Seahorses in tropical conditions.

[tyler1503]

Hey seahorse lovers!
I'm waning to collect some seahorses in the lakes around me. When you can see them they're pretty abundant. Around my way the lakes can get up to about 26 degrees Celsius in summer (if my calculations are right, that's about 79F), sometimes warmer. Right where I like to keep my tropical tanks.
All the seahorse species down this way are cold water ponies so my question is;
Is it ok to put these cold water ponies in a tropical tank if the water they were collected in matches my tanks temperature? I'm a bit torn as they are cold water animals so keeping them in warmer water seems cruel, but if they were found in warmer waters doesn't that mean nature has already temperature acclimated them over a matter of months for me? So in theory they should be ok in tropical conditions.
I don't know what to do!

 

[ReeferRookie]

Taking a pony from its range anyways is cruel i only by captive bred species. Buttt i know its not possible in.most places. If you want cold water ponies why not just lower ur temp ?

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Please don't do it!!! Wild seahorses do not fare too well in captivity. It would be best to get captive bred.

Here are some of the reasons to avoid doing this:

• The temperature would make a huge difference. Seahorses can live in a variety of temps, but it is best to keep the temp below 75 in the home aquarium. Some seahorses need it cooler. Bacteria grows more readily in the warmer temps and this can leave the seahorses more prone to succumbing to an infection.
• Wild seahorses often have difficulty weaning onto frozen foods. Many will only take to live foods.
• Wild seahorses need to be dewormed and this can be tricky.

 

[ReeferRookie]

Well there u have it

 

[tyler1503]

I don't think it's any more cruel than taking any other species of fish from the wild. They're all just trying to live their life regardless of species.
Most people (I imagine) would say it's cruel as they can be difficult to keep alive, but I've kept these species alive in cold water tanks before so I know I can do it now
I have very limited access to captive bred kudas, but they will run me $320. Not the kind of money I have to spend on fish. That's why I'm looking for opinions on wild caught. I also have almost unlimited access to a natural food source. This was more just an idea I'm throwing around as opposed to something I have my heart set on. I'm wanting to do a local fish display refugium and thought ponies would fit the bill perfectly.
I can't lower the tank temp as I will be adding tropical fish and invert species to the display tank long before adding the ponies. Plus I don't have access to a chiller anymore.

 

[ReeferRookie]

Ah .... Cruel or not. Its your choice what does it hurt ? Other then the fish itsself. I wouldnt

 

[tyler1503]

The thing is, I don't know if it will harm the fish. That's what I'm asking.
Sure they're cold water fish, but if they're found in tropical conditions for at least 4 months of the year, is it really that dangerous for them to be in tropical conditions permanently?
If I'm taking them from 26•C water and putting them into 26•C water, will there be any long term issues?
They would have been temperature acclimated for a matter of months by nature. It's not like they would have been dumped in a bag and floated in my tank for a half hour and expected to live.
With all that said, I'll take what your saying on board. Having another reefers opinion is always appreciated

 

[ReeferRookie]

When u put it that. Way. No i dont see the acclamation as a problem but as stated but seahorsd Bove. Theyre more proan to infections in wsrmer climates

 

[tyler1503]

Please don't do it!!! Wild seahorses do not fare too well in captivity. It would be best to get captive bred.

Here are some of the reasons to avoid doing this:

• The temperature would make a huge difference. Seahorses can live in a variety of temps, but it is best to keep the temp below 75 in the home aquarium. Some seahorses need it cooler. Bacteria grows more readily in the warmer temps and this can leave the seahorses more prone to succumbing to an infection.
• Wild seahorses often have difficulty weaning onto frozen foods. Many will only take to live foods.
• Wild seahorses need to be dewormed and this can be tricky.

I need to look at these threads more carefully. I didn't see your post here sorry!
Thanks for the input. Like I said before, it's just an idea I'm throwing around, not something I'm going to crazy over.
Could you elaborate on the deworming please? I haven't heard of that before.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Wild seahorses have worms in their intestinal tract and to increase the success rate of keeping them in captivity you need to deworm them.

From seahorse.org:

