Author Topic: Seahorse questions  (Read 270 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline cruzincaril

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 593
  • Country: 00
  • Reputation: 684
    • View Profile
  • Referrals: 0
Seahorse questions
« on: July 12, 2009, 04:41:38 PM »
sooo greg(is that ur name) im supposed to ask  u advice about having seahorses..but with my track record i can see/hear u saying nonononoooo..can they survive in a tank with corals and that kind of water movement? i do have fish but was wondering about a future scenario when my fish go kaput.....any input???  thnx

Offline Just_Greg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,199
  • Country: us
  • Reputation: 888
    • View Profile
    • Lionfish Lair
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2009, 08:27:14 AM »
shhhh...don't you know that SH are mythical creatures, and there is really no such thing??   ;)

believe it or not, i've actually met peeps who have thought SH aren't real...now, where to begin?

SH are challenging to keep, but not impossible once their special needs are met, and if you get good CB stock.

if you decide to keep them, and convert a reef over to SH, you'll need to:

  • remove any fast-swimming or aggressive/territorial fish
  • remove any coral that has sweeper/stinging tentacles
  • lower your temperature (even tropical SH species should be kept no warmer than 74*F)
  • make any necessary adjustments to your system's flow that would blow the SH around and plaster them against the glass.  a lot of flow is good, but it must be strategically aimed.
  • be prepared to have fish that must eat EVERY DAY...SH lack a true stomach, and thus, cannot hold food for processing.  a SH's digestive system can shut down in as few as 4 days without food
  • be prepared to be amazed at how different and cool they are.

the above is just a basic list of requirements.  SH aren't for everyone, but keeping them is a pretty far-out experience.  BTW, your old 30 gal would be a nice home for a pair of SH...

inspiration:





« Last Edit: July 14, 2009, 08:33:35 AM by Just_Greg »
Greg

Offline cruzincaril

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 593
  • Country: 00
  • Reputation: 684
    • View Profile
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2009, 08:57:58 AM »
OH GOSH they are so pretty....ummm right now i have blue/yellow damsel, clown, one chromis and two pajama cardinals..so i dont know which of these would be a no no..as far as strategically placing the flow i have three number three koralias and the skimmer plus the two HOB filters ( yeh im bills big joke with these)..i have all softies..the only things with long sweeps are my xenias..i do have quite a few buttons that have stingers? around the edges. as far as keeping cool i would need a chiller then? my tank averages around 80 with my air on it will go to 78 or 79. only hangup i see is sometimes ill go away for a few days and i dont really have anyone to come in and feed so that mite be a problem. couldnt really set up my old 30 as theres no room anywhere for that or believe me i would. i couldnt even use that for a sump as i wanted to as to big for under the cab..so..do u see too many negatives i have? i dont have any plants in there like that pic for them to attach to.. thnx..believe or not that has always been my number one to have SH..i even heard u couldnt buy them any where so...went with the traditional  setup..  thnx

Offline Just_Greg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,199
  • Country: us
  • Reputation: 888
    • View Profile
    • Lionfish Lair
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2009, 10:54:08 AM »
all of the damsels need to go (that includes the chromis and clown).  the PJ's are OK.

you're confusing sweeper tentacles with normal tentacles.  for reference, LPS such as Euphyllia and Plerogyra have pretty nasty sweepers.  polyps are fine.  i don't have it handy, but i have a really cool pic of our bubble stinging some paly's...i'll see if i can find it when i get home.

the Korallias have actually amputated SH tails in the past (SH will pretty much hitch to anything that strikes their fancy), so unless you DIY some covers, change to the nano model.

you can probably pull your tank down quite a bit with fans blowing across the water surface of the sump and/or DT, but if you run fans, remember that your evap will increase quite a bit, so have some top-up water ready.

