Skunk shrimp and Seahorse babies
- Thread starter jwd007
- Start date
arcprolife
New member
I think it would depend on what you mean by threat. I had a skunk cleaner and they are all in all a pain in the neck for wanting to clean everything but its not like they would eat the baby seahorses-atleast mine never did.
mollymonticello
Member
I used to have a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp in with my seahorses, what a mean thing it was! It constantly harassed my pipefish, not to clean them, either. It ate big pieces of PE mysis, I'm sure it could've eaten baby seahorses...
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
I had a pair of skunk cleaners once that would pull the embryos from the male's pouch at night. The first time I saw it I thought it was just cleaning the seahorse, but then I actually saw it pull a small, partially formed seahorse out. Then another! Needless to say they weren't in that tank very long after that and I won't keep skunk cleaners with seahorses anymore.
arcprolife
New member
I knew that skunk cleaners were out right annoying but I never saw them eat the babies-that is a good thing to know
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
At least in my case, it was several months with the seahorses without problems (I often check my tank at night and never noticed them going after seahorse fry). But once one figured it out, the other did, and they'd both do it. The poor seahorse would twitch a bit, kind of like a sleeping person might swat away a cat or dog looking for attention - but I don't think he had any idea what was going on.
I suspect in many cases its hit or miss. But with that on the record I won't keep skunks with seahorses again. I might try blood shrimp/fire shrimp - they're more timid so they might not bother seahorses. Though I suspect that they'd eat the fry if the opportunity arose.
pledosophy
Active member
IME fire shrimp will not clean the pouch but they will eat fry.
IME cleaner shrimp will clean a pregnant pouch, just like Tami's did.
IME cleaner shrimp will clean a pregnant pouch, just like Tami's did.
arcprolife
New member
wow that is amazing-I think I will stick with my peppermint shrimp:fun4:
pamlee78
New member
I have 2 H. Reidi seahorses in a 40G tank heavily planted with a mandarin fish. I've had them all for about 8 months now. The Reidi are beginning some courtship behavior and the males pouch is a little puffier than it ever was. Do you think the mandarin will eat the baby Reidi if it gets to that? I know Reidi are hard to raise. I have another tank I could move either one too, but I have a chiller on this tank. They are all fat and eat mysis shrimp and hunt for pods too.
pamlee78
New member
Thanks for your answer. I have started moving soft corals into a 70 gal tall tank I have been cycling for 6 months. The ones that i have moved already are doing very well.
I would eventually like to keep the seahorses in the larger tank, because its in the living room and is more visible. But the chiller I am using isn't made for larger tanks. So maybe I'll move the Mandarin to the larger tank? The seahorses get along so well with the Mandarin it seems a pity to separate them.
Also I have a Coral Banded shirmp in another tank. Would this shrimp species eat the seahorses fry?
I would eventually like to keep the seahorses in the larger tank, because its in the living room and is more visible. But the chiller I am using isn't made for larger tanks. So maybe I'll move the Mandarin to the larger tank? The seahorses get along so well with the Mandarin it seems a pity to separate them.
Also I have a Coral Banded shirmp in another tank. Would this shrimp species eat the seahorses fry?
arcprolife
New member
considering I was wrong about the skunk cleaner I further state this is my opinion but I thought mandarins only eat copepods for a reason. Considering how difficult it is to get them to eat anything much bigger than a copepod I would think your safe with a mandarin and seahorse fry. I guess there can always be an odd story out there but a mandarin eating fry has to be highly unlikely.
