sunnykita
Super Active Member
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- Oct 5, 2012
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
oh my ! you may have a lot of work on your hands in the near future if he keeps popping babies out ! Enjoy every moment !
They are finally Here!
- Thread starter yveterinarian
- Start date
CherryBlossom
Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2013
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
Huge Congratulations Yvette!! That is something so amazing to see.. Keep us posted with lots of pictures!
Glad to hear they are feeding for you!! All the best to you!
Glad to hear they are feeding for you!! All the best to you!
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
As promised here are some pictures taken this evening...
Taking a close look at me...
Targeting the brine shrimp...
Snicking the food. I have noticed that when they snick the food it seems as if their entire jaw opens as seen in the top baby of the three in the photo.
Taking a close look at me...
Targeting the brine shrimp...
Snicking the food. I have noticed that when they snick the food it seems as if their entire jaw opens as seen in the top baby of the three in the photo.
Marz
Active Member
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- Feb 9, 2014
- Location
- Orangeville, Ontario
That is amazing. I have been showing my daughter this thread as it continues. She has a fascination with Sea Horses!
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
Here is a short video taken through the zoom magnification bubble on my magnifying glass of them eating. Hope you enjoy 
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sunnykita
Super Active Member
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- Oct 5, 2012
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- Woodstock, Ontario
oh Yvette, that is simply amazing, I love the tussle when one wrapped his tail around the other's and they tried to separate, it looks like they are eating very well, thanks so much for sharing ! simply adorable !
CherryBlossom
Member
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- Jan 23, 2013
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario
OMG! That video is way to cute.. Thanks for sharing!! I'll have to show my mom
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
Thanks both, yes I found their antics quite funny. Although they all hitch, when they hitch on each other they REALLY don't like it! I have seen this behaviour happen time and time again in the last few days. It makes me wonder how on earth they all managed when squished together in the male's pouch?
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benzzz
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2014
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Amazing job you have done !
Years ago I set up a lagoon style 20g xtra tall tank for my girls and they each had yellow sea horses.. sorry don't remeber the names. they lived for a couple years then we sold them to another reefer. They were amazing to watch clinging on to kelp and macro algae. Their eyes never stop moving. lol
I hope they survive and thrive for you
Congrats !
Years ago I set up a lagoon style 20g xtra tall tank for my girls and they each had yellow sea horses.. sorry don't remeber the names. they lived for a couple years then we sold them to another reefer. They were amazing to watch clinging on to kelp and macro algae. Their eyes never stop moving. lol
I hope they survive and thrive for you
Congrats !
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
benzzz link said:
Thanks! My fingers are crossed. I am not holding onto great hope though because it is my first time trying to raise them and I know how hard they are to raise. I'm looking at this as a learning experience that I can bring forward to successfully raise some in the future. However, these guys are so healthy looking and are eating so well that it is hard not to start getting some hope that some of them will survive. How glad I am that I didn't sell my other tanks because I will most likely need them as grow out tanks once these guys get bigger. It is early days yet but the death toll is relatively low at the moment at 45 lost.
They began their first day of Formalin treatments yesterday and will have another treatment tomorrow and one two days later. This is to prevent Ciliates from claiming them all. Seahorse.org recommends this as a treatment because all seahorse babies have ciliates apparently.
I am also getting better at hatching out the brine shrimp and gutloading them for best nutritional value. Yesterday I tried decapsulating them as the shell apparently can harbour hydroids. I have never decapsulated them before and hope I did it right but won't find out for another couple of days. I have three hatcheries on the go at all times now. One with a new start of brine, one that is 24 hours old with newly hatched and one that is 48 hours old with brine that are ready to enrich. Apparently brine can't ingest food until they are 24 hours old. It takes 12-24 hours to enrich them properly before I can feed them to the babies. I start a new batch every day so that the cycle continues. I have one more hatchery I can use if needed. I am currently using 2L pop bottles with airlines in them and they are working very well. (free is great!) I am trying to feed four times a day and this is working out well. Must go feed them now...
Poseidon
Distinguished Member
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- May 15, 2012
- Location
- SW Ontario
This sounds like a lot of work and I really hope it pays off for you and more than a couple survive... Kudos for the dedication
sunnykita
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2012
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
definitely a labour of love ! I am enjoying reading the updates, great job Yvette, continued good luck !
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
Poseidon link said:
Thanks Brandon, as I seem to have found with people who try to raise seahorses, (and other aquatic babies) it is a labour or love. I'm just so excited to have the privilege to have the opportunity to try. Years ago there was so little research done and seahorses were so hard to keep. This hobby has come a long way. I'm so thankful that I have a wealth of knowledge to tap into with Seahorse.org. They are coaching me when I need it.
sunnykita link said:
You nailed it Sherry!!
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
ONE WEEK OLD TODAY!
