hi buddy I have a lot to say about ur 20gal comment but I have to go to work now I would like to pm u tomorrow if it’s ok with uOkay, just reading this and needed to share.
A 20 gallon tank is not good for either regular seahorses or dwarf. Too small for the regulars and too big for the dwarfs.
Regular seahorses are very dirty and it is hard to keep a 20 gallon healthy for them. I had 2 erectus in 20 gallon with 10 gallon fuge. I was planning on getting 56 gallon with the 10 gallon fuge once moved but husband wasn't too keen on that.
Have 20 gallon nano FOWLR with macro.
I know there are horses off NJ but they will need chiller to stay healthy... that is why it is easier to get tropical and have heater.
Dwarf ponies
I got 8 dwarfs in October. They were wild caught. I wormed them and had them in 1 gallon cookie jar QT for a month.
I moved them to a 2.5 gallon cycled tank I added a Marina HOB breeder to keep rock in with sponge on the intake (took rock and sponge from 20 gallon). The Minon HOB is too strong for the 2.5 so will hold for 5 gallon upgrade.
I originally had sand in the bottom but from encouragement from a fb dwarf site (Dwarf Seahorses - Help & Advice) and also seeing while caring for them in the cookie jar, I removed it before moving them over. It is easier to clean bottom of poop, dead bbs and check for health. (Snow globe...just fed)
The hardest thing I've found so far for keeping ponies is hatching the bbs and making sure those stinking hydriods don't sneak in. I found that decapsulating the eggs does not kill hydroids, but freshwater rinses do. Even with me being extra careful, I got a different kind of hydroids that I misidentified as pineapple sponges (had them too). I tried to treat with Fenbendazole while ponies were in the tank but the boogers would not die so I moved the ponies back to QT and really nuked the rocks, washed the tank with freshwater.
I have 4 contaniners... one for hatching, one for holding and feeding, one for gut loading and one in fridge just in case something happens to the ones connected to the airlines. Yes, those are expensive glasses we got for our wedding that we never used until now lol
With only 6 ponies, a 10 gallon would be too big at moment to feed since they wait for food to come by them and do not actively hunt. I did say 6, not 8. I lost one when didn't see it when putting back cleaned sponge and another when did massive clean to get rid of red slime since not a lot of water movement in there and didn't realize had nitrate spike when had neighbor watch dog and fed ponies overnight. Would have caught if home since noticed the bbs dead on bottom.
As they breed, I will upgrade. I've had two males be pregnant but dropped their eggs before hatching them. Don't know why. By the way, they only live about 12-18 months so it is important to have them breed to keep them... or you will need to buy more.
Every morning I remove about a cup of water when sucking up the little poops and add new water when feed the bbs. This keeps the tank clean. I do this twice a day and will do partial water change if nitrates go up.
I was seriously thinking of selling the whole thing, especially after the hydroid outbreak but I'm getting the hang of easier way of doing things. They are really small and hide a lot (I keep magnify glass next to tank) but they really are cute.
-
Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.
Seahorses
- Thread starter Paulie 069
- Start date
Trio91 I can’t thank u enough for giving this a chance. I hope it will be a huge hit with All the members of this website. Coral n reef setups look great with a couple of seahorses cruising around. Again thank you so much for giving it a chance
Attachments
Hey just noticed new site they put all this on. Very cool to get a chance. I have to leave for dock right now but I have a ton of info for sticky’s and wanted to run it by u
The pod suggested is Tigriopus.
Also, the ponies will eat adult gut loaded brine shrimp but the babies need new hatched.
Love the way ur on top of it
I have to say a chiller for H. Erectus is not required. This club has caught them during late summer and winter, including me. They can tolerate temp to 75 degrees. So room temp would be okay. I have seen it done this way and in a 20g tank. Tank was bare bottom with 4 of them. Cleaning is difficult hence no substrate and a tube attached to a stick to suck all the dirt from bottom. Can be done different ways depends on the person.
