- This topic has 1 reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by .
-
Posts
-
Hello fellow SH fans!
First things first… I’m NEW here, and GREEN as can be on keeping SH. I’ve never kept one. I’ve heard all the horror stories, and I’ve shied away from them as long as I was able. However, I can resist no longer!
NOW I’m reading that they may not be that bad after all, especially Capes, Dwarves and Mustangs. I’ve sucessfully kept a soft coral tank- a small 12g Nanocube. I’ve done some preliminary research, and I’ve found that the lighting, warmth and strong current of the Nanocubes are usually too much for SH. A chiller may need to be used, due to the fact that my Nano usually runs around 80F. But my main concern is the size. I’m not excited about the Dwarves, because they’re so small and can be difficult to feed. H. Capensis seems the perfect size, but I’m sure 12g is WAY too small for 1 pair. Any advice?
I tried to become a member of a certain large online forum dedicated to SH, and it’s almost impossible to get in (due to spammers spoiling it for everyone). However, I did read there that you can keep 1 pair in 10 gallons. This seems quite small to me. Thoughts anyone?
Thanks for the forum, and I appreciate any advice you folks can give me! Happy SH keeping, everyone!
Dear Cat Dancer:
Well, your 12-gallon nanocube is way too small to consider any of the larger species of seahorses such as Mustangs or Sunbursts (Hippocampus erectus). On the other hand, it is spacious enough to house a whole herd of dwarf seahorses (H. zosterae) and all of their offspring, but the nanocube would require extensive modifications in order to assure that the water flow was not too overpowering for the seahorses and that the filters did not suck up all of the newly hatched brine shrimp before the dwarfs had a chance to eat it.
The suggested stocking density for Zulu lulus or Cape seahorses (Hippocampus capensis) is one pair per 5 gallons, with a minimum tank size of 10 gallons. So your 12-gallon nanocube could house a pair of H. capensis seahorses if you are able to modify the circulation and add an aquarium chiller that can maintain the water temperature of the aquarium within their comfort range at all times. (H. capensis is a temperate or Coldwater seahorse and the optimum water temperature for Zulus is 68°F-72°F.)
Ocean Rider is the only aquaculture facility that works with these endangered seahorses, Cat Dancer, and I don’t believe they have any plans to make them available to the general public again in the foreseeable future. So it is likely to be very difficult for you to obtain any H. capensis at this time.
You may be better off considering the black Seapony (Hippocampus fuscus), which is another of the Shetland pony class of seahorses that could be considered for a modified 12-gallon nano tank. This species can be considered a tropical version of H. capensis, and it shares many of the admirable traits that make Cape seahorses desirable aquarium specimens. Hippocampus fuscus are excellent starter seahorses, produce benthic babies that are considered relatively easy to raise, and are the right size for smaller aquarium. Captive-bred-and-raised H. fuscus are available for hobbyists at this time, and do well at 72°F-75°F.
If you contact me off list ([email protected]), I would be happy to e-mail you complete species summaries on both H. capensis and H. fuscus so you can read more about their aquarium needs and requirements, Cat Dancer.
Best of luck finding just the right seahorses for your needs and interests!
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
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.
