New to horses, build underway....

[ckusnierek]

Ok I planned this tak about a year ago and ended up using it for just softies. anyhoo it's now becomming a seahorse/pipefish tank.

Here is what I have already
35g RR corrner Hex
15g Rubbermaid sump
ProClear 150 Skimmer (a lil overkill but I already had)
4" super fine sand.
2x 65w PC lighting (one 50/50 and one dual atinic)
A few pound of LR

Tank is cycling right now.
I used 25g of water from my SPS tank and the LR to so there should be very little cycle.

Tank temp 73/75 degrees

This week I plan to get. One large 15-25Lb LR I want to hand pick it and try to find one with natural hitching posts. If not I will use SPS skelton glued into the LR to create the posts.

I will also it a decent amoult of Caluerpa(sp)

I pland to stock this takn with 4 Yellow Kudas and 2 Dragon face Pipes.

Probally few soft corals shrooms, trees and maybe a sun coral.

I plan to buy a bulk of pods to stock the tank
and feed frozen mysis 2-3x per day.

I am hoping to add live stock in a week or two...

Ok a few questions now:
Hows the setup sound? Am I missing anything?
Will the fish even eats the pods?
I dont have a local LFS with horses and pipes. Whats a good online retailer?
any major concerns keeping the fish?
Thanks!

[aquawolf]

The setup sounds good. The horses will hunt all the time and find the pods to eat, although if they are tank bred it is easier to just feed mysis. I haven't bought Seahorses online, so cannot really recommend a vendor for that, although I think Saltwater Fish had a special where you could get one Kuda for $15 and the rest were $39.

Post some pictures once you have it set up.

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by aquawolf

The setup sounds good. The horses will hunt all the time and find the pods to eat, although if they are tank bred it is easier to just feed mysis. I haven't bought Seahorses online, so cannot really recommend a vendor for that, although I think Saltwater Fish had a special where you could get one Kuda for $15 and the rest were $39.

Post some pictures once you have it set up.

I thought saltwaterfish was a "good" deal but they have all these charges and that 15$ seahorse was going to be almost $40

[aquawolf]

The trick with them is you have to buy at least $79 worth of stuff and then you get the $9.99 overnight shipping. If you are going to spend less than that then it gets very expensive as you just found out.

I think vividaquariums has a flate shipping fee of $30, but that will still set you back based on the cost of the horses.

Good luck finding some and getting them shipped to you at a reasonable cost.

[ckusnierek]

I really dont care what it costs what matters is that the fish are healthy when I get them..... Saving 10 or 20$ is pointless if there doa. And the problem is that horses and pipefish are not covered by most doa policy...

[aquawolf]

The not being covered by DOA is a huge deal. Hopefully someone else will chime in with suggestions of an extremely good online vendor to get them from. You might want to check out Seahorse.org to see if they have any suggestions.

I wonder if any of your LFS owners would be willing to work out a special order for you? That might be another approach to take.

[ckusnierek]

The horses and pipe fish are on the way

tank looks good got a few soft corals in it and soem macro on the way too...

[ckusnierek]

BTW I got 3 yellow Kudas for $69

[YLChik]

Chris you need to head over to seahorse.org and read up on teh care of wildcaught sea horses ASAP.

I am sorry I just saw this - but I would not put anything other than the ponies in the tank - mixing pipefish and ponies is generally not a good idea.

I would make sure tha tank stays UNDER 74 degrees

PLEASE read up on whild caught - for that price these guys are wild caught or net penned and you could be introducing a world of harmful bacteria into your system - I did with my first set - inexpensive "kuda" -

for future info - go to seahorsesource.com they are a WONDERFUL captive bread online seahorse seller - very very very nnice and go to great lengths to help with ponies - I called several times on ponies I didn't even get from them adn they were great to help adn rush out meds that i needed.

HTH

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by YLChik

Chris you need to head over to seahorse.org and read up on teh care of wildcaught sea horses ASAP.

I did thank you

Originally Posted by YLChik

I am sorry I just saw this - but I would not put anything other than the ponies in the tank - mixing pipefish and ponies is generally not a good idea.

Unfourtently it's too late I have already ordered them and they will shipp today. Liveaquaria/marinedepot say there ok together???

Originally Posted by YLChik

I would make sure tha tank stays UNDER 74 degrees

Tank hovering arounf 73-75 over the past week. No chiller but AC @ 70 I am also going to move the lights up

Originally Posted by YLChik

PLEASE read up on whild caught - for that price these guys are wild caught or net penned and you could be introducing a world of harmful bacteria into your system - I did with my first set - inexpensive "kuda" -

At this point all I can do is keet my fingers crosses. even thou I did buy them on ebay, I have had good luck with livestock on ebay. I checked the guy out. he has sold a lot of them and no bad feedback. I think he breeds them. again all I can do is keep my fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by YLChik

for future info - go to seahorsesource.com they are a WONDERFUL captive bread online seahorse seller - very very very nnice and go to great lengths to help with ponies - I called several times on ponies I didn't even get from them adn they were great to help adn rush out meds that i needed.

If these dont work out I will do that Thanks!

[OneDummHikk]

What a ride! Hopefully it all works out and you can post some pictures of the new horses and pipes for all of us non-seahorse keepers to gawk at

[YLChik]

do you have the meds you need to treat them when they arrive?

[ckusnierek]

I have neosporen like i've read about. what else do I need? are they just preventative or as needed meds?

[YLChik]

That's why I sent you over to seahorse.org to read about QT ig your new pets.
I know a few things you need to be ready for are:
snout rot
gas bubble disease- I mentioned this in another thread i think you will need to call your vet and get 250 mg pills of dimaox 5 day treatment - ask for 10 pills and serveral refills. Usually furan 2 is used with this treatment

do you have live foods in case these guys are not eating frozen? You will need to be able to get food quickly if they are not eating - if you need to train them to eat frozen you will need a good supply - if they are wild caught you may never get them to eat frozen. Remember that brine have little to no nutritional value and will need to be soaked in selecon so that your new petsget the nutrtion they need.



and you really need to read up on what to do with these guys when they arrive. I am not trying to be harsh, it's just their is a lot of info that it helps to have first - and since they are in teh air on their way to you I would say read fast.

[YLChik]

I HIGHLY suggest reading in here:
wild caught forum - QT procedures and de wroming

http://forum.seahorse.org/index.php?showforum=32