Hello all,
I am thinking to setup a 5 gallon aquarium for dwarf sea horse aquarium. I want to use the fulval aquarium for this. But I need help on the below items.
1. Where can I buy dwarf sea horses?
2. What should I use for filteration.
3. LED?
4. Temperature control.
5. Reproductive food
6. How long I should cycle the tank before start.
7. Any other advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
I already have a reed aquarium so I do have some basics about salt water tank.
Hi,
1. Buying dwarf seahorses has become more difficult, especially if you want captive bred. Seahorse Source used to be the best place to get them but they no longer raise dwarfs. You can check the forums and see if any hobbyists would be willing to sell you some.
2. Most dwarf seahorse keepers agree that sponge filters are the best way to filter and aerate a DSH tank. Frequent water changes are a must to keep the seahorses healthy.
3. LEDs are fine for dwarf seahorses. They do not require excessive bright light since they have good eye sight. You do not want to use a light that will significantly raise the water temperature.
4. I am not sure what the best temperature for dwarf seahorses is, but I have 1 dwarf seahorse that is doing fine in water that is ambient room temperature, which is 70-71°F.
5. Artemia cysts can be easily hatched, enriched to feed DSH. Dwarfs will only eat live food. Copepods are an excellent supplement but most home hobbyist can not supply enough copepods to be a main food. If you are serious about keeping DSHs, you should begin by learning to hatch live artemia and then enriching it. Dan's Feed is an excellent enrichment that you can get from Seahorse Source. Dan Underwood will tell you how to use it. Hatching and enriching although easy, is a daily chore that over time becomes rigorous. You may decide DSHs are not for you after all.
6. A DSH tank should be cycled like any other marine fish tank. A tank is not safe until it can process ammonia overnight to undetectable amounts.
7. I am not a DSH keeper, I keep H erectus seahorses. I accidently received a DSH in my last live ghost shrimp order. Fortunately I have read info on DSHs and had a hatchery and cysts on hand. Even for me, taking care of Jr (the name my hubby gave our little gal) is more demanding than what I would like. These creatures need consistent care so do not enter into this lightly. It's not fair to them otherwise.
