Seahorse Keeping and Breeding in the Home
Imagine a creature with the head of a horse, the tail of a monkey, and a pouch like a kangaroo. The stunning beauty and the staggering diversity of animals to be found in and around the world's oceans often defies the imagination. It's interesting to note the different reactions of people when I mention that I keep and raise seahorses.
With their whimsical charm, seahorses inspire an almost universal reaction of wonder and delight. Seahorses are fun and popular to raise because of their fascinating habits, beautiful appearance and ease of care in an aquarium. They are one of the most interesting and unique of all sea creatures.
A seahorse is a small, odd-shaped fish that lives in the sea. It is named a seahorse because its head resembles the head of a tiny horse. Its long tail can curl around objects and is called "prehensile". The seahorse uses its tail to cling to rooted plants, floating vegetation and even pipe fish and other seahorses! It moves in an upright position swimming with its dorsal fin. The scientific name is "Hippocampus", which comes from the Greek words meaning "horse" and "sea monster". The seahorse is in the same family as the pipe fish. Several species live in tropical waters such as Hawaii, Australia, the Caribbean, Brazil, ect.
Seahorses reproduce in a unique way. The male of the species gives birth to live babies. The female deposits her eggs in his pouch and THE MALE carries these eggs until they are ready to be born. Seahorses can bear up to 500 babies at one time. The baby seahorses (or ponies) often ride on their father's head or attached to other seahorses.
My Seahorses:
Is it OK for inexperienced, unknowledgeable people to raise seahorses?
In my experience, what is required to keep seahorses successfully is not so much a great deal of expertise, but rather a great deal of devotion and dedication. Anyone with a passion for seahorses who is willing to do their homework and approaches seahorse keeping with the right attitude can eventually do well.
So the short answer to your question is yes, under the right circumstances, an inexperienced hobbyist with little knowledge of seahorses can be successful keeping a pair of these marine marvels. Those conditions that are conducive for success as a complete novice are as follows:
(1) Do your homework ahead of time! Seahorses must never be an impulse purchase! Learn all you can about the care and requirements before you take the plunge. Get a couple of good seahorse guide books and brush up them. Join one or more Internet discussion forums devoted to seahorses and pester them mercilessly asking every question that comes into your head.
One book I would recommend is Seahorses: Everything About History, Care, Nutrition, Handling, and Behavior 
But the best book I think is How to care for your Seahorses in the Marine Aquarium, subtitled "A Stable Environment For your Seahorse Stable" by Tracy Warland (2001). It deals with captive-bred seahorses and is also quite inexpensive.
The discussion group I like for beginners is the Ocean Rider Club on Yahoo. Is a very friendly, informative, free help forum composed entirely of seahorse keepers.
(2) Avoid delicate wild caught seahorses and stick with hardy, captive-bred seahorses that are well adapted for aquarium conditions and easy to feed.
(3) Start small but think big. Limit yourself to a single pair of seahorses at first and keep them in a spacious aquarium that is much more than adequate for their needs. This will provide you with a comfortable margin for error while you gain experience.
(4) Find a mentor with loads of seahorse savvy to help you learn the ropes. This can be someone from a local aquarium society who is knowledgeable about seahorses, an aquarium service guy in your area, or perhaps a seahorse fanatic from your local fish store or one of their staff you know well and trust. For starters, the Ocean Rider tech support staff can serve as your mentor from afar. They can guide you every step of the way through the process of setting up an appropriate aquarium for seahorses from picking out the tank, decorating it, cycling the aquarium, selecting suitable specimens, acclimating the new arrivals, and feeding and maintenance.
Five years ago, during the Dark Ages of seahorse keeping before culture seahorses where available, when fragile wild-caught seahorses were the only option, I would have had to tell you there was no way an inexperienced hobbyist should attempt to keep seahorses. The delicate wild seahorses were totally unsuitable for beginners -- far too difficult to feed and far too sensitive to aquarium conditions.
