NANFA-- Syngnathus sp

Nicholas J. Zarlinga (njz_at_clevelandmetroparks.com)
Mon, 22 Jan 2001 17:32:39 -0500

Hey Brian, are you supplementing your live brine shrimp with Selco? If you
don't know what Selco is, it is a high lipid supplement that you soak your
lbs in. It is truly miraculous in the results that you get. In the
seahorse world, we cannot survive raising the brood without it and it
certainly helps to keep those hard to keep species. Also, live mysis
shrimp is the staple for sygnathids. If you cannot collect them yourself,
they are available but rather expensive. Mysis are _the_ key to keeping
delicate species. Not to mention, if you ever want to see a sygnathid
smile, feed it mysis. They truly are the "wonder food" for these buggers.
Also, make sure that the other inhabitant of the tank are not out
competing the pipes for food.

Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216-661-6500 ex 4485

"Fish worship... is it wrong??" (Ray Troll)

original message

Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 22:12:37 -0500
From: Brian Bastarache <bast_at_ici.net>
Subject: Re: NANFA-- Syngnathus sp

Here are the details:

Tank: 60 gallon hexagon

Filter: Fluval 430 with carbon, Fluval foam block and SeaTech pads, and
some bioballs and lava rock for biological media
.
Lighting: Full spectrum flourescents bulds (2) in the hood on a timer with
a 12 hour photoperoid.

Substrate: Fine sand and a few shells (of native inverts) and rocks. There
are a few vynil plastic plants that look like eel grass. We have used these
same plants in two other 60 gallon hex, esturine setups too.

Diet: mostly live brine shrimp, supplimented with marine vitamins and
frozen food (mostly for other inhabitants).

Tank Mates: 2 nine-spine sticklebacks and a few grass shrimp.

Chemistry: salinity about 18-20 ppt pH about 8 ammonia was usually low,
but we did get occasional spikes. ( The seahorses survived.)

Did I leave anything out?

Brian Bastarache
NANFA- New England
Bristol County Natural History Center

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