Replies - page two
In order to learn all I can before we go out and buy our supplies and seahoreses I joined a newsgroup called [email protected] here are some of the replies I got about care and keeping of Dwarf Seahorses.
From: [email protected]
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 14:11:08 -0000
To: [email protected]
Subject: dwarfs
Siobhan, when you get your dwarfs (5 gallon tank will be plenty big
enough and as long as it's cycled should be stable) please don't let
any of the water they come in be introduced to your tank. I ordered
dwarfs in september and had 8 adults who started reproducing and I
saw babies everywhere in the caulerpa. Then I started having trouble
seeing the babies as the plants were getting "fuzzy roots". Then I
realized that these fuzzies were on my cell pore and were not roots
but the dreaded HYDROIDS and since then all the dwarfs are dead and
some of the baby pipefish that were in there. Carol has something to
cure the tank but it's too late for my dwarfs. I now also use "Net
Soak" (my LFS had "Pro-Net") that I soak my nets and turkey baster in
just in case--I don't want to spread the hydroids to other tanks.
Also, you do not want to change all the water or vacuume all the
substrate at each water change. For the smaller tanks I usually
changed 50% water change and only vacumed the surface of the bottom
(that's where the beneficial bacteria grow).I had to do that a couple
of times a week at first then went to once per week.(My bio-load
overworked the amt of good bacteria that had grown during the cycle --
I had too many living creatures in too small of a space-- 3 gallon
tank with population explosion!) Snails and crabs eat the solid waste
and left over food for you so having some of those will be useful) My
hermit crabs (small)did not mess with the dwarfs at all. HTH,Sherry
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Are dwarfs seasonal?
Dear Sandro:
Hippocampus zosterae, the Dwarf Seahorse, has a breeding season that extends from mid-February to late October in the wild. Three generations are normally produced during that period. The gestation period is about 10 days. Fry are well developed at birth and benthic, orienting to the substrate at birth and seeking out hitching posts immediately. The fry double in size after 17 days and typically reach sexual maturity at the age of three months. This species stops breeding when the period between sunrise and sunset is less than 11 hours, and reproduces best when the days are longer than 12
hours.
Subject: Re: Dwarf Seahores (basic info)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001
From: "Carol Keen"
Dear Siobhan and John,
I sell the pygmies, but I am out of captive breds just now. I will send you
someone I can recommend. I am so glad you are enjoying the information. That
is most of what we are here for, information to the max!
Carol :)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Dwarf Seahores (basic info)
Hi everyone,
I wanted to thank you all for all the helpful information you have sent already!! I have read most of it but haven't yet had time to reply, so I wanted to drop a note to let you know I am still here and very greatful for the helpful/useful information everyone has sent so far!
Siobhan and John
P.s. Is it possible to find a place that has captive breed dwarfs?? I noticed while everyone mentioned thier is for the larger ones no one said much about Dwarfs.. I would rather have captive breed as I don't wish to knowly take an animal from the wild...I believe we have one auquariam shop in the area that has seahorses (per friend of mine) but have to go check that out and see what they have and if the are captive breed ones (also what they supply localy for seahorse care.. while I don't mine mail order it's good to have something local you can go too ;), exspecialy when we get to the live parts of set-up! (plants, snails and eventualy seahorses).
Subject: Re: Questions (dwarf seahorses)-feeding, tank size ...etc!
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001
From: "harryds"
For a 10 gallon you might consider a Aquaclear Mini.
By using a sponge over the intake and adjusting the speed to it's lowest setting you can get the benefit of a water pump.
Personally I don't care for Aquaclears (in tanks were the fish are larger), prefering to use biowheel fitlers. But the Aquaclear filter can be run at such a speed that the food and ofcourse the fish won't get sucked up. It's a strange fact but a Aquacle
ar Mini is actually cheeper then a sponge filter and a quality airpump. (Checking many online merchants) ,
I have begun to use the sponge that came with the Aquaclear. It works.the sponge becomes a nice breeding ground for the jumping kind of coepods.
What amaized me was the dwarfs actually like to play in the outflow of the filter. If there are live rocks then one can position the outflow on them and it reduces the flows effect.
The main point is that the Aquaclear JR has an adjustable intake, that can be adjusted from a trickle to full flow. in a 10 to 20 (possibly the 5) it can be set to not overwelm the dwarfs. That filter chamber can then be used for everything from charcoa
l to chemipure. One person uses it as a refugum of sorts (with caluperpa).
finally, One plant that might be possible, and I wonder if Carol can get it (some states it illegal I have been told) are marine 'weeds' (that is true plants not just macro alge). I saw, in FLordia that the Dwarfs spent quite a bit of time in this weed
bed.(one reason we must all fight polution... A lot of marine life get's it start very close to shore).
For more information on Seahorses checkout
www.seahorse.org
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