But captive-bred seahorses are much different from wild-caught specimens and much easier to keep and breed. The recent appearance of hardy farm-raised seahorses that are pre-conditioned for the captive environment and pre-trained to eat frozen foods means that, for the first time, these fabulous fish are no more difficult to feed and maintain in the aquarium than the average angelfish, and are far easier to breed. For the first time, modern aquaculture techniques, successful breeding and rearing protocols for Hippocampines, and effective grow-out technology and maturation methods have brought the Holy Grail of aquarium fish within easy reach of the average hobbyist. And that changes everything.
In terms of their hardiness, ease of maintenance, disease resistance, longevity, adaptability, suitability for the captive environment, willingness to breed in the aquarium, genetic diversity, vigor, friendliness and sociability, coloration, and especially their feeding habits, captive-bred seahorses put wild seahorses to shame. No contest! Generations of selective breeding have transformed cultured seahorses into far different animals -- a whole new breed -- than wild seahorses. Compared to their wild-caught cousins, the captive-bred-and-raised seahorses are far more fun, much easier to keep and more convenient to care for, and generally more attractive specimens as well.
In short, the advantages of farm-raised, captive-bred seahorses over wild-caught specimens are many, obvious, and compelling. But to me, the most striking difference between cultured seahorses and wild specimens has always been the increased hardiness of the former. Captive-bred seahorses simply enjoy a huge advantage over their wild-caught brethren in terms of their health, disease resistance, and conditioning, and that naturally translates to greater longevity in the aquarium. To understand why they are so much hardier and healthier, we must examine how cultured seahorses and seahorses captured from the wild are handled before they reach the hobbyist. It is largely a matter of stress. In a nutshell, captive-bred-and-raised seahorses are not stressed by aquarium life and are not abused en route to the aquarist, and that makes all the difference in the world in terms of their fitness and lifespans in captivity.
When you place an order for farm-raised seahorses, they are then delivered overnight directly to your door from Hawaii's state-of-the art aquaculture facility, and thus reach the consumer well fed and in optimum condition. They arrive disease-free and relatively unstressed, at the peak of their health and coloration. This gives them a huge headstart over wild-caught seahorses, which are often beat up during capture (specimens taken in trawls, for example, often suffer considerable wear and tear during the collection process) and mishandled at various stops along the way to your local fish store (LFS).
By the time they finally arrive at your local dealers, wild-caught seahorses may already have spent a long time in the collector's holding tanks followed by an indefinite stay at a wholesaler and a high-risk respite at your local retailers, and have been exposed to all manner of pathogens and parasites at every stop along the way. Due to their need for live foods, they are very likely to have gone unfed during this entire period, and they may have become malnourished by the time they reach your neighborhood fish store. And because they were taken from coastal waters, wild seahorses are frequently infested with a variety of pests and parasites ranging from sea lice (Argulus sp.) to nematodes, parasitic copepods and hydroids. Upon arrival, they will need to be quarantined for a period of several weeks, since they may also be carrying disease pathogens such as fungus, Vibrio, or deadly Glugea. Captive-raised, high-health seahorses pose no such problems.
The greater adaptability of captive-bred and reared seahorses is another big plus. Cultured seahorses have now achieved a high level of domestication. They are pre-adapted to aquarium conditions and pre-trained to eat easily provided frozen foods. Because they are raised at much greater population densities than seahorses experience in nature, captive-bred specimens are accustomed to living in close quarters and withstand crowding much better than wild-caught 'horses. Consequently, farm-raised seahorses have little difficulty adjusting to life in a captive environment.
By contrast, field studies show that, in the wild, seahorses have a distribution pattern that can best be described as patchy, meaning they are few and far between, and that a female typically enjoys a home territory of up to 100 square meters. It stands to reason that wild-caught seahorses may have a more difficult time acclimating to life in captivity than farm-raised ponies that are literally born and bred for life in the aquarium. And that means that wild-caught seahorses will be under more stress in captivity, at least initially.
The bottom line is that captive bred and raised seahorses are simply hardier, more disease resistant, easier to maintain and longer lived in captivity than their wild-caught counterparts.
