seahorsemad

Not many fish in Arizona, but can tell you about border control, Rattlers and lightening storms

Hi Souxsi Just got back from Arizona and visited one of the reptile shops that contain huge snakes in them. Not too sure on the big boa's, but found the Igunas and lizards very cute. Good luck with the fish keeping

Im here im here, but only for one more day. Happy to have my name/s put in aquarium world. Cheers

Hi There Welcome to the Forum. Seahorses are getting harder to get. There are two types in New Zealand, the Pot Bellied Seahorse and the Kuda Seahorse. With the closure of the Seahorse Farm in Napier Potbellied Seahorses are not really available. But the breeding season starts up around October so you might see some around the end of the year. On the other hand Kuda Seahorses are available through Hollywoods in Auckland and sometimes through Deco Pets in Napier. Check with both shops as i am sure they would consider couriering them, but warning they are expensive. The other great thing about the Kuda is you can set up a tropical marine tank and have corals and a few less aggressive fish such as clown fish and shrimps. Good luck with your search Seahorsemad

Thanks for your wonderful advise Wok, i shall keep that in mind. Will sight see as much as possible but done know how much time i will have spare. Looking forward to a new adventure

deal then Caryl. Next time i go i will take you up on your offer to carry my bags. Unfortunately this time i think i only have about two weeks to organise my self and im not quite sure if have enough time to organise to bring you as well.

Hi pawz, I have to be there by the 9th of August and at this stage i do not know when i leave. i am staying in the Chiricahua National Park, which is at the other end of Arizona, so i am not sure if a visit to the Grand Canyon will be an option at the moment, but you never know. As for the temp, hoping as i am in the mountains it wont be too hot, but it is an excuse to go and buy some new clothes so i am not too worried about it.

I dont have time to interview for the bag carrier position so i think i might just have to carry my own bags this time (lol). But i shall keep you all in mind. My company sponsors earthwatch and has sponsored a few applicants from my company to go. I was unsuccessful when i applied last year, but it looks like someone pulled out, so i was next in line. Will try and find an aquatic store or two in the States and take lots of photos for you all

Thankyou. I was so excited yesterday i couldnt type. Just one of those opportunities that you cant really pass up.

Hi everyone I have some good news and some bad new Bad news: Zoo trip is going to have to be posponed Good News: Somebody sat down beside me yesterday at work and said "How would you like to go to Arizona, USA on the 9th of August (this year, like two weeks away), to study Caterpillars through earthwatch. All expenses are paid?" As you could imagine it didnt take me long to get back to them on that one!! So i am a little shell shocked and have heaps of organising to do before i go to Arizona, but promise to re organise the trip when i get back and will try to share all my aquatic supplies that i pick up along the way Cheers Seahorsemad

Just a quick update about the Zoo behind the scenes tour. The cost of attending the tour is $25.00 per person. This includes a 45 minute tour of the aquarium and reptile exhibits and entrance into the Auckalnd zoo. I am going to book for the 26th of August. Please let me know if you would like to attend by the 31st of July and how many of you will be attending. Payment is due by 08/08/06. Cheers Seahorsemad

I did it with my seahorse tank over two summers and i seriously regret not getting a chiller sooner. My freezer was full of bottles of frozen water and i had two fans blowing accross the top of the tank. In desperation i would let the water out of the bottles occasionally. I would replace the bottles up to three times a day and there would be days during the summer i would sit at work thinking that if the heat goes up anymore my tank may fry. It can be done, but it is a huge amount of work and dedication. Fans will only drop the temp about 1 - 2 degrees and the only choice you really have some times is to freeze salt water and put that in your tank. Most DIY projects to chill the water will only end up costing more money than you want them too (IMO). You could set up the tank now and start saving for a chiller now. Also you may have a few troubles transporting the livestock from kaitaia to Wellington, it is a long way to travel. The best thing you could do is invest in a battery air pump.

i have got a cold water marine tank with seahorses. What do you need to know?

