Whats the Easiest to Raise?

[CuttleKid]

My par of reidis passed away about a month ago and I want to get back into keeping seahorses. I really want to breed and raise ponies but i dont know the easiest species to raise. Obviously reidi's are out of the question, but i wanted to know what everyone else thinks. I have a 36 bow front tank in the basement itching to be started up! I dont want to do zots so please dont mention them! I was maybe thinking H. barbouri because the fry are benthic but i need everyones opinion. Please dont hold back and tell me evrything i can do to get the right ponies and give them the best home possible!

Thanks

 

[ScooterTDI]

H. fuscus are pretty easy to raise. Almost as easy as dwarves and generally high survival rates. No problems with floaters. No need to use kriesels. No need for rotifers. I used to raise them to market size in three gallon tanks connected to a central filtration system.

Scott

 

[CuttleKid]

Thanks Scott, they are one of my favorites but i didnt know they were really easy! Do you know if the fry are benthic or pelagic? and if pelagic, how long?

Thanks

 

[laurarca]

I have had 2 pair of reidi for over a year, eating frozen PE Mysis. They atr from ORA.They have had at least 10 batches of fry, with none surviving...I tried SO hard :-(...I just aquired a pair of erectus...we'll see how this goes. I'll be following this thread.

 

[Bluespot22]

s. erectus are on the easier side too. No seahorses are easy though!

 

[ScooterTDI]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15669467#post15669467 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CuttleKid
Thanks Scott, they are one of my favorites but i didnt know they were really easy! Do you know if the fry are benthic or pelagic? and if pelagic, how long?

Thanks

H. fuscus are generally considered to produce benthic young, but as much as people like to make a clear distinction between pelagic and benthic, I don't see it as being black and white. In my experience, fuscus don't start hitching until they are about a week or so old. Usually a few in a batch will start hitching after a few days, but most don't really adopt the completely benthic lifestyle until about a week. Just because they don't hitch immediately doesn't mean that they are any harder to raise though.

Scott

 

[DanU]

I believe either H. barbouri or H. fuscus are good choices. Both have small very manageable broods. H. barbouri are easier than H. erectus IME. H. procerus would fall into this category as well but are very difficult to find.

Dan