Brock Fluharty
06-29-2007, 01:45 AM
I recently setup a 5.5 gallon tank for 6 dwarf seahorses. I figured i'd go ahead and post an incomplete care guide for them. I'm sure I will forget some things, so I may go back and add replies.
Dwarf seahorses are appealing in every aspect to the average hobbyist. They are small, cute, cheap, and require tiny tanks. But if you want to successfully keep H. zosterae, or the dwarf seahorse, you'll spend more $ than you expect. Upon arrival, the dwarf seahorses will need to be fw dipped, or treated with a formalin bath. Also, they should be properly quarantine for a minimum of 4 weeks.
Dwarf seahorses (often abbreviated DSH) require live brine shrimp 2-3 times a day. Very few dsh's have ever been trained to eat frozen food, and those that do quickly go back to live. Up until a few months ago, it was thought that newly hatched baby brine shrimp (bbs) less than 24 hours old was the best food for them. But many keepers weren't seeing their herds really thriving. So now most of us DSH keepers use 3-5 day old enriched brine shrimp. The brine shrimp eggs you buy should be decapped, which is essentially removing the outer chell of the egg, so the brine shrimp uses up less of it's yolk sac to break out of the egg, and has a cleaner hatching, with no shells. www.seahorsesource.com now sells decapped bbs eggs. The enrichment is personal choice. I use AlgaMac 3050. It's nice, but anything liquid would be much easier IMO.
The reason tank size recommendations are so small for dsh is because they are lazy. They won't get off their hitch and cruise around looking for brine shrimp. They casually wait for some brine shrimp to pass them, and snick it down. So in order to ensure that a few brine shrimp are passing by each dwarf at any given point in time, we have to have a high feeding density. To get the desired feeding density, it's easiest to have a small tank. The larger the tank, the more brine shrimp you'll need. Then they won't all be eaten, and the water will foul quickly. Also if you have say 10 dwarfs in a 30 gallon, you likely won't see them. Dwarfs max out at about one inch. IME, males tend to be bigger, and more robust than females. Females look almost like fry. Weak and brittle looking. There really is no way to get around feeding density ATM, since you really can't have a clean-up crew. Most clean up crews consist of hermit crabs, which would gladly snack on a dwarf or two. Snails may also eat the dwarfs, or any fry they might have.
Filtration is often recommended to be a sponge filter. Which is a good choice. It won't suck up fry, or adults, and doesn't create "flow" per-se. I, however, use a power filter (AquaClear mini, controllable flow output) with filter floss over the intake, and the flow turned down quite a bit. The filter floss does need to be rinsed out once every 4-5 days, or brine shrimp will accumulate quickly. Regular water changes are also necessary, as with all tanks. Dsh tanks may require more frequent water changes than say a reef tank, because of the constant supply of dirty live foods. I say dirty, because brine shrimp are the nastiest things on earth. Just smell some brine shrimp hatch water. Yum...
Lighting doesn't need to be special. Too bright and it will irritate the dwarfs, and cause the temperature to spike. Too little and they won't be able to see their food.
Breeding of dsh is quite amazing. It's much different from the bigger breeds. The male will scooch up next to a female, and start shaking. He will quiver for a second or two, then stop. If she is responsive, she will do it back. After a little bit of this, they will parade around the tank holding each other's tails. The female will them deposit her eggs into the males pouch. Gestation is temperature dependant, and is usually around 2 weeks. Typical brood numbers are around 3-8 fry. My male just had 15 :)
Raising the fry can be difficult, but rewarding. They will require bbs (less than 24 hours old, or older than 24 hours old and enriched) 2-3 times daily. The below guidelines are for dsh keepers that want to separate the fry to a fry tank. Some people choose to raise them with the adults, and this works also.
Regular water changes are needed, as well as an airline. No filtration is recommended for fry tanks, so an airline is a must for oxygenation of the water. I would shoot for 75% water changes (bare minimum) daily, making sure you siphon any uneaten bbs out.
Dwarf seahorse fry are benthic, which means they will hitch at birth. So a kriesel type fry tank isn't necessary. Provide a plastic plant for them to hitch to.
Dwarf seahorse tank mates, IMO, should be avoided ALTOGETHER. Most species of shrimp, crab, fish, and some corals would gladly eat an adult, or the fry faster than you could blink.
Any macros, or live rock should be treated with panacur for 6 days before introduction to the dsh tank. Panacur is a dog dewormer, and it kills hydroids. Also panacur any snails (if you INSIST on adding them...) because they could have hydroids on their shells. Some species of snails will die in panacur, so you'll just have to leave them out of your dwarf tank. Also give any new additions (including macro) to your tank a fw or formalin dip to rid it of any potential parasites.
Don't use live sand. It has the potential for bristleworms, and a lot of other nasties. I use black sand, because it makes the dwarfs color really pop.
If possible, always go with captive bred. CB is so much better than WC. I have WC, but I know the potential dangers and risks that I take by doing so. Some people may not. There are currently no known sources of CB dsh. There are sources that have them, but not in stock atm.
Temperature for a dsh tank should be below 74*F. I keep mine at 72*F. Higher temps provide a place for bacteria to prosper, which can lead to quick infections of the tail, and vibrio...
Phew...I think I should be the moderator of the seahorse forum...
