In the past, I've kept the bigger standard seahorses as well as 2 nano reefs. Now, after lurking these forums, I am willing and able to keep up with hatching brine shrimp, so I think I could care for and enjoy Dwarfs. My question is this: I see that nearly everyone says that you need to enrich your brine shrimp before feeding them to your dwarfs, and since your brine shrimp need to be a little older so they can consume the enrichment, will the older brine shrimp be too big for newborns? How big is the biggest brine shrimp that dwarf babies and adults can easily consume?
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Dwarf Seahorse Feeding
- Thread starter JustBilly
- Start date
There is NO problem with dwarf fry ingesting enriched artemia nauplii that are 4-5 days old, and the adults often are able to consume larger juveniles and sometimes even adults.
The main reason for the enrichment process is that while the nauplii have a decent protein level, they lack in some fatty acid parts, especially the DHA component that seahorses need but cannot manufacture for themselves, and artemia nauplii don't have any to speak of.
Enrichment is also a benefit in that the newborn nauplii in the Instar I stage have a tougher carpace that is not digested as well but when replaced by Instar II and later stages it is much more digestible.
The main reason for the enrichment process is that while the nauplii have a decent protein level, they lack in some fatty acid parts, especially the DHA component that seahorses need but cannot manufacture for themselves, and artemia nauplii don't have any to speak of.
Enrichment is also a benefit in that the newborn nauplii in the Instar I stage have a tougher carpace that is not digested as well but when replaced by Instar II and later stages it is much more digestible.
There is NO problem with dwarf fry ingesting enriched artemia nauplii that are 4-5 days old, and the adults often are able to consume larger juveniles and sometimes even adults.
The main reason for the enrichment process is that while the nauplii have a decent protein level, they lack in some fatty acid parts, especially the DHA component that seahorses need but cannot manufacture for themselves, and artemia nauplii don't have any to speak of.
Enrichment is also a benefit in that the newborn nauplii in the Instar I stage have a tougher carpace that is not digested as well but when replaced by Instar II and later stages it is much more digestible.
Thanks so much. I've done searches after searches to try to find the answer to that question. I thought the newborns could only eat freshly hatched brine shrimp. That makes the whole process a bit easier.
Maybe easier in your mind, but, for the great majority of people who have entered into the realm of keeping dwarf seahorses, not easy enough.
The greatest majority who have kept dwarfs ended up quitting because of the continual hatching and enriching process which can get to you after a while.
I only managed two years before I packed it in, and this, while already raising reidi and erectus fry for years, and, growing out artemia to adult for my own purposes and also to sell through a couple of LFSs here.
Generally speaking though, for the dwarfs, I would usually hatch out enough for about ten days so that I only had to do enrichment for that time interval.
Of course, if I had new fry on the go, I would have to do it every day for a few days as their fry are smaller than dwarf fry, especially reidi, but once they get to about 5-7 days old they can also take 10 day old nauplii.
The greatest majority who have kept dwarfs ended up quitting because of the continual hatching and enriching process which can get to you after a while.
I only managed two years before I packed it in, and this, while already raising reidi and erectus fry for years, and, growing out artemia to adult for my own purposes and also to sell through a couple of LFSs here.
Generally speaking though, for the dwarfs, I would usually hatch out enough for about ten days so that I only had to do enrichment for that time interval.
Of course, if I had new fry on the go, I would have to do it every day for a few days as their fry are smaller than dwarf fry, especially reidi, but once they get to about 5-7 days old they can also take 10 day old nauplii.
Once hatched, I would have them in a growout bottle and fed them greenwater made from spirulina powder from BrineShrimpDirect.com.
From that, I would remove enough for a day and then enrich for two 12 hour stages with new water and new enrichment for each stage. (bacteria reasons)
Nauplii are gut loaded after 12 hours, but after the second 12 hour period they have already assimilated the nutrients into their flesh, making them much better as a food.
So, while I enrich daily, I only enrich each day what I need for the next.
From that, I would remove enough for a day and then enrich for two 12 hour stages with new water and new enrichment for each stage. (bacteria reasons)
Nauplii are gut loaded after 12 hours, but after the second 12 hour period they have already assimilated the nutrients into their flesh, making them much better as a food.
So, while I enrich daily, I only enrich each day what I need for the next.
Why not use live phyto?Once hatched, I would have them in a growout bottle and fed them greenwater made from spirulina powder from BrineShrimpDirect.com.
From that, I would remove enough for a day and then enrich for two 12 hour stages with new water and new enrichment for each stage. (bacteria reasons)
Nauplii are gut loaded after 12 hours, but after the second 12 hour period they have already assimilated the nutrients into their flesh, making them much better as a food.
So, while I enrich daily, I only enrich each day what I need for the next.
Why not use live phyto?
That's a good question. I am just guessing here, but wouldn't using live phyto make sense since it doesn't go bad like powdered might?
You can use live phyto if you have the right mix of the different types to provide the correct nutrient profile.Why not use live phyto?
There is no one phyto that has everything needed, especially the DHA component.
For me, it's not worth the work to culture multiple species as it has to be done separately not all together because one species will outdo the others so only the one is left. For me, nano is the only one I grow and I only use it to culture my tisbe copepods which again, are enriched before adding to the tanks.
Nano is also good for brine nauplii just as a grow out for young brine and then be enriched before being used as food. For older brine it takes too much nano so you would need inordinate sized cultures. Spirulina much easier.
Powdered spirulina and powdered enrichments keep long term in the freezer, and when mixed in a blender for two or more minutes and stored in a fridge, I have no problem with the mixes storing for a few weeks but just have to shake them up each day due to settlement.
For me, the liquid emulsion enrichments like Selco and Selcon are bad because even in the fridge, they have short shelf life unless you are using one heck of a lot.
There are Many people more knowledgeable than I am for seahorses, but I just happen to have more time on my hands at 75 than younger ones that have to work and/or raise kids. Even my grandkids are all through high school now.Thanks so much! I do believe you may be the Seahorse guru! Thanks again.
Spirulina is an EXCELLENT food, but, it is NOT an enrichment.
I use Algamac 3050 powder as it's schizochytrium algae (DHA) and I can vary the amounts for what I want to give to the seahorses by mixing differing ratios of spirulina and Algamac, even to just Algamac.
Dan's Feed from seahorse source is better as it has a mix of a lot more components for best nutrition.
I use Algamac 3050 powder as it's schizochytrium algae (DHA) and I can vary the amounts for what I want to give to the seahorses by mixing differing ratios of spirulina and Algamac, even to just Algamac.
Dan's Feed from seahorse source is better as it has a mix of a lot more components for best nutrition.
No it's not.
IMO, ALL enrichments, powder or emulsions need to be blended in a blender for a minimum of two minutes to "particularize" to smaller more acceptable size for nauplii consumption.
Some use the stick in blenders but I prefer to use a conventional blender on high as it appears to get smaller size particles, at least for my own appliances it does.
I also pour the resulting fluid through a fine mesh just to filter out any too large particles that won't get consumed and only contribute to contamination.
IMO, ALL enrichments, powder or emulsions need to be blended in a blender for a minimum of two minutes to "particularize" to smaller more acceptable size for nauplii consumption.
Some use the stick in blenders but I prefer to use a conventional blender on high as it appears to get smaller size particles, at least for my own appliances it does.
I also pour the resulting fluid through a fine mesh just to filter out any too large particles that won't get consumed and only contribute to contamination.
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