Any ideas on weaning baby seahorses off live foods?
- Thread starter macma101
- Start date
How old are they? From your other post these are erectus I assume? My last bunch o babies I chopped up and thawed out mysis and fed it to them(I cant remember how old they were though cuz I took a break so it was a while ago.) I dont know the size of frozen brine you are feeding, but maybe they are a lil big and the babies are 'intimidated' by them. Maybe it was different smell or something, but mine took to frozen mysis right away no problem.
I gradually mixed some frozen brine in with the live for a period of time, and as I started to see some of the frozen being eaten, I upped the amount of frozen I put in with the live.
Frozen baby brine allows for earlier conversion to frozen as I found shaved adult frozen was harder to get the fry to take to.
Eventually they all get on to frozen brine and then I start adding live mysid shrimp mixed with frozen mysis and worked it the same way.
Frozen baby brine allows for earlier conversion to frozen as I found shaved adult frozen was harder to get the fry to take to.
Eventually they all get on to frozen brine and then I start adding live mysid shrimp mixed with frozen mysis and worked it the same way.
I start when my Erectus fry are 3 days old with frozen cyclopeeze and shaved mysis mixed with live BBS as well as enriched 2 day old BBS , by the time they are three weeks old they do not care what they eat as long as it's food!
With this method I find when they get to the size to take adult live brine shrimp that whole frozen mysis becomes a no-brainer for them. There is always enriched 4-5 day old live BBS in the mix at this point for the runts .
Tim you might want to let them go hungry then try just frozen,not sure why you want them to eat frozen brine? Mysis is a much better food.
When this method was told to me and tried it I was surprized to see a 3 day old seahorse eat a frozen cyclop as big as it's head!
With this method I find when they get to the size to take adult live brine shrimp that whole frozen mysis becomes a no-brainer for them. There is always enriched 4-5 day old live BBS in the mix at this point for the runts .
Tim you might want to let them go hungry then try just frozen,not sure why you want them to eat frozen brine? Mysis is a much better food.
When this method was told to me and tried it I was surprized to see a 3 day old seahorse eat a frozen cyclop as big as it's head!
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macma101
New member
Thanks for all the ideas everyone.
They are erectus and arround 3 months and there getting big, almost 2 inches. The frozen brine are arround the same size as the live.
They are erectus and arround 3 months and there getting big, almost 2 inches. The frozen brine are arround the same size as the live.
macma101
New member
I would love for them to eat Mysis, they wont look at anything thats not moving. I tried frozen cyclopeeze they wouldn't take that either. I think your right about letting them go hungry, I will try it and let you know how I make out.
Tim I would add Hikari Mysis (they are very small) with your enriched adult live brine shrimp. Feed the Hikari 1st in the morning then add the live after ten minutes or so. At this age for your fry I think it will take some time for them to understand. Make sure your flow is strong enough to blow the frozen around.
Beth is right about a protein skimmer for fry tanks. I use Tunze 9002's and they have been perfect for my seahorse fry tanks.
BTW CONGRATS on raising fry to the 3 month mark!
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Tim that's great news. I personally keep my Erectus at 73.
Tim keep up the live for the ones that may have not switched to frozen yet.
A trick that was taught to me is always overlap all foods. Thanks Abbie!
Unfortunately the outside temp today here will be 90+ I keep my house at 75 but I do run fans on my seahorse tanks and that keeps them at 73.
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