Baby dwarfs disappearing?

wendy32693 · 04/23/2012, 04:11 PM

I had started out with 27 baby dwarfs that the adult dwarfs had. But slowly i have been seeing less and less babies like they are just disappearing but I dont see any dead ones anywhere. I searched for nearly an hour yesterday and found about 5 babies. Before i could find the babies all over the tank now it is hard to find even a few of the babies. Is there something in the tank that could be eating them? I have 1 very little blue leg hermit crab, 3 small pipefish ( 2 pipefish are white and one is brown with blue spots) but the pipes hardly ever come out of hiding and about 3-4 little shrimps. Then i have 1 of the snails that bury themselves into the gravel ( i dont know how to spell the name). Is one of these tank mates possibly eating the babies? All of my adults dwarfs seem to be very healthy and the babies were eating also.

jus1moretank · 04/23/2012, 04:33 PM

The babys might be small enough for the hermit crab to eat them.

mtc1966 · 04/23/2012, 05:26 PM

the crab and not sure as but its possible they are small enough for the pipes to eat . lets see if one of the pros chimes in.

wendy32693 · 04/23/2012, 06:02 PM

I took the hermit out, the two smaller pipes I dont ever see them as they are always hiding but the larger white one ive never seen it mess with the babies, only goes after the brine shrimp, the larger one is always out and swimmng around. that onr is about 2.5 inches, the other two are a little bigger then an inch

timinnl · 04/24/2012, 09:42 AM

By any chance do you have gammarus or any copepods cultures in the tank with them?

wendy32693 · 04/24/2012, 02:35 PM

No, I havnt put any into the tank. only thing I have fed is enriched baby brine

timinnl · 04/24/2012, 03:47 PM

What kind of shrimp do you have in there?

wendy32693 · 04/24/2012, 05:13 PM

Just these clear shrimps sold as feeders, look like ghost shrimp. But it couldnt be them I just added them 2 days ago. The babies were already down to like 5 when I had added the shrimp.

timinnl · 04/25/2012, 09:36 AM

Good to know. I would remove the ghost shrimp also. They will be a problem when they get larger. A pipefish of 2.5 inches could be the one eating them after nights out? Also how are you handling the artemia before, during and after the hatch?

Kind Regards,

Tim

wendy32693 · 04/25/2012, 03:55 PM

I believe it is the pipefish eating the babies they are the only posible thing left in the tank that could be eating them as I am down to only one baby dwarf

I will take the pipes out and put them in my reef tank. Is there any shrimps that would be ok to keep with the dwarfs to help keep the tank clean.
Hopefully my adults decide to start having more babies.
The brine I use decapsulated brine and hatch them then put them in all new water with enrichment then run them through a cofee filter before I feed the dwarfs as ive read your not suppose to get any of the brine water into the seahorse tank

wendy32693 · 04/25/2012, 04:51 PM

I took out all shrimp and 2 pipes, cant find the 3rd one yet as its a small one but il eventually find him

mtc1966 · 04/25/2012, 06:12 PM

cool your population should be back in no time.

wendy32693 · 04/25/2012, 08:19 PM

how long do they usually take before they decide to start breeding? Ive seen a couple of adults at night do the twitching and wrapping their tails together but no pregnant dwarfs yet.

mtc1966 · 04/25/2012, 08:36 PM

i know erectus reproduce about every 21 days .not sure on dwarfs but i bet they are similar .

Clownfishfan · 04/27/2012, 09:12 PM

If the baby's happen to die it's definantly the burrowing snail that's eating them ,otherwise it's probably the pipefish.

wendy32693 · 04/29/2012, 02:13 PM

alright thanks. Hopefully they decide to start breeding

04/23/2012, 04:11 PM	#1
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	Baby dwarfs disappearing? I had started out with 27 baby dwarfs that the adult dwarfs had. But slowly i have been seeing less and less babies like they are just disappearing but I dont see any dead ones anywhere. I searched for nearly an hour yesterday and found about 5 babies. Before i could find the babies all over the tank now it is hard to find even a few of the babies. Is there something in the tank that could be eating them? I have 1 very little blue leg hermit crab, 3 small pipefish ( 2 pipefish are white and one is brown with blue spots) but the pipes hardly ever come out of hiding and about 3-4 little shrimps. Then i have 1 of the snails that bury themselves into the gravel ( i dont know how to spell the name). Is one of these tank mates possibly eating the babies? All of my adults dwarfs seem to be very healthy and the babies were eating also.

