So My Fiancee Talked me into a seahorse tank

[Lionfish Lair]

I joined the Org in 2001, so I probably interacted with you there. I'm still friends with the old crew from there, like Tami.

Did you know Marc had a baby? That's sort of where the Org started to slip.

Nice to see some old peeps are still floating around.

 

[Greybeard]

I joined the Org in 2001, so I probably interacted with you there. I'm still friends with the old crew from there, like Tami.

Did you know Marc had a baby? That's sort of where the Org started to slip.

Nice to see some old peeps are still floating around.

I certainly knew Tami, I just went by 'Chris' back then.

Old peeps... yup, that's me

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I know who you are now.... you were there right before our "split".

Small small world.

 

[Greybeard]

Yup. That 'split' is part of the reason I left. Things got ugly, I had already stopped trying to keep seahorses, just seemed like the thing to do.

 

[mgoesma]

A brine shrimp hatchery won't feed regular sized seahorses. That would be more for dwarf horses and fry.

Was thinking of it as more of a sentimental food supply. Just something for them to snack on.

 

[mort]

Was thinking of it as more of a sentimental food supply. Just something for them to snack on.

My seahorses would not even look at baby brine (kept erectus, kuda, reidi) except zostera. You could grow them on and then as adults they can be gut loaded. You'd be better with mysis but in truth I tried not to feed my captive bred horses live food unless absolutely necessary as I had some that went off frozen foods because they got the hunting instinct. It was more of a problem with reidi.

 

[mgoesma]

good to know. thanks

 

[SteadyC]

I feed PE Mysis soaked in Selcon concentrate, adds fatty acids to the shrimp, enhancing the nutrition. I feed once a day. There are several articles on keeping sea horses on advancedaquarist.com, I'd check them out. Such as:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/12/fish2

 

[DED65]

Seahorse Source and Ocean Rider are the only ones I have purchased from, all are healthy. Buy captive bred. I order pods and live algae from Algae Barn, only other food is PE mysis. I have plenty of macro algae, some Gorgonians, zoa's, toadstool leathers, scarlet reef hermit, two peppermint shrimp and lots of snails. Sea horses do make a mess when they eat, so I feed by hand twice a day. I did believe when I read that the horses like low flow. I find that they like quite a bit of flow and their hitching posts, most of the time they swim in the current. Be prepared to make 20-25 percent water changes weekly. Pods help between the twice a day mysis feedings. I don't think I will ever go on vacation again, I spend quite a bit of time taking care of them! Not an easy animal to take care of.

 

[mgoesma]

Thanks

 

[Philt56]

Here is my 47G cube Seahorse tank. Its been going for 18 months. I have a pair of H. Erectus who breed on a regular basis. There is also a pair of Red Scooters, pair of Orange Spotted Filefish, a Yellow Multi-banded Pipefish, and a Cowfish. It has a sump with skimmer and a small chiller to keep it at 72F-74F. Everyone just loves Seahorses.

I would think the cow fish would be a pig and grab all the food from the slower guys. And poop a lot!

 

[mgoesma]

Ya i haven't given much thought to other fish yet. im still a ways from that.

 

[mgoesma]

Currently i have some plumbing fixtures, and dry rock on the way. im trying to decide sand color. im thinking black sand. has anyone had experience with black sand?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I wouldn't go black, to be honest. I found it easier to keep white sand clean than black. You'd think it would be the other way around, as everything shows up on white, but it wasn't the case. White sand can have a fair bit of detritus on it before it actually looks dirty. Black sand shows every single little particle that falls.

 

[gary henkel]

i do nothing but seahorses, erectus and reidi, and barbouri. i have two separate setups, one for the full size horses, and another for the dwarf horses. i will try to give you any advice i can. most of what you are doing sounds good. just a couple of points:

1. purchase captive raised only!!!! that have been converted to eating frozen mysis shrimp. you cannot expect them to survive on brine shrimp, fortified or not. not gonna happen
2. contrary to popular belief, horses can withstand and need higher flows than you think. my tank has two returns from a 900 gph pump and to circulation pumps along the back wall
you will need all the filtration you can get. i do not recommend a canister filter. go with the sump. you will increase your water volume, be able to use a sock, protein skimmer, refugium, carbon and phosphate reactors, yadda yadda. horse are slow eating messy eaters, and water quality can plummet if excellent filtration and frequent water changes are not made.
3. unless you are ready willing and able to handle fry (i have two separate setups, hatching cones to produce bbs, and a whole boatload of other stuff) get same sexed animals.

let me know if you need help with anything. best of luck

btw, abby and dan underwood down at seahorsesource.com are as knowledgeable and nice as you will ever meet, and use extremely exacting techniques in raising their horses. if you are looking for h. erectus, the atlantic seahorse, they are the source to go to. tell them gary sent you. we are in constant contact.

gary

 

[gary henkel]

two other quick points after i reread your posts. my main display is with black and we love it. makes everything "pop" we have 3 sides of the tank painted blue. second, the other sources, ora and ocean rider, are excellent choices as well.

 

[mgoesma]

i do nothing but seahorses, erectus and reidi, and barbouri. i have two separate setups, one for the full size horses, and another for the dwarf horses. i will try to give you any advice i can. most of what you are doing sounds good. just a couple of points:

1. purchase captive raised only!!!! that have been converted to eating frozen mysis shrimp. you cannot expect them to survive on brine shrimp, fortified or not. not gonna happen
2. contrary to popular belief, horses can withstand and need higher flows than you think. my tank has two returns from a 900 gph pump and to circulation pumps along the back wall
you will need all the filtration you can get. i do not recommend a canister filter. go with the sump. you will increase your water volume, be able to use a sock, protein skimmer, refugium, carbon and phosphate reactors, yadda yadda. horse are slow eating messy eaters, and water quality can plummet if excellent filtration and frequent water changes are not made.
3. unless you are ready willing and able to handle fry (i have two separate setups, hatching cones to produce bbs, and a whole boatload of other stuff) get same sexed animals.

let me know if you need help with anything. best of luck

btw, abby and dan underwood down at seahorsesource.com are as knowledgeable and nice as you will ever meet, and use extremely exacting techniques in raising their horses. if you are looking for h. erectus, the atlantic seahorse, they are the source to go to. tell them gary sent you. we are in constant contact.

gary

I actually just got off the phone with Dan. He was amazing. I think i have everything i need to start setting up. He went through a whole list of items with my. I'm feeling good now.

Ill keep this form updated with my progress. i should be starting the setup in a couple weeks.
Mark

 

[vlangel]

Hey Mark, I just read your thread. Now that you have talked to Dan, I know you are in good hands. I can help too if you have questions. I will try to keep up on your thread but I usually read the seahorse and pipefish topic every day.

 

[mgoesma]

This is what i'm thinking for the sump.

 

[mgoesma]

it should say "Marine Pure". typing skills are failing me again.