So far I've lost 90 babies and it still looks as if I have a couple of hundred in there. They seem to be eating well and they have grown a little from 1 - 1.2 cm to 1.2 - 1.4 cm. They have had their second dose of Formalin and all has gone well that I can see. I think a few will be floaters but not too many. It's so much fun watching them eat and my husband is enthralled. Luckily he is helping me with the feeds and he does one while I'm at work. This weekend I'm due to go away for a couple of days so he is learning to hatch out and enrich the brine shrimp. Thank goodness for helpers!!
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sunnykita
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2012
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
Congrats on the continued progress ! Thank goodness this is an equally enjoyed hobby and Dave is there to help out with the feedings! I would be enthralled watching the little devils too ! Thanks for the continued updates, I'm so excited for you !
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
Here are some updated photos of the fry taken this morning at feeding time. They are targeting the food quite vigorously. There were less dead ones when I got up this morning so I'm hoping the death toll is slowing down somewhat.
It's getting a little easier to hatch out the brine shrimp and I'm developing a nice routine now for working with the hatches...
1) Decapsulate the eggs, save some in the fridge,
2) begin new hatch with fresh saltwater and lots of bubbles,
3) after 24 hours rinse out the new hatch and put in fresh saltwater,
4) after 36 hours add peroxide and bubble vigorously for 5 minutes. Rinse out the hatch, sterilize the container and add fresh saltwater,
5) After 48 hours add enrichment food,
6) After 72 hours begin feeding these to the seahorses, rinse out the hatch and put in fresh saltwater. Keep this batch in the fridge to slow down their metabolism and reduce bacterial growth.
I'm starting a new batch every day or two depending on how many I have hatched the day before. 3 pop bottles are working well at the moment but I may add in a 4th. I'm labelling the bottles so I don't forget which stage each of them is at and I move the labels along to the next bottle as needed each day. Sounds labor intensive but really isn't now that I have gotten used to it.
Right side of the fry tank. I'm not sure what they are looking at but they seem to be finding it quite interesting!
Left side of the tank.
These pictures represent about 2/3 of the fry left I think. It's so hard to tell because they keep moving on me!
It's getting a little easier to hatch out the brine shrimp and I'm developing a nice routine now for working with the hatches...
1) Decapsulate the eggs, save some in the fridge,
2) begin new hatch with fresh saltwater and lots of bubbles,
3) after 24 hours rinse out the new hatch and put in fresh saltwater,
4) after 36 hours add peroxide and bubble vigorously for 5 minutes. Rinse out the hatch, sterilize the container and add fresh saltwater,
5) After 48 hours add enrichment food,
6) After 72 hours begin feeding these to the seahorses, rinse out the hatch and put in fresh saltwater. Keep this batch in the fridge to slow down their metabolism and reduce bacterial growth.
I'm starting a new batch every day or two depending on how many I have hatched the day before. 3 pop bottles are working well at the moment but I may add in a 4th. I'm labelling the bottles so I don't forget which stage each of them is at and I move the labels along to the next bottle as needed each day. Sounds labor intensive but really isn't now that I have gotten used to it.
Right side of the fry tank. I'm not sure what they are looking at but they seem to be finding it quite interesting!
Left side of the tank.
These pictures represent about 2/3 of the fry left I think. It's so hard to tell because they keep moving on me!
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sunnykita
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2012
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
this is an exciting journey ! kudos to you Yvette (and family) for such a time consuming endeavor, they look fabulous !
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
sunnykita link said:
Thanks Sherry. Tonight I'm teaching Dave all about the joys of Brine shrimp hatching!
sunnykita
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2012
- Location
- Woodstock, Ontario
Enjoy your weekend away and best of luck to Dave with caring for the babies and brine shrimp over the weekend. Try not to worry too much while you're away !
yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
Thanks Sherry
Today is the last dose of Formalin unless I see them scratching later. There were still a few scratching last night so I'm hoping this last dose helps them. This morning I will be feeding them and starting a new batch of fry before leaving for the weekend. The daily death toll dropped yesterday and was only 14. I have been told that it will probably start dropping off drastically now that they are a week old. I certainly hope so. My male is definitely pregnant again so I'll have to get one of the next tanks going. Luckily I have 5 of them all hooked up. I have sent a message to my friend Ray to see if he wants to try his hand at raising fry again if my male has another batch quickly after this next batch because I certainly won't have room and hate to see them die because I won't have the space.
Today is the last dose of Formalin unless I see them scratching later. There were still a few scratching last night so I'm hoping this last dose helps them. This morning I will be feeding them and starting a new batch of fry before leaving for the weekend. The daily death toll dropped yesterday and was only 14. I have been told that it will probably start dropping off drastically now that they are a week old. I certainly hope so. My male is definitely pregnant again so I'll have to get one of the next tanks going. Luckily I have 5 of them all hooked up. I have sent a message to my friend Ray to see if he wants to try his hand at raising fry again if my male has another batch quickly after this next batch because I certainly won't have room and hate to see them die because I won't have the space.