Seahorse sizes ??

[Agu]

I've been reading here, the seahorse board, and Ocean Riders website, and have a question. What sizes are there of seahorses ? Pygmy and dwarf get thrown around a lot but what are the actual sizes? Are there other designations besides pygmy and dwarf? Also, how can you tell from name or description what they are? For example, I'm considering the OR "Mustangs", but have no clue as to their final adult size.

tia,
Agu

[Airel]

Hi Agu,
Pygmies and Dwarf Seahorses get a max. size of 2' with most being 1-1.5". They must be kept in a small tank, no larger than 10gal. and thrive on a diet of live baby brine shrimp. Of course, enriched.

The Ocean Rider Mustangs will reach a max. size of 8" with most being aroud 6-7". They are captive bred and thrive on a diet of frozen mysis shrimp with PE mysis being the best brand.

HTH and let me know if I can help more,
DeAnne :)

[ChrisN87]

I disagree.. Dwarfs can infact be kept in a tank larger then 10 gallons. I have a friend who kept her dwarfs in a 55 gallon at one point. I have dwarf in a 10 gallon, and it is too small. Dwarfs breed like guppies so you wil have a ton in now time.... I am thinking about moving them toa 30 gallon....

Chris Noonan :D
-Seahorse Keeper For 8 Year

[minnreefer]

Agu, just so you know Nicolette Pets and Pond will be carying OR horses shortly is what the owner told us yesterday. Brooke should get her horses in her horse tank in a few weeks.
Jonathan

[Airel]

Chris,
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. IMHO, a new comer to seahorses should NOT keep dwarfs in a tank larger than 10gal. It is true that some dwarfs breed like rabbits, but you can keep up to 100 dwarfs in a 10gal tank. I doubt anyone new to seahorse keeping would start out ordering more than 100 horses.

Agu, be sure to visit that lfs that Jonathan told you about to see the OR's, if you havne't seen them already. You will fall in love!!

HTH,
DeAnne :)

[Nikolai]

Hi all

I'm new to this forum, but I have to disagree on the tank size. Seahorses are territorial, so you cant keep too many in a tank. Also, you get the same problems with maintaining stable waterconditions as in all small tanks. I would say mabe six or seven pairs of dwarfs in a 10g. Another issue is the tank height. Seahorses should have tanks at least three times their adult size.

[Nikolai]

ops, just saw in the other posts that you know all about the tank height... Sorry, didn't mean to sound important or anything...

[Airel]

Hi Nikolai,
LOL...it's OK!! You have to remember we are talking about pygmies or dwarfs here. The max. size is 2" and eat baby brine. I do not find that my horses are territorial at all. I have 9 of the larger species in a 45 gallon tank and if one is on anothers favorite hitching post, then that one just hitches onto the other horse!! They are very comical in that way.

HTH,
DeAnne

[glh7767]

Any problem with "mixing and matching" horses. in other words, can pygmy horses be kept with brazilian giants, to use an extreme example. and how about cousins, the pipefish? and if you can mix and match, what is the rule of thumb for determining population density? thanks

gary

[Airel]

Hi Gary,
I have heard mixed opinions on this issue. I personally would not keep dwarfs with giant horses. IMO, dwarfs should NOT be kept in large tanks and giants should not be kept in small tanks. I've also read that the bbs that the dwarfs eat will clog the gills of the larger horses. I am not at all certain how true this is as I learned it from a very unreliable souce. But it certainly made since to me, so I have adopted the rule without proof. Pipefish make great tankmates for horses as do some other species of fish. Pipefish can be harder to care for than wild caught horses. So be careful and do your researching before choosing a species of pipefish.

As for population in your tank, I can direct you to an excellent article. http://www.seahorse.org/ Go to Library-articles-stocking levels

HTH,
DeAnne:)

[glh7767]

Thank you. you are as helpful as you are beautiful.

gary

[glh7767]

Thank you. you are as helpful as you are beautiful.

gary