My dwarf seahorses from seahorsesource.com have their first batch of babies this morning.

I got 2 females, 1 male on August 4, 2009. They are in a 5 gallon pico tank, maintained at 68-72 degrees, pH 8.0-8.2, lots of macroalgae and several pieces of live rock ported over from my reef system.

Here's the pico:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zq3qfygaJkx_2Hwp5liPKw?feat=directlink)

Here's the setup tank with the dwarfs:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QWXKIbO2Pi0Nf2KhOv8ejg?feat=directlink)

I'm trying to get a count, but they are moving all over the tank (chasing food already) and I don't know if I'm double counting some.

Please excuse the dirty glass.......hadn't cleaned it yet this morning after feeding the parents and making a mess.

WOW. Do you have a pic of them with the parents in the pictures so we can get a size comparison?

very cool congrats

WOW. Do you have a pic of them with the parents in the pictures so we can get a size comparison?

I don't, but I'll get one now.

The are about the size of an eyelash - wider, of course, but lengthwise, that's about it. Tiny, tiny, tiny.

very cool congrats

Thanks.

Excellent!!! Congrats!

Those little devils can and will, breed like rabbits! And the great part is that the babies can be left with the parents and are pretty self-sufficient from birth.

(Of course you know that...but for other readers...)

I kept some for a while, many years ago. Now seeing that makes me want to do it again!

Jenn

I don't, but I'll get one now.

The are about the size of an eyelash - wider, of course, but lengthwise, that's about it. Tiny, tiny, tiny.

wow......and I thought that the ones I got were small.

Like knotted threads with eyeballs :)

Like knotted threads with eyeballs :)

LOL, yep. Here's a picture.........the 2 red circles are Dad and a baby. (Sorry, lousy pic, but it was for size comparison only.)

wow......and I thought that the ones I got were small.

Yeah, these are considerably smaller than erectus babies.

Like knotted threads with eyeballs :)

Perfect comparison!

Oh yeah....your dad is about the size of my babies.

Oh yeah....your dad is about the size of my babies.

Yep, when I got the dwarfs, the erectus babies were ~1 month old and much larger.

Excellent!!! Congrats!

Those little devils can and will, breed like rabbits! And the great part is that the babies can be left with the parents and are pretty self-sufficient from birth.

(Of course you know that...but for other readers...)

I kept some for a while, many years ago. Now seeing that makes me want to do it again!

Jenn

Yep, and I was surprised that they started hunting for food immediately. As for the "breeding like rabbits," I suspect I'll have plenty of takers around here when I get overrun with dwarf seahorses. :yes:

Mother Nature is Awesome!

(Boom-de-ya-dah, Boom-de-ya-dah!)

Sweet!!! Good luck with them! It's kiilin me to be raising any more fish... keep the pics and the posts coming.

BZ

Sweet!!! Good luck with them! It's kiilin me to be raising any more fish... keep the pics and the posts coming.

BZ

Awww, Bob, I feel so bad for you..........

These guys are easy - just keep the tank well fed with NHBBS and these guys will grow up in the same tank with Mom and Dad.

That is so cool...glad I saw this at work...if my daughter saw it, nemo would have it to go!

That is so cool...glad I saw this at work...if my daughter saw it, nemo would have it to go!

ROFL, I know the feeling well. These dwarf seahorses have my teenagers captivated. Wait 'til my daughter gets home from school this afternoon and sees this! She's my photographer - seahorse baby pictures (of good quality) will abound.

Awww, Bob, I feel so bad for you..........

These guys are easy -

Not sure any of these are "easy"!! Even the Bangaiis took some work in the begining. I think you are doing all the right things to make it LOOK easy. :D

Bob

Not sure any of these are "easy"!! Even the Bangaiis took some work in the begining. I think you are doing all the right things to make it LOOK easy. :D

Bob

The male was doing his dance and showing off his pouch an hour after the babies were all out! 6 I think.

I've got one that's in the corner of the tank instead of hitching. Thought maybe the flow was pushing him in the corner, so I turned off the pump and moved him to a hitching post but he's back in the corner. Maybe he's just hunting pods..........there's tons in the tank.

realy cool man

Wow they're amazing little guys. Can't wait to see how they do!

The little guy in the corner has hitched - they're actively hunting already. I've got a fine mesh over the overflow to make sure they don't get sucked into it and one already had his tail stuck in it. Shook out the mesh and he swam away and hitched right away.

My daughter is home and has the camera stuck to the side of the tank.

One of us counts 6 and another counts 7 - so it's either 6 or 7. Small batch so it's likely his first brood. They usually have 15-20 babies.

way cool! looking forward to the next batch of pics!

The male was doing his dance and showing off his pouch an hour after the babies were all out!

Gluttons for punishment!

When I had my H. reidi pair (one of the larger species) he'd give birth on Sunday morning and by Monday afternoon, he was smoking a cigarette ;)

Jenn

Gluttons for punishment!

