There is no better way to learn more than face to face in a social setting. And you will find many people that are happy to help you out with any questions or problems.
We recommend a ratio of one pair of horses (adult 2-3 years old) per 50 litres (15 gallons).
Tank size can vary with the depth more important than the width.
Smaller horses obviously need less room.
An efficient biological filter is essential to maintain ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels.
Although these seahorses cope with a variety of variations these are the optimum requirements, temperature 19°C (66°F), pH 8.2, specific gravity 1.027.
These are of course our recommended parameters.
As previously mentioned temperature can be varied from 17°C--23°C (62°-73°F) and specific gravity from 1.018-1.032.
If you want to vary your temperature, remember to raise the temperature slowly, so you don't stress your fish (by no more than 2° degrees per day).
Also remember to check your dissolved oxygen levels, Pot Bellies like levels near saturation.
If your seahorse is panting the temperature may be a bit too high and the oxygen levels too low!
We do not recommend keeping Pot Bellies at a temperature higher than recommended optimum temperature.
Although live feed is preferred Pot Bellies will accept frozen foods readily available from your pet shops, brine shrimp is a favorite.
Other small crustaceans such as amphipods, mysids, skeleton shrimp are also excellent.
Adult fish would eat about 20-30 brine shrimp each day.
Feeding is recommended twice daily.
Enrichment of foods or live foods enhances the nutritional profile of your seahorses and is highly recommended for the longevity and health of seahorses.
Most adults will only accept artemia 2.5mm or greater, they show no real interest in newly hatched Artemia.
Pot Bellied Seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis
The Pot Belly is sexually active at 6 months of age, he is more likely to have his first pregnancy around 8 months.
Birth numbers are dependant on fish size, so an 8 month old may only have 20-50 fry.
Adults average 250-300 fry at each birth.
The Pot Belly is not monogamous and will display to any available female.
In the wild he is likely to have 3 births each year.
The Pot Belly will need a deeper tank in which to perform the courtship dance.
Gestation is around 30 days, this can be variable depending on the temperature.
Births usually occur between midnight and dawn.
Average size is 16-18mm.
Immediately after birth the young swim to the surface and tend to interlock together.
It is recommended to separate the juveniles soon after birth, although cannibalizing juveniles is not frequent with captive bred seahorses, anything swimming can be a food source.
Juvenile seahorses need not be fed immediately, but should be fed within the first 12 hours of life.
Instar II Artemia are the best and easiest food source.
Enrichment is also recommended.
Rotifers and copepods are also an alternative.
Food size must be monitored according to snout size.
Newly hatched Artemia tend to be attracted to the light encouraging juveniles to intake air with food, this should be avoided at all costs.
The best way is to offer lighting near the middle of tank attracting the Artemia below the water surface.
Juveniles should be fed every 3-4 hours during daylight hours for the first 4-6 weeks.
They should grow approximately 5-8mm each week for the first 4 weeks, growth rates may slow slightly from then onwards.
A 6 month old seahorse should be 8-12 cm (3-5 inches).
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to
, we would be more than happy to help if we can.
Treatment
Captive bred seahorses are much more disease resistant and crave attention from their owners.
Some antibiotics have adverse affects on seahorses and are recommended as a last resort only.
Fresh water baths (for approximately 1 -2 minutes) as treatment for bacterial and parasite problems should always be the first treatment.
De-chlorinated fresh water, (to ease the stress ensure the temp and PH of the water is the same as the water they have just come from).
Most seawater parasites should be immediately killed.
This is the reason we ensure ample rinsing of all food prior to feeding out.
A weekly cleaning of hitching posts (artificial ones) in fresh water (tap) also lessens the risk of parasites taking hold.
Topical treatments such as diluted Betadine suit any external lesions, a dip of the affected area, after a freshwater bath, in a 1:5 Betadine/water solution (Active ingredient Povidone-Iodine w/v 10%).
If you are treating an area of the head, do not dip the seahorse, but apply with a cotton bud.
Water treatments such as Stress Coat and Slime Coat assist in keeping your horse in prime condition.
For more serious internal bacterial infections or internal parasites a Formalin bath at 200 ppm--(1ml per 5 litres of sea water) will assist.
Horses can be bathed in this treatment for up to 1 hour, but be sure to add aeration.
If your Formalin contains white sediment in the bottle, do not use.
Be aware that Formalin is 37% Formaldehyde, it can be harmful, ensure you use with care.
It is a good idea to isolate any seahorse in a hospital tank if you think there is a problem, this lessens the risk for your other tank inhabitants.
Be aware that some treatments can harm your bio-filtration, read any instructions on any medications thoroughly, ensure they are salt water medications, not fresh water medications.
Hopefully you wont need to worry about treatments too often, but just incase it is best to be informed.
If you need help, please
.