I have managed to secure a behind the scenes tour of the reptile and aquarium sections of the Auckland zoo (very excited). I have yet to work out exact details as the zoo are in the middle of some exciting changes, but it looks like it will be in approximately one months time. For those that are interested in coming and already belong to the Auckland Club please PM me by July the 7th to secure your place Also for anyone interested in joining our club you are more than welcome to come along and join our visit to the Auckland Zoo, please PM me aswell and i can work out the detail. Cheers Seahorsemad P.S We will try not to leave certain members at the zoo, but no guarantees.

Thanks Wok. Please contact me by the 18th if you are interested, the more the merrier

Hi Warren Aucklands details have changed. I will round up the correct details and PM you Seahorsemad

Hey Guys It is so good to see you back here. Hope to catch up soon Cheers Seahorsemad

Caryl are to please able to tell us more about wok's behavior at the conference, so we can tell the rest of the club at club meeting, and mock him accordingly

Hi Kaz Glad i could help with your seahorse. Keep an eye on it for the next couple of weeks. If it happens again you may need to look at your filter. Cheers Seahorsemad

Hi Shaz If you have pot bellied seahorses then frozen brine shrimp maybe too small. They are reasonably lazy fish and it has to be worth there while to move for food. The best food for them in frozen Mysis Shrimp which can also be brought from most pet shops. I know there is a shortage of it at the moment and people are possibly using brine shrimp as a subsitute but i find my seahorses really dont like it. Also i found that for the first couple of days when introduced to there new tank, my seahorses sulk. They wont move around much or eat alot. Give them some time to get used to there new surroundings and they will come right. I feed my seahorses once a day, i have ten of them and would feed them about two - three blocks of frozen mysis. This is on the heavy side, but i am a sucker for water changes. If you only have the two i would suggest half a block in the morning and half at night. Cheers Seahorsemad

Glad you finally got a shot of him. Looks like hes not as camera shy as previously thought. But the pictures just dont do him justice, he is an awesome fish when you see him in the flesh. Good luck with him

Hi Kathy Im glad that you were able to help you little seahorse out, it sounds pretty successful to me. I would continue doing it until he is back to normal. He will get used to you handling him and you will get used to it to The book i have has suggested that you can treat the seahorse two ways. The first is doing a pouch wash with Acetazolamide (this is perscription only so you may need to speak to a local vet) and the other is Diamox (250mg tablets) it suggests thatyou didivde the tablet into quarters and crush one quarter into fine powder and mix with about two cups of seawater. Get a small syringe and a fine catheter. Flush the pouch and leave some of the solution in the pouch for 24 hours. Repeat the procedure for three days and then leave for 24 hours for observation. The seahorse could lose his appetite, keep trying to feed him. I have not used either method but have found that if you continue using the hair clip and giving gentle massages he will eventually come right I think it could have possibly been your outpipe, he may have been showing off and got air stuck in there when he puffed up his belly. Let that be a lesson to all show offs (lol) Good luck with your horses Seahorsemad

Hi Kathy Firstly please dont feed them anymore bloodworms, they are not good for the seahorses. Secondly pot bellied seahorses require 50 litres per pair so i would stay with one pair at the moment. The have also had the same problem with my seahorses on occasion and although i little scary at first you really need to help the seahorse out by getting the air out of his pouch or he is going to have a slow death. I found i was more comfortable putting the end of a hair clip in his pouch. I felt that as it had a little plastic arounf the sharp bit it possibly may not hurt as much. You need to hold the seahorse in one hand and gently open up the pouch with the hair clip. Your dont have to put it in a long way just enough to open the pouch up Keep the seahorse under water and you will find that it will naturally hold on to your fingers. Once you have opened the a little massage the sides of his belly. You should see a little bit of air come out. This has to be repeated every couple of days until he is back to normal. In regards to your bubbles, does your aerator have anything on the end of it that would produce small bubbles. If it does take it off and that should fix the problem Good luck with your seahorse and if you need anymore help please dont hesitate to call out P.S it would be a great help if you could tell us what area you are in

Hi Rebecca You are more than welcome to come and see mine. I am available on saturday. Heaps easier to explain them in person as i guess you will have heaps of questions. PM me if your inerested and i can point you in the right direction Cheers Seahorsemad

Hi Pomereef, thanks for your concern. It had been in the tank previously. but i had taken it out a couple of weeks ago before the move. Promise its not leeching nasties into my tank. Will try and get some photos of the horses soon