both of our SH systems have lots of macro, and thus natural hunting grounds/pod havens for the SH to supplement their feedings.  there really isn't any way around the daily feeding thing other than to really fatten up the SH and introduce a bunch of appropriately-sized SW feeder shrimp into the system just prior to leaving.  the risk here is having the SH decide they like live food better than frozen, and you either need to re-train them, or give in and feed them live food for life.  that being said, true CB SH are weaned to frozen at an early age, so they're less likely to "revert" to live food.

as far as obtaining the SH, i'd get true CB specimens from a reputable breeder or hobbyist breeder.  they cost a bit more than the net pen-raised SH you often see at the LFS, but they are WELL worth the price in terms of health, longevity, and not having to prophylactically treat them for parasites, and they come to your door greedily eating frozen mysis.  personally, Dan over at http://www.seahorsesource.com is the only place i get my SH.

HTH



Greg

Offline cruzincaril

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 593
  • Country: 00
  • Reputation: 684
    • View Profile
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2009, 12:04:42 PM »
wow..thanks for all that input..gives me a lot to think about. dont even know if i can pull it off!!!!

Offline Just_Greg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,199
  • Country: us
  • Reputation: 888
    • View Profile
    • Lionfish Lair
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2009, 01:23:45 PM »
wow..thanks for all that input..gives me a lot to think about. dont even know if i can pull it off!!!!


it's all about research and preparation.  SH are one fish that i definitely try to give peeps a heads-up on, because they do require some thought and dedication.  they are, however, very cool critters.  there's nothing like watching your SH "dance" for you.

a few more SH shots for ya:

fry racing



home-grown juvie erectus



red WC male reidi

Greg

Offline cruzincaril

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 593
  • Country: 00
  • Reputation: 684
    • View Profile
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2009, 01:34:21 PM »
youre making me drool here..they gorjus!!!  love them...

Offline Just_Greg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,199
  • Country: us
  • Reputation: 888
    • View Profile
    • Lionfish Lair
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2009, 01:41:50 PM »
youre making me drool here..they gorjus!!!  love them...


muahahahahahaha!  i'm evil, aren't i?   :P
Greg

Offline cruzincaril

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 593
  • Country: 00
  • Reputation: 684
    • View Profile
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2009, 01:55:53 PM »
yea big meanie!!! :P

Offline Hajra

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 285
  • Country: us
  • Reputation: 300
  • Thanks to everyone. this place is wonderful
    • View Profile
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2011, 11:31:10 PM »
I am sooooo late like always. when we started our tank seahorses is what was originally planned however when i checked local experiences i have heard fromseveral ppl that they was only able to keep them at a max of a year before it died/ they killed it... i didnt want to kill any so decided to just go to fish.
welcome to the best saltwater forum ever......

Offline Just_Greg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,199
  • Country: us
  • Reputation: 888
    • View Profile
    • Lionfish Lair
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Seahorse questions
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2011, 05:02:16 PM »
I am sooooo late like always. when we started our tank seahorses is what was originally planned however when i checked local experiences i have heard fromseveral ppl that they was only able to keep them at a max of a year before it died/ they killed it... i didnt want to kill any so decided to just go to fish.


Too bad you received bad info.  SH are very "keepable", and typically live 3-5 years or more ( I havwe a friend who had one for 8 years).  They require a dedicated setup and dedication from the keeper.  Additionally, getting good stock is of utmost importance, so obtaining TRUE CB SH from a reputable breeder or hobbyist-breeder is your best bet.  They're a bit more costly, but will come to you disease-free, and happily eating frozen mysis.

The SH you find in most LFS that are being called "TR" are actually usually raised in net pens in the ocean, in tanks with untreated ocean water, of ponds with untreated ocean water.  This pretty much exposes them to all the pathogens that WC specimens are exposed to.  These SH typically have poor survival rates, even under the care of experienced keepers.

If you ever decide to get into SH, I'd pop on over to http://www.seahorse.org/ and look around.  There are some good articles there as well as a SH-specific discussion forum.
Greg