Seahorse Club
Aquarium & Livestock

Feed Ezy Frozen Mysis

Seahorse Club
Aquarium & Livestock

Feed Ezy Frozen Mysis

Seahorse Club
Aquarium & Livestock

Feed Ezy Frozen Mysis

Seahorse Club
Aquarium & Livestock

Feed Ezy Frozen Mysis

Seahorse Club
Aquarium & Livestock

Feed Ezy Frozen Mysis

Seahorse Club
Aquarium & Livestock

Feed Ezy Frozen Mysis

Stocking Density

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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  • #916

    How many dwarf seahorses can go in a 5gallon tank?Is 4 too less or too much?

    #2820
    Leslie
    Guest

    Hi Nigel,

    The recommended stocking density for Dwarf seahorses is 2 pairs per gallon, which is on the conservative side. So you could keep 10 pairs for a total of 20 individuals, which would be considered lightly stocked, so there would be room for fry.

    HTH,

    Leslie

    Post edited by: Leslie, at: 2006/08/30 10:33

    #2821
    Pete Giwojna
    Guest

    Dear Nigel:

    The suggested stocking density for dwarf seahorses (Hippocampus zosterae) is two pairs per 1 gallon (4 L) of water, which is actually a very conservative figure, so a well-filtered 5-gallon aquarium could easily support up to 10 pairs or 20 individual adults.

    I would say 4 dwarf seahorses is too few of these pigmy ponies to make a good herd for a five-gallon aquarium. I would suggest perhaps doubling that number. A colony of 8-10 dwarfs would be a good number to start out with in an aquarium of that size. A group that size would encourage breeding yet still allow plenty of room for your herd to grow, so you could raise the newborns right alongside the adults if you wish.

    Unlike most other seahorses, H. zosterae is a colonial seahorse that lives in small groups rather than as isolated pairs or individuals. These miniature marvels are accustomed to being surrounded by others of their kind.

    As a result, dwarves or Pixies breed best in large groups and are the most sociable of all the seahorses. What makes it extra fun is that these pint-size ponies are as prolific as they are promiscuous. Any time you have an adequate number of H. zosterae together — say several pairs — and conditions are to their liking, mating is a foregone conclusion. Once your dwarf seahorse herd includes 10-12 adults, you can be sure that one or more of the males will be pregnant during the breeding season at all times.

    Heck, anytime you order several pairs of dwarves during the months of May to August, the height of their breeding season, you’re virtually guaranteed that some of the males will be pregnant when they arrive (Abbott 2003). In that case, expect your first dwarf babies to be born in the shipping bags en route or while you’re acclimating your new additions or immediately after you introduce them to the aquarium (Abbott 2003). Or all of the above. Happens all the time!

    Far from inhibiting courtship, crowding seems to stimulate breeding in dwarf seahorses, almost as if they reach "critical mass" at a certain population density, triggering a chain reaction of mating attempts. Thus, provided water quality can be maintained, "the more the merrier" appears to be the rule with this species.

    For instance, pet dealers must occasionally crowd large numbers of fish together in cramped quarters due to a lack of space, including dwarf seahorses. Robert Straughan was once forced to keep 300 H. zosterae in a 10-gallon tank in such a situation back in the old days, and was pleasantly surprised to find that over 100 of them managed to pair off and breed nonetheless. He reported that at any given moment, dozens of dwarves were actively engaged in courtship, so it was a common sight to witness several couples rising simultaneously to exchange eggs, and that one or more of the gravid males would be delivering young virtually around the clock (Straughan, pers. comm.)!

    For all practical purposes, of course, it is always better to understock your aquarium than the push the envelope and test the limits of its carrying capacity. Straughan was dealing with an exceptional situation, but those unusual circumstances do provide a good illustration of a colonial nature of these pigmy ponies.

    Best of luck with your dwarf seahorses, Nigel!

    Happy Trails!
    Pete Giwojna

    #2822
    carrieincolorado
    Guest

    Hi there,

    What about mustangs? How big do they get when full grown? What is the stocking density for these?

    #2823
    Pete Giwojna
    Guest

    Dear Carrie:

    Just as there are short people and tall people, there is considerable variation in size among seahorses. Mustangs (Hippocampus erectus) are are no exception. As a species, they are large, robust seahorses, but as individuals there is a lot of variation in size. The smaller Mustangs might only reach 4-5 inches in total length when fully grown, whereas large specimens can reach twice that size. Most are somewhere in between.

    The suggested stocking density for Mustangs is one pair of adults per 10 gallons of water. This does not mean that you can keep them in a 10-gallon aquarium, mind you, it’s just a guideline to let hobbyists know that a properly maintained and filtered 50-gallon aquarium, for example, could support up to 5 pairs of Mustangs or 10 individuals. They are best suited for tall aquariums of 30 gallons or above, if you will be keeping them as a herd.

