WhitneySeahorses ahead: Proceed with caution
September 18th 2007 13:48
Their mysterious part-horse, part-monkey, part-fish appearance has made the seahorse the subject of myth and legend – and a popular aquatic pet. But keeping these mystifying creatures as pets comes with a warning: proceed with caution.
Seahorses are notoriously difficult to keep in captivity, so thorough research and preparation are essential before even contemplating purchasing your first seahorse.
In fact, according to Neil Garrick-Maidment – a world expert in seahorse husbandry and conservation – seahorses are the most difficult fish to keep in captivity.
“Keeping seahorses correctly for any length of time requires a great deal of time and patience,” Neil says.
So, with this warning in mind, what are the things you can do to maximise your chances of successfully keeping seahorses?
In his book – Seahorses: Conservation and Care – Neil emphasizes the importance of gaining experience in dealing with other types of fish before keeping seahorses.
“If you have never kept tropical fish before then it is a good idea to get experience with freshwater tropical fish before you progress to the inherently more difficult marine set-up.”
Neil also says that correct feeding is the most important aspect when it comes to successfully keeping seahorses.
“Without good quality food, your seahorse will not live the years it should … it will probably be more like weeks.”
“In an ideal situation live food should be given,” Neil says. “Seahorses hunt by sight and are often stimulated into feeding by movement, so the use of live foods is imperative, not only from the nutritional aspect but also for the behaviour enrichment of your seahorses’ lives.”
Correct feeding is such an important aspect of keeping seahorses that Neil warns, “Should you not have access to live foods … give very careful consideration to whether you should take on seahorses at all.”
When it comes to creating a home for your seahorses, there are a numbers of tips Neil has to share with petadvice.com.au readers in order to increase the chances of success with seahorses.
When considering the size of the tank for your seahorses, always remember that bigger is better. “Encourage seahorse keepers to get as large a tank as possible with the minimal number of seahorses,” Neil says. “A 2 foot [60cm] cube should only have a pair of medium to small seahorses.”
The tank environment is also an important consideration when keeping seahorses. In nature, seahorses have their own territory, hide among rocks and plants, and anchor themselves to objects using their tail. It is important to recreate this environment in your seahorse tank.
“Make sure the tank gives them a feeling of security, so [provide] plenty of holdfasts and greenery,” Neil says.
And don’t worry about the plant life blocking your view of the seahorses. According to Neil, as long as seahorses feel secure, they will be active and their natural behaviours can be easily viewed.
Generally, the novice seahorse enthusiast should keep only seahorses in their aquarium. But, upon gaining more experience, if you do choose to add other creatures to your seahorse aquarium, you must carefully select suitable companions.
Because of the slow moving nature of seahorses, most other fish that also eat live food will outcompete and bully seahorses. “If they are to put other creatures in the tank, [add] only slow movers,” Neil says.
So use these expert tips as a starting point, gain experience with more hardy freshwater and marine fish, and perform your own through research to increase your chances of successfully keeping seahorses.
And always bear in mind Neil’s key piece of advice: “The most vital advice I could give is if you’re not happy with aspects of keeping seahorses, then don’t, and if you do, try to get them from a captive bred source only.”
In fact, according to Neil Garrick-Maidment – a world expert in seahorse husbandry and conservation – seahorses are the most difficult fish to keep in captivity.
“Keeping seahorses correctly for any length of time requires a great deal of time and patience,” Neil says.
So, with this warning in mind, what are the things you can do to maximise your chances of successfully keeping seahorses?
In his book – Seahorses: Conservation and Care – Neil emphasizes the importance of gaining experience in dealing with other types of fish before keeping seahorses.
“If you have never kept tropical fish before then it is a good idea to get experience with freshwater tropical fish before you progress to the inherently more difficult marine set-up.”
Neil also says that correct feeding is the most important aspect when it comes to successfully keeping seahorses.
“Without good quality food, your seahorse will not live the years it should … it will probably be more like weeks.”
Correct feeding is such an important aspect of keeping seahorses that Neil warns, “Should you not have access to live foods … give very careful consideration to whether you should take on seahorses at all.”
When it comes to creating a home for your seahorses, there are a numbers of tips Neil has to share with petadvice.com.au readers in order to increase the chances of success with seahorses.
When considering the size of the tank for your seahorses, always remember that bigger is better. “Encourage seahorse keepers to get as large a tank as possible with the minimal number of seahorses,” Neil says. “A 2 foot [60cm] cube should only have a pair of medium to small seahorses.”
The tank environment is also an important consideration when keeping seahorses. In nature, seahorses have their own territory, hide among rocks and plants, and anchor themselves to objects using their tail. It is important to recreate this environment in your seahorse tank.
“Make sure the tank gives them a feeling of security, so [provide] plenty of holdfasts and greenery,” Neil says.
And don’t worry about the plant life blocking your view of the seahorses. According to Neil, as long as seahorses feel secure, they will be active and their natural behaviours can be easily viewed.
Because of the slow moving nature of seahorses, most other fish that also eat live food will outcompete and bully seahorses. “If they are to put other creatures in the tank, [add] only slow movers,” Neil says.
So use these expert tips as a starting point, gain experience with more hardy freshwater and marine fish, and perform your own through research to increase your chances of successfully keeping seahorses.
And always bear in mind Neil’s key piece of advice: “The most vital advice I could give is if you’re not happy with aspects of keeping seahorses, then don’t, and if you do, try to get them from a captive bred source only.”
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