Early Observations on CB Seahorses

[Tucson Reef]

Having kept WC over the years, generaly with a 3 year or so lifespan, but never getting them to eat frozen(never realy tried hard). Now having these CB Erectus, going on 4th day, some observations are starting to take shape.

First, all the hard work was done by the Breeders, Dan and Abbie, Seahorse Source, they have these Seahorse's trained to accept most anything. Second, the feed tube is a tool with many uses, It gets the food to location cleanly. It is also the flag to get the SH's attention. If one is off in the bushes, simply waving the tube, gets instant attention and they come flying. Third, the feeding dish, very valuable tool to keep tank clean and keep check on horses condition.

As I said, Dan and Abbie did all the hard work of getting them to eat a varity of frozen foods. They have eaten everything that the tube put in the dish so far, PE Mysis, Mysids, Brine Shrimp enhanced with Spirulina. My thought from watching they way they attack the tube(even snick it when empty) is they will probably try anything that comes out of it. I normaly don't use plankton, but think I will get some and try some small ones to see if they will eat them also.

The more varity, the better their health will be. One thing so far is the way the come at feeding times and how agressivly they gobble the food down, it should be easy to tell if one is having issues. They act like they are starving all the time and go hunting after filling up at the dish and its empty, pure pigs.

[Tucson Reef]

Another cool Observation this morning
The Male pooped right at the front glass, 1/2" long at least, within minutes it was feeding call for the Nasarius. They all came out of the sand and headed for it, a huge Tonga got there first, it was gone in 2 minutes or less, without a speck. Not only was it gone but a few more Nasarius went over the area to be sure.

Now, this is the first time I've had Nasarius Snails with horses so it was cool. Because the Seahorse has a primative digestive system, poop was always a problem, hard to break down so had to be removed fast. Snails and crabs I had before would eat some, but always left residue, also they never went for it, just if they found some.This means the Nasarius will beak it down better, meaning less work and better water quality.

[rayjay]

Originally Posted by Tucson Reef

This means the Nasarius will beak it down better, meaning less work and better water quality.

And then the Nasarius pass their waste from what they have eaten and it's back in the water again!!

[Tucson Reef]

Yes, but a lot more digested then from the horses, Seahorse waste is more likely to be a fungus factory. Between water changes and plants I think the Nasarius do a good job finding food that floated away so the horses don't get contaminated food and waste, breaking it down to a more useable form.

Nothing is perfect, but every little bit helps. Overall water quality is a whole lot of little things, that when put together give you a better base then just water changes alone. Scavengers, substrate and rock quality, plants/calaupera, quality protien skimmer, water changes are just some of the maintanence items.

[rayjay]

I've never had a fungus problem but bacteria have been a problem for me in the past as it developed in tight spots between rocks where detritus built up.
I've opted to go bare bottom tanks with reef rock in the sumps and siphoning waste manually.
It has worked for my reef tanks for 18 years (other than the rock in in the DTs) so I felt it wouldn't be a problem with my seahorse tanks.
I don't have snails or hermits but in the reef tanks I have serpent stars.

[Tucson Reef]

I have always tried to make my DT's look as natural as possibly. I studied Lee Chen Eng as a kid and then the European methods, Holland and Germany were my favotites at the time. First let me state, my version of "Natural" is still fake, there is no way to get a DT 100% as we don't have access or knowledge of any piece of any reef. By this I mean, yes we know some of the critters there, but there many outside influences we never see. Also because of supply lines and collection methods, we mix critters from different oceans and enviorments, sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

I started diving, collecting as a kid, twin hose rig, Thank you Loyd Bridges, Mike Nelsen. I collected green things and living critters, freshwater and ocean, living in Jersey at the time, cold water, my success rate was not great, but I learned. I even caught a Siamese Fighting fish in a rice paddy on a Search and Destroy Op in the Nam, Brought it back in the C-Rats pouch

When I got to Kali and later to Arizona, I had managed to put together some very successful tanks, with calaurpa crabs and bugs. People didn't believe you could could grow plants (Algaes) at first, then the Europeans started to publish their info and slow but sure it caught on here. I've made many mistakes over the years, but have also learned many things.

Yes, bare bottom works, I prefer deep bed, planted, with a variety of critters. It has it risks, true, but I have had 2 Reef tanks that exceeded 15 years. The first did so with very few water changes, only fed if company came over to get the Bi-Color Angel to come out(didn't like strangers). He lived a fat and healthey life for 15 years, eating the calaurpa and bugs in the reef. IMO the trick is to start slow, let the bed mature, and balance the critters without overcrowding. The bed is critical, it needs to be reseeded ocasionaly, the rock needs to be porous and the critters need to balance each other out as much as possible.

