Two breeds in same tank?
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namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
mixing species is a crapshoot, and this issue is hotly debated among SH keepers. hybridization isn't the issue. the problem is that in a captive system, the bacterial count is VERY high, especially if you keep your tank above 75*F (which is why most peeps recommend keeping tropical SH at <74*F). SH often carry "species specific" pathogens that the carriers are immune to, but another species isn't.
i don't recommend it for novice keepers, as IMHO one really needs to get a handle on SH keeping before jumping into mixing.
NEVER mix WC and CB SH...CB's have never been exposed to all the nasties that WC have. in fact, WC's really need to be treated phophylactically for parasites as SOP.
i wouldn't mix SH from different sources, even same species.
i recommend at least 4 weeks QT prior to mixing, preferably longer.
i wouldn't mix H. ingens with ANY other species. i don't know of any hobbyist who has done it successfully. i know of one breeder in Mexico who has done it, but his facility is on the coast, and has a basically unlimited supply of fresh SW.
personally, i've tried mixing twice:
the first time, i mixed my own erectus that i raised from fry with erectus i got from OR. i ended up having to put my home-raised SH down due to a myco infection within a month (myco was confirmed by necropsy and cultures).
the second time, i got a pair of erectus and a pair of reidi from the same source, kept each separate for a a month, then added the reidi to my new 50 gal + sump SH-only system. after a month, all was well, so we added the erectus to the same tank. the male died within a month.
that being said, the female erectus is still quite happily living with the pair of reidi in that tank, so if it works, it works well, if it doesn't, it doesn't. like i said, it's a crapshoot.
i have spoken to countless people who have tried mixing, and MOST of the time, it ends badly (i've been a mod on a specialized SH forum for a number of years now). is this "scientific"? nope, but there is enuff anecdotal evidence to make me caution folks who want to try. it's better to go into mixing with your eyes open.
i don't recommend it for novice keepers, as IMHO one really needs to get a handle on SH keeping before jumping into mixing.
NEVER mix WC and CB SH...CB's have never been exposed to all the nasties that WC have. in fact, WC's really need to be treated phophylactically for parasites as SOP.
i wouldn't mix SH from different sources, even same species.
i recommend at least 4 weeks QT prior to mixing, preferably longer.
i wouldn't mix H. ingens with ANY other species. i don't know of any hobbyist who has done it successfully. i know of one breeder in Mexico who has done it, but his facility is on the coast, and has a basically unlimited supply of fresh SW.
personally, i've tried mixing twice:
the first time, i mixed my own erectus that i raised from fry with erectus i got from OR. i ended up having to put my home-raised SH down due to a myco infection within a month (myco was confirmed by necropsy and cultures).
the second time, i got a pair of erectus and a pair of reidi from the same source, kept each separate for a a month, then added the reidi to my new 50 gal + sump SH-only system. after a month, all was well, so we added the erectus to the same tank. the male died within a month.
that being said, the female erectus is still quite happily living with the pair of reidi in that tank, so if it works, it works well, if it doesn't, it doesn't. like i said, it's a crapshoot.
i have spoken to countless people who have tried mixing, and MOST of the time, it ends badly (i've been a mod on a specialized SH forum for a number of years now). is this "scientific"? nope, but there is enuff anecdotal evidence to make me caution folks who want to try. it's better to go into mixing with your eyes open.
I think it's great that you asked first. I didn't when I first started and
I too over the years tried mixing and each time eventually ended in failure.
Even mixing pipe fish with Reidi's ended with the loss of the pipe fish and the female Reidi in my most recent attempt.
No more now unless there appears to be a method giving reasonable success, but Davids method is probably the best one out there and it's success rate appears to be marginal at best.
I've learned never to trust the ones selling something for factual, truthful answers, most times that is.
Seahorse source has proven itself many times over, but other places have been known to state their horses are captive bred, implying tank bred and raised, when in fact, they are usually net pen raised.
I first purchased 6 net pen raised H. Reidi's and ended up with just two.
The only advantage that net pen horses have over wild caught, is that they eat frozen mysis usually.
They are still subject to the same pathogens that wild caught horses are.
Net pen raised horses are economical to buy as long as they live, but the odds favour captive bred and tank raised like the ones seahorse source sells.
Seahorse source has proven itself many times over, but other places have been known to state their horses are captive bred, implying tank bred and raised, when in fact, they are usually net pen raised.
I first purchased 6 net pen raised H. Reidi's and ended up with just two.
The only advantage that net pen horses have over wild caught, is that they eat frozen mysis usually.
They are still subject to the same pathogens that wild caught horses are.
Net pen raised horses are economical to buy as long as they live, but the odds favour captive bred and tank raised like the ones seahorse source sells.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
i'm pretty i know whose SH they are if they come out of Mexico. i forget exactly what i've heard about his SH lately, but i'll try to find out. LA is normally a good supplier, so they may be OK.
if they're from the breeder i'm thinking of, i DID have some of his reidi a few years ago, and they were nice SH.
i would however, shy away from the kelloggi, as they don't appear to be from the same source, and all of the kelloggi that have been showing up are "net-pen" SH out of SE Asia or Sri Lanka, and have had a dismal survival rate. these SH are actually bred for the TCM trade and most are dried and ground into powder, so quality isn't an issue.
still, i'll always go w/Dan's stock every time, because of his knowledge of SH, service and proven quality of his SH...it's my preference.
if they're from the breeder i'm thinking of, i DID have some of his reidi a few years ago, and they were nice SH.
i would however, shy away from the kelloggi, as they don't appear to be from the same source, and all of the kelloggi that have been showing up are "net-pen" SH out of SE Asia or Sri Lanka, and have had a dismal survival rate. these SH are actually bred for the TCM trade and most are dried and ground into powder, so quality isn't an issue.
still, i'll always go w/Dan's stock every time, because of his knowledge of SH, service and proven quality of his SH...it's my preference.
mollymonticello
Member
I can answer that for sure. The H. erectus from Liveaquaria ARE true CB, bred indoors in Mexico. The H. kelloggi are likely raised in Asia, and Kelloggis are a difficult species to begin with. I have three H. erectus from Liveaquaria and I LOVE them. The horse in my avatar is from there.
mollymonticello
Member
They are juveniles when you order them, they don't show gender yet. I got the medium size, and they were pretty young still. Looks like just the small size is in stock, so you might be waiting a while for them to show gender. My one seahorse just started to show a little pouch a few weeks ago. I ended up with two girls and one boy (Plus I had an adult pair already).
mollymonticello
Member
Don't forget to quarantine 
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