    But if you have a suitable tank set up for them, Carrie, Mustangs (Hippocampus erectus) would be an excellent choice for your starter seahorses. Commonly known as the Lined Seahorse or Northern Giant, Hippocampus erectus was the first seahorse to be commercially raised for the aquarium hobby. They have been captive-bred and raised for more generations than any other seahorse, and have now achieved a level of domestication that makes them better adapted to aquarium conditions and life in captivity than other seahorses. The Ocean Rider aquaculture facility in Hawaii that raises H. erectus selects them for traits such as adaptability, vigor, disease resistance, fast growth and aggressive feeding habits — traits that increase the fitness of each line over time (Abbott 2003). After numerous generations of strengthening and improvement, the current breeds of farm-raised erectus are tough as nails. Very hardy and very impressive, yet affordable, CB Mustangs are a great choice for a novice seahorse keeper who is still learning the ropes (Abbott 2003). They are very adaptable and have led the on-going trend toward keeping captive-bred seahorses only (Abbott 2003).

    These are impressive animals. They are large, robust, deep-chested seahorses that can reach well in excess of 7 inches in length when fully grown. They tend to be cryptically colored, and often show earth tones such as beige, russet, charcoal black, gray, brown, ochre or olive over an underlying pattern of fine parallel lines that run down their necks and across their chest (Giwojna, Jun. 2002). White blazes, blotches, saddles, triangles, and diamonds are common markings for captive-bred erectus (Giwojna, Jun. 2002).

    The lighter specimens that show their stripes boldly can be very striking, and they are apt to express a wide range of color phases as time passes, including everything from yellow to yellow-green, green, lavender, purple, maroon, magenta, pink, red, and orange from time to time (Giwojna, Jun. 2002). Like all seahorses, the coloration expressed by Lined seahorses can vary with their mood, environment, and social activities.

    The first pair of captive-bred seahorses I ever owned were Mustangs, and my ‘stangs quickly learned to recognize me as their feeder, whereupon they would often interact with me at dinnertime by turning on their greeting colors. My original pair are still going strong several years later, and I have watched them go through a number of color phases from month to month. One has settled on gray-green as its base coloration for the moment, and the other ranges between rust, burnt umber, and orange, but always with contrasting beige bands (Giwojna, Jun. 2002). Last season, the male adopted a rich ochre yellow as his everyday attire (still with the same beige bands, though), while the female displayed a dark purplish ensemble with definite greenish highlights. When courting, they consistently brighten to a pearly white and a creamy yellow respectively (Giwojna, Jun. 2002). They make a handsome couple, and I find my erectus to be very attractive specimens in all their guises.

    I set up my pair of these spirited steeds in a brand-new 30 gallon (tall) aquarium all their own, and that tank has been my most entertaining, trouble-free exhibit ever since. With a simple setup like theirs, I prefer to target feed my seahorses. That allows me to observe them closely on a daily basis, monitor their health, keep track of exactly how much each specimen is eating, and remove any leftovers immediately.

    Led by the female-by far the bolder and most outgoing of the two-the Mustangs were soon literally eating right out of my hands. (I know, I know-sensible aquarists should always strive to keep their mitts out the aquarium as much as possible, but handfeeding is a thrill I find difficult to resist, and hey — nobody ever said I was sensible!) Of course, I’m very well aware of the risks involved and extremely diligent about taking all the necessary precautions beforehand.

    As much as feeding time brightens up my day, I have no doubt it livens things up for my seahorses even more. They genuinely appear to enjoy interacting with me, and I believe in enriching their captive environment as much as possible. No doubt it’s the food they’re looking forward to, not the food giver, but our daily encounters are always eagerly awaited and they like to linger on my hand long after all the food is gone. They would allow me to lift them out of the water when I withdraw my hand if I didn’t gently shoo them away first.

    After I’d had them a week or so, my Mustangs were beating me to their feeding station whenever I approached their tank, betraying their eagerness and excitement by flashing through a series of bright color changes as soon as I opened the aquarium cover. Needless to say, I was delighted to find my Mustangs were such aggressive feeders. They have never had a health problem, and I’ve been equally pleased with the results of Piscine Energetics frozen Mysis enriched with Vibrance as a long-term diet.

    The only thing I don’t like about this extremely nutritious diet is the obligatory fast day. The problem with fasting is that the Mustangs don’t seem to realize it’s good for them-that it’s absolutely in their own best interests, essential for their long-term health. Whenever I make an appearance on fast day, they insist on parading back and forth in front of the glass in their greeting colors, begging for a handout. Before my butt hits the upholstery, both of them will be dancing at the feeding station, impatiently awaiting their gourmet shrimp dinner. When it doesn’t materialize, they forlornly abandon their post at the lunch counter, and come up to stare at me through the front glass. When I still don’t take the hint, the female paces back and forth at the front, looking her brightest and most conspicuous, as though trying to attract my attention, while the male reverts to his drab everyday attire and dejectedly resumes his futile vigil at the feeding station. If not for their well-rounded cross-sections, one would think they were dying of hunger, making it difficult to resist their puppy-dog antics. Just sitting there ignoring them makes me feel like a first-class heel. Sheesh–talk about your guilt trips Dang! I hate fast days.

    In short, if you give them a try, Carrie, I think you would enjoy your Mustangs as much as I enjoy mine.

    Happy Trails!
    Pete Giwojna

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