They reach the hobbyist well fed, in peak condition, and already accustomed to aquarium life and frozen foods. On the other hand, wild-caught seahorses typically arrive at your local fish store in poor shape, suffering from near starvation and the trauma of capture. Mishandling combined with malnutrition stresses these animals and impairs their immune systems, making them prone to disease.
So if you stick with hardy, adaptable, easy-to-feed captive-bred seahorses, half the battle is already won. But I would not advise inexperienced aquarists to attempt to keep wild seahorses under any circumstances. source (seahorse.com)
Marineland Instant Ocean Saltwater Aquarium Kit
This uniquely comprehensive kit contains the basic essentials any marine seahorse keeper needs to get started and stay successful--the aquarium, the filter, the lighting, and the salt mix--plus many extras that make set-up and operation virtually stress free. Marine system includes 12 gallon acrylic bowfront tank, filtration, lighting, cartridge, salt, hydrometer, heater, water conditioner, fish food, plants, and instruction booklet.
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Seahorse Aquarium Video
Your Interest In Seahorses
Seahorse Keeping Books
Seahorse Care and Facts
Some of the most decorative and elusive fish in the world belong to the families 'Syngnathidae', 'Solenostomidae' and 'Pegasidae'. These unique and delicate groups of fish include seahorses, seadragons, pipefish, pipehorses, ghostpipefish and seamoths, known collectively as 'Syngnathiformes'.
Seahorses: Everything About History, Care, Nutrition, Handling, and Behavior
These unusual looking marine fish need a steady di more...26 points
Water Chemistry for the Marine Aquarium by John H. Tullock
Written by an expert on marine biology, this title more...23 points
Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium
Full of excellent information about the marine bio more...18 points
Realm of the Pygmy Seahorse
For millennia, climatological and geological proce more...15 points
Seahorses And Sea Dragons
Informative text and detailed photographs. Readers more...13 points
Ultimate Marine Aquariums: Saltwater Dream Systems and How They Are Created
ONE NEED NOT GO VERY FAR BACK into the history of more...10 points
The Complete Guide to Dwarf Seahorses in the Aquarium
This touches all the bases. Very informational, bu more...7 points
Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species (The Pocketexpert Guide Series for Aquarists and Underwater Naturalists
Absolutely indispensable. Don't buy a seahorse wit more...7 points
Healthy Tank Raised Seahorses & Pipefish
These seahorses are NOT Wild Caught and will thrive in any well kept marine aquarium
The beautiful colored seahorses belong to the most magnificent and most remarkable organisms of the seas. About 35 species of seahorses occur worldwide. Seahorses are found in temperate and tropical waters.The average size in captivity of most Seahorses is approximately five inches. Seahorses are relatively hardy and adjust well to life in captivity if maintained in water conditions with low current and plenty of branching gorgonias, algae, or coral decorations. Because Seahorses have difficulty competing for live food when other fish are present, these fish are best kept in a tank containing only Seahorses and Pipefish. Live foods such as vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, small ghost shrimp, or copepods and amphipods found in live rock are usually preferred.
Buy Tank Raised Seahorses & Pipefish
Tank-Raised Seahorses are the only option. Any wild seahorses are illegal!
Here you can purchase captive bred seahorses and pipefish online.
With the purchase of seahorses please pay attention to some important points:
* choose only well fed animals (broad chest area)
* if possible select only horses eating frozen food (demonstration at your dealer)
* careful inspection regarding any injuries, funus, cloudy eyes ...
* if you plan to keep a lot of seahorses in a relatively small tank, take several females and only one male to avoid rivalry
* if you detect a lucky couple in your dealers tank, don´t separate the horses, buy both of them - they will thank you by beautiful courting
* if the selection is large enough, prefer " lively " horses instead of such, which sit apparently participateless in any corner
* don´t buy animals which just arrived at the dealer - wait about 3-5 days
The criteria mentioned above apply in general manner similar to the purchase of pipefish. In some species of these animals it is really important not to put two male pipefish in a tank, because this could be deadly for one of them.
