Thanks for the great info, Pete! I’m really excited about this! Seahorses sound like fabulous animals. With my goldies I have experienced that thrill of gaining the trust (and even, I’m convinced, affection) of an unusual animal. And it’s so fascinating and rewarding to see an animal mind grow and blossom before my eyes. Can’t wait to experience that with seahorses!
I may concoct a puppet show based on a Hawaiian legend about seahorses. There must be one or many!
I’m all about enrichment for any captive critter. I was a zookeeper for awhile back in the 1980s, so I’ve seen firsthand what a difference enrichment makes. In between twice daily training sessions, I give my goldfish interactive toys that I’ve made. My ryukin loves her "little can o’ worms" toy so much that she actually cuddles up to it to sleep! It’s like her little aqua teddy bear.
I do want to take the Ocean Rider training course. When it comes to animal care, I’m very much a detail person! I’ve learned an incredible amount about fish medicine since I started with goldies. (I spent 3 years in a veterinary Ph.D program, but then veered into the arts professionally.) I really dig deep for answers when my fish have a medical issue. I’m also fortunate to have a fish veterinarian here locally. She’s on staff at the Mall of America’s big aquarium and works with seahorses. So with these resources and the knowledge I’m gaining from Ocean Rider, I hope I’ll provide my seahorses with top notch care.
I think I have most of the equipment that I’ll need. I have Eheim canisters and a UV sterilizer on each of my 4 tanks. I don’t have a protein skimmer, but I can get one if needed. I’m going to our LFS tonight to get a 45 gallon tank (36"Lx12"Wx24"H). I’ll use it to quarantine some new goldies I have arriving (also from Hawaii) this week. Then in a month or so, when the new goldfish are ready to go into community tanks, I’ll disinfect the 45 gal and convert it to a seahorse tank. Would two pairs of mustangs be comfortable in that size tank? I want to be sure that they have all they space they need, plus an open area for training.
If I ordered the seahorses in December, would they stay warm enough in shipment? I live here in the frozen north in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Thanks again for your help and for your dedication to these fantastic creatures! Now this weekend I’ll have to go to the Mall of America’s aquarium and spend an hour in their seahorse room!
(And one of these days my husband and I will make it back to the Big Island — our favorite Hawaiian destination. When we do, we’ll be sure to visit Ocean Rider!)
Regards,
Diane
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.
