Breeding Journal DataSheet
This first post should be updated regularly to include new information as events take place or changes are made to your system
General Species: Hippocampus comes
Social Structure: M/F Pair
Size of Individuals: 5"
Age of Individuals: Estimated to be about a year
Date added to Tank: Fall of 2012
Broodstock Tank Details Size of Tank: 20gallon High
Substrate Details: None
Filtration Details: HOB Filter
Water Changes: Once a month
Water Temperature: 74F
Lighting: 13W Compact Fluorescent
Lighting Cycle: 14 on, 10 off
Other Tank Inhabitants: Peppermint Shrimp
Broodstock Feeding Details Food Types: frozen mysis shrimp. Supplimentary - live amphipods, frozen krill, enriched live brine shrimp
Feeding Schedule: 2x daily most days, occassionally 3x daily (She usually feeds other items as supplimentary feeding, and still does mysis twice a day)
Spawning Details Date of First Spawn: Unknown
Spawn Time of Day: Not witnessed, likely midafternoon based on when the pregnancy was recorded
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: Every 20 days
Courtship Details: Not witnessed
Egg Size: Unknown
Egg Color: Unknown
Egg Count: Unknown
Hatch Details Hatch Date: 4-19-2013
Hatch Time of Day: # Days after Spawn: Larvae Description: Miniature seahorses
Consecutive Hatch Dates: Larval Tank Details Temperature: Room temperature, Usually between 70 and 78 depending on house temps
Size of Larval Tank: ~3 gallons, orb fish bowl
Substrate Details: None
Other Tank Decor: None
Filtration Details: Live phytoplankton
Lighting: Ambient lighting from a southern facing window, supplemented by a 2-bulb fluorescent strip light that is pointed away from the fish bowl. There is also a light in a nearby culture station that stays on 24/7, so the larval bowl receives constant light technically (although quite dim at night)
Lighting Cycle: Sunrise to about 9 PM
Water Changes: 100% every 5 to 7 days
Larval Feeding Details Food Types: Euterpina acutifrons, nhbbs, Apocyclops panamensis
Feeding Schedule: Constant
Metamorphosis/Settlement Date of Settlement Start: 4/26/2013 (This is when hitching was first noted, which I guess is what I will consider "settlement" here)
Days after Hatch: 7 days
Date of Settlement End: 5/3/2013
Description of Fry: Same as at hatch (fully formed seahorse), more coloration, and hitching behavior
Grow-Out Tank Details Temperature: Room temperature, varies from 68-80+ F
Size of Grow-Out Tank: 5 gallons
Substrate Details: None
Other Tank Decor: Hitching mesh
Filtration Details: None initially, then a sponge filter
Lighting: Compact fluorescent bulb
Lighting Cycle: 6 am to 9 pm
Water Changes: 100% every 5-7 days
Size at Transfer: ~1 inch nose to tail
Age at Transfer: ~ 6 weeks
Grow-Out Feeding Details Food Types: enriched bbs, nhbbs, Apocyclops
Feeding Schedule: Nearly constant
Additional Information (No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please) Miscellaneous Information: I was given these guys in the evening on the day they were born to try my hand with from a fellow breeder (Thanks!) These are actually my first seahorses, so I really don't know what I am doing but have had some spectacular advice and guidance from Tami. I wanted to create a journal since there isn't a lot on MBI about H. comes
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<message edited by shannpeach on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 8:42 AM>