When I had my H. reidi pair (one of the larger species) he'd give birth on Sunday morning and by Monday afternoon, he was smoking a cigarette ;)

Jenn

Amazing, isn't it? I couldn't believe he was doing the pouch display so soon!

Yep, dwarfs are known for their promiscuity too. Most larger seahorses will form more or less exclusive pair bonds. Not dwarfs. Usually, as you are seeing, right after giving birth they are advertising for another "baby mommy"!

Jenn

This morning all 7 (yeah, definite count of 7) are doing well and eating. We have one who insists on venturing around the tank checking it out, so we changed out the pump to one with a gentler flow. Of course, that means more water changes to keep the quality up, but in a 5 gallon pico, that's 1 gallon of water to affect a decent change. The biggest challenge is not sucking up babies while doing the water change.

New pictures later today. Got some work that has to be done this morning.

Still have one who likes to wander around the tank. Full bellies, actively hunting when not wrapped around a piece of macro like these 3.

Awesome!

Jenn

This is so exciting! Are they in the same tank as the Mandrines, or will you be moving the mandrines to another tank? I didn't realize how small they are.

very cool post...got me inspired I may have to get me some of these now

This is so exciting! Are they in the same tank as the Mandrines, or will you be moving the mandrines to another tank? I didn't realize how small they are.

No, these guys are in a 5 gallon pico tank by themselves. The parents are so small (1.5-2 inches max), I would be afraid to put anything in with them.

Dwarf seahorses can be raised with their parents, which is what I plan to do.

very cool post...got me inspired I may have to get me some of these now

They really are amazing animals - personality and attitude in very small packages.

Awesome! Congrats!!

Awesome! Congrats!!

Thank you! I might have to get a bigger tank for them, though (joke). My whole family doesn't fit in front of a 5 gallon tank so we're all fighting to watch them.

It's fascinating that they are just like their parents from birth - ready to hunt and eat immediately.

I'm very excited. I think I could really get my youngest son involved. I think it would help him out wiht science/math just maintaining the water. i had no idea they were so small.

I'm sure that Rox would agree that although they are small and don't require much space, they do require a lot of special handling and care. They need to be fed newly hatched artemia every day, probably several times a day. I want some of these too, but I'm not around enough to properly care for them so I'll have to wait! Keep up the good work!
Bob

I'm sure that Rox would agree that although they are small and don't require much space, they do require a lot of special handling and care. They need to be fed newly hatched artemia every day, probably several times a day. I want some of these too, but I'm not around enough to properly care for them so I'll have to wait! Keep up the good work!
Bob

Oh, most definitely. I work from home, so I can feed the adults newly hatched baby brine shrimp 3 times a day. Now that the babies are in the the tank, I've increased that to 5 times a day and increased the quantity of shrimp in each feeding.

The tank is covered up in copepods, but dwarf seahorse adults don't hunt - if the food doesn't swim past their face, they don't eat it. The only time they eat copepods is when I scrape the algae off the glass, forcing the copepods into the water column. The babies are hunting, but once they grow, I expect them to behave the same way as the parents - find a spot, sit there and wait for food.

I keep 2 bottles of brine shrimp going daily and decap the brine shrimp every day (boy, is that a chore!)

These are not like most of our fish where you can put them in a tank, feed them twice a day and watch them.

I will say, however, that the extra work is worth every second!

Dave is trying to get some closeup pictures right now with the macro lens.

Today's pictures include one of the female adults (the fuzzy pink thing is an amipod) and 2 pics of one of the babies eating.

All are doing well, fat and happy after breakfast.

ahahahha sooooo cool. the babies are about 90% head.

ahahahha sooooo cool. the babies are about 90% head.

Actually, they're about 50% head-50% tail. When they eat even one brine shrimp, you can see it poke their bellies out.

I had just fed the tank when we took these pictures and they were picking out the best morsels. They can have 10 brine shrimp around their head, but they pick out which one they want and stalk just THAT one.

Dude those things are so freaking cool! They dont look like Reidi or Erectus to me at all.

Oh man that's so funny. I would love to see these guys someday! too bad you can't take a video clip. Probably too small to see!

Dude those things are so freaking cool! They dont look like Reidi or Erectus to me at all.

They are very cool - pug nosed personality plus.

Oh man that's so funny. I would love to see these guys someday! too bad you can't take a video clip. Probably too small to see!

There's no way you'd be able to see the babies on a video - the adults, sure - with a tripod and zoom lens. Hopefully, I'll get my video camera back repaired by next week and I'll try it.

hehehe. i figured as much. its so awesome that something so amazing comes in such a small package

Execellent job! I hated decapsulating brine shrimp eggs too. For the clowns and Bangaiis I would just seperate the shells and artemia after hatching. I threw away a lot of hatched shrimp to avoid the shells, plus I was enriching them once they got older. It was almost a full time job!
BZ

Execellent job! I hated decapsulating brine shrimp eggs too. For the clowns and Bangaiis I would just seperate the shells and artemia after hatching. I threw away a lot of hatched shrimp to avoid the shells, plus I was enriching them once they got older. It was almost a full time job!
BZ

At least I don't have to enrich them. I also have mysis in the tank, and the horses go crazy when their eggs hatch. They form a cloud of baby mysis and the seahorses sit in the cloud chowing down. The adult in today's pictures is especially good about hitching just above the favorite mysis hatching ground. I moved one rock into their tank from my 72 and the mysis were on the rock.

