Newbie to Seahorses

flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriciaG http:///t/396748/newbie-to-seahorses#post_3536699
Thank You Flower, you know I wondered about my cleaner shrimp some sights say he is okay and others say no. He is very interested in my hand when I stick it in the tank. I will keep him for know and before I get my seahorses, I have a friend that I can give him to. I will be sad to see him go because he is very funny to watch.

I thought Goby's were zero or maybe a 1 on my seahorse chart. I will check again for something that I can get while I am waiting. I really would like something that stays down on the bottom of the tank and will leave my seahorses alone.

Yes, I did know about only adding RO water when my levels get low from evaporation because salt doesn't evaporate. Until I got all the right connections for my chiller I was using an aquarium fan which meant I had to add almost a gallon every night before I went to bed. With the chiller I don't need to add as often. The protein skimmer was running fine until I put the chiller in last weekend. Not to say that there wasn't a few micro bubbles here and there, but know there are thousands. My protein skimmer is a Remora Aqua C (I believe that is right, it isn't the pro) that hangs on the back of the tank. I know you said that I shouldn't need one, but I was trying to make sure that I covered all my bases. Look were that has gotten me. Lol I just ordered one of those overflow boxes for it. If that doesn't work then I may be selling it and just doing more water changes more often.

Thank you again for your help. I will keep you posted.

Hi,

I don't run a skimmer at all on my 56g Kuda seahorse tank, I use macroalgae to keep the water pristine, and it creates awesome hitches for the horses.

The cleaner shrimp being so "friendly" getting on your hand the way they do, is why it would harass a seahorse. I was looking into getting a citrus goby, and it wasn't compatible according to the chart I was looking at...or should I say the danger level was greater then 2, so I passed on getting one.

It is a shame about the cleaner shrimp not being considered compatible with seahorses, they are indeed totally cool little critters... I always kept two in my reef.
 
S

saxman

Guest
Tricia,

Many folks are "purists" when it comes to keeping SH, and don't like to mix them. We've gone both ways, and if you're careful in choosing tankmates, there's no problem as long as you think "SH first", as their requirements must be met. I think this is where some peeps get into trouble, as all too often SH are added to a tank that wasn't set up with SH in mind, which isn't a good idea IMHO.

I'd get comfy with SH care and their habits before you mix them with anything. That way, the SH will be well-established and you'll see how they behave without any distractions.

After that, you could add a citron goby if you like them. The thing with most cleaner shrimp is that they tend to be very "insistent" with wanting to groom their tankmates, esp. sedentary species like SH, and they often stress them with their attentions. Peppermint shrimp tend to work out well, as Flower mentioned, altho they sometimes will rob food if you have a slow-feeding SH, altho I've never had that problem personally.

FWIW, running a sump is a really good idea (you mentioned you ordered a O/F box), and what I'd do is use the skimmer on the sump, which will not only hide it, but will allow any microbubbles it may generate to dissipate in the sump. The remora is an OK skimmer, but it's known for microbubble generation. Also, it requires some "break-in" before it really settles down and goes to work for you. You don't want the skimmer pump "sucking air" into its inlet (other than thru the venturi tube).

HTH
 
T

triciag

Guest
Since my tank is only six weeks old, but it has been cycled and my water tests have stayed consistent for two weeks, how long should I wait before ordering my seahorses? Of course after I make sure the micro bubbles are gone and I figure out what I am going to do with the cleaner shrimp and possiblely my Peppermint shrimp. I just caught him killing a snail that came down to the sand bed. Yes, I feed him twice a day and watch that he eats.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriciaG http:///t/396748/newbie-to-seahorses/20#post_3536724
Since my tank is only six weeks old, but it has been cycled and my water tests have stayed consistent for two weeks, how long should I wait before ordering my seahorses? Of course after I make sure the micro bubbles are gone and I figure out what I am going to do with the cleaner shrimp and possiblely my Peppermint shrimp. I just caught him killing a snail that came down to the sand bed. Yes, I feed him twice a day and watch that he eats.


