mating

[YLChik]

for those of you folk keeping seahorses already
how often do yours breed?
specifically Reidi
and do you raise the fry?

[VWD]

The Day he hads the babies he will mate again and in 13 to 14 days he hads them again and starts over. And can keep that up for some time.

[Twitterbait]

bunnies of the sea...

[JustDavidP]

Every 14 days for me... And I raise them in a Kreisel, and then a growout tank...

D

[JustDavidP]

[Twitterbait]

could you give us a breakdown of your Kreisel tank? it looks very interesting.

[JustDavidP]

Sure... basically, the 2 1/2 gallon bowls are drilled with a large hole on the back side. This hole is covered with a veil type mesh. This allows water flow, yet keeps the fry in. You have to be careful bonding this, to ensure you don't leave any crevaces for the fry to get stuck in.

On one of the sides, I drilled a smaller hole, to allow an airline to enter. The airline is regulated with a valve to keep control over bubble count, and therefore the water flow created by the movement of the air, from the lower bowl to the upper bowl.

You can see that I modified a small, hang on filter with a water trap. This acrylic square was then drilled to fit two small water lines. One for each bowl. The lines allow water to enter the bowl on the opposite side of the airline, completing the cycle for the circular flow needed in the bowl. It also allows for fresh(er), filtered water to enter into the bowl. This, coupled with the large hole in the back, completes the required turn over of water in the bowl to keep the fry happy and healthy.

The bowls sit in a 10 gallon tank, under NO lighting, I put the heater in the tank, safely away from the fry. I've also used macro algae in the tank area to help with reduction of ammonia. I use ammo alerts in all the kreisel systems. They need to break in when new (or dried and unused) but work rather well as a "quick look" indicator of water quality.

The bowls are sitting on PVC and egg crate for no other reason but to help me keep the water level "proper" in the bowls, while allowing me to use more volume of water in the system. We all know why more is better

I also use greenwater/phyto in the water. It helps if/when I use rotifers for feeding, and I surmise (have no stats etc.) that this too helps with some water quality issues.

I do partial water changes as often as needed. I rarely have to use meds (formalin from time to time if they get the itch ) and all in all, it's been pretty effective. I have a smallish AVI that shows a kreisel bowl in motion if you'd like to see it. I'd have to find somewhere to put it though.

Dave

[Twitterbait]

youtube, or e-mail it to me and i'll post it for you. very cool!!

[Twitterbait]

awsome, i like the idea for the kreisel... it sounds like you get much better filtration that way. what kind of mesh are you using?

[JustDavidP]

I'll do that...but it will have to be on Monday.. I'm outta heah

The mesh is cut from one of those live bearer fish breeding nets... it had torn (my fresh water tank at the office) so I used it in the kreisels... it had NEVER been in a tank with meds and such.

D

[JustDavidP]

This is how green I keep them.. until I do a water change... NOW.. I use my own cultures...to do this with commercial stuff would cost you an arm and a leg.



Dave

[JustDavidP]

PS... I keep the lights off..and a clip lamp below, for the most part.. this helps keep the fry from going to the top of the water and getting stuck in the surface tension...it also helps concentrate the BBS (as they are attracted to the light) during feeding time.

D

[VWD]

Thanks for sharingthat, I have been trying a few things recently on the kreisel system . I like what You have done with your set up

[YLChik]

wow! that looks very cool, but seriously time intensive!
what do you do with the horses you do raise? Are you sucessful at gteting them to adult hood?
What so you guys think is the best way to go about stocking sh if you know you don't want to raise fry?
So is there a way to keep a mixed gender tank and have them not breed?
What are the pros and cons to male only or female only tanks?

[JustDavidP]

I do raise some to maturity. Most go to an LFS (closed last week) for sale. Others have gone in private sales or "gifted" to friends. I've not been good about the breeding lately, too much "life" getting in the way.

There are some pros and cons to same sex tanks. I've heard, but never dealt with them. Some report that in a female only tank, that the females eggs, having not been "deposited", can basically rot within, if not reabsorbed or whatnot. In male only tanks, some people report a higher instance of pouch emphysema or gas bubble issues *shrugs* again, I have no experience in single sex only systems.

Dave