New Setup

Dear Grantman:

That depends on what seahorses you will be working with and what your purposes in raising them are, sir. There is a great deal of difference in the type of setup needed to breed and raise miniature species such as the dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) and the larger breeds of seahorses. And you need different types of nurseries and grow out tanks for seahorses with benthic fry and seahorses that produce fry that undergo a pelagic stage of development.

Can you give me a better idea of what you’re breeding program involves, sir? I need to know what type of seahorses you want to breed and raise, and whether you are just raising them as a hobby to satisfy your own interests and maintain your herd at home or if you are raising them for a research project or something more ambitious.

If you can elaborate on your breeding program for me I will be able to give you some better advice.

Best wishes with all your fishes, sir!

Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna

Dear Grantman:

I have to warn you that it is very difficult for the home hobbyist to be so successful at rearing seahroses that he or she is able to generate any kind of a profit from such an endeavor. Raising seahorses in any kind of quantity requires a tremendous investment in both time and expense, sir. Any kind of a large-scale breeding program is almost certain to consume far more resources on your behalf than it generates.

There is a always a steep learning curve when it comes to rearing the newborns, and it’s quite common — perhaps even the rule — for the home breeder to lose the entire brood during his first few attempts at rearing. But as you refine your methods and become more proficient at providing suitable live foods for the newborns and work out the feeding regimen that’s most efficient for your particular circumstances, your results will get better. You will have more of the fry surviving for longer periods, until eventually you are able to raise a few of the fry from a few of the broods to maturity. Most home breeders can aspire to that sort of limited success eventually if they are willing to put in the time and effort it requires. But if you’re counting on homegrown ponies to reduce your overhead, that’s really rather unrealistic. It’s very likely to be the other way around, sir.

Secondly, you should be aware that when you purchase Ocean Rider seahorses, you are agreeing NOT to sell the offspring of those ponies for profit. So you would need to obtain the Hippocampus erectus broodstock for your breeding program from another vendor.

Having said that, sir, if you contact me off list I would be happy to provide you with the lot information on breeding and raising Hippocampus erectus, including successful rearing protocols that have been developed by professional breeders. With time and practice, you should eventually be able to raise enough of the fry to maturity to keep your herd going and make up for natural losses. But I wouldn’t expect your breeding project to advance beyond that point without a very major commitment of time and a major investment of money, in conjunction with a very long-term approach.

Best of luck with your breeding project, sir!

Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna

Dear Grantman:

Okay, sir, no problem! You can always contact me personally at the following e-mail address:

[email protected]

Just shoot me a quick e-mail and I will load you up with all the information you can handle on breeding and raising Hippocampus erectus seahorses, sir.

I hope I didn’t sound too discouraging in my previous post — it’s just that seahorse keeping is not the type of hobby that is ever going to pay for itself. It has its own rewards, of course, and chief among these is the pride you can take in home grown seahorses when you accomplish the feat, even if it is only an occasional specimen that makes it to maturity. Most seahorse keepers are utterly fascinated with these amazing aquatic equines, which makes the chance to keep them in their home the only incentive they ever need.

Best wishes with all your fishes, sir!

Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna