seahorses arriving in a week!

[cosmopolitician]

Hey everyone. This forum has been really helpful so far, so thanks!

Well, I've just decided to order my seahorses; it was actually a package that included the tank & seahorses (2 mated erectus pairs)...I am bummed it took a lot longer (6 months) than I thought it would. For the acclimation, this is what was suggested by Ocean Rider: use the float method & pour in 1/4 cup water every 5 minutes about 3 times then use my hands to release them into the tank. Luckily they will arrive during my spring break next Thursday when I'll have more time to watch them when they first arrive, I'm REALLY excited!

And just today, after placing the order, I found some aiptasia! I read the article on here about the various methods to control them; I think I'm going to start off by injecting it with something. I know they will probably grow back in different places, so I need to get something to eat it. I was thinking peppermint shrimp. My tank has been up for 6 months, and I actually had shrimp a few months ago & they died.

I had 2 peppermint shrimps & 2 skunk cleaner shrimp. After the 3 cleaners died (3 because after 1 died we got another one) & the peppermints lasted longer that the others, but they eventually died too. Not to be shallow, but I was told to get the biggest shrimp I could find to prevent the seahorses from trying to eat it. So, I went to a different LFS to get an XL cleaner shrimp, each cost me $26, for a total of $75. And, I mean I'm in college & I really don't have a lot of money. Plus my parents are making me pay for this tank/seahorses entirely on my own, & it was very disappointing to see them die several times, so I didn't get cleaner shrimp for a long time.

I have no idea why after the first one died, after that I checked my water everyday for ammonia, nitrite, specific gravity, nitrate & ph, everything was fine. And it just happened randomly, it was weird I'd come home from school & a shrimp would be lying dead on the sand. The last shrimp to die was the pepper mint shrimp & it was hard because it was partially alive when I got back from school, but off in the corner of the tank where I couldn't see it well. So, I gently pushed it into the middle, where I could easily try to target feed it some mysis, which it didn't take. And it kept trying to crawl back to the corner (probably to die) & I didn't want to dispose of it when it was still partially alive.

Anyways, I've had bad luck with shrimp for no apparent reason, when I get them again this weekend, what can/should I do to help the shrimp?


And of course, what are other preparations I can take to help my seahorses fully adjust? And when you start feeding frozen mysis? I already have PE mysis in a sheet form, which I used to feed the shrimp when I had them. They are very hard to break apart though, any ideas? I was thinking a hammer, but I know that the mysis should as intact as possible so they look more life-like to the seahorses-so, I haven't tried the hammer yet.

All comments/suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

-Anita

 

[tptp279]

well, how's your tank set up? filtration, size, skimmer, lr, ls? another thing with the shrimp is that were you buying them all from the same place? have you ever used any medications in the tank? if it's an old tank or one you got from someone else, did they ever use medications? this could be the reason for the lost in shrimp. as for the seahorse, they are captive bred and fairly easy to maintain. just make sure your filtration is able to keep up with them.

 

[cosmopolitician]

Hey. WEll, my tank is a 50g SeaClear System II acrylic tank w/the filter, heater, skimmer, etc in the back of the tank. It has never been medicated because I bought it new. Right now I have 2 gorgonain, each has a small water pump next to it for better flow, but the current isn't too strong. I have blue & red mushrooms, shaving brush, feather duster, red grape kelp, about 40-45lbs of lr, 1" of ls for subtrate. I also add iodine, calcium & strontium & phytoplankton for gorgonains all from Kent marine. The peppermints I got in the same place, my regular lfs. But the cleaner shrimp I had to go somewhere else that had bigger shrimp. Oh yes, & I have t5 lights. How long should I drip acclimate the shrimp this time?

-Anita

 

[pledosophy]

Those Seaclear systems are cool.

Do you know what kind of gorg you have? You might need to ditch the powerheads if the horses can't swim there, but depending on what type of gorg you have, that could be good for the gorg.

Also I'd be very careful adding Iodine especially keeping inverts like shrimp. Make sure the product you are using is IoDIDE, and still test before dosing.

I spend along time acclimating the shrimp, usually about an hour. Just me.

Your tank sounds great. Good Luck,

 

[cosmopolitician]

Well, this is ym first saltwater tank ever. So, I liked the idea of having the equipment already there. I had some idea of how much you coudl trust an LFS because I've been to several in OC & LA & even northern SD county. And I heard a great myriad of things. So, I found a seahorse forum where a a few seahorse experts helped me figure out exactly what I needed, & the System II was pretty convenient.

Hey you're in Anaheim, sorry, I just noticed. What LFs do you go to? My regular LFS is in Irvine it's called Coral Oasis & they are really niec people that I can ask a lot questions. The one place I always had problem with so I stopped going was Tongs in Orange.

I have a 1 purple brush gorgonian & one orange tree gorgonians. The water pumps are adjustable though (the flow intensity), so I have them to where they aren't blowing to their full capacity. When I get back from my finals today I'll look for the box & get the exact gph flow rate.

Realy 1 hour? I thought that was short. I was thinking like 2-2 1/2 hours because they are so sensitive. Somebody told me that they are so sensitive that if they're not acclimated properly when you relsease them into the tank their legs will fall off. I really don't want that to happen.

What is IoDIDE? The one I have is called Kent Marine Iodine Concentrate. I add one cap ful every weekend, which is I think 5ml or 1 tsp- I'll check that this afternoon as well. By the way, I thought Iodine is a must because it helps them with molting.

-Anita

 

[pledosophy]

Hi,

I actually live in Tustin now about a block away from Window to the Sea. I have a really good relationship there. I think the owner is a wonderful man. Very helpful, extremely knowledgable. If he doesn't know something it's not some B.S. anwser, he says I don't know. To hear that from a LFS owner is so refreshing. I used to frequent several stores for several different things (Tong's, Jeff's, 405, Coral Oasis, Reef Collector, Fish 2000, Fish Collector, P&P, Pacific reef, and Strictly fish. I'm kind of a fish dork.)now I just go to Window to the Sea.

What other seahorse forum did you find?

as far as the Iodine Iodide difference. Corals don't use Iodine, they use Iodide. To much of the Iodine will kill a shrimp forcing the shrimp to continue molting until they eventually starve to death. If you are adding Iodine, stop, if your are adding Iodide, measure carefully your levels. I have found in my systems that with my water change regiment I do not need to supplement Iodide.

When I've done shrimp before it's an hour tops. They are sensetive, longer is better, it's just what I do.

Good Luck on the finals.

Kevin

 

[cosmopolitician]

Thanks. Yeah, window to the sea, I've been there, they have a nice website. I'm a fish dork too, I had to go all the way up to Strictly fish to find PE mysis. Nobody sells it in OC. Coral Oasis is my regular store, it's close by which is very convenient. Yeah, I've noticed this LFS owner is very honest too, I wanted to get a coral from him, but he insisted I wait because I had a slime algae problem.

The other forum is at: www.seahorse.com, that's actually the place I'm getting my seashorses from. It's an aquaculture farm in Hawaii, they have a pretty good selection of seahorses.

Oh ok, Iodide then is a diluted version of Iodine? Well, I've only used 1/4 of the bottle, should I just cut the dosage in half then? Since it's more concentrated maybe adding less would help. Tongs told to do 20 mins, but, a friend suggested 2 hours I might just do something in the middle.

Thanks, I can't wait for this week to be over, I really need a week off school!

 

[Swanwillow]

since you don't have anything taking the iodine out of the water, your overdosing it...

and when you do water changes, it will replenish any iodine in the water. n don't dose it at all.

I hope that you researched here and on both seahorse.org and syngnathid.org about the place your ordering from, just so you know... you may want to.

