Question by Question_77: dwarf seahorse 3 gallon picotope care?
so, im getting ready to buy my 3 gallon pictopes and one of them will be a species only dwarf seahorse tank.

now… i know i should start the tank free of hydroids, so i was thinking of starting the tank WITH live sand,live rock, and some chaeto macro algae for 2 months and letting the hydroids starve that way.

now… as for the dwarf seahorses themselves… does anyone have any extra advice?

(if youre gonna bug me about “WTH 3 gallons for seahorses??” obviously youve never really researched the requirements for this species]

thanks,
Gus

Best answer:

Answer by TheRav1n
The dwarf seahorses almost always need live foods. The chaetomorpha is a great addition as many pods will thrive in it and thus it will provide natural foraging for the seahorses. You can also see dthe tank with live pod colonies (you can often find a bag or bottle of live pods online or at a local fish store)

Get yourself used to breeding and raising you own live brine shrimp while you ready yourself for the seahorses. Almost all dwarf seahorses will refuse frozen foods at first if not forever.

Also, watch out, they will get sucked in most filters. Adding some nylon or sponge to the filter intake will help. Aiptasia and other critters will eat them, so be very selective and observant of the live rock. I have had mushrooms eat them before too, so be very selective on any coral you add in there. Gorgonia corals are a wise and natural selection for them. They provide a “hitching post” and will help encourage them to eat non-live foods, like frozen mysis shrimp. The polyps on the gorgonia catch the frozen food and the seahorses graze off what it catches. Many dwarf seahorses naturally associate with gorgonia in the wild for these very reasons. If a low light tank, get a low light gorgonia.

Also, small cleaner shrimp are always great with seahorses as it will clean off any parasites or algae.

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