Dear Sean:
Yes, it’s true that pelagic seahorse fry can sometimes have problems if they mistake microbubbles for copepods or baby brine shrimp and ingest air accidentally in this way. You also have to be careful when you transfer the newborns so that they aren’t exposed to the air in the process, since they can gulp air with fatal consequences.
But that’s not a problem with mature seahorses. They can be exposed to the air without any harmful consequences and have no trouble expelling air again if they accidentally ingest it. So the microbubbles won’t present a risk to the seahorses in that way.
If the other measures haven’t helped reduce or eliminate the microbubbles, then you may have to resort to a bubble trap to correct the problem. I would contact the manufacture of the protein skimmer and they can probably provide you with more specific instructions for tuning the skimmer and eliminating the excess bubbles it is producing.
Don’t hesitate to postpone your order if you have any further concerns, Sean.
Best of luck with your new seahorse setup!
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