Of course, I was on a bristle worm hunt because of that rock. I'm not sure they would hurt the seahorses, but I wasn't taking any chances.

My 14 yr. old spent the first day of hatch getting amipods she considered too big out of the tank with the babies with a turkey baster.

Yea, I telecommute and would certainlly be the responsible party.

Yea, I telecommute and would certainlly be the responsible party.

Aha! That's what is needed - available time to keep them fed and happy.

Just a hint - I siphon brine shrimp once a day, getting a big hatch, then place what I don't feed in a jar in the refrigerator, feeding from that jar the rest of the day. It's much easier than going upstairs to siphon several times a day and the cold air keeps the shrimp in suspension, thus preserving the "newly hatched" status and egg yolk which is the most nutritious. I put the jar in a cup of tank water to warm them up and get them moving again just before I feed.

The babies are eating like little pigs, and growing fast. They've also begun to master changing color to match their surroundings and are harder and harder to find. All 7 still doing well.

Awesome! Great job.

Did you're little girl take that pic?

They all look like they're smiling.




Or contemplating world domination, I can't tell.

Did you're little girl take that pic?

She did. She actually hand holds macro shots, today's photo being one of them.

They all look like they're smiling.




Or contemplating world domination, I can't tell.

LOL, I think it's world domination. All of these guys are very pugnacious for their size. 2 of the babies stay stuck together like glue - where you see one, you see the other. But, they fight when one hitches on the nose of the other. Neither seems to mind tail hitching, but the nose is definitely "fighting words."

These guys are just way too cute. They're growing out of the stick with eyeballs phase nicely. ;)

These guys are just way too cute. They're growing out of the stick with eyeballs phase nicely. ;)

LOL, good description. They are filling out nicely.

Be sure and let her know what an awesom job I think she's doing. Tiny shots like that aren't easy.

Be sure and let her know what an awesom job I think she's doing. Tiny shots like that aren't easy.

Thank you, I'll be sure to let her read your comment.

nice pictures! I'm sure you'll do well with them

nice pictures! I'm sure you'll do well with them

Thanks!

Got a new project underway so it will be a while before I can get new pictures up.

uh oh when will we know of this project?

uh oh when will we know of this project?

LOL, nah, business (work) just keeping me busy.

Man .... I guess we all gotta work considering the hobby :)

Man .... I guess we all gotta work considering the hobby :)

LOL, ain't that the truth.

have you tried frozen cyclopeeze on them at all?

have you tried frozen cyclopeeze on them at all?

I have not tried cyclopeeze, but the breeders (Dan & Abbie at SeahorseSource) have. They just don't eat non-live food.

One of the things Dan & Abbie are experimenting with is live mysis in the tank with the dwarf seahorses. Given enough hiding places in live rock in the tank, they re-produce in the tank and the horses are provided a live food source with the baby mysis. I've never seen the babies go after the live mysis nauplii, but the adults do so with vigor.

so how is everyone doing??

I have heard from Roxanne - their phone lines in their subdivision were cut so she's had no phone or Internet for a week now and the rain is hampering repairs.

She told me there are more babies - I'm sure she'll update when she's back online.

Jenn

Just reading this makes me want to go thrpough with my original idea of a seahorse tank.. I was planning on Erectus though. Hmmm.. That 60 Cube I just picked up from Tim yesterday would be great.. SPS just might have to wait. would a 250W MH be to much on them though?

I'm further south of most of you. We've had some flooding intermittent power etc. How did everyone fair with the flooding up around Atlanta. I've been worried about you guys and your tanks. We're experiencing some flooding and if we don't get any more rain we shouldn't rise more than 6 feet above flood stage, but they are predicting rain this week.

Reefready, probably best to ask that question in one of the "Flood" threads - there are several right now (check "The Lounge" forum). There's lots of chat there about it, and some photos too.

Jenn

I have heard from Roxanne - their phone lines in their subdivision were cut so she's had no phone or Internet for a week now and the rain is hampering repairs.

She told me there are more babies - I'm sure she'll update when she's back online.

Jenn

Yep, 10 more babies last Thursday. Everyone is doing well despite the fact that we've had no internet, phone or cable for the last week. (Long, boring story which started before the rain, but the flooding hampered repairs.)

i use to have dwarf sea horses . they were to much work making fresh food.

i use to have dwarf sea horses . they were to much work making fresh food.

LOL, I don't think hatching brine shrimp is a lot of work. I was doing it for my fish before I added the seahorse tank, so no added burden.