Switching from Dwarfs to Larger Seahorses???

[picoseahorses2]

hey srry i havent beeen over here in a while lol, ive been in the captive breeding section.

But i have a question. As u prob know if you read my other threads I hvae dwarfs, but they keep dieing on me. I think the problem is that i first of all, didnt have enough money to buy a whole bunch of them secondly, i think im putting too much some days and other days too little. I now have one left because i think i added too much brine shrimp and it suffocated in its own food

I know sad

and third of all hydroids keepin taking their lives away But i went to my lfs to get a jawfish and some plants for my larger tank andd they had some nice captive bred reidis for $30 ( srry if i spelled it wrong) And i was already planning to take down my 29 gallon freshwater, and i was wondering if maybe i could give a try at the larger seahorses??? If anyone has any experience or can give help, i was wondering if it is a good idea to switch and some instructions on how to care for them??? I just really love sea horses!

And if anyone has any suggerstions i would REALLY appreciate it!

 

[teresaq]

Hi and welcome to the world of lrg seahorses.
Yes a 29 gal would be a minimum size for Reidi.
I would question your lfs as to the origin of these horses. are they true captive bred or where the pen raised. 30 is very cheap for captive bred reidi
If the are pen raised, are they eating frozen. These horses would have to be wormed and kept in Qt until you are sure they are truly healthy. If they are not eatting frozen then I would pass on them.

 

[teresaq]

If they are captive bred and eatting frozen then they should be fairly easy. I would Qt them in a bare bottom tank for a few weeks to get them use to you. Horses are raised in bare bottom tanks and some times adding them to tank with live rock and sand freaks them out.
Just provide a tank with low to med flow, lots of hitches and really good water quality.
Feed frozen mysis twice a day.
T

 

[picoseahorses2]

Im pretty sure he said that they were from ORA. ive hearf that that is a captive breeding place

And is a 29 only capable of holding one seahrose??? and do u think u could like give me a list of the requirements for caring for them, just so i can make sure i know wat im doing? are they a lot harder than dwarves? and do captive breds catch disease easily??? srry for all the questions lol

 

[teresaq]

29 gal can house a pair-If they are from Ora, then yes they should be good. Just be sure they are eatting frozen Mysis
What are you asking as far as requirements for care. They would be the same as any saltwater tank. Just feeding would be twice a day, and lower flow then a regular reef tank
T
I think they are easier then dwarfs as you have a lrger tank which is easier to care for then a small dwarf tank
As long as they arent exposed to other horses from other souces then they are less likly to pick up pathigens that can spread thru seahorses.
T

 

[teresaq]

have you read thru this-it may help a little
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=301907
ask any questions you have

 

[picoseahorses2]

thanx a lot

now i am pretty confident that i am going to get them! lol

I think ill start giving away the fish in my freshwater this week so i can begin cycling it. Ill keep u updated with pics! Just two more questions lol, if i keep a pair of reidis, can i keep a pair of banggais with them? thanx for all the help. And the banggais would also be captive bred!

AN the last one in that page i noticed u didnt mention a protien skimmer. Do u need one in a seahorse tank? And thax again!

 

[teresaq]

yes, Banggis are a 1 on the compatability chart, just be aware that they will eat seahorse fry. Though Reidi are the one of the hardest fry to raise, it can be and is being done.
I dont use a skimmer, but one would not hurt, just be aware of how much flow one can create.
TeresaQ

 

[teresaq]

Also, be sure to bleach and scrub your tank well before setting it up. Too bad your not closer to me, I would give you some rock for your tank.

 

[picoseahorses2]

first off i have some sad news

ALL OF MY DWARF PIPES AND SEAHORSES DIED LAST NIGHT!!!

i dont know what happened, they just were all hanging there when i woke up

and to the questions lol, do u need live rock because i was thinking of keeping just some dead rock i have lying around here with a bunch of macros?

 

[teresaq]

Well, the dead rock will turn into live rock, so yes you need some live rock but can start out with dead rock

understand that

So sorry about your dwarfs. those small tanks are so hard sometimes and you just never know mixing species like that.
T
If you plan on using any rock from you dwarf tank-boil it very good first. It could carry pathigens into your new tank, you are better off not using anything from your dwarf tank
T

 

[picoseahorses2]

HEy i need help QUICK LOL!!! i called the store with the captive bred reidis and he said that they only have two left and he doesnt now when the next time he gets em in again. i could be a week i could be a year! so heres my question could i just get one of them now and place it my my dwarf tank until i get my 29 cycled??? if yes im gonna get it tom soo they dont run out so i need a quick response!!!!

 

[teresaq]

because you dont know what happened to your dwarfs, I would not.
He wont hold them or just order them for you. My lfs ordered mine from ora and had them within a few days.

 

[picoseahorses2]

thanx i am always tryin to get things as quick as i can but i think ur right its a good idea that i wait lol and ill ask if when im ready if he can order them fom ORA but i looked on the ORA website and it says there thatthey dont have reidis??? could they have been a different kind? the man said that tehy were reidis. thir coloration was a yellow body with some darker stripe like patches on it back. Are these really reidis???

 

[teresaq]

They are probable Erectus. Which if you are interested in breeding - the fry are easier to raise.
did they look like these?? these are my old horses
I just went there and they are listed as -- Brazilian Seahorse - Hippocampus reidi

 

[picoseahorses2]

well i know that tehy were much smaller and they kind of looked like this

 

[teresaq]

those are Reidi

 

[picoseahorses2]

hey another quick one, I FIGURED OUT WHAT WAS WRONG!!! i was keeping my dwarves in a smaller section of the big tank, ok, so then this is where the prob came, i added a lot of food the night before, and because it was a smaller section of the large tank it polluted easily even though there was some flow. so then the smaller section had a buildup of nitrates and ammonia. BUt no the larger section! so i did a water change and i was wondering if i know what was wrong now do u think i shoul still get the large seahorse because my lfs said that they only get captive breds once every couple of years and they cant really order them. Sooo do u thin if i cleaned out the tank a ten would be enough to hold one until i got the 29 cycled????

 

[teresaq]

as long as you dont think it was illness that killed them and that the water is really good then you should be fine, but i really dont suggest it..
I kinda think the store owner is just trying to make a sale. He should be able to order from ora anytime he likes.
T

 

[reefnutpa]

Personally, I would strongly suggest against getting the seahorses at this point. Seahorses, being social animals, do best in pairs. While they can live alone, it is really not fair to them.
I'm a rather blunt, matter-of-fact kinda guy. You have no suitable tank set up to house them (I dont consider the 10 suitable for a pair of Reidi) and you have no display tank even set up to cycle.
I really think you are rushing things. There are other places that sell CB Reidi across the country. I would pass at this point.
BTW... not all ORA Reidi are bred by them They do obtain seahorses elsewhere.
Just my thoughts and opinions, take them for what they are worth.
Tom