Seahorses For Beginners

Seahorses for Beginners. This updated edition contains lots of new content and photographs.

There is a comprehensive list of seahorse friendly corals, cultivating your own phytoplankton, cultivating live foods, information on the use of Natural Seawater, quarantine procedures and an expanded chapter on health issues and medication - Plus lots of other general updates and new photographs.

It is written in an easy to understand format without the need for technical or complicated jargon wherever possible. The book is aimed primarily at the aquarist who is just starting out with seahorses, although more experienced keepers will still find something of interest.

Seahorses are an exceptional and fascinating fish that live in coastal areas round most of the world. You can now set up a successful seahorse aquarium and even breed them in the aquarium environment. All you need is the right equipment and advice to set you on the path to success. Contained within this book is everything you need to know to get you started in this fascinating hobby. From buying your first seahorses, the equipment and setting it up, to feeding, routine maintenance and dealing with any potential health issues – and lots more in-between!

As several of the species will breed readily in the aquarium there is a very detailed chapter on breeding and raising young seahorses. It is important to understand something about the breeding process in order to be prepared and to fully understand the commitment required.

I'm sure you will enjoy reading this book and have many happy, problem free years keeping and caring for these fascinating creatures.

My interest in fish-keeping began over 60 years ago during a hospital stay. After an operation as a child, I awoke to discover a tropical aquarium close to the foot of my bed, full of freshwater Angel Fish – I was hooked - shortly afterwards I had my first aquarium. For a number of years, I specialised in fancy cold water fish before I made the gradual transition to tropical fish, keeping many different types from Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) to the beautiful Discus. Eventually I realised I needed more of a challenge and so I decided to try saltwater aquariums – and this is of course what eventually led me to seahorses. Over the following years I kept several different species and successfully bred some of them, but my favourite has always been the H. erectus also known as the Lined Seahorse. Several commercial organisations have, over the years, called upon my lifelong experience to help and advise in many things aquatic. This led to a full time career as a Freelance Consultant. Although now retired, I still do receive the occasional ‘call out’ when things go wrong! I was finally persuaded to put everything down on paper and write this book to help ease the beginner into a new and successful hobby. Good Luck with your new venture and I hope my book helps you enjoy the journey as much as I have. Mike French