Only a few dealers get the colorful types of seahorses (yellow, orange, red, green purple). The prices for these fantastic creatures range from $60 to $500. "Normal" seahorses (black brown) cost between $15 and $60. The prices of pipefish are in a range from $15 to $ 50.
- Brazilian Reidi Seahorse, Yellow - Tank-Bred
- The Brazilian Reidi is also known as the Longsnout Seahorse and is found in the Western Caribbean. These seahorses are Tank Bred in Sri Lanka and are available in the Yellow or Black color variant. The coloration may change in the aquarium and is highly dependent on the colors of its environment.
It does best when kept as either a mated pair, or with a small group of its own kind in a species-only aquarium of 30 gallons or larger. The taller the aquarium, the better, at least 16 inches high is best, as good circulation is most important. It will get along well with small, shy fish such as gobies, ocellaris and percula clowns, and firefish. But aggressive, territorial fish, or fast-moving fish do not make good companions.
When ready to mate, the male Brazilian Reidi Seahorse will impress the female with its dramatic color changes, energetic pouch displays, and lots of graceful dancing. If receptive, the future mate will entwine tails, dance, and promenade with it, and then deposit as many as 600 eggs in the male pouch. About 14 days later, the male will give birth between 50-400 perfect miniature replicas of the pair.
Fast, aggressive fish will out-compete the Brazilian Reidi Seahorse for food. When first introduced into the aquarium, live saltwater feeder shrimp should be used to entice this fish to eat. These Tank-Bred Seahorses are accustomed to frozen mysis shrimp, making them a smart alternative to their wild-caught counterparts. They will also feed upon amphipods, and other small crustaceans found in live rock. They will also accept vitamin-enriched adult brine shrimp, but should not make up a majority of their diet. They are slow, deliberate feeders and prefer two or more small feedings per day.
Seahorses spend most of their time clinging to seagrass with their prehensile tail rather than swimming. Its many unusual features and habits make it perhaps the most spectacular fish that may be kept in the home aquarium. - Giant Seahorse - Tank-Bred
- The Great Seahorse is native to the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. The adults of this species are brownish to black in color with the females and juveniles sometimes being cream or yellow. The coloration may change in the aquarium and is highly dependent on the colors of its environment. The Great Seahorse looks similar to the Kuda species but is more slender in body size.
It does best when kept as either a mated pair, or with a small group of its own kind in a species-only aquarium of 50 gallons or larger. The taller the aquarium, the better, at least 16 inches high is best, as good circulation is most important. It will get along well with small, shy fish such as gobies, ocellaris and percula clowns, and firefish. But aggressive, territorial fish or fast-moving fish do not make good companions. Seahorses spend most of their time clinging to seagrass and rocks with their prehensile tail rather than swimming.
When ready to mate, the male seahorse will impress the female with its dramatic color changes, energetic pouch displays, and lots of graceful dancing. If receptive, the future mate will entwine tails, dance, and promenade with it, and then deposit as many as 600 eggs in the male pouch. About 14 days later, the male will give birth to between 50-400 offspring.
Fast, aggressive fish will out-compete the Great Seahorse for food. When first introduced into the aquarium, live saltwater feeder shrimp should be used to entice this fish to eat. These Tank-Bred Seahorses are accustomed to frozen mysis shrimp, making them a smart alternative to their wild-caught counterparts. They will also feed upon amphipods, and other small crustaceans found in live rock. They will accept vitamin-enriched adult brine shrimp, but this should not make up a majority of their diet. They are slow, deliberate feeders and prefer two or more small feedings per day. - African Bluestripe Pipefish - Tank Bred
- The African Bluestripe Pipefish has a long sleek peach-orange body with a shape similar to that of an eel. A dark stripe runs the entire length of its body. It is difficult to keep in an aquarium and should be kept with other pipefish and seahorses in a separate, species-only tank that is 30 gallons or larger. It will not harm ornamental invertebrates in a reef setting. DO NOT HOUSE it with invertebrates with stinging tentacles (most corals and anemones), which can harm it. It requires plenty of hiding places such as caves or overhangs. The African Bluestripe Pipefish reacts poorly when harassed by other more aggressive fish such as: blennies, wrasses, gobies, triggerfish, and porcupinefish. Live rock or filamentous algae can provide a good source of extra nutrition for the African Bluestripe Pipefish.
