mating

[Twitterbait]

Dave, what food has given you the best results with the new hatched babies? what food do you raise them on from there?

[JustDavidP]

First of all, I'd have to start by saying that this is MY experience with H. Reidi. It really does depend on quite a few variables....

Depending on the male, I use rotifer cultures or can go right to BBS. My largest male, has a smallish pouch and gives me real small fry. My smallest male, has an enourmous pouch (can you say pouch envy) and gives me fry that look almost like Erectus fry. The larger fry eat baby brine shrimp from day one.

I also include "Oyster eggs" in the kreisel system. Why? Because I did, and before putting in any rots, I saw babies snicking. So I continue to do so.

Thereafter, I continue to use BBS and trick them with frozen cyclopeeze. They do take them, but it takes time. Some will snick and refuse. If you get them onto frozen cyclopeeze, the rest is a breeze.

Thereafter, I use frozen, shaven (I use a cheese grater) mysid and brine shrimp. There are some that really never make the switch over, but I have to move on with the plans and some die off.

I've also used frozen BBS in the past, but found that they took the cyclopeeze just as easily. Given that the cyclopeeze is a more superior source of nutrients, I opt to use them.

I also culture my own munnid pods for them to eat. I do this in small 5 and 10 gallon tanks.





Finally, I feed fry from my peppermint shrimp





and from the glass/grass/ghost shrimp that I harvest from Cape Cod. These are large, and typically are not taken until the seahorse fry are 10 weeks or more. It's really a size dependant issue.

D

[VWD]

very cool Dave, I really like the idea of drilling the side of the fish bowl, so much that i drilled my fish bowls1 hole on each side and I will add the mess. I have been using the glass 2 gallons bowls in the same way. My male hads been slowing down on me lately, Not the amount of time between fry but smaller batches of fry.

[JustDavidP]

Just make sure that you trim the mesh down neat and make the silicone beads uniform. No nooks n' crannies for lil' tails to get stuck in. You also have to ensure that the flow OUT of the bowl is not too strong or the lil' buggers get stuck to the side like Dave Letterman and his velcro suit

I found that when I tried drilling both sides, I lost some of the actual kreisel effect, the loss of water on the sides was getting greater than the air and water driven spin cycle

Dave

[VWD]

Originally Posted by JustDavidP

Just make sure that you trim the mesh down neat and make the silicone beads uniform. No nooks n' crannies for lil' tails to get stuck in. You also have to ensure that the flow OUT of the bowl is not too strong or the lil' buggers get stuck to the side like Dave Letterman and his velcro suit

I found that when I tried drilling both sides, I lost some of the actual kreisel effect, the loss of water on the sides was getting greater than the air and water driven spin cycle

Dave

I was thinking of using a aqua lifter to add the water in, that is 3 1/2 gallons an hours, If it is too much I will block one hole off, That will be a sure and slow way to have the water change out. can shut it down or slow it down also, I will keep You updated also

[JustDavidP]

Oh oh oh... and both Twitter-Mod and I forgot to give y'all a link to an AVI, showing one of my bowls in motion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hLBSK1QO0s

It's at youtube.

Dave

[JustDavidP]

Originally Posted by VWD

I was thinking of using a aqua lifter to add the water in

I'm not sure, but you could probably find a way to valve it and torque it down if needed.

I used the cascade filter for no other reason but to add some mechanical filtration to the process. We all know that SHs are pigs... so when you have a herd of them, albeit fry, it gets messy quickly

Dave

[Twitterbait]

forgot about that. you have some really good movement in those tanks.

[JustDavidP]

I start with a pretty good flow... As they acclimate, over a couple days, and keep from floating, I reduce the flow. It's easily done with an air valve on the flexible line.

You can see how "Green" that system is..that was on like...hour 1. I realy keep em' boiling for a short time because if I don't, I lose like 20% the first day due to over inflated swim bladders. It's quite sad, you can actually see the bubble in their neck area.

Dave

[VWD]

David, What are you using for your green water, are you using a paste? and who did you get the rotifier culture from?

[JustDavidP]

Being a member of the Boston Reefers, I'm lucky to find many differing rotifer cultures kicking around. However, my LFS also gets some in (when I ask) from time to time too. I have a couple of cultures going at once (5 gallon buckets).

The greenwater is home grown There's a good bundle of podcasts about culturing on my other home away from home, The Talking Reef. You can find them here:

http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/po...sode-71-a.html

http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/po...sode-73-a.html

http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/po...sode-39-a.html

I've also used Dt's in the past, when or if my cultures were not happy. I've also used Phytofeast, but found that it fouled the water quickly. One of the reasons I use it is that it truly has helped me keep water quality, acting like a little filtration system...if it is FRESH.

You really have to culture your own (if you opt to use it). If you were to do the appropriate water changes in the kreisel, you'd be wasting a TON of money on DTs as you flush it down the toilet.

D

[VWD]

I have done the green water and was thinking about going with the reed instance algae, I was just wondering if you have used it.

[JustDavidP]

Nopers... sorry. No feedback from me there. But, it seems as if YOU can now report back on it

D

[VWD]

I will be , I am going to be using it for the Seahorses here at home and clowns fry at work. I will let you know