Dear hobbyist:
Captive-bred-and-raised Hippocampus kelloggi have only recently become available here in the US. At this point, very little is known about their natural history or their habits and behavior in small, closed-system aquaria.
However, they should do well under the same conditions as other tropical seahorses. I would recommend maintaining your tank within the following aquarium parameters:
Temperature = range 68°F to 78°F (20°C-25°C), optimum 75°F (24°C).
Specific Gravity = range 1.022 – 1.026, optimum 1.0245
pH = 8.2 – 8.4
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = <20 (ideally 0-10 ppm)
Your H. kelloggi should thrive on two feedings of enriched frozen Mysis daily.
Cultured seahorses in general are highly gregarious animals that very much appreciate the company of others of their kind, and are accustomed to being surrounded by other seahorses, and I’m sure H. kelloggi is no exception. The natural social unit for seahorses is the mated pair, and providing your aquarium is large enough, it would be a good idea to obtain another seahorse of the same species but the opposite sex as a potential mate for your H. kelloggi.
I feel that seahorses enjoy a richer, more natural life when they have the opportunity to interact, court one another, pair up and reproduce. And more than one seahorse provides the hobbyist with an opportunity to observe social interactions and behaviors he would otherwise never see, such as competition for mates and daily greetings and birthing, including one of the grandest spectacles in all of nature — the colorful courtship and mating ritual of the seahorse!
However, it’s not strictly necessary for seahorses to be kept in pairs or groups at all. If you prefer, you may certainly keep a solo seahorse as a pet. But you may be missing out on a lot of the fun and enjoyment and entertainment of keeping these amazing animals if you keep a single seahorse rather than a pair. Most aquarists share my belief that seahorses are healthier and happier when they have an opportunity to mate.
If your H. kelloggi is your first seahorse, there is a lot of other information available on this forum that you may find helpful. For example, there have been a few other threads on the Ocean Rider Club discussion board at seahorse.com from hobbyists who were just starting out with seahorses that you should also find to be of interest. They discuss setting up an ideal system for seahorses, filtration, feeding, lighting, circulation and so on. I’ve provided links to those discussions for you below, so please check them out when you have a chance. I think they will answer many of your questions about keeping seahorses:
Re:Hello, newbie here! – O http://www.seahorse.com/option,com_simpleboard/Itemid,144/func,view/id,1004/catid,2/
Re: Guidance on Keeping Seahorses:
http://www.seahorse.com/option,com_simpleboard/Itemid,144/func,view/id,639/catid,2/
Re: New to seahorses and I have lots of questions!
http://www.seahorse.com/option,com_simpleboard/Itemid,144/func,view/id,152/catid,2/
Re: Tank set-up advice
http://www.seahorse.com/option,com_simpleboard/Itemid,144/func,view/id,715/catid,2
Re:New with lots of questions 🙂
http://www.seahorse.com/option,com_simpleboard/Itemid,144/func,view/catid,2/id,1050/#1050
Best of luck with your H. kelloggi!
Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