The Erectus is the easiest seahorse to care for they r hardy n take to frozen food quickly
Okay, I'll have to defer to you as a Jersey shore person and local ponies about the chiller.
I had my 2 captive bred Erectus in this 20 gallon with fuge. I cleaned my mysis before feeding, didn't overfeed, had great clean up crew, did regular water changes but I had a constant battle with bacterial infections...bubble mostly. Followed all the perimeters from other seahorse keeps on forum. They would be good for months then one would get...be good for months again... Had them for 3 years. That was over 10 years ago.
Seahorse site said should have bigger tank and reading anywhere purchase from today also say 30 gallons or larger. From my experience, can understand why. Just saying...
Put in a clown, royal gramma and yellow goby and had no more problems. Except the firefish committing suicide....
Feeding time. Had feeding trough at bottom of that tube.
Attachments
cool set up u got there the feeding tube thing just might be what caused gas bubbles in the seahorses. I’ve never seen or herd of feeding tube for seahorses. I just poor my shrimp in tank and make it look like it’s raining shrimpOkay, I'll have to defer to you as a Jersey shore person and local ponies about the chiller.
I had my 2 captive bred Erectus in this 20 gallon with fuge. I cleaned my mysis before feeding, didn't overfeed, had great clean up crew, did regular water changes but I had a constant battle with bacterial infections...bubble mostly. Followed all the perimeters from other seahorse keeps on forum. They would be good for months then one would get...be good for months again... Had them for 3 years. That was over 10 years ago.
Seahorse site said should have bigger tank and reading anywhere purchase from today also say 30 gallons or larger. From my experience, can understand why. Just saying...
Put in a clown, royal gramma and yellow goby and had no more problems. Except the firefish committing suicide....
Feeding time. Had feeding trough at bottom of that tube.
cool set up u got there the feeding tube thing just might be what caused gas bubbles in the seahorses. I’ve never seen or herd of feeding tube for seahorses. I just poor my shrimp in tank and make it look like it’s raining shrimpOkay, I'll have to defer to you as a Jersey shore person and local ponies about the chiller.
I had my 2 captive bred Erectus in this 20 gallon with fuge. I cleaned my mysis before feeding, didn't overfeed, had great clean up crew, did regular water changes but I had a constant battle with bacterial infections...bubble mostly. Followed all the perimeters from other seahorse keeps on forum. They would be good for months then one would get...be good for months again... Had them for 3 years. That was over 10 years ago.
Seahorse site said should have bigger tank and reading anywhere purchase from today also say 30 gallons or larger. From my experience, can understand why. Just saying...
Put in a clown, royal gramma and yellow goby and had no more problems. Except the firefish committing suicide....
Feeding time. Had feeding trough at bottom of that tube.
Depends on what kind of seahorses you want will tell u what temp u want to keep tank. I have Erectus and keep tank at room temp. Between 65 69. Never ever more than 70. But that’s my horses I can’t speak of others because I haven’t studied up on them. And that’s what u should do RESEARCH that’s what I would like this forum to be a place to learn n share n held n give advice and share pictures of your seahorses all that good stuff. And I believe we’re on our way to a nice community on njreefers
+100
How are you able to keep it below 70 in the summer? When I had my tank, I added frozen water bottles until I got a fan for over my fuge.
Well my wife wasn’t thrilled when I bought a new air conditioner just for the seahorses. Lol. That’s right I spent 385 dollars on a AC unit just to cool them off. That’s how bad my addiction is for seahorses
I
Nice. But some frozen water bottles should be fine. If it real hit the A.C. Is cranking so doubt people keep 80 in the house during a hot summer.
Had to buy new refugium today for my new setup was only 20 bucks well worth the piece of mind
Humm.... chiller that was mentioned didn't need in previous post....
I keep my house at 70 in winter and 75 in summer for my tanks as much as for me