Hippocampus Erectus Seahorse Length of pregnauncy?

[Teacher Kim]

I have been trying to find out how many weeks it takes from conception to birth for my Hippocampus Erectus male seahorse. I've heard a variety of answers that range from 2 to 4 weeks.. but nothing specific about this breed. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

 

[panmanmatt]

14-21 days. Depends on the individual seahorse, temperature and diet of the adults. Nobody can give you an exact answer because there isn't one. I have had the same male carry babies for the whole time frame I mentioned above. He was getting the same diet, in the same tank conditions the whole time so even under those conditions the gestation period still varied.

 

[Teacher Kim]

Thanks so much for your information! I got the seahorses for my preschool class and didn't really expect them to mate. The whole class saw the birth of the first group (10) and now they keep asking where they are! (Im pretty sure they didn't make it, but I guess one could pop up in the future.) So I now find myself in the position of trying to collect and raise the babies because of my kids! Feel free to share any other tips you mite have! Thanks again!

 

[panmanmatt]

You will need to remove the babies to a separate tank and hatching live baby brine shrimp to feed them. They will need to be fed 3-4 times a day 7 days a week.

Here is one way to set up a nursery tank that most folks use. This system can be scaled to any size you need/want but gives you a good idea of what is involved in raising seahorse fry.

http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/scaleerectus.pdf

And in case you aren't familiar with hatching brine shrimp, here are some instructions on that too.
seahorse.org - The Complete Guide to Artemia (Brine Shrimp)
seahorse.org - Artemia Tips

You don't have to decapsulate them to hatch, just makes it a little less messy if you do. You can also ordr brine shrimp eggs already decapped from Seahorse Source, the ultimate place for captive bred seahorses.

 

[Teacher Kim]

GREAT STUFF!! Obviously I joined the right group! (This is the first time I've ever talked to others on line about anything!) They bred again last night so Im gonna work hard to be ready in 2 weeks! Will keep u posted. Thanks again!

 

[panmanmatt]

Feel free to check out the forums over at Seahorse.org also. That's all they deal with is seahorses, I'm sure you can find some more specialized advice thre also.

 

[Teacher Kim]

Re: Hope you're all not laughin too hard! LOL

OK, Im starting to get used to talkin to strangers now! And again, THANK YOU to whoever you are that has been helping me! Im sure you must have laughed when you read my last comments! Obviously, after reading and looking at photos on the web sites you suggested, I have figured out that this is a much more difficult project than I realized! LOL So... I have another question!

Has anyone ever had success just leaving the babies in a well established tank and having one or two survive over time? I have a 50 gal. with 4 filters. A plenium, protien skimmer, hanging and a great deal of live rock. I've added copopods on 4 occassions to establish a population in the rock for my female spotted mandarin. I also have 1 orange spotted goby, 2 female skunk cleaner shrimp, 7+ peppermint shrimp that breed regularly,(My preschoolers love it when it "snows" baby shrimp!), various hermit crabs and of course some bristle worms, etc..

Im not looking to raise and sell the babies. My preschoolers were so amazed at them that It'd be nice for them to see, at least a couple grow up! I just don't have the time and space for a huge set up. Any ideas? I'm hoping to enstill a lifelong love of the ocean and it's inhavitants in these kids. As Im sure you know, the ocean needs all the help we can give it! Thanks again!

 

[panmanmatt]

Nope, no laughing here. If you're taking the time to ask questions and learn then I can take the time to try and educate yo and answer your questions. We were all new to this hobby at one time or another.

There has been no success, to my knowledge, of the babies being raised in the main tank with the parents. There are too many predators in the tank to give them much of a chance of survival. Your fish, shrimp, filters, pumps and even the parents will gladly make a meal out of the new born seahorses. Unfortunately, separation is the only way to have any chance of survival in a closed system such as our tanks. Even then the survivability rates are pretty low. You can try putting a few in one of those mesh breeders they use for freshwater fish that hang on the inside of the tank. Getting the food into them is going to be a problem. There is no way that enough copepods will find their way into the mesh to sustain the babies. Feeding them yourself is the only way to ensure they get enough to eat.

 

[Teacher Kim]

Re: Will try to raise some babies!

Once again thanks for the info! I've decided to try and raise at least some of the babies! They just bred yesterday or day before (maybe twice?) so I figure I can try to be ready in two weeks, or 4 weeks! I'll try a 15 gallon tank and look at the filter systems. Any hint as to which might be the easiest? Also, is there a best choice of live food for the new babies? I saw the websites where I can order some different types but I need to start with just one. I need to keep the project as small as simple and small as possible. LOL

After I hear from you I will get the stuff and set it up. Then Ill let you know how it's going and prbly ask another 10 questions! Thanks and have a great day!

 

[panmanmatt]

A simple air driven sponge filter will do just fine. Any type of power filter that you use, you will need to cover the intake so that they babies don't get sucked into it.

As for live foods, the decapsulated artemia would be your best bet. They are the easiest and require the least amount of space. You will need something to hatch them in, such as the inverted 2 liter pop bottle in the one like I posted earlier, and also an artemia net to harvest the food in. If you give the folks at SeaHorseSource a call or email they will be more than happy to help you get everything you need.


Feel free to ask questions as they come up.