It usually requires live food. The diet should consist of small live invertebrates such as vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, baby guppies, grass shrimp, mosquito larva, and daphnia. It needs to be fed at least three times per day, and is a very slow eater because of its tiny tubular mouth.
Please note: We guarantee that ALL aquaria species we offer will arrive alive and in good condition. However, because of the increased level of care required for this particular species, it has been designated as "Expert Only," and it is recommended that only the expert marine aquarist, zoo, or research institution purchase this species. - Banded Pipefish - Tank Bred
- The Banded Pipefish is also referred to as the Ringed Pipefish. It is a long sleek fish, with a body shape similar to that of an eel. It is a greenish-yellow with black rings spaced evenly along the body. The oval-shaped tail is a striking red and is fringed in white with a white spot in the middle.
The Banded Pipefish is difficult to keep in an aquarium and should be kept with other pipefish and seahorses in a separate species-only tank that is 55 gallons or larger with multiple caves and overhangs. It will not harm ornamental invertebrates in a reef setting. DO NOT HOUSE it with invertebrates with stinging tentacles (most corals and anemones), because they can harm it. The Banded Pipefish reacts poorly when harassed by other more aggressive fish such as blennies, wrasses, tobies, triggerfish, and porcupinefish.
The diet should consist of small live invertebrates such as vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, baby guppies, grass shrimp, mosquito larva, and daphnia. If the Banded Pipefish will eat them, frozen mysid shrimp provide good nutrition. It needs to be fed at least three times per day, and is a very slow eater because of its tiny tubular mouth.
Seahorses For Sale
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Dependable Seahorses' Resources
- Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums
- LiveAquaria.com is the largest and most responsible supplier of aquatic life in the country and is THE aquarist's choice for quality live freshwater and saltwater/marine fish,, live corals, live rock & sand, invertebrates, and live plants.
Here you will also find a large selection of tropical fish tank supplies and aquarium accessories, lighting, filters, kits, protein skimmers, and maintenance accessories for your tropical, marine, saltwater, or reef aquarium.
Aquatic Specialists help educate aquarium owners (whether novice, hobbyist or a seasoned enthusiast) on the proper care of the aquarium's inhabitants as well as how to provide the best possible aquarium habitat.
The quality and health of their aquatic life is second to none. To protect our natural resources, they support companies investing in aquacultured and tank raised species. Each specimen is visually inspected by an experienced aquatic expert before it is selected for your aquarium. Offers a guarantee unprecedented in the industry-- a 14 Day Arrive Alive, Stay Alive Guarantee! - Ocean Rider Captive Bred Seahorses
- Ocean Rider, Inc. is an organic Hawaiian-based aqua-farm that follows strict good farming practices in raising seahorses and other aquatic life. Seahorse.com is the website for the Ocean Rider® Marine Aquafarm in Hawaii - home of giant tropical farm-raised (captive bred) exotic and endangered Hippocampus seahorses, captive bred ornamental marine fish, aquatic pets and fish feeds for your tropical, saltwater marine aquarium. Promoting Seahorse conservation. Ocean Rider organic aqua-farming is saving seahorses, fish, and endangered marine life. We now culture over 10 lines of seahorses. Species include; Mustangs and Sunburst® (Hippocampus erectus), Pixies (Hippocampus zosterae), Yellow Brazileros® (Hippocampus Redii), OR Barbs (Hippocampus barbori), Fire Reds, Gigante® (Hippocampus ingens) Brazilero Red (Hippocampus Redi), SunFires, Pintos, Zulu-Lulu® (Hippocampus capensis) Mo'Olio(Hippocampus histrix), OR Kudas (Hippocampus kuda). Research and develpment continues on new species every day in our hatchery. Not only are we helping to save the seahorse from extinction but we offer you the opportunity to help protecting our oceans by making an ecological friendly choice when you choose Ocean Rider farm raised seahorses .... while enjoying new colorful, fun and unique varieties of seahorses all the time! The Ocean Rider Inc, facilities in Kailua Kona, Hawaii (the "Big Island") is now open for visitors!! See for yourself!