Hi,

How did you kick start the cycle?
 
seafishlover

seafishlover

New Member
EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONS. I HAVE BOUGHT SO MANY SEAHORSES FROM OCEAN RIDERS....I HAVE HAD THEM FOR OVER FOUR YEARS NOW...ORANGE, YELLOWS, REDS....YOU NEED TO HAVE COLORED HITCHING POST IE FAKE CORAL OR REAL CORAL FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN THEIR COLORS. AFTER ALL THEY USE IT AS A SOURCE OF PROTECTION IN THE WILD (BLENDING IN SO THEY WON'T BE SPOTTED). YOU MAY THINK THEY ARE PRICEY...UNDER $200 FOR TWO MATED PAIRS??? DON'T THINK THAT IS PRICEY AT ALL. MINE HAVE HAD SEVERAL BABIES IN THE FOUR YEARS I HAVE HAD THEM. I AM ALSO RAISING PYGMY SEAHORSES....THE ONE MALE IS PREGNANT AND THE OTHER MALE JUST GAVE BIRTH TO 5 BABIES LAST NIGHT...EATING LIVE BABY BRINE SHRIMP AND COPEPODS.

THE SAYING GOES YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR THAT IS WHY I GO WITH SOMEONE THAT IS EDUCATED IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY NEED TO RAISE SEAHORSES. I DO BELIEVE THEY SET THEIR PRICES A LITTLE HIGHER THAN LOCAL FISH STORES AS ANYONE THAT WILL SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY WILL DEFINITELY KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE PONIES.

JUST BECAUSE I TYPE IN ALL CAPS IS NOT AN INDICATION THAT I AM MAD. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by seafishlover http:///t/396748/newbie-to-seahorses/20#post_3536807
EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONS. I HAVE BOUGHT SO MANY SEAHORSES FROM OCEAN RIDERS....I HAVE HAD THEM FOR OVER FOUR YEARS NOW...ORANGE, YELLOWS, REDS....YOU NEED TO HAVE COLORED HITCHING POST IE FAKE CORAL OR REAL CORAL FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN THEIR COLORS. AFTER ALL THEY USE IT AS A SOURCE OF PROTECTION IN THE WILD (BLENDING IN SO THEY WON'T BE SPOTTED). YOU MAY THINK THEY ARE PRICEY...UNDER $200 FOR TWO MATED PAIRS??? DON'T THINK THAT IS PRICEY AT ALL. MINE HAVE HAD SEVERAL BABIES IN THE FOUR YEARS I HAVE HAD THEM. I AM ALSO RAISING PYGMY SEAHORSES....THE ONE MALE IS PREGNANT AND THE OTHER MALE JUST GAVE BIRTH TO 5 BABIES LAST NIGHT...EATING LIVE BABY BRINE SHRIMP AND COPEPODS.

THE SAYING GOES YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR THAT IS WHY I GO WITH SOMEONE THAT IS EDUCATED IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY NEED TO RAISE SEAHORSES. I DO BELIEVE THEY SET THEIR PRICES A LITTLE HIGHER THAN LOCAL FISH STORES AS ANYONE THAT WILL SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY WILL DEFINITELY KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE PONIES.

JUST BECAUSE I TYPE IN ALL CAPS IS NOT AN INDICATION THAT I AM MAD. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?

Hi,

Posting in all caps is text speak for SHOUTING. Now that you know that ....PLEASE STOP IT. Is it really that hard to bother to use small caps, and capitalize the first letter of the words that begin your sentences and proper nouns?

I don't know what opinion you think you are protecting...Who is arguing prices? I paid $145.00 for a single seahorse, I guess that would make my breeder an expert since I spent all that money on them. Local fish stores don't carry Potbelly horses, actually few stores carry seahorses at all. I got mine from a local fellow who breeds them....He hangs out on Seahorse.org. As long as you get healthy horses, that's all that matters.

All seahorses change color, we don't purchase a seahorse according to color...because it changes. Those who do know a little something, understands that there are different species with different needs, and sets up their tank according to what type they want to keep.

I have only kept Erectus, Kuda and Potbelly seahorses. I happen to prefer a natural setting, so my seahorses are usually a natural color....I certainly don't purchase nor call them...all kinds, reds, orange and yellows...those colors are found in Erectus, Kuda, and Redi, to name a few....That doesn't tell anyone what species of seahorse you have. Any store that sells you a seahorse according to what color they are, is not a store I would do any business with, and if they sell the pretty yellows for more then the plain brown ones...you gotta know something is off.

