Considering dwarf seahorses. Talk me out of it!

xxkenny90xx · Nov 3, 2020

So I have a 4g aio that's been running with just some hermits and snails for a while and I haven't figured out what to do with it. The wife wants seahorses. What do you all think about the dwarfs? I do hatch bbs daily so that part isn't an issue.

What do you guys think? Should I go for it? Any tips tricks or precautions? Also where do you get your horses from? Thanks!

Mastiffsrule · Nov 3, 2020

Hey Kenny,

@Paulie069 would be great to answer some questions on this

xxkenny90xx · Nov 3, 2020

Mastiffsrule said:
Hey Kenny,

@Paulie069 would be great to answer some questions on this

Thanks!

ichthyogeek · Nov 3, 2020

xxkenny90xx said:
So I have a 4g aio that's been running with just some hermits and snails for a while and I haven't figured out what to do with it. The wife wants seahorses. What do you all think about the dwarfs? I do hatch bbs daily so that part isn't an issue.

What do you guys think? Should I go for it? Any tips tricks or precautions? Also where do you get your horses from? Thanks!

You asked the wrong people to talk you out of this.

Use fenbendazole in the tank, or do something to keep hydroids out. You don't want those in a dwarf tank.

Macroalgae can help with reducing nitrates and stuff in the tank as well.

Make sure to hatch out brine 2x/day, or at least take the morning batch and put half in the fridge for feeding later in the day. You could also do something like a drip feed? Oh, and if you feed BBS, make sure you either feed NHBSS (newly hatched BBS, like, immediately after 24 hours after putting the cysts in), or wait until they've developed a mouth and gut so you can gut load them.

Buy your horses from a breeder. They breed prolifically once fully settled in.

xxkenny90xx · Nov 3, 2020

ichthyogeek said:
You asked the wrong people to talk you out of this.

Use fenbendazole in the tank, or do something to keep hydroids out. You don't want those in a dwarf tank.

Macroalgae can help with reducing nitrates and stuff in the tank as well.

Make sure to hatch out brine 2x/day, or at least take the morning batch and put half in the fridge for feeding later in the day. You could also do something like a drip feed? Oh, and if you feed BBS, make sure you either feed NHBSS (newly hatched BBS, like, immediately after 24 hours after putting the cysts in), or wait until they've developed a mouth and gut so you can gut load them.

Buy your horses from a breeder. They breed prolifically once fully settled in.

Thanks for the reply! Thats lame they need fed twice a day but I can make it happen. I'll have to upgrade the size of my hatchery bottle and have the wife feed while I'm at work (they're for her anyways). And I always feed right away (within 24hrs of hatching)

So I do have hydroids in my reef (they don't bother anything) and I put a couple of rocks from my reef into the pico tank so they might be in there. What's the deal with fenbendazole? I've never used anything like that before.

I have a big gorgonian I was thinking I'd frag and put in there for them but growing some nice red macro sounds like fun. I also have red mangrove trees, maybe they'd like the roots?

Any recommendations on a good breeder/website?

ichthyogeek · Nov 3, 2020

So fenbendazole also goes by Panacur. I think there's a pretty good post somewhere in the Reef Discussion subforum. It does something to cnidarians and causes most of them to die (also kills bristleworms, and maybe some snails).

As for good breeders, I'm not sure. SeahorseSource used to sell them, but with the whole CITES review, I think they stopped selling them.

KrisReef · Nov 3, 2020

ichthyogeek said:
You asked the wrong people to talk you out of this.

Yup, and Google isn't being much help with dissuasion either.

I don't keep seahorses, so I don't have a pony in this fight

We'll need pictures when you are done.

xxkenny90xx · Nov 3, 2020

KrisReef said:
Yup, and Google isn't being much help with dissuasion either.

I don't keep seahorses, so I don't have a pony in this fight

We'll need pictures when you are done.

Yep that's the site I found on Google too but I don't know anything about where to buy from. And I'm always wary of sending money to websites like that without some info on them..

xxkenny90xx · Nov 3, 2020

ichthyogeek said:
So fenbendazole also goes by Panacur. I think there's a pretty good post somewhere in the Reef Discussion subforum. It does something to cnidarians and causes most of them to die (also kills bristleworms, and maybe some snails).

As for good breeders, I'm not sure. SeahorseSource used to sell them, but with the whole CITES review, I think they stopped selling them.

Aw man, I actually purposely put some bristleworms in there... Oh well, I guess they're going down!

Paulie069 · Nov 3, 2020

xxkenny90xx said:
Thanks!

If you think your up to the challenge then I’d go for it. Fears need every day care and hatching Brine Shrimp is a daily task

xxkenny90xx · Nov 3, 2020

Paulie069 said:
If you think your up to the challenge then I’d go for it. Fears need every day care and hatching Brine Shrimp is a daily task

Is the shrimp the main task? I'm currently hatching every other day for my dragonette feeder so it'll be no big deal hatching everyday.

Well you all have been a big help convincing me not to do this..... Guess I'm gonna go for it! Thanks for all the tips

Paulie069 · Nov 3, 2020

xxkenny90xx said:
Is the shrimp the main task? I'm currently hatching every other day for my dragonette feeder so it'll be no big deal hatching everyday.

