? Atleast as a staple meal anyway. And assuming I have a refugium for them to breed in.
I've looked after H. Kudas before, so I have some experience with seahorses, but they always took frozen mysis shrimp. I haven't had much experience with fish who need live foods outside of eels and scorpions, but that's a whole different story lol.
Haha hopefully they wont breed out of control. Who knows, I may become the first person to experience pest seahorses :p First off I have to find somewhere to get them from.

Hey, you could always sell them, right? They aren't like aiptasia that nobody wants! LOL
 
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tyler1503

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Sorry, this thread got away from me.
Thanks for the advice :) I'm considering kudas now. I've had them in the past and they have proven relatively easy to get to eat frozen foods.
 

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Sorry, this thread got away from me.
Thanks for the advice :) I'm considering kudas now. I've had them in the past and they have proven relatively easy to get to eat frozen foods.

Yes, I think any of the greater seahorses would be easier since they can be trained to eat frozen. Seahorse.com has an excellent online training course on seahorse care. Its free, although its implied that you purchase from them in the future and very thorough.
 
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tyler1503

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My LFS gets kudas and a few other species directly from the breeding facility in Tasmania, Australia. Most eat mysis or brine with gusto, so I'm good hands there :)
Hopefully this tank will be in the planning stages soon lol.
Thanks for the link.
 

vlangel

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My LFS gets kudas and a few other species directly from the breeding facility in Tasmania, Australia. Most eat mysis or brine with gusto, so I'm good hands there :)
Hopefully this tank will be in the planning stages soon lol.
Thanks for the link.

Hey, you bet! I will be watching for your seahorse tank!
 
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