Dwarf Seahorse clean up crew

[AxolotlOverlord]

Hi guys! I'm completely new to R2R and also to saltwater, but I've been keeping a dwarf seahorse tank for a month and a half now. The adults are all doing quite well and breeding lots, but I have so much algae!! I was wondering, what are some fun tankmates/clean up crew to help out with the algae and eat dead bbs? Right now it is just my little lettuce nudibranch. I am also concerned since I have lost a few fry, is that normal? Or a sign that something is wrong?

 

[rayjay]

I never use cleanup crew as the large water changes I do are sufficient.
Loss can be due to them being older than others you received or it could be due to bacterial infections internal or external caused by water quality due to insufficient husbandry and water changes for the conditions you are keeping them in.
It can also be due to poor nutrition if you are not enriching the brine nauplii properly or with the proper enrichment.
If you are leaving the nauplii in for more than a day, the nutrition they were enriched with will be basically non existent by that time and if the dwarfs are still feeding on them either instead of or along with newly enriched naupii, they might gradually go downhill with the weakest dying off first.

 

[AxolotlOverlord]

I have no measurable nitrates/nitrites and usually feed one day freshly hatched bbs and the next day off those same shrimp but once they're enriched. I've lost about 4 out of 30 something fry. Do you think it's better to feed only enriched or do you think fresh hatched then enriched is a good schedule?

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hey, welcome to R2R!! I know many people keep pipefish with seahorses so that could be cool... I think they eat the same things though. @Henn has a really great seahorse pond and could probably help you. Maybe brittle stars?

 

[AxolotlOverlord]

Brittle stars sound like a good idea! And their pond is amazing!

 

[rayjay]

I have no measurable nitrates/nitrites and usually feed one day freshly hatched bbs and the next day off those same shrimp but once they're enriched. I've lost about 4 out of 30 something fry. Do you think it's better to feed only enriched or do you think fresh hatched then enriched is a good schedule?

First of all, the water quality that incentivises nasty bacterial growth CANNOT be tested for with any kit available to the hobbyist. For that reason seahorse keepers are obliged to be proactive rather than reactive in husbandry/water change protocols.
IMO, freshly hatched brine nauplii ARE NOT ideal for feeding at any time other than emergency use.
The Instar I stage, while having remnants of the egg sack that starts deteriorating immediately upon hatching, does NOT have DHA with it, but also, the carapace is tougher in that first stage making it much harder for the already rudimentary digestive tract to digest and get the benefit of any nutrition that it may provide.
So yes, IMO feeding properly enriched nauplii (enrichment needs a DHA component) is the ONLY way to feed dwarf seahorses. Remember too that the enrichment quickly fades so that the later part of the day they would again be feeding off of inferior nutrition unless you replace the depleted nauplii with newly enriched.
If you ONLY want to feed once a day, the best you could accomplish is to go BEYOND just gut loading them so instead of enriching with proper enrichment for ONE twelve hour period to gut load them, rinse well and with new water and new enrichment do ANOTHER twelve hour period so that by the end of the second period, the enrichment will now be assimilated into their flesh. This way as the gut loading nutrition is lost, they still have some added benefit from the flesh assimilation.

 

[AxolotlOverlord]

Don't worry, their water is changed every few days to keep it clean, and I guess I'll start doing just enriched then!

 

[rayjay]

Just a reminder that you can't enrich the Instar I nauplii stage as it doesn't have a completed digestive tract. Grow them out for a day and then enrich in two 12 hour stages with new water and enrichment for each stage.

 

[AxolotlOverlord]

Don't fret, I'm aware! And if anyone has any clue about what shrimp/snails would be ideal tankmates (if any) that would be fantastic!

 

[rayjay]

Sorry, I can't help with that. I've never used snails or tankmates with any of my seahorse tanks in 18 years. (well other than simple corals like leathers and macros)

 

[MysticSea]

Firstly Welcome to R2R! I have had Eastern Seahorses with grass shrimp in which both were collected from the wild for educational purposes. The grass shrimp never bothered the seahorses nor the Dusky Pipefish. For tropical species I have had similar sized shrimp be okay when raisng Dragonfaced Pipefish like the peppermint shrimp.

 

[Shorething]

Macro algae will help out compete nuisance algae. You mentioned that you have no detectable nitrite or nitrate. It may be because all of you nutrients are bound up in the nuisance algae so when you test for them the are undetectable.
I use blue legged hermits, nassarius snails, trochus snail,and peppermint shrimp for a clean up crew. No brittle stars

 

[rayjay]

Macro algae will help out compete nuisance algae. You mentioned that you have no detectable nitrite or nitrate. It may be because all of you nutrients are bound up in the nuisance algae so when you test for them the are undetectable.
I use blue legged hermits, nassarius snails, trochus snail,and peppermint shrimp for a clean up crew. No brittle stars

Is that in a dwarf tank or a standard seahorse's tank?

 

[Shorething]

Erectus.. not dwarf

 

[rayjay]

The OP has a dwarf tank so something that is appropriate for standards is not necessarily appropriate for dwarf tanks.

 

[Shorething]

Yes you are correct

 

[AxolotlOverlord]

That's a great idea, I'm definitely going to pick up some macro algae as soon as I can! And would the peppermint shrimp and the snails be safe?

 

[PicassoClown04]

Peppermint shrimp get kinda big....

 

[AxolotlOverlord]

Sorry not very familiar with anything saltwater lol, complete newbie. Are there any safe sized species of shrimp? Or should I go only snails?

 

[PicassoClown04]

Sexy shrimp stay very small but idk about their compatibility with the dwarfs. Maybe stomalla snails would work? I have a lot of those and they do a good job on my glass. I know @Henn uses the stars which is why I suggested it. You might wanna look at their build thread, super cool read. I know they keep the regular sized horses but I bet some stuff carries over to dwarfs