Hello everyone, comming over the next few weeks i have been working with some resident sehorse experts to bring you a another TR Series.

with the great sucess of the lighting series, i have decided that we will continue with them, the next one is on seahorses, so this thread is a call for your questions.

we are going to cover the following areas.

* Breeding
* Diseases
* Dwarf seahorses (this is still pending)
* Follow-up Q&A shows as needed

so please post your questions here...
Please keep commentary to a minimum so we can easily gather the questions from this thread, thank you for your understanding

yey:showoff: :up: that makes me so happy i loved the lighting series..plus the seahorse episode was amazing i loved it and am looking forward to it. Questions wise ill have to listen to that podcast again and think about.. even if you arnt keeping them soon. its still awesome.
thanks Rob

I know nothing about Seahorses but i was thinking about having alittle 5-10 nano setup for 2-3 sea horses. Here are my questions :)

Basic Questions
1. Is lighting important?
2. What type of bioload do seahorses have?
3. Would cheatomorpha be a good structure for seahorses to grab ahold of?
4. What is the importance of rock and sand in a horse tank?
5. What type of water perameters do sea horses need?
6. Can you have a horse tank piped in with a reef tank if perameters are the same?
7. What type of flow should you have?
8. Are there any territorial battles with sea horses?

You don't have to use all of my questions, Just stuff i have been thinking about.

I cant wait to hear the podcast :)

Thanks Wes, i think many of these questions were answered in the first Seahorse podcast episode 36, but if not i will see if we can get them answered

Ok ill check it too, I downloaded before i left this weekend just havnt had a chance to listen to it yet..

Ooo, i am looking forward to this. I have a 35 gallon tall tank, which, based on the previous seahorse show, might be great for seahorses. This, however, will be a far future thing, but it is nice to learn all i can. Not to mention learning about something you don't keep can be quite informative for something you do keep. More information never hurts...well...it rarely hurts :p

ya wwest listen to the previous seahorse show i think it might be difficult to do a bunch of shows cause you did such a good show before

however i thought a bit more on pipefish would be cool cause the seahorse and pipefish are so closely related and possibly more on keeping the two together

Ben

** More on Pipefish

ok we'll see if we can work that in, thanks

however i thought a bit more on pipefish would be cool cause the seahorse and pipefish are so closely related and possibly more on keeping the two together

Ben

Did y'all talk about the risks of mixing syngnathids in the last podcast David?

i dont think so, but maybe something good to add, thanks.. :)

w.r.t. diseases:
My question would be how do I properly identify a disease and what the treatments would be to treat it?
What to look for before buying at the LFS? After it gets home?
What diseases turn up from the importing from wild?
What disease(s) typically turn up after being in tank at home for a while?
What resources are available for ID of disease - (visual identification goes a long way)?
Where to get 'medicines' if required?
Any specific q.t. procedures?
That's all I can think of. This series idea sounds great!

Love it, love it, , love it!

Yes, good Q&A.. we can even quickly revisit other topics in this upcoming conversation.

Renee... mixing of sigs' is worth discussing...I did not do so in my last 'cast.. but then again, have learned more since and have had some real esperiences... note made..oh..and yer on the plate for illness/pathogens... :) Luffs ya..mean it!

BK... thanks for NOT being a yanks fan.. (sorry... didn't mean to offend yankers...seriously..NOT) great questions...got em noted...

Ben...I think we MAY be able to toss some insight into pipes here... basics...but the general "feel" and an answer to your inquiry..

dsp

I am going to go back and listen to the original podcast again. :) But, if you didn't address it I would like to know what a good first species is.

BK... thanks for NOT being a yanks fan.. (sorry... didn't mean to offend yankers...seriously..NOT)



I've been to Boston twice.. boy do Bostonian hate them Yankees.. caught a game at Fenway - playing the Orioles, and they still sold I hate Yakee shirts!@! It was GREAT! :rotfl: But I'd think you guys might still hold a grudge of '86 - Buckner:madmad: .

Didn't mean to hijak but couldn't pass up ribbing on the Yanks.

Excellent point about brining up a good starter species - as a refresher.

Wow! I actually know the answer to some of these questions :-)

David, the mixing of species, sources and WC/CB is a huge topic. I'm never going to mix ever again after what I've been through.

