The Mangrove Seahorse Hitching Post
- Thread starter CaseyP
- Start date
Day 5: I estimated about 30 babies after scooping up all that I could find. Since then, I've lost 10 so the population is shrinking. I didn't do any culling for underdeveloped or deformed ones since I don't have the expertise to identify them at the time of birth. They breath a lot of air at the surface as babies but some have problems swallowing too much air and can't regulate their buoyancy. Another challenge I'm having is hatching enough baby brine. I'm using the round hatchery dish which I've had great success with before, but realized that was during the summer and now the weather is much colder. Optimum hatching temp is 80-82º so I now have the hatchery sitting in a bucket of water with a heater.
Acclimation box is getting algae growth so pictures aren't super clear
Acclimation box is getting algae growth so pictures aren't super clear
That's awesome!! Congrats.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
That is some OG stuff right there. Congrats.
I got some tisbe pods but they're really fast to scatter compared to baby brine which hover and are easier for the seahorses to eat. I still have plenty more that I'm supplementing with.
Hm didn't realize there's live decapsulated eggs. I always thought those didn't hatch anymore because of the decapsulating process and ready to feed as is. Could be a good option if I could get some before Friday when I leave for 4 days.
gmdcdvm
Supporting Member
Welcome to my world of brine shrimp hatching. Might need two or three hatcheries.
If you end up selling these I would be interested in 2-4 if you have them. Good luck!
Or since I’m already doing it i would offer to pick up a few babies when I’m back in town to try and raise them.
If you end up selling these I would be interested in 2-4 if you have them. Good luck!
Or since I’m already doing it i would offer to pick up a few babies when I’m back in town to try and raise them.
That’s fantastic! I picked up an IM20 long and was considering making it a seahorse tank, if I go that route be prepared for me peppering you with questions!
You can decapsulate yourself, and in fact I think it's pretty hard to buy decapsulated that are still viable. There's a couple vendors, but most aren't.
If you Google you can find the process, but it's basically:
1. Float in aerated RO for awhile to hydrate the eggs
2. Toss the eggs into a bleach water mixture until the shell disappears (they turn orange)
3. Pour through a sieve
4. Rinse thoroughly, float in prime
5. Use or store in a super high salinity batch of water (brine).
Here's what ChatGPT says, which looks pretty accurate to me (https://chatgpt.com/share/6749133a-8304-8012-87e9-74d79c3b5db4). The storage info is wrong though. I don't think you can/should dry them. My understanding was you need to store them in brine water.
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Decapsulating brine shrimp eggs removes the hard outer shell (cyst) while preserving the viability of the nauplii for hatching or direct feeding. Here's how to do it:
Materials Needed:
1. Brine shrimp eggs (cysts)
2. Bleach (unscented, non-gel, sodium hypochlorite 5-6%)
3. Dechlorinator (sodium thiosulfate solution or similar)
4. Fine mesh sieve (e.g., 100–200 microns)
5. A container (glass or plastic, avoid metal)
6. Air pump and air stone (optional but recommended for mixing)
7. Cold freshwater for rinsing
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Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Hydrate the Eggs
Place the eggs in freshwater and let them hydrate for about 1–2 hours. This helps soften the cysts for more effective decapsulation.
2. Prepare the Bleach Solution
Mix one part bleach with one part water in your container.
3. Add the Eggs to the Bleach
Transfer the hydrated eggs to the bleach solution. Gently aerate the mixture or stir continuously for even exposure.
4. Monitor the Color Change
The cysts will change color from brown to orange, indicating the decapsulation process. This usually takes 2–5 minutes. Do not exceed this time to avoid killing the nauplii.
5. Stop the Decapsulation
Immediately pour the mixture into a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold, running freshwater. This removes the bleach and halts the reaction.
6. Dechlorinate the Eggs
Submerge the rinsed eggs in a solution of dechlorinator mixed with freshwater for 1–2 minutes.
7. Final Rinse
Rinse the eggs again with freshwater to ensure no residual chemicals remain.
8. Store or Hatch
You can either:
Store the decapsulated eggs: Spread them out on a non-stick surface, allow them to dry, and store them in an airtight container.
Hatch immediately: Place them in a brine shrimp hatching setup with saltwater and aeration.
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Notes:
Decapsulated eggs cannot survive for long without water or proper storage. Dry thoroughly if storing.
Decapsulated eggs are non-buoyant and will sink in saltwater. Use aeration to keep them suspended if hatching.
Welp, down to 6 babies after being out of town for four days 
I dumped in a ton of baby brine shrimp in hopes that it would sustain them but didn't help. From reading the guide that I got from the breeder, having too much food available can actually lead to poor nutrition. Their digestion system is very basic and cannot store food. This means if they eat new food while there's still food in their digestive tract, it'll get pushed out before it has a chance to fully absorb the nutrients. There has even been observation of food still living being pooped out. Ideal feeding is every 2-3 hours in amounts they can finish in 20 minutes.
Lessons for next time:
I dumped in a ton of baby brine shrimp in hopes that it would sustain them but didn't help. From reading the guide that I got from the breeder, having too much food available can actually lead to poor nutrition. Their digestion system is very basic and cannot store food. This means if they eat new food while there's still food in their digestive tract, it'll get pushed out before it has a chance to fully absorb the nutrients. There has even been observation of food still living being pooped out. Ideal feeding is every 2-3 hours in amounts they can finish in 20 minutes.Lessons for next time:
- Have two brine shrimp hatcheries with staggered hatching cycles. Cooler weather takes 3-4 days for hatching versus 24 hours during the summer
- Set up a separate holding tank. Just picked up an IM 10 nuvo for this purpose that I might set up now and just raise pods in there until the next pregnancy cycle. I've been keeping the babies in an acclimation box which now I'm thinking does not have enough circulation going through it for water quality.
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Oh man, what a bummerWelp, down to 5 babies after being out of town for four days
Lessons for next time:
- Have two brine shrimp hatcheries and alternate hatching cycles. Cooler weather takes 3-4 days for hatching versus 24 hours during the summer
- Set up a separate holding tank. Just picked up an IM 10 nuvo for this purpose that I might set up now and just raise pods in there until the next pregnancy cycle. I've been keeping the babies in an acclimation box which now I'm thinking does not have enough circulation going through it for water quality.
I suppose if it were that easy everyone would be doing it - there's an art to any kind of captive breeding, that's for sure. Glad you got a few survivors though but sure seems like a challenge if you're going to be away for any extended periods.