I'm back!

sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Hi Everyone (both new and old friends).
I was on this forum a lot in 2009 learning and posting about my seahorse experiences and my fry-raising attempt. After a while and after all the horses were gone I got into some other "unique" stuff like cuttlefish, octopus, jellyfish, etc. But low and behold, nothing compared to how much I loved horses, so I"m back again. :)

I have 4 wildcaught Erectus and one of them gave birth 6 days ago. I wasn't prepared (had no idea how far along he was) so I went through one of those "How Wonderful / OMG I'm not ready / PANIC" modes. Threw together something quick before I left for the office and am thrilled to say that I have quite a few fry left on day 6.

Anyway, just wanted to say "Hello" and that I am thrilled to be back in the land of ponies and especially thrilled to see so many old familiar faces and names here. :) Let's get this board hopping again!

Sue
 
silverado61

silverado61

Well-Known Member
I remember seeing your name during tons of thread searches. Welcome back. Looks like you've been missed.
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Ugh. Day 12 was a killer - literally. I lost at least 15-20 fry yesterday and the guy I had given 8 babies to also lost 7 of his. When I go home for lunch I'll get a headcount of any remaining survivors, IF there are any to count. So the fact that we both lost a bunch on day 12 must indicate that their nutritional needs are not being met on days 1-12 and their bodies finally give out? I know this is common and it's not easy to keep them alive but no matter how prepared you are, it's still sad. :(

If at first you do not succeed, try, try again. Now I'll just have to tell my adults to get dancing!
Sue
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo http:///t/397290/im-back#post_3541267
Ugh. Day 12 was a killer - literally. I lost at least 15-20 fry yesterday and the guy I had given 8 babies to also lost 7 of his. When I go home for lunch I'll get a headcount of any remaining survivors, IF there are any to count. So the fact that we both lost a bunch on day 12 must indicate that their nutritional needs are not being met on days 1-12 and their bodies finally give out? I know this is common and it's not easy to keep them alive but no matter how prepared you are, it's still sad. :(

If at first you do not succeed, try, try again. Now I'll just have to tell my adults to get dancing!
Sue

After 12 days...I would think it was all going good. I thought the switch from live to frozen food suffered the greatest loss. Sorry to hear...
 
pegasus

pegasus

Well-Known Member
Welcome back, Sue. I'm glad to see an experienced seahorse hobbyist, as I am in the initial stage of setting up a seahorse tank. Initial, as in I just bought a 40B tank, and will be drilling it for overflows (hopefully soon - need hole saw). I have a mature 125 mixed reef, 30G refugium (with tons amphis, copes, mysis, etc.), and a 200G rated SRO skimmer. My (economy) plan is to tie into the current filtration and let the tanks share the same water. I also plan to add a UV filter to the 40B. I am considering a pair of Reidi (I love the yellow color), but I haven't ruled out Erectus, either. I'd like to get your input on my current plans, and any tidbits of information that may come in handy.
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/397290/im-back#post_3543582
Hi stranger! Congrats on the brood!!
OMG - you're still here!!!! SO NICE to "e" you!!!!!

Thanks for the congrats..... I still have six alive and have lost count how old they are. Hope everything is well with you and, apparently, you're still in the hobby or you probably wouldn't be here. Damned addicting obsession, huh? :)
Sue
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Hello, Pegasus, welcome to the pony addiction. :)

A 40 breeder sounds like a great size for a pair or two, but I'm not sure about linking the horse tank into the other tanks. Originally I thought it sounded like a great idea but now I wonder. Seahorses have a lot of different needs and afflictions than fish and invertebrates. Some think that GFO irritates their gills so if you're using that in a sump or reactor that could be a problem. Also, if you ever need to medicate the horses, you wouldn't be able to do it in the horse tank because all of your tanks would be getting the medication. Could still work....those are just a few of my initial thoughts.

I had a pair of Reidi once and yes, they are very pretty, but they change colors just like the Erectus do. So depending on what color the decorations are in the horse tank, they may or may not be yellow. I have five Erectus, 2 are pale tan/yellow, 2 are greyish black, and one is dark black. Of course this changes once in a while but for the most part I have a mix.

If you are planning/hoping on someday having seahorse fry, the Reidi fry are much more difficult to raise. Their smaller size and their inability to hitch at birth make them quite challenging from what I've read. I tried with one batch but they didn't last long at all. But if you're not looking to breed, then you may be very happy with Reidi.

Good luck with your build, and keep us posted.
Sue
 
pegasus

pegasus

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo http:///t/397290/im-back#post_3543594
Hello, Pegasus, welcome to the pony addiction. :)

A 40 breeder sounds like a great size for a pair or two, but I'm not sure about linking the horse tank into the other tanks. Originally I thought it sounded like a great idea but now I wonder. Seahorses have a lot of different needs and afflictions than fish and invertebrates. Some think that GFO irritates their gills so if you're using that in a sump or reactor that could be a problem. Also, if you ever need to medicate the horses, you wouldn't be able to do it in the horse tank because all of your tanks would be getting the medication. Could still work....those are just a few of my initial thoughts.

I had a pair of Reidi once and yes, they are very pretty, but they change colors just like the Erectus do. So depending on what color the decorations are in the horse tank, they may or may not be yellow. I have five Erectus, 2 are pale tan/yellow, 2 are greyish black, and one is dark black. Of course this changes once in a while but for the most part I have a mix.

If you are planning/hoping on someday having seahorse fry, the Reidi fry are much more difficult to raise. Their smaller size and their inability to hitch at birth make them quite challenging from what I've read. I tried with one batch but they didn't last long at all. But if you're not looking to breed, then you may be very happy with Reidi.

Good luck with your build, and keep us posted.
Sue
Thanks for the reply, and I appreciate your input, Sue. Yes, I bought the 40 specifically for seahorses. I don't use carbon or gfo. Other than skimming, I use natural filtration... with the "slight" exception of carbon dosing my rdsb with 5ml of NO3/PO4:X daily. Since this feeds bacteria that consumes nitrates and phosphates, I consider this a natural approach as well. Others may see it differently. Nitrates hold steady at .5ppm, and Phosphates are .16ppm, so that's not an issue. I will probably add a UV filter to the 40G to keep pathogens to a minimum. As far as raising fry, that isn't my goal... since I would have a hard time moving them. I suppose I could drive 30 miles to the nearest *****, but that's not likely going to happen. They don't really do much as far as store credits go, and I certainly don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to ship them. I just want a pair of large horses, perhaps a smaller pair, a couple of pipe fish, and a mandarin dragonet to keep them company. If medicating is necessary, I have a spare 10G that would should serve that purpose well, at least while they're young. Perhaps when they're older, ***** will have another $1 per gallon sale on their glass tanks... lol!
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Hard to believe, but I still have three fry from the "March Delivery".! They are now 3-1/2 months old and doing great. So great, in fact, that I bought and set up a home of their own for them the other night..... a 2.6 gallon Fluval Spec. Pretty cool little tank and a good transition between keeping them in a Kriegel inside the adult tank and releasing them freely into the adult tank.

Here's a photo of their new home, and a close-up of one of the "kids".. For size reference, that's a drinking straw one of the ponies is hanging onto (in the full tank shot).
Sue



 
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