Here is the one weak spot in my system, the seahorses, their output is very high, low processed waste. Hence the Nasarius fill the niche and process that waste further so it can be used by the other plants and critters. Also by doing this, it is more accessable to the protien skimmer and when I do a water change.

[Exoticz]

Originally Posted by Tucson Reef

I have always tried to make my DT's look as natural as possibly. I studied Lee Chen Eng as a kid and then the European methods, Holland and Germany were my favotites at the time. First let me state, my version of "Natural" is still fake, there is no way to get a DT 100% as we don't have access or knowledge of any piece of any reef. By this I mean, yes we know some of the critters there, but there many outside influences we never see. Also because of supply lines and collection methods, we mix critters from different oceans and enviorments, sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

I started diving, collecting as a kid, twin hose rig, Thank you Loyd Bridges, Mike Nelsen. I collected green things and living critters, freshwater and ocean, living in Jersey at the time, cold water, my success rate was not great, but I learned. I even caught a Siamese Fighting fish in a rice paddy on a Search and Destroy Op in the Nam, Brought it back in the C-Rats pouch

When I got to Kali and later to Arizona, I had managed to put together some very successful tanks, with calaurpa crabs and bugs. People didn't believe you could could grow plants (Algaes) at first, then the Europeans started to publish their info and slow but sure it caught on here. I've made many mistakes over the years, but have also learned many things.

Yes, bare bottom works, I prefer deep bed, planted, with a variety of critters. It has it risks, true, but I have had 2 Reef tanks that exceeded 15 years. The first did so with very few water changes, only fed if company came over to get the Bi-Color Angel to come out(didn't like strangers). He lived a fat and healthey life for 15 years, eating the calaurpa and bugs in the reef. IMO the trick is to start slow, let the bed mature, and balance the critters without overcrowding. The bed is critical, it needs to be reseeded ocasionaly, the rock needs to be porous and the critters need to balance each other out as much as possible.

Here is the one weak spot in my system, the seahorses, their output is very high, low processed waste. Hence the Nasarius fill the niche and process that waste further so it can be used by the other plants and critters. Also by doing this, it is more accessable to the protien skimmer and when I do a water change.

I agree completely! Out if your experience how many snails and hermit crabs do you usually get the best results with per gal? Do the snails or hermit crabs reproduce quickly? I appreciate the advice Tuscon reef

[Tucson Reef]

I got away from snails that reproduce quickly, had some that looked like mini Conc's, turned into a nusance quick, got into pumps and powerheads. If my hermits ever reproduced, I never noticed.

I like the smooth grey shelled Cerrith best, but also have the Florida's, some small Turbos, Martgaritas and Nerites. Numbers are hard to say, right now I have a heavy pop as the tank is new, as it matures, I'll cut back and balance till tank looks right. It takes about a year for a SW to mature. I probably have 10 FL Cerriths and 10 Grey Cerriths, 3 quarter sized Turbos, 5 Margarita and 5 Nerrite. And of course 2 Tonga Nasarius and 4 small Nasarius. Some of these snails will reproduce, but survival is low and growth is slow.


I only use Blue leg hermits, as they stay small and are not as bad a snail killer as other hermits. I have about 20 blue legs now but most are micro. And a Pepermint Shrimp in Tank and one in sump. They keep Aptasia out and I think they will also get Hydroids, but I can't prove that as I have never seen them eat one. But have put them in tanks with Hydroids and the Hydroids dissapeared.

Tank is 24" x 22" and 26" tall, 2 1/2" to 3" deep Caribe-Sea Original(very fine) substrate, Lighting 5 X 24" T-5's, Geisman, different ranges, chiller on MaxiJet 1200, MaxiJet 400 with Turbolater and a Ehiem 1250, run external for sump. Sump has 2 EboJaeger heaters run through ReefKeeper on seperate plugs, a Tunze 9011 Protien Skimmer. Sump also grows Cheato off a 5 LED Spotlight and has the wet/dry section filled with very porus rock to the 11" waterline. Sump has Tunze Osmalater auto top off. Most everything is automatic, The ReefKeeper runs most everything, lights, temp(Heaters, Fan and sometimes the Chiller in summertime), Feed Cycle is 30 minutes so food wont drift away.

The substrate is doing great, full of bugs, snails and crabs are keeping it clean. Some of the Shoal Grass has a golden fuzz algae on its tips but the Bluelegs are shimmying up the grass and getting this. I'll probably add some more crabs to get this knocked down for looks. Tank has been going since Oct 26, it should start to settle in soon, guessing about another month, then as it matures, I'll start pulling out some snails and crabs till it balances. Finding the right balance take a little playing, you don't want them to starve, but you also want them constanly hunting algae and detritious.