FENBENDAZOLE (granules) Dosage and Preparation Instructions for Deworming
Active Ingredient: Fenbendazole
Indication: worms and other internal parasites
Brand Names: Panacur, Safe-Guard
One day each week, feed two meals of adult brine shrimp gut-loaded with Fenbendazole to the Seahorse.
Repeat for a total of 3 weeks.
• Purchase Fenbendazole granules available as 1gm packets.
• Thoroughly mix a single 1gm packet (~1/4tsp) into one gallon (~4 liters) of water. Please note that the
granules will not completely dissolve.
• This mixture will produce 222mg of Fenbendazole per gallon of water.
• Place the amount of adult brine shrimp needed for one feeding into the mixture. Leave them in the
mixture for at least 2hrs.
• Remove the adult brine shrimp from the mixture and add them to the quarantine tank.
• Observe the Seahorse to be certain it is eating the adult brine shrimp.
FENBENDAZOLE (liquid) Dosage and Preparation Instructions for Deworming
Active Ingredient: 10% Fenbendazole
Indication: worms and other internal parasites
Brand Names: Panacur, Safe-Guard
One day each week, feed two meals of adult brine shrimp gut-loaded with Fenbendazole to the Seahorse.
Repeat for a total of 3 weeks.
• Add ~250mg (2ml or ~1/2 tsp) of the Fenbendazole mixture to one gallon (~4 liters) of water and mix
thoroughly.
• Place the amount of adult brine shrimp needed for one feeding into the mixture. Leave them in the
mixture for at least 2hrs.
• Remove the adult brine shrimp from the mixture and add them to the quarantine tank.
• Observe the Seahorse to be certain it is eating the adult brine shrimp.

 

[tyler1503]

Sounds like a long process. Not something I have the time for at this point. Thanks for the info
I may have to rethink this seahorse fuge idea.
I assume pipefish are the same?

 

[saltykisses]

If the lakes are 79 f and your tank is the same.. They'll just think it's summer all year round..

 

[saltykisses]

For me the problem you'll encounter is that they maybe finicky, and difficult to geg to eat variety .

I don't see the parasites as a major problem ... You can set up a very good u v steriliser and have a really good contact time...

 

[tyler1503]

If the lakes are 79 f and your tank is the same.. They'll just think it's summer all year round..

That was my initial thought too

For me the problem you'll encounter is that they maybe finicky, and difficult to geg to eat variety .

I don't see the parasites as a major problem ... You can set up a very good u v steriliser and have a really good contact time...

I have virtually unlimited access to amphipods of all sizes up to about 3/4 inch, so I don't know how much of an issue feeding would be. I would hope amphipods alone would be nutritious enough to sustain them atleast till I wean them onto prepared foods. I can (attempt to) gut load the amphipods too. I've had better luck getting wild caught fish to feed than getting LFS fish to feed.
Being on a tight budget I don't really have UV as an option just now. As much as I would like to have one handy, it would be great for quarantining new fish and housing wild caught live foods in the sump.

Thanks for the input

 

[tyler1503]

Could someone please tell me, what is the purpose of the parasitic worms?
I imagine they would have to benefit the seahorses in some way, otherwise the seahorses would have evolved in such a way to prevent the worms from becoming parasites in the first place. Nature is all about survival and I don't see an entire species that's millions of years old NOT developing a way to fight these parasites unless it benefits them somehow.

 

[saltykisses]

They're probably just hitchikers like crypto parasites but since the hosts can't just swim off they keep getting reinfected ..

 

[SantaMonica]

Are the parasites supposed to be a problem for the horse or for others?

 

[vlangel]

When I was doing my research on keeping seahorses I learned that the ocean is a whole lot more regenerative in respects to cleaning than our tropical tanks. I think that is why wild seahorses can live in warmer temperatures for awhile. Our tanks are a petri dish of infectious bacteria's in temps over 74 degrees. I tried to keep 2 seahorses 10 years ago in tropical conditions and it was heartbreaking when one succumbed and its mate stayed by its side while it was dying. Shortly after the 2nd one also died. Believe me, you want to avoid something so sad. I wished I'd known then what I know now. I am only now trying again but I bought captive bred and I am providing them a tank with all the conditions they need like lower temps. Don't learn the hard way and learn from my mistake.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

When I was doing my research on keeping seahorses I learned that the ocean is a whole lot more regenerative in respects to cleaning than our tropical tanks. I think that is why wild seahorses can live in warmer temperatures for awhile. Our tanks are a petri dish of infectious bacteria's in temps over 74 degrees. I tried to keep 2 seahorses 10 years ago in tropical conditions and it was heartbreaking when one succumbed and its mate stayed by its side while it was dying. Shortly after the 2nd one also died. Believe me, you want to avoid something so sad. I wished I'd known then what I know now. I am only now trying again but I bought captive bred and I am providing them a tank with all the conditions they need like lower temps. Don't learn the hard way and learn from my mistake.

+1.

Deworming seahorses is important for captivity because it can help to increase their chances for survival. In the wild, they have their natural environment in their favor. Taking a wild seahorse and putting it in a tank, it creates a new world with a set of new challenges. I know people that have tried to raise seahorses that they have caught locally and they have all failed.

 

[tyler1503]

Are the parasites supposed to be a problem for the horse or for others?

Could someone please tell me, what is the purpose of the parasitic worms?
I imagine they would have to benefit the seahorses in some way, otherwise the seahorses would have evolved in such a way to prevent the worms from becoming parasites in the first place. Nature is all about survival and I don't see an entire species that's millions of years old NOT developing a way to fight these parasites unless it benefits them somehow.

Bump for these two questions!
Thanks or the input everyone. I've decided against local caught seahorses. Perhaps some local scorpionfish instead would be cool