One thing a seahorse knows how to do, is have babies, are you saying you managed to raise said babies to adulthood? The zots (pygmy) are "easy" the babies stay in the main tank with the parents, and as long as you feed them newly hatched brine shrimp and copepods, they are good to go. Personally, they are too much bother to feed, good luck with them....and with your yellows, reds and oranges, whatever species they are.
 
silverado61

silverado61

Well-Known Member
I agree with Flowers first paragraph. As I'm reading your post, I find myself yelling it in my head. Now where did I put that Tylenol? Ah yes. Here it is.

And flower, be polite. Say: PLEASE STOP IT.
 
T

triciag

Guest
My tank was started with 25 lbs of dried live rock and live crushed coral and I used uncooked shrimp. It took around four weeks to get through all the spikes and back to zero.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriciaG http:///t/396748/newbie-to-seahorses/20#post_3536892
My tank was started with 25 lbs of dried live rock and live crushed coral and I used uncooked shrimp. It took around four weeks to get through all the spikes and back to zero.

Hi,

Glad to hear you cycled with raw shrimp, mostly I was making sure you did cycle the tank. I don't know your experience level, so please forgive me, but felt I needed to ask and be sure.

Peppermint nor cleaner shrimps, will kill snails that I know of. They do however eat the dead or dying. The cleaner shrimp are just too "friendly" for a seahorse, he shouldn't be too hard to re-home. I need peppermint shrimp to clean the uneaten food, and eat any aptasia if it crops up...They are a really good addition IMO.
 
T

triciag

Guest
Flower, you said in an earlier post that you might be getting rid of some of your Red Botryocladia, would you still have any available? If so how much? If you don't do you know where I might be able to get some from a reliable source? I have a few micro algeas already and they all have been doing real well and thriving. When you purchase micro algeas is there a way to treat them for hitch hikers? The first two that I got came from a reliable source so I wasn't real worried. When I ordered my last one it came in smelling real bad and I chickened out and threw it all away. I just couldn't find any in the batch that I wasn't worried about.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriciaG http:///t/396748/newbie-to-seahorses/20#post_3536998
Flower, you said in an earlier post that you might be getting rid of some of your Red Botryocladia, would you still have any available? If so how much? If you don't do you know where I might be able to get some from a reliable source? I have a few micro algeas already and they all have been doing real well and thriving. When you purchase micro algeas is there a way to treat them for hitch hikers? The first two that I got came from a reliable source so I wasn't real worried. When I ordered my last one it came in smelling real bad and I chickened out and threw it all away. I just couldn't find any in the batch that I wasn't worried about.


Hi,

I promised a few people some, but I have green bubble algae (on purpose) and some people consider it a pest mAcroalgae (not microalgae). I just harvested and noticed I didn't have too much, I think the other macros are forcing it out...I will pop some "grapes" off of what's in there, and have more in no time. My potbelly tank has the macros dying for some reason, and I can't share anything from that tank, until I know what's going on. I don't want to contaminate anyone's tank. Silverado helped me do a water change just today.

Sometimes macros die in transit...the smell of rot is strong. Usually you can tell the difference between the healthy and the not so much, by the texture. The bad macros will be soft and gooey or slimy, while healthy macros feel like plastic. Even if just a small bit survives, it will grow out nice and healthy. Next time don't be afraid to pick through it and save what you can, it sounds like you did that anyway and found none. Hitchhikers are common, usually it is amphipods or copepods...no matter where you get it from. I saw some aptasia once, but my peppermint shrimp made short work of that...it wasn't the Golf coast ecosystem lot, it was another site that had what I wanted without waiting for it to be in season.

If you are rally worried about hitchhikers...put the macros in a 10g tank with saltwater and light...(8 weeks if you are worried about ich) then examine each bit before you put it in the display tank. It won't help much with aptasia hitchers, if there is any of that, the stress of transit would have released spores. Just a gentle little swish will usually dislodge any critters, and send them away from your big ole hand.

A good place to get some is Golf Coast Ecosystems, they only have macros that are in season, and you may have to wait. What I did, was get their red sampler, that's where all my red macros grew from. I added the sampler and whatever took root remained.
 
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