Birth of Dwarf Seahorses

[Wink]

I don't know what shape your filter intake is, but we use HOB filters and the ones built into the 5 gal hex tanks and both of them have the long tube intake. A foam paint roller (the kind made for painting trim) with the plastic center removed makes a great cover - haven't lost a fry to one yet! We get them at Walmart.

 

[Vicki]

I don't know what shape your filter intake is, but we use HOB filters and the ones built into the 5 gal hex tanks and both of them have the long tube intake. A foam paint roller (the kind made for painting trim) with the plastic center removed makes a great cover - haven't lost a fry to one yet! We get them at Walmart.

The 6 gallon Eclipse has the same long tube intake. A paint roller, huh? That may be what the one I have is. Thanks! I'll check in to that soon.

Vicki (the other one <>)

 

[Mauisreef]

Congratz Vicki <the other one >
Sounds like alot of fun and enjoyment.

 

[Wink]

The white ones are a little smoother surface than the yellow but both work.

 

[Electrokate]

Hi,
Congratulations Vicki! Didn't see this post earlier. I just moved all mine into one tank since they spent all day staring at eachother when they were separated into 2 side by side Now one is pregnant and they chase the ladies all day, which I hope is not too stressful. Males actually are fighting in a way, though there isn't much to it. Soon should also have some fry, since yours were from the wild maybe we should swap for new blood. Photographing them is so hard since they are so tiny, great shots!

Did that "black dwarf" turn out to be a younger individual of the larger species they sell? That occurred to me later on since I couldn't find anyone else who had seen a black dwarf like yours. If so then good deal either way! Here are a couple pictures of mine, I took them day before yesterday right after I combined them. The dots are baby brine shrimp. Have your other Caribbean seahorses spawned? I am curious to know how difficult that species is.

Kate

 

[Vicki]

Thanks Kate! Your pictures are GREAT! I think the dwarfs are happier when all together and the babies really enjoy riding around on the adults.

I just put my 'streaming video' camera on the dwarf tank. Not sure how long I can deal with having it on, or how long they'll stay in front of the camera, but we'll see.

http://mydeskbbs.com:8081/http://mydeskbbs.com/8081/


Sure, we can swap bloodlines if mine make it to maturity. I did loose that black dwarf, either to an anemone, bristleworm, or the filter. It just didn't work out with all the live rock and such I started out with. Now the dwarfs are in a pretty sterile tank with lots of 'fake' stuff. It's looking good now.

Haven't had any success with the larger seahorses yet, but I'm still working on it.

Vicki

 

[NeuroDoc]

I suggest you get an air driven foam filter, I used to bread FW angelfish and the babies were no bigger than a grain of rice, this filter did not pull them in since it is just as strong as your air pump.

mmmm. breaded angelfish. I'll bet those were tasty.

Just saw the thread Vicki, don't know how I overlooked it earlier. Congratulations! If you are successful at raising multiple broods to adolescence, I am sure you will find no problem in selling one or two to every member of RF.

 

[Little Luey]

OOPS!

what a difference a letter can make, LOL.

update on the babies?

 

[Vicki]

The babies are doing fine and there's even a few more now.
I'm not much into selling my critters, so I'll probably just need bigger (or more) tanks in the future.

I can't get over how captivating these little guys are. I'll turn the camera back on 'till dark.

http://mydeskbbs.com:8081/

Vicki

 

[Electrokate]

Hi,
Sorry about the black dwarf, that bites. I think it was the wrong species, anyways. Too big, snout too long. Plus the few people I have emailed have not heard of a black dwarf.

I too had lots of trouble with a natural setup. Even the tiniest rocks harbored stinging anemones and such. I treated their plants with fluke tabs and am hoping that will work, they are now in a virtually bare kritter keeper but will get promoted to their prior tank, which is free of the dreaded stinging stuff.

These guys are not for everyone, you have to hatch bbs daily and it's a big pain. I have been having good luck storing half the bbs for the next morning, also is good in case the hatch is a dud. Even one day without food and some will die.
Kate

 

[Mauisreef]

Makes you wonder how the survive in the wild.

 

[Electrokate]

Massive rate of reproduction Unfortunately much of my favorite pets are like this. Down close to the bottom of the food chain, lots of babies, no immune system and even less sense of self preservation. I breed killifish, when they are not jumping out of their tanks, eating their babies or hogging all the food and overeating to death. Anything that breeds as often as these little seahorses, you have to wonder why...
Kate

 

[Vicki]

Another birth captured

I just witnessed another dwarf seahorse giving birth. This guy only had three, but the first birth seemed really unusual and luckily my camera was nearby.

I happened to notice a tail hanging out of one of my males. This tail was trying to hang on to a branch, and when the tail wrapped around a branch, the male tried jerking to get the baby out. On his 4th try, the baby came out. In the 4th picture, you can see the tiny tail wrapped on the branch and in the 5th picture, the happy baby having a quick glance at his Daddy.

These guys are so cute.
OH, and I have raised them to maturity now.

Vicki

 

[Damsel13]

Just wounderflu pictures. I am glad I found this thread too.

 

[lavenderfish]

Very neat pics.

 

[Electrokate]

Great pictures! I love how the females are immediately checking out the newly available male
Kate

 

[Snowboarda42]

Thats awesome!

Where did you get the plastic sea fan?

 

[lavenderfish]

How many do they normally deliver at once?

 

[Vicki]

Thanks. I'm beginning to understand my camera a little better. Sure wish I had a macro lense for it.

I think the girls were checking to see how good of a father this guy was. I'd have second thoughts in his means of jerking the baby out. It was intriguing though seeing the natural instict of the baby to cling as tightly as possible to the branch.

I found the seafans on-line. I don't remember the website, but they really aren't the best for the dwarfs. They are a bit too sharp for them. I've killed a few dwarfs while maintaining their tank just by accidentally moving the seafans and stabbing them. I've ordered some different seafans from the Walt Smith collection and hope they work out better. They should arrive late next week.

My Dwarf Seahorses usually only have between 2 and 4 babies. I've read they can have 3 times that amount, but I've never seen it with mine. I'm probably doing something wrong.

Vicki

 

[Jules Verne]

Looking for a ride (seahorses)

Hello,

Very Cool. I have just started (2 months) getting back into saltwater. I was lucky enuf to get an established aquarium form a failed mortgage company. They managed to kill only the fish. The tank is great, but now is ready for new swimmers.
Any chance you want to sell a couple of them?

Mike 541.659.0897