 

[cosmopolitician]

Oh ok. Yeah, a lot of people I know have gotten seahorses from Ocean Rider, so I'm pretty confident they'll do a good job. They have a list of testimonials. And one of the seahorse ezperts on seahorse.org & wetwebmedia is Leslie Leddo, she's had great success with her horses from there. I will stop the iodine treatment. Permantantly?

Thanks, Anita

 

[Swanwillow]

I just want you to be aware... take it easy, I didn't say not to buy from there, NOR did I rip on them, just said to make sure you read up on where you buy from...


but, IMO I'd stop the iodine completely... unless you start keeping things that pull iodine out of the water ALOT, which nothing in your tank seems to do

 

[cosmopolitician]

I wasn't upset swanwillow. I was just stating that I have done at least minmal research on their credentials. Sorry if you took it that way, I honestly wasn't trying to offend you. Lol, and I do know how to spell "experts" & "permanently" I sometimes try to type really fast & make a bunch typos in the process.

Ok, I will definitely stop iodine. What about calcium & strontium? Both are Kent Marine & I use the Calclium 1 capful=5ml=1tsp once a week (on the weekends) & I use strontium again 1 capful=5ml=1 tsp twice a week on Wednesday & the weekend. These are the amounts that are on the bottle itself. Are they ok?

Thanks for your help & sorry for the misunderstanding.

-ttyl, Anita

 

[pledosophy]

I didn't have a good experience with OR. It was a few years back. Just got burned will never go back. Several others feel the same. Sometimes when someone rips you off it leaves a bitter taste. I'd do a search in the vendor forum here and on seahorse.org and see what you think.

I'd quit the Iodine as well.

Don't drive to Strictly fish for mysis again, call Window to the Sea, he'll get it for you.

FWIW Leslie is not an active member of seahorse.org

 

[Swanwillow]

ha, now you have someone from the area to help ya

but, IMO: whats using the calcium? the strontium? if your just dosing, and nothings using it...

I put calcium in my tank once since its been set up... maybe a month ago, I don't know WHY, just heck, might as well type of thing. I have a jar of it sitting collecting dust: my water changes bring in enough stuff for the horses, and softies... don't really need any additives.



ok, I thought you were being rude... its ok

and I understood you when you misspelled... I don't care, I misspell ALL the time!

 

[williams-crist]

Yes, as far as the shrimp go if you are doing frequent water changes the trace elements, iodine etc should not be needed. The salt that you are adding to new water would replenish that.

Also, is it possible you did a water change or something immediately before the shrimp died? I'm thinking a ph drop from adding new water and not buffering ph?

Sorry to ask but I actually killed a tank of fish this way when I was first starting out. I didn't realize I was causing a ph drop the way I was doing the water change.

Just an idea since shrimp are so sensitive to changes in salinity.

 

[cosmopolitician]

Wow. You sure pay attention on here, my orginal post was way back from March. Thanks, actually I have my seahorses & three pepprmint shrimp & sho far they're fine, this is probably the second or third week I've had them.

No, the first few times I had shrimp, I don't recall doing a water change the day of before they died. Well, I buy mixed RO saltwater, it's easier. Mixing water, then storing it would take up too much room, time and work now. Maybe I'll think about it in the future.

This time the shrimp seem to be doing great, they seem to be pretty bold & when I feed the seahorses w/the turkey baster, the shrimp will come out & take mysis pieces right out of the turkey baster. And the seahorses seem to be getting along fine with them, which was also a concern. Yeah, I've heard that shrimp are sensitive too, whcih makes it all the more strange. My mom think they died because they were lonely & nothing else was in the tank, lol. I've seen 2 molts so far, so I'm assuming that went ok too.

Thanks Williams-crist for the input, maybe my luck is different this time around.

Anita

It's a mystery to me what happened, especially since I have 2 gorgonians that are thriving.

 

[williams-crist]

Well, I'm glad everything is going well now. Are you loving your seahorses or what?