Well you all have been a big help convincing me not to do this..... Guess I'm gonna go for it! Thanks for all the tips

Much luck to you with it I love my ponies I’ve got H.Erectus 30 of em

Tankkeepers · Nov 3, 2020

xxkenny90xx said:
So I have a 4g aio that's been running with just some hermits and snails for a while and I haven't figured out what to do with it. The wife wants seahorses. What do you all think about the dwarfs? I do hatch bbs daily so that part isn't an issue.

What do you guys think? Should I go for it? Any tips tricks or precautions? Also where do you get your horses from? Thanks!

Do not get dwarf sea horses for a 4 gallon tank that's not nearly enoff water for the waste that will be produced from the left over food they dont eat I used to have a breeding colony of them and they need feed 3 to 5 times a day they miss most of the food as they are nkt good swimmers and they need a large pod population to sustain them as just rotifers and baby brine shrimp are not enoff again do not get dwarf sea horses for a 4 gallon tank not to mention the breed like crazy and a pair can turn into 30 in a few months

Tankkeepers · Nov 3, 2020

I used to have a large breeding colony of them I started with 2 pairs and had 30 in a few months and hundreds in a year this was a 55 gallon macro tank they had all to themselves you have to put alot of food into the tank to keep them alive and with only 4 gallons of water you will be changing the water daily if not more to keep nutrients down just becouse they are small does not mean they are a good fit for a Pico or nano tank baby brine shrimp alone is not enoff to sustain them they will die you need bbs rotifers and a large replenishing supply of both copepods and amphipods for them to live also they dont live that long to begin with and without the above they will not do well also you will have to cover any output from pumps and intakes so they dont get blown around as they suck at swimming

Tankkeepers · Nov 3, 2020

Again please do not get dwarf sea horses the smaller sea horses that can be trained to take frozen food 1 might be ok but dwarfs absolutely not

PokeFish · Nov 3, 2020

I will try to talk you out of it

But they are very cool! First they are hard to find and expensive (i think) 2nd you need to create a brine shrimp hatchery and harvest it daily for food for the seahorse. You also need to buy more brine shrimp. 3rd it takes alot of time and effort the raise successful seahorses. 4th if they die you will be devastated

KrisReef · Nov 4, 2020

Tankkeepers said:
Again please do not get dwarf sea horses the smaller sea horses that can be trained to take frozen food 1 might be ok but dwarfs absolutely not

Well this is what I love about this community. If you ask for it they will provide you what you need to know- @xxkenny90xx

I think @Tankkeepers has given you a better answer than the one I cooked up. I hate to admit it, but sometimes other people know more about a reef thing than I do.

I love this forum.

Yes I do!

xxkenny90xx · Nov 4, 2020

Tankkeepers said:
Again please do not get dwarf sea horses the smaller sea horses that can be trained to take frozen food 1 might be ok but dwarfs absolutely not

Interesting. I am not set in my ways and can totally be talked out of this but everything I have read has talked about small tanks (3-10g) for dwarfs and you are talking about a 55g?? How would they even find the bbs in a 55? Can you please provide me with some links or articles about needing bigger tanks for them? I don't want to argue with someone with experience with seahorses (as I have none) but every page I look at talks about small tanks for them...

Fwiw I currently have a baby brine shrimp hatchery going and a copapod breeding bucket...

xxkenny90xx · Nov 4, 2020

Tankkeepers said:
I used to have a large breeding colony of them I started with 2 pairs and had 30 in a few months and hundreds in a year this was a 55 gallon macro tank they had all to themselves you have to put alot of food into the tank to keep them alive and with only 4 gallons of water you will be changing the water daily if not more to keep nutrients down just becouse they are small does not mean they are a good fit for a Pico or nano tank baby brine shrimp alone is not enoff to sustain them they will die you need bbs rotifers and a large replenishing supply of both copepods and amphipods for them to live also they dont live that long to begin with and without the above they will not do well also you will have to cover any output from pumps and intakes so they dont get blown around as they suck at swimming

Also you mentioned having a 55g and needing tons of food since they miss most of it (and dirty water due to missed food). That is consistent with what I've read about needing a smaller tank so that they can find their food easier....

Are sites such as this completely incorrect then? https://seahorsesavvy.com/blogs/news/dwarf-seahorses-setting-up-a-proper-aquarium

xxkenny90xx · Nov 4, 2020

PokeFish said:
I will try to talk you out of it But they are very cool! First they are hard to find and expensive (i think) 2nd you need to create a brine shrimp hatchery and harvest it daily for food for the seahorse. You also need to buy more brine shrimp. 3rd it takes alot of time and effort the raise successful seahorses. 4th if they die you will be devastated

Thanks for the reply! 1. I believe I have found some from an online breeder. 2. I already hatch baby brine shrimp and copapods daily (or every 2 days) for my dragonettes and wrasses. 3. My wife is at home for the kids school these days (thanks covid) and the horses are her idea so she can so some of the work! 4. I have been reefing for many years and unfortunately have killed many poor critters. My heart is cold....