Have any questions, i'll gladly answer them. I know i'm leaving stuff out...
I'll think of it sooner or later.
Brock
Dwarf seahorses are appealing in every aspect to the average hobbyist. They are small, cute, cheap, and require tiny tanks. But if you want to successfully keep H. zosterae, or the dwarf seahorse, you'll spend more $ than you expect. Upon arrival, the dwarf seahorses will need to be fw dipped, or treated with a formalin bath. Also, they should be properly quarantine for a minimum of 4 weeks.
Dwarf seahorses (often abbreviated DSH) require live brine shrimp 2-3 times a day. Very few dsh's have ever been trained to eat frozen food, and those that do quickly go back to live. Up until a few months ago, it was thought that newly hatched baby brine shrimp (bbs) less than 24 hours old was the best food for them. But many keepers weren't seeing their herds really thriving. So now most of us DSH keepers use 3-5 day old enriched brine shrimp. The brine shrimp eggs you buy should be decapped, which is essentially removing the outer chell of the egg, so the brine shrimp uses up less of it's yolk sac to break out of the egg, and has a cleaner hatching, with no shells. www.seahorsesource.com now sells decapped bbs eggs. The enrichment is personal choice. I use AlgaMac 3050. It's nice, but anything liquid would be much easier IMO.
The reason tank size recommendations are so small for dsh is because they are lazy. They won't get off their hitch and cruise around looking for brine shrimp. They casually wait for some brine shrimp to pass them, and snick it down. So in order to ensure that a few brine shrimp are passing by each dwarf at any given point in time, we have to have a high feeding density. To get the desired feeding density, it's easiest to have a small tank. The larger the tank, the more brine shrimp you'll need. Then they won't all be eaten, and the water will foul quickly. Also if you have say 10 dwarfs in a 30 gallon, you likely won't see them. Dwarfs max out at about one inch. IME, males tend to be bigger, and more robust than females. Females look almost like fry. Weak and brittle looking. There really is no way to get around feeding density ATM, since you really can't have a clean-up crew. Most clean up crews consist of hermit crabs, which would gladly snack on a dwarf or two. Snails may also eat the dwarfs, or any fry they might have.
Filtration is often recommended to be a sponge filter. Which is a good choice. It won't suck up fry, or adults, and doesn't create "flow" per-se. I, however, use a power filter (AquaClear mini, controllable flow output) with filter floss over the intake, and the flow turned down quite a bit. The filter floss does need to be rinsed out once every 4-5 days, or brine shrimp will accumulate quickly. Regular water changes are also necessary, as with all tanks. Dsh tanks may require more frequent water changes than say a reef tank, because of the constant supply of dirty live foods. I say dirty, because brine shrimp are the nastiest things on earth. Just smell some brine shrimp hatch water. Yum...
Lighting doesn't need to be special. Too bright and it will irritate the dwarfs, and cause the temperature to spike. Too little and they won't be able to see their food.
Breeding of dsh is quite amazing. It's much different from the bigger breeds. The male will scooch up next to a female, and start shaking. He will quiver for a second or two, then stop. If she is responsive, she will do it back. After a little bit of this, they will parade around the tank holding each other's tails. The female will them deposit her eggs into the males pouch. Gestation is temperature dependant, and is usually around 2 weeks. Typical brood numbers are around 3-8 fry. My male just had 15 :)
Raising the fry can be difficult, but rewarding. They will require bbs (less than 24 hours old, or older than 24 hours old and enriched) 2-3 times daily. The below guidelines are for dsh keepers that want to separate the fry to a fry tank. Some people choose to raise them with the adults, and this works also.
Regular water changes are needed, as well as an airline. No filtration is recommended for fry tanks, so an airline is a must for oxygenation of the water. I would shoot for 75% water changes (bare minimum) daily, making sure you siphon any uneaten bbs out.
Dwarf seahorse fry are benthic, which means they will hitch at birth. So a kriesel type fry tank isn't necessary. Provide a plastic plant for them to hitch to.
Dwarf seahorse tank mates, IMO, should be avoided ALTOGETHER. Most species of shrimp, crab, fish, and some corals would gladly eat an adult, or the fry faster than you could blink.
Any macros, or live rock should be treated with panacur for 6 days before introduction to the dsh tank. Panacur is a dog dewormer, and it kills hydroids. Also panacur any snails (if you INSIST on adding them...) because they could have hydroids on their shells. Some species of snails will die in panacur, so you'll just have to leave them out of your dwarf tank. Also give any new additions (including macro) to your tank a fw or formalin dip to rid it of any potential parasites.
Don't use live sand. It has the potential for bristleworms, and a lot of other nasties. I use black sand, because it makes the dwarfs color really pop.
If possible, always go with captive bred. CB is so much better than WC. I have WC, but I know the potential dangers and risks that I take by doing so. Some people may not. There are currently no known sources of CB dsh. There are sources that have them, but not in stock atm.
Temperature for a dsh tank should be below 74*F. I keep mine at 72*F. Higher temps provide a place for bacteria to prosper, which can lead to quick infections of the tail, and vibrio...
Phew...I think I should be the moderator of the seahorse forum...
Have any questions, i'll gladly answer them. I know i'm leaving stuff out...
I'll think of it sooner or later.
Brock