- Keeping and Breeding Seahorses
- the Internet's number one source for information about seahorses and related syngnathid species. Created in January 2001, Seahorse.org provides the most up-to-date information on seahorses, with a strong focus on keeping them in the home aquarium responsibly.
- Kingdom of the Seahorse
- This program joins Amanda Vincent, the world's leading seahorse biologist, in Australia and the Philippines as she explores the secret lives of these extraordinary fish and launches innovative efforts to help them thrive once again.
- Seahorse Morphology and Identification
- The Seahorse Identification System is a general method for identifying what kind of seahorse you have. It includes the most popular kinds of seahorses
- Color Plates of Seahorse Species
- A concise guide to identifying the most common seahorses available to the hobbyist.
Seahorse Videos
Bad Seahorse Advice You Might Be Given By Your Local Pet Store
If you can avoid it -- NEVER buy Wild Caught Seahorses at your local Pet Shop
Ask for a demonstration. Seahorses do not eat flake or pellet foods.
2. They will do fine on brine shrimp.
Brine shrimp (artemia) is not a staple food for seahorses. It needs to be enriched with a HUFA (highly unsaturated fatty acids) emulsion or similar for it to have any nutritional profile at all. Seahorses fed on unenriched brine will starve to death. Wild caughts may not even recognize live brine shrimp as food.
Dwarves will be OK on newly hatched or enriched instar II/III brine. All other species require mysis, gutloaded ghost/river shrimp, or similarly sized crustaceans. There is a comprehensive article on live foods in
the library at seahorse.org.
3. Seahorses will survive on a population of copepods/amphipods on the live rock.
The species of copepods you expect to see on live rock are the benthic (surface dwelling) kind, which on average will be about l by 1mm in size. These are far too small to feed adult seahorses with. Most will ignore them and the ones that do eat them will quickly decimate the copepod population. You cannot rely on a self sustaining population of copepods or amphipods to feed your horses with.
4. They are easy to train to frozen foods
Some wild caught seahorses will never take frozen foods, no matter how hard you try to train them. Do not buy wild caught seahorses unless you have year-round access to suitably sized live foods (not just adult brine). Even if they are eating frozen in the shop, there is no guarantee they will still eat frozen when you get them home (the stress of moving them is sometimes enough for them to refuse frozen). A seahorse should not go for more than a couple of days without being fed this does not give you any time to source live food if they will not eat frozen for you at home.
5. Our yellow seahorses are captive bred.
If the store carries captive bred seahorses, they will know the name of the species, not just the common name for them. Simple as that. If the horses are labelled as yellow seahorse, atlantic seahorse etc. odds on that they are
wild caught. Beware of Hippocampus kuda; it has been used generically to describe just about any species of seahorse.
Different species come from different temperature zones; a temperate seahorse will quickly die if kept at tropical temperatures. It is important to know the species so you can provide the correct environment.
Some shops get defensive when you politely question them about the origin of their Captive Bred seahorses. Ask who the breeder is, and the scientific name. If they cannot give you all of this information, they are not captive bred seahorses. If in doubt, leave them in the store!
If the seahorse is not priced at LEAST $40-90 it is probably not CB, although WC can be and are often priced this high or higher, especially the large, colourful Brazilians (H. reidi). One exception to is in the UK, where WC seahorses are for some reason often more expensive than CBs.
If the seahorse is a large, mature specimen, it is probably WC. Seahorses are expensive to raise and feed, so breeders try to sell them fairly small, when they are just eating frozen. If they guarantee other marine fish, but don't offer the same one on CB seahorses, chances are they know they are WC and are more than likely to die, no matter what the hobbyist does, so they won't guarantee them.
