Dwarf Seahorse?

[Baby Ray]

Hey everyone,
I have always LOVED seahorse but I can't afford another 30 gallon tank for a normal sized seahorses so I have been looking into dwarf seahorses. I know you have to feed them enriched bbs 2 times a day but I am planning on feeding enriched bbs to my mandarin through the paul b target feeder so I would already have them. I had a couple questions:
1. How big of water changes a week?
2. How many bbs should I feed peeve serving?
3. I would like a 5 gallon tank but I can't find one I like. I don't want one with a sump because it will be on my desk. Any suggestions?
4. What's a good skimmer that is around $50?
5. What is a good, cheap chiller and heater? Can you have both in one?
6. Can I keep sexy shrimp with them? What other inhabitants?
Thanks

 

[DeniseAndy]

I am no expert on horses. I had a friend that kept them in a little 5g. I would think a hob would be good as to provide a bit, but not too much flow. There are some tiny protein skimmers out there as I have been looking into them too for my 6g. Rio makes one that looks like a hob filter, Eshopps has a little one as does Aquatic Life.

The rest for me would be speculation. Hope you get some answers soon. Good luck!

 

[Baby Ray]

I am no expert on horses. I had a friend that kept them in a little 5g. I would think a hob would be good as to provide a bit, but not too much flow. There are some tiny protein skimmers out there as I have been looking into them too for my 6g. Rio makes one that looks like a hob filter, Eshopps has a little one as does Aquatic Life.

The rest for me would be speculation. Hope you get some answers soon. Good luck!

Thank you!!!
I would need a skimmer that can handle a 10 gallon or more because I plan on breeding them and once they have babies you have to feed 4 or 5 times a day.

 

[Baby Ray]

I just remembered another question
What type of coral can I keep in their tank for them to hitch to?
I don't like the fake corals. Could I put a photosynthetic gorgonia or is there not enough flow?

 

[Baby Ray]

Bump

 

[Baby Ray]

@vlangel?

 

[vlangel]

Hi Baby Ray!
I have never kept dwarf seahorses so the info I am going to share is from reading posts of folks who do keep them.

It seems some of the diy AIO tanks work well. Of course that requires being able to silicon glass or plexiglass, (or knowing someone who can). The advantage is the chamber in the back can have better filtration and even a skimmer if the intake to the back chamber is screened off so the DSHs are not sucked into it. Even a Prizm pro skimmer HOB could work and they are good for 30 - 50 gallons.

Yes, many DSH keepers have soft coral and macro algae. I think most of them dip their coral and macros to kill hitch hikers like hydroids which are deadly to DSH fry and even some adults.

Mysis shrimp are a popular choice as cuc/tankmate/food. The DSHs eat the shrimp larvae as a supplemental food. I guess some of the bolder DSH will even tackle adult mysis shrimp eventually.

Along that line, I guess the most successful keepers supplement with copepods as enriched bbs alone does not seem to sustain dwarf seahorses long term.

And that is about the extent of what I have learned by reading posts on dwarfs.

 

[Baby Ray]

Hi Baby Ray!
I have never kept dwarf seahorses so the info I am going to share is from reading posts of folks who do keep them.

It seems some of the diy AIO tanks work well. Of course that requires being able to silicon glass or plexiglass, (or knowing someone who can). The advantage is the chamber in the back can have better filtration and even a skimmer if the intake to the back chamber is screened off so the DSHs are not sucked into it. Even a Prizm pro skimmer HOB could work and they are good for 30 - 50 gallons.

Yes, many DSH keepers have soft coral and macro algae. I think most of them dip their coral and macros to kill hitch hikers like hydroids which are deadly to DSH fry and even some adults.

Mysis shrimp are a popular choice as cuc/tankmate/food. The DSHs eat the shrimp larvae as a supplemental food. I guess some of the bolder DSH will even tackle adult mysis shrimp eventually.

