Can anyone recommend any good books on how to keep sea horses?

Can anyone recommend any good books on how to keep sea horses?

I would love to complete a child hood dream, and would like to start researching about their requirements.

Not sure what type of sea horse yet, I would love to keep a sea dragon but I believe they are a protected species and not allowed in the home aquarium.

Anna

 

HI Anna,
Sea dragons... Know what you mean, would love to have a pair. But they are protected here in Oz.

Here is a list of recommended books

Some of the older books may have outdated info

 

Thank you Peter

 

Pete do you mean sea dragons are protected here or sea horses?

 

Pete do you mean sea dragons are protected here or sea horses?

Matt, dragons are protected as are some seahorses, some SH are still collected but permits are required. but a lot of SH are collected by divers and sold on to the LFS and black markets. The issue is that most will die as they will not eat frozen food, and pathogens from mixing SH from different locations.

 

Yer I know that

The SH's at my LFS can be bought without a permit. I am looking into setting up a Hex Tank with 2 SH's in it and lots of seagrass for them to attach themselves to and also graze.

-Matt

 

Yer I know that

The SH's at my LFS can be bought without a permit. I am looking into setting up a Hex Tank with 2 SH's in it and lots of seagrass for them to attach themselves to and also graze.

-Matt

Matt, you don't need a permit to keep WC as long as they are collected under a permit.
And seahorses don't eat seagrass or graze, they eat little shrimps pods and mysis shrimps

 

Do you think seahorses would work in a 24g nano tank, with live rock, blue,red and turquoise mushrooms, 4 riccordia, and yellow polyps.

I also have blue legged hermit crabs and various snails. No fish now. The tank is well established and have been set up for years (at least 3years). I can adjust the flow so its calmer if needed easily.

I have a 15 gallon sump/refrigum where I have macro algae growing with tons of copods. I'm not hugely experienced but have been reading lots online and think I could if I went slow (started with a pair). I have mysis shrimp in the freezer already from when I had the bristle star (he went to the fish shop as he was getting too big).

Anna

I'm still just thinking and learning and wondered if people say yes or no, i'm open to ideas and views.

 

HI Anna,
The nano would be to small for the normal SH, Med size SH require a min tank size of 150lt, about 35g. The tank should Be a tall tank, this is for the mating. Tank height should be 4 times the height of the SH.but the nano could be used for the smaller ones,
keeping H zosterae (dwarf seahorses), the optimum water perams as follows:

Temperature- 71-73 F
Ammonia- -0-
Nitrite- -0-
Nitrate- < 10 ppm
PH- 8.2-8.3
SG(specific gravity)- 1.019
The LR would need to be "cleaned" or IMO would be best removed.
Dont know much on the corals with dwarf's.
One issue with dwarf's, and probily the biggest is controling hydroids.
Dont think the crabs would be a good idea with dwarf's, I know the blue leg hermits are ok with the larger SH but may see the dwarfs as food

Pete

 

Thanks Peter,

I think I might stick with fish then. I would prefer to keep my live rock and the corals.

Thanks for the advice

Anna

 

Why not keep tank bred and raised instead of wild caught?

Carol

 

HI Carol,
Yes you are right, and I do push for CB not WC. Thanks as this was not mentioned in this tread.
I was just pointing out to matt that a permit is not required for the WC local SH here in Perth Western Australia, the SH is Elongatus
Link for info and a pic for ID

 

Why not keep tank bred and raised instead of wild caught?

Carol

I'm with you on that one, I don't want any more wild caught fish, Having the clown loaches and bala sharks is enough wild fish for me (and I feel guilty having them)

Anna