If the seahorses won't eat anything, or will only eat live food, they are probably WC. Captive breds should be trained to eat frozen mysis. Ask to see a demonstration of this in the shop. Beware of shops carrying seahorses that do not sell frozen mysis or nutritious live food (e.g., appropriate sized ghost/glass
shrimp). Brine shrimp, especially if not enriched with Selcon or similar HUFA supplement, does not count. If the shop does not carry the foods they eat, then what are they feeding their seahorses with? If they have been in store for a week or so without being fed properly, chances are they won't live long.
Another common sight is seahorses kept with unsuitable tank mates (anemones, crabs, damsels, tangs, other aggressive or fast swimming fish). Again this should give cause for concern, as it shows a lack of understanding of basic care and increases the chances of their fish being in poor condition.
6. Buy the tank and the seahorse together. A 1 gallon tank will do as they don't move about much.
In order for your aquarium to support life, it must be cycled (see nitrogen cycle). This takes up to eight weeks depending on the method used. You cannot buy a seahorse and put it into an uncycled aquarium, neither can you cycle a tank with relatively delicate marine fish-- they will be dead within five days or so from ammonia poisoning depending on the size of the tank.
If you do not know about the nitrogen cycle, you are not yet ready to keep seahorses. An article explaining this can be found in the library at Seahorse.org.
Seahorses are sessile, but require fairly large tank space for relatively slow moving fish. A good minimum size for a pair of medium sized horses is 20 gallons. Also bear in mind that the smaller the tank, the faster water quality can degrade.
Seahorses are social animals and should not be kept singly.
7. Seahorses normally:
"Float, have bubbles under their skin, have white cottony patches, lie on their sides on the bottom of the tank etc. They're just tired, they'll be fine once you get them home."
NOT!
If the seahorse appears to have a disease, or if you are unsure, do not buy it. Ask to see the seahorse eating. Watch it swim. If there is anything unusual, don't buy.
8. Half of the seahorses in this tank are wild caught, the other half are captive bred.
Few Local Fish Stores understand the need to keep wild caught and captive bred seahorses separately. Captive breds have not built up a resistance to the pathogens carried by wild caughts. Mixing them or even putting captive breds in a tank which has had wild caughts in it at some point in time can cause problems.
Ask the LFS if the tank with the captive breds in has ever had wild caught seahorses in, or whether it is on a shared circuit with any wild caught syngnathid tank.
9. Rescuing seahorses
It's quite common to see seahorses kept in terrible conditions by some LFSs in with aggressive fish, stinging corals, anemones etc or just not being fed at all.
Most LFSs will only have them for a short space of time. Often they will know little about the long term care of seahorses.
You may be tempted to "rescue" them, thinking you can provide better care for them yourself. While this is probably true, the LFS will then perceive a demand for them and order twice as many the next time.
If you do need to "rescue" the seahorses, refuse to pay for them. If they insist on charging you, leave them in the store. You may end up compounding the problem otherwise.
Other points to consider:
- Do you have access to antibiotics and antiparasitic medication? These are available over the counter in the US. They are
very difficult to come by in the UK and Australia for example. - Do you have anyone to feed the seahorses when you are away from home for more than a day?
- When the fish is being bagged up, ask them to put a hitch in for the journey home.
- Any fish should be quarantined before being added to the tank. A QT tank can double as a hospital tank, and is a vital piece of equipment. Captive breds should be quarantined for a minimum of three weeks, wild caughts for a minimum of six weeks.
- Drs. Foster & Smith
- Seahorse owners look to Drs. Foster & Smith for quality marine aquarium advice and products. Catering to pets such as dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, birds, small pets pond life.
Seahorse Conservation
The survival of seahorses in the wild is threatened world wide by many anthropogenic factors, including loss of habitat, pollution, and overfishing.Last year, 47,700 live seahorses worth about $40,000 were imported for aquaria trade," Asha Popatlal reported last month on Channel NewsAsia. "TCM [Traditional Chinese Medicine] practitioners import some two tonnes of dried seahorses annually, worth about $170,000. They are used as an ingredient in products to cure ailments such as asthma, swelling and impotence.
