Every Seahorse is dead - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al&Burke 

Flower have you thought of putting the remaining SH in your 90 just until you get your SH tank sorted out, might be an idea.

 

The surviving horse was very weak, I put him in water from the 90g in a container to make him as comfortable as a fish can be made comfortable until the end. I lost all 4 horses, none survived. I haven't found the body of the 4th horse...I keep looking in the tank for it and kind of hoping to find him clinging to a column...but the CUC must have done a really good job.

The plan:

I'm going to run some carbon and wait on the water change so I can do it if there is an ammonia spike...right now the parameters are stable. I'm going to go ahead and order some pods to seed the little refugium in there.  Once I feel secure that no ammonia spike is forthcoming I will do a nice big water change and order some new horses. The live fish in there gave me hope that the tank can sustain life...it was a temporary problem that the horses couldn't make it through.

Live and learn.....In the future if my filter clogs I will flush it into a seperate container and not into the sump.  My horses were sensitive and delicate and I had lost my caution because they seem to survive everything. They even made it during the power outage.

I was thinking of a couple of potbelly seahorses. I have the chiller...they can't be in water warmer than 71. While I'm waiting to see what the tank will do, I will do some research. I need to find out if the macros and pods can handle a tank that cold. Seahorse source has them for sale. They also have Ingens, fuscus, kuda and reidi as well as the erectus...they actually have them available.

After having seahorses for that long (over a year, problem free) I can't imagine not going for it again. I feel I was successful in keeping them, but made a fatal mistake.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid 

Good to here you are not giving up. I'm ashamed to say how many fish I have sent down the porcelain watery grave. The next horses will be better for it because of what you have learned.

I'm not too bad when it come to fish...now I have killed my fair share of SPS corals, starfish, and flame scallops.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by novahobbies 

Oh, wow Flower I'm so sorry for your loss.  I truly know how you feel.  When I had that bacterial infection sweep the tank a few years ago I felt like it was entirely my fault and almost gave up.  I hope you don't give up either, they're such fantastic critters!

Well I feel confident getting some more, these were worry free for over a year without a problem. I think the tank is alright, the snails, peppermint shrimp and the Hectors goby act like nothing is wrong...the clogged filter and me flushing it had to be at fault. I was thinking about potbelly horses but the macros can't handle the cold. So I turn my attention on the Kuda seahorse. I'm watching for any parameter problems for now, and when I feel secure that they are stable then I will do a big water change and order new horses.

I feel kind of empty reordering Erectus, like I'm replacing my little guys...so a change in species is in order.
 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by novahobbies 

That's a good idea.  Why not try H. reidi?  Those are the horses I kept before I switched to southern H. erectus....

Seahorse source are out of them. They have the Kuda, and the potbellies...I don't want the others but they are available, just no Reidi....I really like the idea of two potbellies but the macro which keeps the nitrates and phosphates at 0 can't survive the cold temps they need.

I don't want to order from anywhere else, I trust that site.  I got my last horses from Pekas ponies, I just can't contact her and tell her I killed all the babies I purchased, and want to buy more. I wouldn't sell them to me. I know the time, sweat and tears that go into raising the little ones... I just couldn't face her.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by meowzer 

OH FLOWER....so silly....I am sure she would understand.....it's not like you tortured them or did something on purpose......everyone has "one of these" things happen

 

call her

Oh my God...NO!!! .   Meowzer I would not sell my ponies to someone who killed the whole lot in one sweep...I would tell them to go kill someone elses ponies.

LOL...maybe if I told her I got a bigger tank and want some more ponies from her, and not tell her what I did to the last ones I purchased....No, she would ask how they are I'm sure. Besides, like I said...I don't think I can do more erectus right now...poor little guys, maybe the smell killed them...The tank parameters are near perfect and holding.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by novahobbies 

I agree with Meowzer.  I'm SURE Peka would understand.....I'm equally sure that, as a breeder, she's sent more than a couple seahorses to the great aquarium in the sky.  I would imaging that people who breed these animals as a business understand the risks involved.  I'd go so far to suspect that a breeder would be more willing to sell a new batch to you, a person who researches her animals and works to try to figure out WHAT happened in a situation like this, as compared to some regular schlub who bought some pretty ponies and doesn't really question why they die so easily. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I fully support Seahorse Source and heartily recommend them (gotta support my fellow Floridians!!!) but I just think you are being silly about Peka.  These things happen.

I can't do it...I couldn't face her.  Out of hundreds only a few survive. That's what makes baby seahorses so special, they survived the odds against them. The horses I had should have lived a full life, they were hardy and healthy. To tell her I lost all 4 at once...I can't do it.  I don't think I'm beng silly either, if I were to find out one of my puppies died because of some stupid mistake...I would "understand" but I sure wouldn't give them another puppy.

Peka is not a breeder per say. Like TeresaQ she managed to keep her babies alive...and found homes for them. All that being said, I want something besides the erectus, I don't want to replace the same little guys I lost. They reminded me of puppies...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid 

 

I have killed them too, anyone buys a flame scallop has killed it. The only thing I can claim that i haven't killed is a SPS coral, at least I have that going for me.
 

 

I've learned to leave the scallops in the ocean or store...I gave up getting SPS corals and the only starfish I get are serpent stars.  As I'm sure you noticed, I don't handle deaths well. My fish last for years, and that's the way I like it. The only coral I have right now survived the heater breaking and a frag of pink star polyps Meowzer sent to me....I haven't gotten anything new in ages.
I had planned on getting some this month, but now I'm purchasing horses again.

I only killed one SPS coral..it died in one day. So I didn't get anymore, the water reads that it's perfect, but I have mushroom and leathers everywhere and I was told they don't get along with SPS and kills them...
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelerjp98 

Flower I'm really sorry.... and sorry that I'm saying sorry so late too :(

 

I miss so much of whats going on with the folks on the site....for posting late....you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm watching my tank really close, and right now I'm doing a water change...my new horses will be here tomorrow. I hope they ship safely and adjust well when they get here. Once they eat I will be able to breath easy again.