Along that line, I guess the most successful keepers supplement with copepods as enriched bbs alone does not seem to sustain dwarf seahorses long term.

And that is about the extent of what I have learned by reading posts on dwarfs.

Thank you so much
Do you think dosing pods every couple mother along with the enriched bbs 2 times a day would work? I could also put a small fuge in the back!!!!

 

[vlangel]

O yeah, I don't think most DSH keepers bother with chillers since the tanks don't have as much heat producing equipment as bigger tanks.

 

[Baby Ray]

Hi Baby Ray!
I have never kept dwarf seahorses so the info I am going to share is from reading posts of folks who do keep them.

It seems some of the diy AIO tanks work well. Of course that requires being able to silicon glass or plexiglass, (or knowing someone who can). The advantage is the chamber in the back can have better filtration and even a skimmer if the intake to the back chamber is screened off so the DSHs are not sucked into it. Even a Prizm pro skimmer HOB could work and they are good for 30 - 50 gallons.

Yes, many DSH keepers have soft coral and macro algae. I think most of them dip their coral and macros to kill hitch hikers like hydroids which are deadly to DSH fry and even some adults.

Mysis shrimp are a popular choice as cuc/tankmate/food. The DSHs eat the shrimp larvae as a supplemental food. I guess some of the bolder DSH will even tackle adult mysis shrimp eventually.

Along that line, I guess the most successful keepers supplement with copepods as enriched bbs alone does not seem to sustain dwarf seahorses long term.

And that is about the extent of what I have learned by reading posts on dwarfs.

I never really though about adding mysid shrimp. I have heard that they will eat each other.
Are they hard to take care of?

 

[vlangel]

Thank you so much
Do you think dosing pods every couple mother along with the enriched bbs 2 times a day would work? I could also put a small fuge in the back!!!!

Yes, I think that might be a smart way to do it with a fuge.

 

[Baby Ray]

O yeah, I don't think most DSH keepers bother with chillers since the tanks don't have as much heat producing equipment as bigger tanks.

Well, I tank keeps my room pretty warm (mid to high 70's) and a DSH tank would go right next to it.

 

[vlangel]

I never really though about adding mysid shrimp. I have heard that they will eat each other.
Are they hard to take care of?

I don't they are too hard to care for since they scavenge like most shrimp. I also heard that they will cannibalize their babies but I think a DSH tank has them in small densities, maybe 5 to a tank or so.

 

[vlangel]

Well, I tank keeps my room pretty warm (mid to high 70's) and a DSH tank would go right next to it.

Ok, then you might need a small chiller. I can't help you there as I only know about big chillers.

 

[Baby Ray]

Ok, then you might need a small chiller. I can't help you there as I only know about big chillers.

Thanks for the help
I hope more people chime in with their experiences

 

[vlangel]

Thanks for the help
I hope more people chime in with their experiences

I hope so too. Maybe Lionfish Lair will have some information that has been missed. I do not know if she has ever kept DSHs but she has a lot of experience with the standard SHs.
Best of luck to you Baby Ray.

 

[Baby Ray]

I hope so too. Maybe Lionfish Lair will have some information that has been missed. I do not know if she has ever kept DSHs but she has a lot of experience with the standard SHs.
Best of luck to you Baby Ray.

Thank you!!!!
I think we should invite @Lionfish Lair to the party

 

[Baby Ray]

I just thought of ANOTHER question
What should the salinity be?
Some places say 1.019 if you are not planning on keeping inverts but I would keep inverts in the tank.

 

[Baby Ray]

*Chirp Chirp Chirp Chirp (those are crickets )

 

[vlangel]

I just thought of ANOTHER question
What should the salinity be?
Some places say 1.019 if you are not planning on keeping inverts but I would keep inverts in the tank.

Ooops, sorry! We went to bed early last night. I would keep the salinity at 0.023 the same as my seahorses. My inverts do fine at that.