barbouri - hard?

[kizanne]

I'm researching for the right fit for seahorses for me. I'm going to set up a 70 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. 19" in height and will keep it around 76 to 77 degrees. I want to be able to raise babies (easier the better).

In researching I see several that can take the temp and barbouri is listed in an article as having large bethnic babies that can eat bbs at birth. Seems like the best choice. However, I'm having a real hard time finding Barbouri seahorses.

Seahorse source and Ocean rider are both sold out, as are several other sites.

I remember seeing them 3 months ago captive bred on live aquaria for $400 for a pair (I believe). So are these guys really hard to keep and breed? If so why?

 

[rayjay]

My biggest problem with them was the continual pouch emphysema the males were continually going through.
I could handle the occasional one of other species but it seemed that the barbs were always having the problem.
I only got about 35 to 40 fry from barbs but from reidi and erectus I'd get over 200 and even up 6 to 700 from more mature males.

 

[DanU]

Barbouri are not harder to raise. The issue is that they have small sporadic batches and are very slow to raise. Compared to H. erectus, you can raise and sell 3 batches approximately 4 times as many per batch as to 1 batch of H. barbouri. This is why the higher pricing. Barbouri do become available but you have to ready for them when available as they usually sell out rather quickly.

Dan

 

[touchingstoves]

barbouri - hard?

I'm researching for the right fit for seahorses for me. I'm going to set up a 70 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. 19" in height and will keep it around 76 to 77 degrees. I want to be able to raise babies (easier the better).



In researching I see several that can take the temp and barbouri is listed in an article as having large bethnic babies that can eat bbs at birth. Seems like the best choice. However, I'm having a real hard time finding Barbouri seahorses.



Seahorse source and Ocean rider are both sold out, as are several other sites.



I remember seeing them 3 months ago captive bred on live aquaria for $400 for a pair (I believe). So are these guys really hard to keep and breed? If so why?

I would really watch out with Divers Den, as they do keep their seahorses in Separate tanks, however, the water is shared by Wild Caught and Tank Raises fish.

I suggest wait for seahorsesource. The barbs they were selling there and they are #1. beautiful #2. They came in healthy and active #3. Prices were affordable. #4. SS has a closed loop system.

Also, Ocean Rider has no plans on breeding them as their focus right now is sea Dragons. Just an FYI.

 

[tjdouglas]

I bought a wonderful pair of H. Barbouri from Seahorse Source about a month ago (Thank you so much Dan!). They are very healthy and courting regularly, but no babies yet, although they appear to be working on it...lol!
All I can say is that when Dan at Seahorse Source has them available again, you'll want to buy them right away. They are great...healthy and beautiful.

 

[kizanne]

Thanks for the replies. Anyone else have trouble with them being more sickly?

As far as small batches that is perfect for me. I like to breed and I like that to help support my addiction but I don't want 1700 seahorses LOL. I'm more interested in easier to keep and easier to raise. I have many 'difficult' species that I'm doing well with so I don't expect it to be easy like a clown fish but I am more of a natural system hands-off kinda girl. I have a trio of ruby reds that spawn for me and a pair of mandarins that are fat and happy. They both eat brine and some mysid but I also provide plenty of copepods and amphipods for their grazing pleasure.

For the seahorse mixed tank
I plan on having a feeding station but also have 3 kinds of copepods to stock the tank with and amphipods as well. A sump/refugium as well as breeding the pods separately. I'll probably put in a few glass shrimp to throw off babies for the seahorses eating pleasure. If I have babies I'll use copepods with brine for feeding in light tinted green water (tetra not nanno). I have raised one small batch of Banggai and I'm working on the ruby reds. In the end I teach middle school and would love to do baby seahorses as a project. I don't want to fool with a Kreisel just yet so the bethnic is great. I don't have an unlimited supply of copepods (which are mostly going to the ruby red larva) so the baby brine is great.

 

[touchingstoves]

Thanks for the replies. Anyone else have trouble with them being more sickly?

As far as small batches that is perfect for me. I like to breed and I like that to help support my addiction but I don't want 1700 seahorses LOL. I'm more interested in easier to keep and easier to raise. I have many 'difficult' species that I'm doing well with so I don't expect it to be easy like a clown fish but I am more of a natural system hands-off kinda girl. I have a trio of ruby reds that spawn for me and a pair of mandarins that are fat and happy. They both eat brine and some mysid but I also provide plenty of copepods and amphipods for their grazing pleasure.

For the seahorse mixed tank
I plan on having a feeding station but also have 3 kinds of copepods to stock the tank with and amphipods as well. A sump/refugium as well as breeding the pods separately. I'll probably put in a few glass shrimp to throw off babies for the seahorses eating pleasure. If I have babies I'll use copepods with brine for feeding in light tinted green water (tetra not nanno). I have raised one small batch of Banggai and I'm working on the ruby reds. In the end I teach middle school and would love to do baby seahorses as a project. I don't want to fool with a Kreisel just yet so the bethnic is great. I don't have an unlimited supply of copepods (which are mostly going to the ruby red larva) so the baby brine is great.

Those are quite the difficult species to rear. Have you been successful at raising them to adulthood? I, too, have the Barbs from Dan at Seahorsesource which is why I recommend them without hesitation.

Re: rearing them, and from what it sounds like, I think you have a good challenge on your hands.

Re: sickness, and please chime in rayjay or danu, I approach it with husbandry and probiotics. Currently I use sanolife until an alternative is found. I also use Dr. Tims Eco Balance. And as a safety precaution even though I am getting it directly from the breeder, I use a UV in my quarantine, the display tanks and in my set up for the babies grow out tank. I personally have not dealt with them falling ill, yet. And the above might be reasons that my barbs are doing well.

Just a food for thought. Good luck with whatever you choose and keep us posted!

 

[rayjay]

I don't want to fool with a Kreisel just yet

Hardly any (if any) still use kreisel for seahorse fry.
There is a variety of methods including the scaled down version of Dan's methods using a muck bucket instead of the large tubs he uses. If I remember correct there is a thread about it on the "org".