Seahorses in Captivity
Due to the unique appearance of the seahorse they are a very common pet. People do like to keep them at home in aquariums. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that they don’t do well in captivity. They may suffer from high levels of stress so they won’t eat. They are also very likely to develop some form of disease.
Should you decide to keep them in an aquarium you need to have the right conditions for them. They should be solitary or only with one mate. Too many of them in such close proximity is going to cause high levels of aggression and stress. You never want to place them in an aquarium with squid, octopus, eels, or Tiger Fish either.
They need food that is alive to be given to them. However, you need to be careful with what you offer. Seahorses eat slowly so if you put in lots of fish there is a good chance the fish will eat each other before the seahorse can and then they don’t get enough to survive.
Some of them that are raised just for the purpose of people having them as pets are trained to consume frozen food sources from the time that they are young. They are sold with instructions for this to continue after they are placed into an aquarium. This can make the feeding efforts easier on the person that owns them.
Plastic or silk plants can be used in the aquarium. You can also use real ones but they may not last long. You have to keep seahorses in salt water which many people don’t know. This is why you shouldn’t use any decorations made out of metal. They can rust and then release toxins that can poison the seahorses.
Keep in mind that the seahorses are going to modify their colors to match their surroundings. If you don’t want them to be a particular coloring then you need to keep that in mind when you buy items to go in the aquarium. So people think it is fun to change items often so that their colors will too.
While it is natural for them to change colors to fit the environment it can be stressful on them as well. Your seahorses may end up in duress if you cause them to have to change their coloration too frequently. It will also reduce their overall life span significantly so try to avoid such spectacular changes for them.
Due to the fact that so many people do love to keep the seahorse as a pet, many stores are dedicated to helping them do it right. They offer complete set ups and instructions on how to properly care for them. They offer the right food for them and answer any questions that people may have about how to successfully care for a seahorse in an aquarium setting.
Such information is offered online too. There are various resources that can allow people to do better with them. Many owners of the seahorse as pets want to do right by them. Having the right information can help to ensure they are stress free and that they live for many years in such an environment. Make sure you get the right information before you decide if this is the right type of pet for you. They can be high maintenance so don’t get them if you can’t commit the time to them.
If you plan to own the seahorse and keep it in an aquarium you have to be diligent about keeping the area clean. You must do this in order for you to prevent various forms of bacteria and diseases from spreading in that living environment.
