A journal of an attempt to raise Seahorse Babies

[howdy20012002]

Well my first casaulties.
I figured that I would lose a few
I siphoned out 3 bodies and a couple are looking questionable.
Still ain't bad though for my first attempt at this.
Neal

[howdy20012002]

well another good day
No more bodies..but a few still don't look good.
However, still kicking for now.
Am starting to do water changes every 3 or 4 hours about 30 percent.
I had added a piece of algae but pulled it because somehow the seahorses were getting stuck in the roots and I had to rescue a couple.
I added a piece of Halymedia for now. They don't appear to be using it yet though.
thought I would show a couple of photos.
Neal

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Wow.

[niloc16]

this journal is awesome. thanks for the postings

[howdy20012002]

about 5 dead today
I think that I overestimated the number of babies.
I think that I have about 40 left.
Impossible to tell really how many are there.
Split the tank in half and put half of them in another identical setup.
Figure that it would be better this way to split the waste so it doesn't add up as quick.
things are still going well IMO overall.
Still amazed that I have anything at all.
I am keeping the tanks around 76 - 77 degrees.
LMK if you have any questions.

[howdy20012002]

A couple dead today.
the others are doing well.
still doing about 30 percent water change about 4 times a day now that I have split them in half.
things are going well all in all.

[howdy20012002]

9 dead today.
I had thought I was going to lose them.
they had been just hanging out at the bottom for the last couple of days.
the others are still going strong though.
I figure I have around 30 left.
Not bad.
I started growing the brineshrimp yesterday
Not sure when exactly I should add them
Any suggestions?
LMK
thanks
Neal

[Beverly]

Sorry to hear about your losses, Neal Do you have any idea why they died?

Wish I knew when to add the BBS. All I can tell you is that the fry have to be big enough to eat them BBS are huge compared to rotifers.

[howdy20012002]

I think that I may have killed a couple of them myself.
I siphon the dead bodies out with a hose and tube. After I looked in the glass, I saw that I had actually sucked up a couple of live ones that had just been lying on the ground. (I don't think gettting sucked up thru a tube did them any good)
Like I said though, I had expected to lose them as most of them had been just lying around on the ground for a few days. The others are generally swimming around with the current during the day. The only time they lie on the ground generally are when the lights are off.
I think though that naturally there will be some that just don't make it.
I am sure that there are lots in the wild that die off just for whatever reason besides being lunch for something.
I don't notice them scratching though much, which means the ammonia isn't high.
I dunno
I am still happy with my results.

[michika]

Did you just put the live ones back into the tank?

From what it sounds like you are doing very well!