Preggo or faking it?

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

How do you tell if your male SH is preggers or just faking it? He's fooled me before. I thought he was preggo for 2 days then he deflated his pouch. I didn't get to watch them this morning since I had to work so I don't know if the egg exchange took place or not.

What do ya think?

[seahorsedreams]

If he's not pregnant, he is actively trying. Does he have an established mate? What I use to do was watch the thickness of the female. His pouch would go up an down for a couple of days but I would know when the transfer finally happened by HER width.

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

He has been trying for about a month, lol. He has chosen his mate, but I don't think she's as "ready" as he is. He tried daily to court her, and she does all of the color changes, but then she swims away. He goes after her and drags her around "caveman" style. (she is kicking and fighting him the whole time) When she refuses and gets away from him, he goes and sulks for awhile. Then he goes after her again, and she refuses again. Both of my females are fat. It could be that they are egg heavy, but I don't know for sure. He NEVER courts the other female in the tank. He's apparently made his choice since he ignores the other female completly. She is the same size physically as he is so I can't imagine she's not mature enough for breeding.

Any ideas?

[seahorsedreams]

I don't think you're gonna truely know until it becomes more evident.

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

That's what I thought. Just when I'm convinced it's the real deal, I see him crunch and flush the pouch. I can usually see the inside of his pouch when he's crunching and flushing it. For some reason, he seems to facing me when he does it. He knows I care, even if the other ladies don't.

[seahorsedreams]

LOL!

[saxman]

the best way to tell if something happened at this stage is to look at the female and see if she's still gravid (if she is, she'll definitely be pudgy). at least that way, you'll know if there was POSSIBLY an egg exchange, or she missed. SH eggs are bright orange, but they're tasty treats for your clean-up crew...they don't stay around long if she missed.

[seahorsedreams]

the best way to tell if something happened at this stage is to look at the female and see if she's still gravid (if she is, she'll definitely be pudgy). at least that way, you'll know if there was POSSIBLY an egg exchange, or she missed. SH eggs are bright orange, but they're tasty treats for your clean-up crew...they don't stay around long if she missed.

Great minds think alike <_<

Angie, he doesn't hear me in real life either....he he he.

[saxman]

*blush* this is what happens when one looks at the forums early in the AM without a cup of coffee...not to mention i was at work... *blush*

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

I checked my female, she may be thinner. I didn't see any eggs on the sand, but the nass. snails are pretty efficient so they wouldn't have lasted long if she missed. He is still looking preggers today and he didn't flush the pouch this morning. He idin't drag her around the tank either. If he truly is preggers this time, we should have fry around the 19th. I will keep an eye on him and let everyone know if he "deflates" his pouch before then.

This male and female were never in with my myco infected male, but they are in with the female who was with him before he got sick. I'm not sure what to do since she has always been fine and Labdoc can't tell if the myco came before the fungal infection, or after. If it was after the fungal infection, he was in the hospital tank then, there won't be any problems with the seahorses I have now having / carrying myco.

Is there a way to test my seahorses or my tank for myco? I don't want to go thru all of the trouble and expense to raise a few hundred babies and not be able to sell them or give them to anyone. I certainly couldn't keep all of them.

I added the now preg. male and his "wife" after the male was gone but before I learned of the myco from labdoc and they never showed any signs of illness. Wouldn't it have killed any new additions if there was myco present in the tank? If I would have known of the myco before I got them I would have set up a different tank for them.

Angie