Can pictures be attached to these podcasts? I have pictures of how different dieaseases present themselves in seahorses. They are my own and do not belong to any other site.

Should I be making suggestions here as I think of them or no?

'Cause here's another popular one: Weak Snick.

Can pictures be attached to these podcasts? I have pictures of how different dieaseases present themselves in seahorses. They are my own and do not belong to any other site.
Technically they can, but only in what's called an Enhanced Podcast, enhanced podcasts allow for direct links, chapter markers, and images that can be added to each chapter (and will change as each chapter is played) problem is enhanced podcasts are ONLY playable on the iPod and in iTunes. as much as i love apple and there toys i try not to force people into this if i have a choice.

what we can do is add the images to the show thread and people can reference them

Did you like how I spelled diseases up above? That there be some guud english.
*blush*

sweet, im up for anther series> thanks guys

Did you like how I spelled diseases up above? That there be some guud english.
*blush*

QUICK!!! someone get the girl a triple venti latte'!!! :D


FWIW, i agree that the whole species mixing issue, as well as the problems associated with SH tanks being plumbed into multiple systems is a great topic to cover.

and of course, some disease info along with what meds/remedies/equipment syngnathid keepers should have on-hand, and why it's important to have them quickly is another good topic as well.

nice to see pipes getting a bit of press as well...;)

i know it's a "basic", but perhaps the whole CB/WC/maricultured vs. aquacultured issue should be touched upon as well since there are so many "TR" (actually net pen raised) SH showing up on the market from SE Asia and Sri Lanka.

MAYBE just touch on breeding, since it tends to happen when one least expects it...

don't mind me...just tagging along here...:mrgreen:

about the enhanced podcast what if you just made a video slideshow like the last released podcast??? i really liked that episode.

well the main reason is that videos HAVE to be watched on a Video iPod or a computer. if we do a regular show with images in the thread for reference, people can listen to and get value from it anywhere, and can reference the pictures as needed.

the last show was put together by Samuel not me, and it was the easiest way for him along with making the most sense. in this case i expect a few pictures to go with a much longer show.. the images will not be "the subject" as they were in the last show. they will merely be additional items to help drive the points.
hope that makes sense

Hmmm...seems like the "English Teacher" and her beau... may be feeling better about doing a show....

Good questions folks...Rob and I (and the dynamic duo) will be discussing this some more and making plans..

Keep the questions coming...this is YOUR show..what do YOU want to hear?

D

Good questions folks...Rob and I (and the dynamic duo) will be discussing this some more and making plans..


DOOD! you're gonna get Batman and Robin to do a podcast?? i'm impressed! :up: :cool:

Ya kill me man...

oh ok i guess that makes sense. i have an ipod so i guess i dont think about it much except videos use up alot more power. i do like audio better anyways cause it allows me to do other stuff as well

well i would like to know for future reference....what is an easy setup for seahorses..like the simplest way...which need the least maintainence..and yeah ..something along those lines..that would be GREAT!!!
thanks

if you can get a handle on their tendency to run warm and split the return, a 29 gal Aquapod would be about as simple as it gets for two pair of tropical mid-size species SH, such as H. erectus, reidi, or kuda.

leaving one lamp off might be an option since SH don't require much light.

Dave,

i hope i didn't "give away the farm" with that one...

Mark, I think a lot of that stuff was covered in the podcast already done... number 36.

oo ok i guess i will listen to it again..but well i guess i will wait until the show comes...i guess i would like to know if nanocubes are okay...cause i have heard about fire hazard with those aquapods..but okay i will listen to the other one again

the JBJ 24 would work too, just a bit less water...

sounds GREAT!!..lol but i probably wont be able to get a SH tank anytime soon..im still working on getting more corals and maybe finally getting some fish for my reef tank..

Dave,

i hope i didn't "give away the farm" with that one...

It's aaaallllllll good... no worries. We will cover issues both in forums and podcasts to reach our entire community.

D

As Greg mentioned, I'd be interested in knowing what species shouldn't be bought or don't do well in aquaculture....kind of what to look out for so that we're not participating in any "environmental damage"....

