The problems why, IMO people have trouble keeping fish alive

[CoralReefBoffin]

A spawning fish is a healthy fish.

Precisely.

 

[marinelife]

what are you thoughts on LRS frozen food from Larry? would you consider that instead of all the fresh you use?

 

[Paul B]

I know Larry and use some of his food as it is excellent. Most of the time I just feed clams and live worms as it is a lot cheaper and I feel it is all fish need but I still like Larrys food.

 

[marinelife]

Do you still use fish oil pills or just get all the fish oil needs from the worms?

 

[tmz]

Nice fish Paul. Not bad at all for a young guy like yourself.

 

[Paul B]

I feed the worms every day as I have always and I have some pellets in my auto feeder with fish oil on them. They are mostly to feed the pods

 

[marinelife]

Is there anything special to look for with the fish oil?

 

[Paul B]

I just get krill oil that I take myself or cod liver oil. Nothing special, they come in capsules

 

[marinelife]

What about regular fish oil capsules?

 

[Paul B]

That's what to use, regular fish oil capsules, the cheapest ones

 

[marinelife]

Thanks for the help, guess I need to move, I can not find clam around here. You using fresh or saltwater clams?

 

[Paul B]

No, only salt water clams

 

[pledosophy]

with the exception of ... pipefish and seahorses as their life span is only a few years.

Actually many keepers including myself are keeping syngnathid species 7+ years, with the oldest living hippocampus erectus I know of currently at 11 years old.

Once we figured out seahorses can handle more water movement and need lower temperatures, their lifespans in captivity dramatically increased.

 

[tmz]

I have some 4 year old Hippocampus.

 

[Paul B]

I collect hippocampus Erectus here in New York in very fast current. I was amazed to find them in some of the places I have seen them. I have heard of them living a longer life but it is still much shorter than the majority of other fish most of which can live 15 or 25 years. I still think smaller pipefish such as bluestripes don't live as long as seahorses but of course I am speculating as I have no data on that except for the ones I keep. 11 years is very good for a seahorse. Maybe they also can live longer given the right conditions. I am glad you told me that as I love to learn facts like this that dispel rumors.

 

[pledosophy]

I thought you'd be happy about it. I kept and bred sea horses from 01-14. Fun fish.

 

[Paul B]

I am happy about it, but I don't keep seahorses any longer. When I did I would collect them and partition off a section of my tank. I didn't have corals then so it was just a matter of moving rocks. I can't do that any more and I don't want to start another tank. But who knows. If I collect some, I may keep them

 

[pledosophy]

If you start another tank for them, drop the temp of the tank down to 68F or so, especially with the northern erectus you are likely to find up in NY.

At lower temps, and at a higher rate of water movement, seahorses can live for a very very long time.

 

[Breez]

I have trained several filefish onto frozen fish food, and they seem to do ok, however they really gain their weight once they switch over to pellets. When fed pellets 4x per day, plus some frozen food as a treat, I have gotten the orange spots to spawn with regularity.

Chad, I also have an orange spotted filefish (27 days and counting). The fish is eating really well but will only eat flake and pellet food. It was eating frozen mysis and brine shrimp until the first pellet hit the water. Now she refuses to eat anything but dry foods. I've heard several horror stories about these fish wasting away after several months even though they were gobbling food. Do you think it's a problem that she will only eat pellets and flake (I soak in selcon)?