Easiest first seahorse?

[Be11yDancer]

I'm setting up a tank for mandarins and since they are usually picking in the rock, I'd like to put something in there my husband can actually see.

Any help?

 

[Anonymous]

I'd go with tank-bred Hippocampus erectus, but there are also tank-bred kudas and reidi available these days.

Be careful of local shops that sell seahorses as "captive raised" that are raised in net pens or ponds with natural, unfiltered seawater piped in. Those horses are usually carrying parasites and will have to be dewormed before adding them to your tank.

 

[Be11yDancer]

Thank you, I will look for Hippocampus erectus and I'll start by asking my local org who's breeding them.

 

[Anonymous]

I would make sure the mandarins are eating frozen food. Any amphopod, mysis shrimp that makes it from my 50 gallon refugium to my seahorse tank is gone very quickly. I think a mandarin might starve in a seahorse tank....

 

[Anonymous]

Doesn't H. erectus prefer a bit cooler water temperature?

 

[Anonymous]

H. erectus have a wide range of temperatures they can live it comfortably. In general, even tropical species of seahorse will do better in the lower temp range in the home aquarium (74-76 degrees) rather than the near 80 at which people tend to keep reefs. In captivity, seahorses are prone to bacterial infections which seem to attack seahorses more often and do more damange at higher temperatures.

 

[Makin'Waves1]

Bellydancer,
Have sent you a PM. JN

 

[Be11yDancer]

No, I didn't send a personal message to anyone, I looked around a bit, who am I supposed to talk to?

I set up a "feeding station" for the mandarin I have now. I have NEVER actually seen him take a frozen mysid, but he usually comes to that area when I feed. I have seen him take brine shrimp.

My next post is how to actually connect a refugium . .

 

[Be11yDancer]

No, I didn't send a personal message to anyone, I looked around a bit, who am I supposed to talk to?

I set up a "feeding station" for the mandarin I have now. I have NEVER actually seen him take a frozen mysid, but he usually comes to that area when I feed. I have seen him take brine shrimp.

My next post is how to actually connect a refugium . .

 

[Makin'Waves1]

Be11yDancer,

Sorry, but I sent you a PM. Just to help you out, without someone accusing me of pumping myself up here on the board. JN