As Greg mentioned, I'd be interested in knowing what species shouldn't be bought or don't do well in aquaculture....kind of what to look out for so that we're not participating in any "environmental damage"....

while some species are definitely more "touchy", i think the bigger issue is folks being able to try and differentiate the difference between of what is becoming known in some SH circles as "MARIcultured" and "AQUAcultured" and what it means to the keeper in terms of husbandry.

Hi Rob,


1. Can Sea Horses get ich or other parasites? And if so what is the treatment for them, along with what type of medication can be used?

2. A recently new fish in my sea horse tank has came down with what looks like ich, but I currently don't have sea horse in it yet. How long should I wait before I can put sea horses in the tank? I've quarantined all the fish (only 2) and treated them with a copper base medication.

3. Why and how do some sea horses make a clicking sound?

4. Is there a general rule for how often a tank should be turned over for SH?

5. With very low water flow in a SH tank does a person still need a refugium for a safe heaven?

6. Can you discuss methods for containing air bubbles in the SH display tank. I'm currently experiencing what I feel is too much bubbles from my hang on skimmer. I'm going to try trapping the air bubbles in a panty hoses collection area on the output of the skimmer. Any suggestions?

7. Do you recommend live food over process or frozen food? And what about food enhancers?


Sorry if I went over the deep end. Hopefully you can find time in the up coming show to discuss one of the questions. I would be very grateful!!!

Keep up the great job with the shows.:D

Best Regards,
Lew90
Lewiston, Idaho

Lew, great questions.

But you wanna do me a fav? How about you start a thread now in the seahorse forum and tell us a little about your sick seahorse. They may not be able... scratch that.... they will not be able to wait until the podcast comes out to be evaluated and treated.

Seahorses are not prone to ick so more than likely something else is going on. Start a thread and tell us all about your horse, the history of your tank and it's setup and see if we can figure it out before it's too late.

:-)

I don't think he has a sick seahorse. He has a sick fish in a tank that he wants to someday put a seahorse into.

Correct I don't have sea horses at this time.

Thanks,
Lew90

Ah. Gottcha.

1. Since this is more of a reef site, one question I have is an exact list of what corals are safe for seahorses. I know many corals sting and have sweeper tentacles which are dangerous to horses. Also, horses do not have scales they are more sensitive to stings then other types of fish. There is a simple list on Seahorse.org But would like a reefers feedback.

2. How do you know if a seahorse has been stung by a coral?

3. Seahorses have been know to snick Bristle Worms, and die. What other kind of sand shifters are safe?

4. We know not to buy wild horses from a LFS, but what can be done to change the current market in Asia? There is an estimated 20 tons of seahorse which are harvested from the wild each year which are ground up and used as an aphrodisiac and cheap Viagra? What can we do to change this outdated concept of unscientific remedies in countries that have been doing this for years since the consumption is on the rise?

5. A fallow up on this, what type of seahorses are actually on the CITIES list of endangered species?

6. Horses can change colors to communicate mood, they can make clicking sounds during mating, usually pair bond with one horse, and have excellent eye sight for hunting. Most horse keepers have trained their horses to eat out of a feeding station which suggests long term memory. Is there any studies that have ever been done on the intelligence of this species?

1. Since this is more of a reef site, one question I have is an exact list of what corals are safe for seahorses. I know many corals sting and have sweeper tentacles which are dangerous to horses. Also, horses do not have scales they are more sensitive to stings then other types of fish. There is a simple list on Seahorse.org But would like a reefers feedback.


there are several reefers who are members and/or staff over at "the org". i know for SURE there's a longtime fishkeeper/reefer who moderates the Tank Mates forum over there, so in a sense, the pinned "simple list" gets reviewed every so often...at least i was a reefer last time i checked. :D

your quest for an exact list will be a long, frustrating one as there are definite NO-NO's as well as many "it depends" to go along with the "YES, BY ALL MEANS" corals.

generally speaking, MOST softies are fine, LPS generally not, altho some are fine. SPS requires way more flow than SH can tolerate (altho even then, there are a couple that might work). anemones, are a "no", as are clams.

the best thing to do is research the coral in question, and if in doubt, ask...that's why all these forums are here...people coming together to help each other enjoy the hobby. :)