The world demand for seahorses and seahorse related products is vast with over 77 nations trading 24 million seahorses each year. Of the 33 known species, 32 now appear on the 2002 World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as endangered, vulnerable or data deficient. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listing of seahorses, last updated in November 2002, is the result of 10 years of work by Project Seahorse and Dr Amanda Vincent.
Currently the seahorses' largest threat is their use in traditional Chinese medicines. Dead seahorses are ground up and used as cures or remedies for skin aliments, high cholesterol, excess throat phlegm, goitres, heart disease, lymph node disorders, incontinence and impotence. As they keep their shape when dried many more are sold as souvenirs. The largest markets for these products are North America, Europe, Japan and Taiwan .
We will always emphasize that all of our live seahorses offered on this Lens, products, and advise are conservation-minded and ecologically aware. Aquafarming can be completely ecologically responsible with tremendous benefits to the world. It is the future and it is the solution to the global problem of overfishing, habitat destruction, and unsustainable resources.
Seahorse Conservation Resources
Help Protect Seahorses!
Project Seahorse works to conserve seahorse populations while respecting the needs of those who depend on them. To this end, Project Seahorse's approach is collaborative and inclusive; sustainable use of seahorses can only be achieved through partnership with fishers, traders and consumers. We thus work in local communities with in-country teams affiliated with national organizations.
- Project Seahorse Conservation
- Project Seahorse seeks volunteer, certified SCUBA divers (minimum 15 logged dives) who are interested in participating in a long-term monitoring program for assessing Marine Protected Area (MPA) effectiveness in northern Bohol, Philippines.
- Endangered Seahorses Facing Extinction - Seahorse Hawaii Foundation
- Today the seahorse is facing extinction from over fishing for the pet and medicine trade, and habitat destruction from global warming and development.
- Saving a Wonder of the Sea from Unsustainable Trade
- World Wildlife Fund is working around the world to combat threats like climate change, deteriorating ocean health, toxic chemicals, wildlife trade and deforestation. The result is a history of conservation success across the globe.
- Saving the Seahorse by Saving the Seas
- UBC prof starts first seahorse conservation program.
- Foundation For Endangered Species UK Projects - Seahorses
- here are two species of Seahorses found in British waters (hippocampus hippocampus and hippocampus guttulatus), and need protection against mankind's activities.
- Shy Seahorses Vanishing From Our Waters
- They are the most ethereal and retiring of all the ocean's inhabitants, living in seaweed or coral, and shying away from prying eyes and hands. But seahorses are a prized ingredient in many traditional Chinese medicines, putting them, and the other members of the syngnathid family, at risk.
- Hong Kong Mafia Could Wipe Out Australia's Pot-Bellied Seahorse
- PORT Phillip's pot-bellied seahorse is at risk from poachers cashing in on soaring demand from China, where the creatures are used as sex stimulants. There are fears that poachers linked to Hong Kong's "seahorse mafia" have moved into Australia, as traditional sources in Asian waters are fished out.
- Seahorses: Tank-Raised are the Only Option
- Wild seahorses were highlighted due to their declining numbers in their natural habitats. There are about 50 known species of seahorses, and they all fall into the genus Hippocampus. It was voted to place all seahorses of the genus Hippocampus, on the endangered species list, which makes the collection of any wild seahorse illegal.
- 200,000,000 Seahorses are are killed each year
- This page is intended to only be an introduction to the problems facing seahorses in our world. Links at the bottom of the page will take you to some of the best resource sites out there for more in-depth information.
- ISeahorses
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- Introduction and Seahorse Conservation and Biology
- Read the "Guide to the Identification of Seahorses," a technical publication for law enforcement from TRAFFIC and Project Seahorse
More Seahorse Videos
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EasyW
Great lens! Well done ;) Posted July 26, 2008 |