04/23/2012, 05:26 PM	#3
mtc1966 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: middletown,ct Posts: 5,778	the crab and not sure as but its possible they are small enough for the pipes to eat . lets see if one of the pros chimes in. __________________ 65g seahorse tank 20g sump with a reef octopus skimmer ,tlf 150 reactor, red sea ozone generator controller,cpr hob fuge with light and 2 China led lights one 42x1 w and one 24x3 w. occupied by 4 ecectus seahorses a couple small gobies and cuc. Current Tank Info: 58g main with 20g sump

04/24/2012, 09:42 AM	#5
timinnl Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 311	By any chance do you have gammarus or any copepods cultures in the tank with them? __________________ Although happy to chat on PM I always prefer to ask for & give advice on the open forum. This allows for healthy debate and encourages correction of possibly (unintentional) incorrect information.

04/24/2012, 03:47 PM	#7
timinnl Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 311	What kind of shrimp do you have in there? __________________ Although happy to chat on PM I always prefer to ask for & give advice on the open forum. This allows for healthy debate and encourages correction of possibly (unintentional) incorrect information.

04/25/2012, 09:36 AM	#9
timinnl Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 311	Good to know. I would remove the ghost shrimp also. They will be a problem when they get larger. A pipefish of 2.5 inches could be the one eating them after nights out? Also how are you handling the artemia before, during and after the hatch? Kind Regards, Tim __________________ Although happy to chat on PM I always prefer to ask for & give advice on the open forum. This allows for healthy debate and encourages correction of possibly (unintentional) incorrect information.

04/23/2012, 04:33 PM	#2
jus1moretank Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Argos Indiana Posts: 82	The babys might be small enough for the hermit crab to eat them.

04/23/2012, 06:02 PM	#4
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	I took the hermit out, the two smaller pipes I dont ever see them as they are always hiding but the larger white one ive never seen it mess with the babies, only goes after the brine shrimp, the larger one is always out and swimmng around. that onr is about 2.5 inches, the other two are a little bigger then an inch

04/24/2012, 02:35 PM	#6
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	No, I havnt put any into the tank. only thing I have fed is enriched baby brine

04/24/2012, 05:13 PM	#8
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	Just these clear shrimps sold as feeders, look like ghost shrimp. But it couldnt be them I just added them 2 days ago. The babies were already down to like 5 when I had added the shrimp.

04/25/2012, 03:55 PM	#10
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	I believe it is the pipefish eating the babies they are the only posible thing left in the tank that could be eating them as I am down to only one baby dwarf I will take the pipes out and put them in my reef tank. Is there any shrimps that would be ok to keep with the dwarfs to help keep the tank clean. Hopefully my adults decide to start having more babies. The brine I use decapsulated brine and hatch them then put them in all new water with enrichment then run them through a cofee filter before I feed the dwarfs as ive read your not suppose to get any of the brine water into the seahorse tank

04/25/2012, 04:51 PM	#11
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	I took out all shrimp and 2 pipes, cant find the 3rd one yet as its a small one but il eventually find him

04/25/2012, 06:12 PM	#12
mtc1966 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: middletown,ct Posts: 5,778	cool your population should be back in no time. __________________ 65g seahorse tank 20g sump with a reef octopus skimmer ,tlf 150 reactor, red sea ozone generator controller,cpr hob fuge with light and 2 China led lights one 42x1 w and one 24x3 w. occupied by 4 ecectus seahorses a couple small gobies and cuc. Current Tank Info: 58g main with 20g sump

04/25/2012, 08:19 PM	#13
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	how long do they usually take before they decide to start breeding? Ive seen a couple of adults at night do the twitching and wrapping their tails together but no pregnant dwarfs yet.

04/25/2012, 08:36 PM	#14
mtc1966 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: middletown,ct Posts: 5,778	i know erectus reproduce about every 21 days .not sure on dwarfs but i bet they are similar . __________________ 65g seahorse tank 20g sump with a reef octopus skimmer ,tlf 150 reactor, red sea ozone generator controller,cpr hob fuge with light and 2 China led lights one 42x1 w and one 24x3 w. occupied by 4 ecectus seahorses a couple small gobies and cuc. Current Tank Info: 58g main with 20g sump

04/27/2012, 09:12 PM	#15
Clownfishfan Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 246	If the baby's happen to die it's definantly the burrowing snail that's eating them ,otherwise it's probably the pipefish.

04/29/2012, 02:13 PM	#16
wendy32693 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	alright thanks. Hopefully they decide to start breeding